No upgrades at Hilton Garden Inn?

[Aston100]

Hello, I contacted a Hilton Garden Inn about complimentary upgrades.
I received the following reply. Wondering if this is correct? does it apply to all HGIs or are individual properties allowed to opt themselves out?

“please be informed that due to limited inventory of suites and being a focus service bramd, we do not offer complimentary upgrade as part of the Hilton honors benefit”

[Mick S]

thats because typically all the rooms in a Garden Inn are the same.
may be a single or double/family room, but that is usually the only variation.

[can]

I’ve once got a suite upgrade as a diamond at a Garden Inn. but I had checked in late for only one night. I thought that may be the real reason..

[WillPS]

Same as Hampton. Unofficially you might get an upgrade, but there’s nothing compelling the hotel to.

[Pangolin]

An upgrade at places like HGI might mean a room with a coffee machine

[John]

HGIs do not offer complimentary upgrades at all, according to the T&Cs of Hilton Honors.

I was upgraded to a suite at Snowdonia recently, and I guess I usually get an unofficial upgrade around 25% of the time (when the hotel actually has a better room than the standard).

[meta]

As announced when automatic upgrades have been launched, individual properties can opt out. Hilton refuses to publish a list of properties that opt out. Upgrades are not a given even if all suites are available for for sale.

I stayed at Doubletree in Brussels recently (to avoid in general due to insulation issues, you can hear water running through the walls, windows not properly sealed…)
They refused to upgrade me (as a Diamond) other than to the room in the same category with a slightly better view. They said they’ve opted out recently of Hilton upgrade system.

Side note: I also stayed at Indigo Brussels this year which is owned by the same company and which has better insulation (couldn’t hear anything) and they upgraded me to a suite as Diamond Elite.

[Aston100]

Mick S wrote:

thats because typically all the rooms in a Garden Inn are the same.
may be a single or double/family room, but that is usually the only variation.

This particular HGI property has suites.

[Aston100]

Thanks John & Meta

[JerrySignfield]

Under member benefits on the Hilton App it says that the brands Garden Suites and Hampton by Hilton do not offer upgrades, I noticed this as I recently didn’t get an upgrade at a Hampton even though they had some better rooms.

[Steven]

Staying in a standard Hilton tonight as a Diamond Member and offered no upgrades despite better rooms still available to purchase. Was a points booking so not sure if that makes any difference or not? Always had an upgrade when a cash booking previously.

[Harrier25]

I booked two basic rooms on points at a Doubletree on Thursday evening. Both were upgraded and I’m only Gold! You need to have a word, Steven

[Rob]

HGI hotels are weird. Even as Diamond, you don’t get free breakfast UNLESS you have opted in to it as your ‘My Way’ benefit, which is set to ‘bonus points’ by default. At most brands a Diamond gets breakfast AND the points without having to select anything in advance.

[Steven]

It’s not Garden Inn though Rob, just standard Hilton.

[Steven]

Harrier25 wrote:

I booked two basic rooms on points at a Doubletree on Thursday evening. Both were upgraded and I’m only Gold! You need to have a word, Steven

Thanks Harrier, always had an upgrade when cash which is why I thought it related to the points booking but evidently not.

[John]

You can get both breakfast and points at HGI, but if people talk about it too much it will go the way of bendy/Ernie

Also some HGIs are happy to give both officially anyway

[Pointsamateur]

I have been booked into a Doubletree near Edinburgh, for several weeks. Not had any Diamond auto-upgrade this time. And I can see a king junior suite is still available !

[Aston100]

Pointsamateur wrote:

I have been booked into a Doubletree near Edinburgh, for several weeks. Not had any Diamond auto-upgrade this time. And I can see a king junior suite is still available !

Did you receive any kind of upgrade or any benefits at all?

[K_3891]

My experience is that the Doubletrees are the worst for the 72h advance upgrades (and/or on arrival)- nothing recently for Southampton, Swindon, Newbury, Glasgow, Boston, Kingston upon Thames. Disappointing for a recent diamond.

[pauls1]

I recently got what might be considered an upgrade at the HGI LHR T2 as HH Gold, at check in on the app I was able to pick a high floor runway view room even though I had only paid for a regular room with points, so I was happy with the slightly better view.

Also, on several occasions when staying at HGI Glasgow they upgraded me to a room with a view of the river behind the hotel rather than a view of the main road on the other side. So HGI might offer minor upgrades in terms of a nicer view but that’s about it in my experience