Hilton loyalty makreting is ridiculous

Whenever a hotel chain running system wide promotion, it will clearly note the eligible rate for the promotion.

Hilton are just doing the opposite, they don't tell u the eligible rate for the promotion and try to trick their customer. Like the triple miles promotion they are running now, there is no where saying the eligible rate for the promotion. Someone on flyertalk received a reply from Senior Loyalty Specialist, they are currently more than 100 rate plan don't count for promotion.

PAG, PA1, PA2, PA3, CPAGS0
CIS, CIA, CIB, CIC, CCISS0
HEW, HE1, HE2, HE3, CHEWS0
ORA, OR1, OR2, OR3, CORAS0
CHV, CH1, CH2, CH3, CCHVS0
CSC, CC1, CC2, CC3, CCSCS0
HBH, HB1, HB2, HB3, CMCKS0
DOW, DO1, DO2, DO3, CDOWS0
MRO, M2A, M3A, M4A, CMROS0
SAI, SA1, SA2, SA3, CSAIS0
TOY, TO1, TO2, TO3, CTMCS0
DHR, DH4, DH5, DH6, CDHRS0
FED, FE1, FE2, FE3, CFEDS0
AGR, AG1, AG2, AG3, CCAGS0
EJA, EJ1, EJ2, EJ3, CJETS0
HH0, H0, HH1, H1, HH2, H2
HH3, H3, HH4, H4, HH5, H5
HH6, H6, HH7, H7, HH8, H8
HH9, H9, PR09SW, PR25VF
PR12GP, MMW, SSD, PR09BB
Q01, P08BBB, SG, Q0
PR47FN, PR09FN, PR09FM, PR09FK

but how do I know my rate plan? too bad, you can not until the day u check in, it will show on the check in paper.

Shame!!!

earn triple BMI miles with Hilton

you need to register here, and stay btw April 1 and June 30, 2009, you will earn 3000 BMI miles per night and up to 9000 miles per stay in addition to ur regular hilton points.

one of the best offer to top off u BMI miles

Hilton Bora Bora Nui is available for award redemption now

I mentioned here and here on new addition to Hilton family at French Polynesia, now they are available to redeem at 40000 points per night or 175000 per 6 nights, the room type is Lagoon View King/Twin and I am sure you will get a nice upgrade as Diamond member.

This hotel already has excellent upgrade for Spg Platinum when under SPG chain, under new hilton chain, I would expect the same for now, but after few more months, they probably will charge u for a nice upgrade like Conrad Maldive does.

Amex introduces a new Hilton Credit and increases AXON award level

I saw the discussion on flyertalk few days ago, the new card is called "Sunpass" card, which comes with $75 dollar annual fees.

The benefit includes

-Up to 40,000 Hilton HHonors® bonus points with first purchase — enough for up to five free nights
-Up to 20,000 HHonors bonus points with first eight Hilton Family stays charged to the Card during your first 18 months of Cardmembership
-HHonors Gold VIP status complimentary with your first year; to maintain thereafter, total eligible spend must reach $20,000 annually
-HHonors Diamond VIP status when your total eligible spend reaches $40,000 annually
-$75/year annual fee
-9 HHonors bonus points for every eligible dollar spent at participating Hilton Family hotels
-6 HHonors bonus points for every eligible dollar spent at gas stations, drugstores, and more
-3 HHonors bonus points for virtually every dollar spent elsewhere
-500 HHonors bonus points when you book online at any Hilton Family Hotel Website using your Card

I think this is a great card to have if you can spend enough money to get Gold or Diamond status.

In addition, as a Hilton Amex card holder, you can have AXON 4 nights award at any cat 5 or cat 6 hotels for 125,000 points. However, they adjusted this to 125,000 for 4 nights at cat 5 or 140,000 for 4 nights at cat 6.

Hilton extended its up to 50% off weekend sale

As I expected, they extend this sale to Feb 12th,2009, with this promotion, Hilton Shanghai is only 440RMB per night on weekends

Hilton Refer your friend 2009 promotion is here

If you are not member of Hilton yet and want to be referred by me, send me a email.

You will earn 1000 bonus points after two stays, better than nothing

Hilton French Polynesia Properties Update

I wrote New Hilton opening in French Polynesia here,

now, one of these properties website is up, Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa, as category 6 hotel. 40000 per night or 175000 points for 6 nights. Much better value than previous Starwood Category 6.

The "new" Bora Bora Hilton and Hilton Tahiti should be category 6 too because they all have HILTON name and there is no HILTON hotel above caterogry 6 unless branded as W=A.

