topic Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors? in Credit Cards

What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:10:48 GMT

A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:36:46 GMT

I have it and unless your strictly staying at Hilton it's not really worth it even with out the AF ! Also if you get tired of it you can't product change it . I would pay the $49 AF for the IHG rewards card since it offers you a free annual night which is worth way more than $49 !!!!! It also offers 70,000 bonus points after $1k spend in 3 months , the Hyatt card also offers 1 free night a year and 2 free nights after meeting the bonus spend , the AF is $75 but free the first year ! The Marriott card also offers a free annual night .... So if it's based on value and not much focus on the annual any of the 3 I mentioned are worth it for the free night alone !!!!!

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

ecxpa — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:39:29 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!

How often are you staying 5 nights straight on a trip in one place.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:39:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I have it and unless your strictly staying at Hilton it's not really worth it even with out the AF ! Also if you get tired of it you can't product change it . I would pay the $49 AF for the IHG rewards card since it offers you a free annual night which is worth way more than $49 !!!!! It also offers 70,000 bonus points after $1k spend in 3 months , the Hyatt card also offers 1 free night a year and 2 free nights after meeting the bonus spend , the AF is $75 but free the first year ! The Marriott card also offers a free annual night .... So if it's based on value and not much focus on the annual any of the 3 I mentioned are worth it for the free night alone !!!!!

Yeah, but the IHG rewards card only pays 2 points per dollar at restaurants while this one pays 5 points per dollar. Isn't the difference worth anything?

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:40:55 GMT

Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:41:01 GMT

@ecxpa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!
How often are you staying 5 nights straight on a trip in one place.

That is an excellent point!

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:41:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@ecxpa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!
How often are you staying 5 nights straight on a trip in one place.
That is an excellent point!

and its only fifth night free on AWARD stays. almost every program does this for EVERY member. hilton only does it for silver and up.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:43:34 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@ecxpa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!
How often are you staying 5 nights straight on a trip in one place.
That is an excellent point!
and its only fifth night free on AWARD stays. almost every program does this for EVERY member. hilton only does it for silver and up.

I clearly don't travel much. Would you mind explaining what award stays are?

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:45:40 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@ecxpa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
A no-annual fee card with silver status at Hilton (5th night free on stays of 5 days or longer). I don't travel much, but it seems like a better deal than $95 AF Marriot Rewards Premier and $49 AF IHG Rewards, purely because of no annual fee? What am I missing?

Also, it pays 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants. How are these points valued (i.e. how many points would a $200 a night room cost - on average)? Are fast-food places (like pizza) covered under restaurants on this card?

Thanks!
How often are you staying 5 nights straight on a trip in one place.
That is an excellent point!
and its only fifth night free on AWARD stays. almost every program does this for EVERY member. hilton only does it for silver and up.
I clearly don't travel much. Would you mind explaining what award stays are?

If you use points for a 5 night stay...the 5th night is free...

IE 80k points a night

5 nights WOULD cost 400,000 points but instead, it will only be 320,000 points.

Marriott does this, as does hyatt. but their redemptions are far cheaper in terms of points. The reason you earn more hilton points per dollar spent with their credit cards is because they are the LEAST valuable hotel loyalty currency.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:46:25 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.

How much would a low end IHG cost a night (just for comparison-sake)?

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:53:40 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
How much would a low end IHG cost a night (just for comparison-sake)?

IHG rooms run from 10,000 points to 50,000 points a night

Hilton rooms run from 5,000 (good luck finding those) to 95,000 points a night

hyatt rooms run from 5,000 to 39,000 points per night (up to 48,000 a night for suites)

marriott rooms are from 7,500 to 45,000 points per night (For standard rooms, some hotels will allow you upgrade for X amount of upgrade certificates per night, each costing 5,000 points)

Ritz Carlton (same program as marriott) will be between 30,000 and 70,000 points per night.

Club carlson will be between 9,000 and 105,000 per night.

You can see all the award charts online, or simply look for a hotel you might stay at frequently and select "redeem points" and see how many it would be.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:56:10 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
How much would a low end IHG cost a night (just for comparison-sake)?
IHG rooms run from 10,000 points to 50,000 points a night

Hilton rooms run from 5,000 (good luck finding those) to 95,000 points a night

hyatt rooms run from 5,000 to 39,000 points per night (up to 48,000 a night for suites)

marriott rooms are from 7,500 to 45,000 points per night (For standard rooms, some hotels will allow you upgrade for X amount of upgrade certificates per night, each costing 5,000 points)
Ritz Carlton (same program as marriott) will be between 30,000 and 70,000 points per night.

