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Stayed in a hotel in US I normally stay and book either with BA or Amex. This time was different. Upon presenting my Hilton Gold number at check-in, the told me they no longer offer benefits unless you book specifically via Hilton ( worked in past).
This now makes the Amex benefit useless? Anyone had this recently?
No, you receive the status via the Amex Platinum for Hilton and you should book directly with Hilton or if it is a Conrad, Waldorf Astoria or LXR hotel, then you can book with Amex via FHR (not pre-paid), or a Virtuoso agent like Emyrto receive the Hilton Honors benefits.
You write as if you booked outside these options, and the hotel was correct to say no to providing you with the benefits.
Who did you book with? You said you usually book with BA or Amex, that can mean a few different methods, please elaborate as to which you used.
3rd party bookings don’t count with Hilton (or any of the major chains) unless they’re corporate travel agents. BA Holidays bookings have never counted.
If the booking has ultimately gone via Expedia or similar (which I believe Amex Travel is using these days) then you won’t get benefits and never should have. Sometimes hotels will give you benefits at their discretion.
Not sure what you mean about the Amex benefit being useless, which benefit? The gold card status with Amex Plat, or the cashback offer? Both have good value if you use them correctly.
It was 2016ish when Hilton stopped giving benefits on third party bookings, and they were the last major chain to stop it. The only third party bookings which will count are Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and even then you need to take the ‘pay at hotel’ option.
It was with BA Holidays. Generally hotels have been fairly good providing gold benefits when adding Gold Number at check-in but it was by exception; although in my experience, they always did it up until this trip.
Now it seems to be be the rule. Its not too much of an issue. The $30 F&B benefit is more that offset by booking with BA or similar ( including reduced resort and parking fees BA offers).
As an FYI, BA holidays booking car hire via Avis allows you to add your Avis Presidents club to booking, offering the benefits.
Slightly off topic however seems like a good place to ask this, I am currently Diamond with Hilton, there is a chance now I’ll not even earn Gold this year and I believe there is no soft landing from Honors. If I take up the gold via Platinum now, will it appear and continue through next year even if likely not holding the Plat next year? Hope that makes sense.
@Paul-B The Amex hotel benefits don’t do anything until you activate them from within your Amex account. Correct, there’s no soft landing.
Your existing platinum status won’t change until 31st March so it’s a bit pointless. Just activate it when you need it.
@Paul-B The Amex hotel benefits don’t do anything until you activate them from within your Amex account. Correct, there’s no soft landing.
Your existing platinum status won’t change until 31st March so it’s a bit pointless. Just activate it when you need it.
I suspect I won’t hold my current Amex Platinum, however likewise if I was to activate Hilton now as gold or below I would have that status through to March ‘27, I think. Wondering what happens if I activate it as a Diamond right now?
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