Earning change on Amex Hilton Credit Card

I just notice this change, effective Jan 1st, 2009, you earn 6 points per each dollar at Grocery Store, Drug Store, Wireless, Cable, phone,internet bill, Gas station and Hilton Family Hotels instead of 5 points.

Restaurant and Postal Office charges are exclude from bonus list and no longer earn 5 points, only 3 points per dollar now. Everything else will earn 3 points per dollar.

Bye Bye Thankyou Network-The most rewarding Credit Card Program

From March 1st, 2009, Thankyou network fixed flight award option will be discontinued, which means the most rewarding program for credit card spending will be gone forever.

With 90K fixed business class award flight option, I get approx 8.5%-14.5% back for every dollar I charged on my Citibank Credit Card. After March 1st, only flexible award option is avaiable which value 1 point = 1 cent. This will make the cashback for Citi credit card to 5% max when u use Citi AMEX PLAT at Grocery store, gas station and 3% for everything else and less cashback on other cards.

With discontinue of this option, Starwood Amex Credit card and Hilton Amex Credit Card are back to primary cards along with Citi PLAT Amex Card. Hilton Program is improving, so their points are value more than before.

Let's do some comparison here, If you charge 60K per year and 5K of them are from selected catergories such as Gas station, wireless bill, Grocery store and postal office.

You are getting

190K Hilton points if using Hilton card

190K Thankyou network points if using Citi Amex PLAT(I know there is 150K points annual cap, but let's assume you and ur spouse each has one)

60K starwood points if using Amex SPG.

190K can give you 6 nights free at some top Hilton resorts such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldive, Tahiti, Europe and 15K left over. Approx value > 2700 USD.

190K Thankyou network points can give 1900 Cashback on tickets or other gift cards. If you use 1900 to buy the ticket, the ticket will get miles, so assume you get 50K miles on these tickets, the value is 1900-210(2 cards annual fees)+1000(worth of miles)>2690.

60K starwood can get u 13 nights at Cat 4 hotels with C+P option, if each 4K worth at least 100, those 60K worth >1300. However, you can have option to transfer these points to airline on 1:1.25 ratio, which equals to around 70000 miles, Value of 70000 miles> 2000 depends on how u use them.

I personally value those points and miles higher than above estimate.

As you can see, there is no signifant difference on these cards, so all depends on which rewards program you want and flexibility of these awards. I would say, all three cards will be best cards now.

Hilton up to 50% off sale

Must book by Jan 31st, 2009 for stay up to Aug 2009, up to 50% on weekends. the link is here

US properties are excluded from this offer.

Also, don't forget double points offer

Few more Hilton Resorst will be opened and some top Starwood hotels are heading to Hilton Chain

According to this website, Hilton will open 2 properties at French Polynesia in Feb 2009, one is Hilton Bora Bora Nui and another one is Hilton Moorea. Since there is no word of new construction of Hilton Properties, these two hotels most likely are taken over from Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort and SPA and Bora Bora Nui Resort and SPA.

Hilton has no blackout redemption like SPG chain and require much less points on these two properties, so this is actually a great move. However, I am sure New Hilton Bora Bora Nui will have similar retrictions on Elite benefits like Conrad Maldive when you reedem points, but it still a better value compare to SPG catergory 7 redemption. In addition, if you want to pay for the night, Hilton can get u to their Diamond tier by amount of spending($10000 in a canleder year), so a better option than SPG, where only nights/stays counts toward elite status.

Also, If I remember correctly, both hotels+St.Regis Bora Bora are owned by same person, so sooner or later St.Regis maybe rebrand to Hilton Family Hotels too.

Along with these two properties, the Westin Versailles in Paris will leave SPG and join Hilton as Waldorf=Astoria brand. It looks like Hilton is expanding its top chain to compete with others by offering lower Franchisee fees.

Start saving ur Hilton Points, you will have more better properties to use them.

Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Starwood and Hyatt 2009 promotions are here!

Hilton Double Base points Q1 2009:

Earn double points btw Jan 6 and Apr 6th,2009 at participating properties worldwide, must register here.

Marriott Mega bonus Spring 2009:
Offer valid between February 1 and April 30, 2009, you need to login your account to see which one you got, no need to pay with Visa card Here are some of them

• 2500 for each paid stay, beginning with the second stay. Max 25000 points
• 35K for 20 nights up to 50K total for 25 nights
• 25K for 15 nights up to 40K for 20 nights

If you are Gold member or above and do not like the promotion you received, you can call Marriott Reward desk to switch, as do it before promotion ends.

Intercontinental Priority Club up to 30,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles:

From January 12 to April 30, 2009, earn 3,000 bonus points or 1,000 bonus miles for every 3rd qualifying night you stay, up to 30,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles.