Club carlson will be between 9,000 and 105,000 per night.

You can see all the award charts online, or simply look for a hotel you might stay at frequently and select "redeem points" and see how many it would be.
That is amazing. Thank you so much!

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

longtime_lurker — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 00:35:52 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.

While I am agreeing with your conclusion that Chase's Marriott card > no AF Hilton AMEX, a low end will not cost nearly that many points a night, haha. Many Hamptons/HGI/Doubletrees are 20k to 30k a night. The hampton I work at (in a Big Ten university town) is 30k a night. That includes like MSU football and graduation. IF OP is looking to semi-regularly stay in a Hilton property, Gold status via Citi or AMEX.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 00:45:29 GMT

@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
While I am agreeing with your conclusion that Chase's Marriott card > no AF Hilton AMEX, a low end will not cost nearly that many points a night, haha. Many Hamptons/HGI/Doubletrees are 20k to 30k a night. The hampton I work at (in a Big Ten university town) is 30k a night. That includes like MSU football and graduation. IF OP is looking to semi-regularly stay in a Hilton property, Gold status via Citi or AMEX.

I went to school in Gainesville, Florida. We have a few hilton family hotels there.

the residence inn there is 25k points a night for a 1BR suite, and the hampton inn is like 50k a night for a 1BR suite. xD

Gainesville sucks for hotels though, I got lucky this year and booked a room at the springhill suites for $109 a night the weekend of the tennessee game. All the hotels are like 4-600 a night now...even the sketchy days inn is like 250-300 a night.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

longtime_lurker — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 00:56:03 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
While I am agreeing with your conclusion that Chase's Marriott card > no AF Hilton AMEX, a low end will not cost nearly that many points a night, haha. Many Hamptons/HGI/Doubletrees are 20k to 30k a night. The hampton I work at (in a Big Ten university town) is 30k a night. That includes like MSU football and graduation. IF OP is looking to semi-regularly stay in a Hilton property, Gold status via Citi or AMEX.
I went to school in Gainesville, Florida. We have a few hilton family hotels there.

the residence inn there is 25k points a night for a 1BR suite, and the hampton inn is like 50k a night for a 1BR suite. xD

Gainesville sucks for hotels though, I got lucky this year and booked a room at the springhill suites for $109 a night the weekend of the tennessee game. All the hotels are like 4-600 a night now...even the sketchy days inn is like 250-300 a night.

That...that is outrageous. Obviously with all reward programs there are some steals, but many more "what in the hell do they think they are to charge me 50k points, or my real favorite here, 600 a night". I'm frankly surprised that they can actually fill the hotel at that rate...without going into too much detail neither Florida nor Tennessee have been on top in football for several years, at least not on MSU's level.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:06:38 GMT

@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
While I am agreeing with your conclusion that Chase's Marriott card > no AF Hilton AMEX, a low end will not cost nearly that many points a night, haha. Many Hamptons/HGI/Doubletrees are 20k to 30k a night. The hampton I work at (in a Big Ten university town) is 30k a night. That includes like MSU football and graduation. IF OP is looking to semi-regularly stay in a Hilton property, Gold status via Citi or AMEX.
I went to school in Gainesville, Florida. We have a few hilton family hotels there.

the residence inn there is 25k points a night for a 1BR suite, and the hampton inn is like 50k a night for a 1BR suite. xD

Gainesville sucks for hotels though, I got lucky this year and booked a room at the springhill suites for $109 a night the weekend of the tennessee game. All the hotels are like 4-600 a night now...even the sketchy days inn is like 250-300 a night.
That...that is outrageous. Obviously with all reward programs there are some steals, but many more "what in the hell do they think they are to charge me 50k points, or my real favorite here, 600 a night". I'm frankly surprised that they can actually fill the hotel at that rate...without going into too much detail neither Florida nor Tennessee have been on top in football for several years, at least not on MSU's level.

Yeah, but tennessee and florida are rivals. Go ahead and look at a room in jacksonville for the florida/georgia game.

