One of the listed benefits of the Aspire card is a $100 property credit when you stay at least two nights at a Conrad or Waldorf. The credit can be used for dining/spas etc although properties can apparently change around what is covered. So I booked two nights in a Conrad for an upcoming trip because I wanted to use my resort credit and I thought oh great I can use the $100 property credit as well. Well first things first. You don't automatically get the property credit. No, first you need to verify your card for the credit via a website then go through a portal to book the room. Fine. I go through the portal and BOOM. I'm being quoted room rates that are like $30-$50 higher per night than I can normally book. Apparently you need to pay a specifc rate to use this benefit and you can't take advantage of HHonors discounted room rates. Needless to say this is quite sketchy and now I am reconsidering if I want to even stay two days at this property. I could just spend one night and use up the resort credit that way. I did some reading on this and in some cases you actually end up paying MORE if you use the property credit with aspire than otherwise. So fair warning when you do AF calculations on the aspire card I would NOT consider the property credit as being a useful benefit. Luckily I wasn't stupid enough to book nonrefundable reservations so I can still modify my plans.
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I noticed the same thing as you. Prices were around $50 more a night then the lowest priced HHonors sale price. But they were about the same as the cheapest refundable rate, maybe a tad bit higher.
The best way to get a property credit is THC via the charge cards then when you arrive at the hotel switch it to your Hilton Card for the rest of the stay. I know this isnt the same situation you are talking about but it works.
@Shadowfactor wrote:I noticed the same thing as you. Prices were around $50 more a night then the lowest priced HHonors sale price. But they were about the same as the cheapest refundable rate, maybe a tad bit higher.
The best way to get a property credit is THC via the charge cards then when you arrive at the hotel switch it to your Hilton Card for the rest of the stay. I know this isnt the same situation you are talking about but it works.
I never used THC although I do have plat cards etc. Is the rate they quote the same as I can get normally via Hilton website? So I checked THC rate its the same as the Aspire rate. The difference is that you are supposed to get an upgrade in addition to the property credit with THC whereas you only get a property credit with the aspire. I can book with THC and still switch my plat card out later do use my aspire resort credit? I dunno if its worth paying extra via THC when I have diamond status, already but I could certainly see this being useful at properties where I don't have status. Similiar to the hyatt prive rates I have used in the past which can be great on paid park hyatt stays.
@red259 wrote:
@Shadowfactor wrote:I noticed the same thing as you. Prices were around $50 more a night then the lowest priced HHonors sale price. But they were about the same as the cheapest refundable rate, maybe a tad bit higher.
The best way to get a property credit is THC via the charge cards then when you arrive at the hotel switch it to your Hilton Card for the rest of the stay. I know this isnt the same situation you are talking about but it works.
I never used THC although I do have plat cards etc. Is the rate they quote the same as I can get normally via Hilton website?
I've never had a chance to book THC through Amextravel.com with them being prepaid stays so I can't comment on how those prices are different. The properties I wanted to stay at were always not available online but were bookable over the phone. Since this is prepaid you wont earn elite benefits.
Over the phone the prices were a tad bit higher over the cheapest refundable rate. Roughly $5-$10 a night from what I remember.
You place the deposit with your charge card = one night and can use ANY amex card at checkout. You will earn elite status/nights. It's great for short weekend stays.
@Shadowfactor wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@Shadowfactor wrote:I noticed the same thing as you. Prices were around $50 more a night then the lowest priced HHonors sale price. But they were about the same as the cheapest refundable rate, maybe a tad bit higher.
The best way to get a property credit is THC via the charge cards then when you arrive at the hotel switch it to your Hilton Card for the rest of the stay. I know this isnt the same situation you are talking about but it works.
I never used THC although I do have plat cards etc. Is the rate they quote the same as I can get normally via Hilton website?
I've never had a chance to book THC through Amextravel.com with them being prepaid stays so I can't comment on how those prices are different. The properties I wanted to stay at were always not available online but were bookable over the phone. Since this is prepaid you wont earn elite benefits.
Over the phone the prices were a tad bit higher over the cheapest refundable rate. Roughly $5-$10 a night from what I remember.
You place the deposit with your charge card = one night and can use ANY amex card at checkout. You will earn elite status/nights. It's great for short weekend stays.
Oh so probably not the best for hotels where you have high status since you don't get your membership perks. Still sounds worth considering though for paid stays at hotels where you have now or low status.
If you book over the internet with THC you don’t get status related stuff as it’s prepaid.
If you book over the phone with platinum travel. You will have your status honored / earn nights as it’s not a prepaid stay. You place a deposit.
If you book over the phone with platinum travel. You will have your status honored / earn nights as it’s not a prepaid stay. You place a deposit.
@Namaste7 wrote:
@Shadowfactor wrote:
If you book over the internet with THC you don’t get status related stuff as it’s prepaid.
If you book over the phone with platinum travel. You will have your status honored / earn nights as it’s not a prepaid stay. You place a deposit.Do you receive the 5X MR when you book a hotel via Amex Platinum Travel Assistance?
No you will not earn 5X points since it’s not a prepaid hotel.
As I mentioned you can switch the card to any other Amex card so if you have a co-branded hotel card. You can give that card at checkin and earn bonus points that way.