Starwood Night after Night:

Registration will be available on Jan 7th,2009. From Jan 7th to Apr 30th,2009. Earn 500 bonus points per night, and 5000 extra bonus for every 10th nights, no need to be consecutive and no upper limit for bonus.

Hyatt More Than a Bonus:
Between January 9 and April 30, 2009, up to 20000 bonus points

Stay two nights and earn 2,000 bonus points/miles
Stay four nights and earn an additional 4,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 6,000 bonus points)
Stay six nights and earn an additional 6,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 12,000 bonus points)
Stay eight nights and earn an additional 8,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 20,000 bonus points)

Registration link is not ready yet.

Earn Triple miles at Participating Hilton hotels In China

You need to register here, stay btw Nov 1st-Feb 29th, 2009 and earn triple miles on

"Air China, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines^®, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines^®, Northwest Airlines^®, Singapore Airlines, THAI Airways International and United"

This means u will earn 1500 miles per stay on AA, DL, etc. A great offer for one night stay, but for longer stay, BMI is still the best option.

Hilton Rome Cavalieri rebrand Waldorf=Astoria Collection

Hilton Rome Cavalieri is one of the best Hilton hotel, although I have never stayed there, but I do heard so many good reviews for this hotel. Since the hotel rebrand as Waldorf=Astoria Collection, the points redemption will increase a lot. With old category 6, you only need 175,000 points for a 6 nights stay anytimel, but with Waldorf=Astoria Collection, you will need 265,000 for a 6 nights at this hotel during high season, which is from March 1st-Dec 31st.

Too bad I don't have chance to stay at this hotel at current rate.

Hilton HHonors VIP benefits change effective 8/15/2008

Effective 8/15/2008, all VIP myway preference option will apply worldwide. Before, some options only apply to North America Properties.

IF you are Gold or Diamond member, you have option to select

Hilton and Doubletree and Conrad: room upgrade, free internet or 1000 points

Embassy Suite: some snacks or 1000 bonus points(500 for Gold)

Homestead Suite:250 bonus points or Two bottles of water per stay and Pepperidge Farm cookies

Hilton Garden Inn:Complimentary Full American Breakfast for you and one guest (guest must be registered in the hotel) throughout your stay and upgraded room accommodations (subject to availability upon check-in) or 750 bonus points.

The Waldorf=Astoria Collection:One category room upgrade (excludes suites and the Napua Tower at Grand Wailea). If room upgrade is not available, you will receive both of the remaining options and 1,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points or Discount at select resort facilities (may include spa, golf, restaurant, etc.)

Hampton Inn: One bottle of water and one snack item or 250 HHonors bonus points

If you have not change your preference yet, go to HiltonHHonors.com/myway to change. For the past few years, you still receive upgrade benefit even if you select points option in North America, so just select points for all chains.

This is another good move after eliminating blackout date for award redemption.

Hilton Program will discountine rolling VIP tier as of Jan 1, 2009

Hilton program has a rolling VIP tier qualification period, you just need to qualify next elite level in a rolling 12 months period, your new elite status will valid for the following 12 months. However, it is too confusing and lots of people call the VIP desk for clarification, so in order to keep it simple, the chain will discount this rolling VIP tier and switch back to normal calender year qualification period.

Few new Offers from Hilton

1 Get up to three free nights worldwide excluding both North and South America region. You will get 1 free night when you pay 3, 2 free nights when you pay 5 or 3 free nights when you pay 7. However the rate may be higher per night. The detail in here

2 Earn triple points when book rate code PR40TP, however, the rate is higher per night, the detail is here

2 resort properties join Hilton Program

There are in Montergo Bay, Jamaica and Mallorca, Spain, so we get 2 more options for our free vacation.

New Hilton Amex offer- Earn up to 62500 bonus points

My friend send me this offer today, it is the best Hilton AMEX offer so far

Earn 20,000 HHonors bonus points with your first purchase

Earn up to an additional 10,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points - that's 2.500 Hilton HHonors bonus points for each of your first four stays at any Hilton Family Hotel

Earn 30,000 HHonors bonus points when you spend $1,500 in your first 3 months of Cardmembership

Earn 2,500 Hilton HHonors bonus points when you add an Additional Cardmember to your account

Here is the link

Hilton HHonors introduced online shopping mall

Hilton just introduced online shopping mall, which is similar to other airlines or hotels shopping mall. This will be a great tool to extend your Hilton points, which will be expired if no activity in 1 year.

The Earning ratio is not bad at all, saksfifthave earns you 5 points per $, so spend 30K can get u a great vacation in some nice resorts.