Hell, if you have a house near the stadium in gainesville, you sell your driveway as a parking spot.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

longtime_lurker — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:17:40 GMT

@jsucool76 wrote:
@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
@longtime_lurker wrote:
@jsucool76 wrote:
Marriott is only $85

And it includes a free night annually

and you get 5th night free with marriott reward stays just like you do at hilton.

Difference is...a low end hilton will cost you 80k points a night. A low end marriott will cost you 25k points a night.
While I am agreeing with your conclusion that Chase's Marriott card > no AF Hilton AMEX, a low end will not cost nearly that many points a night, haha. Many Hamptons/HGI/Doubletrees are 20k to 30k a night. The hampton I work at (in a Big Ten university town) is 30k a night. That includes like MSU football and graduation. IF OP is looking to semi-regularly stay in a Hilton property, Gold status via Citi or AMEX.
I went to school in Gainesville, Florida. We have a few hilton family hotels there.

the residence inn there is 25k points a night for a 1BR suite, and the hampton inn is like 50k a night for a 1BR suite. xD

Gainesville sucks for hotels though, I got lucky this year and booked a room at the springhill suites for $109 a night the weekend of the tennessee game. All the hotels are like 4-600 a night now...even the sketchy days inn is like 250-300 a night.
That...that is outrageous. Obviously with all reward programs there are some steals, but many more "what in the hell do they think they are to charge me 50k points, or my real favorite here, 600 a night". I'm frankly surprised that they can actually fill the hotel at that rate...without going into too much detail neither Florida nor Tennessee have been on top in football for several years, at least not on MSU's level.
Yeah, but tennessee and florida are rivals. Go ahead and look at a room in jacksonville for the florida/georgia game.

Hell, if you have a house near the stadium in gainesville, you sell your driveway as a parking spot.

I understand that portion. Anymore, I've sold parking (live near campus) last two years during OSU, UofM, and Oregon games for a total of a month's rent .

It could be rooms don't get as high here for like MSU and UofM because of the relative proximity (~40 mi.) I don't know, I've worked in hospitality for 3 years, and the stuff I've seen (both internal as an employee and external as watching guest behavior) is just astonishing.

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

ksantangelo23 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:49:53 GMT

I stay at a Hilton resort at Disney once a year. Its roughly ~~70k~~ 36k points a night for a standard room, with free Junior suite upgrade at desk, the largest room. Along with free Gold benefits, free room upgrades, and free 5th night, HHonors card is very valuable too me. Although not as flexible as most cards, you do have an out by way of conversation to many airlines at a 1:1 - 1:1.5 ratio.I have no idea what someone was talking about that a low end Hilton is 70k a night. Maybe if you book 1 night in advanced.

Sent from mobile.

EDIT: 36k for a summer night, typeo with "70k"

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

jsucool76 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:39:38 GMT

@ksantangelo23 wrote:
I stay at a Hilton resort at Disney once a year. Its roughly 70k points a night for a standard room, with free Junior suite upgrade at desk, the largest room. Along with free Gold benefits, free room upgrades, and free 5th night, HHonors card is very valuable too me. Although not as flexible as most cards, you do have an out by way of conversation to many airlines at a 1:1 - 1:1.5 ratio.I have no idea what someone was talking about that a low end Hilton is 70k a night. Maybe if you book 1 night in advanced.

Sent from mobile

Is this disney florida or disney california?

I can stay at the ritz grande lakes near disney for only 40k marriott points a night.

Marriott - 1 / Hilton - 0

Re: What is the catch with Amex Hilton HHonors?

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:40:56 GMT

You can

@jsucool76 wrote:
@ksantangelo23 wrote:
I stay at a Hilton resort at Disney once a year. Its roughly 70k points a night for a standard room, with free Junior suite upgrade at desk, the largest room. Along with free Gold benefits, free room upgrades, and free 5th night, HHonors card is very valuable too me. Although not as flexible as most cards, you do have an out by way of conversation to many airlines at a 1:1 - 1:1.5 ratio.I have no idea what someone was talking about that a low end Hilton is 70k a night. Maybe if you book 1 night in advanced.

Sent from mobile
Is this disney florida or disney california?

I can stay at the ritz grande lakes near disney for only 40k marriott points a night.

Marriott - 1 / Hilton - 0

You can stay at Ritz hotels with Marriott points?