Hilton Honors catapulted the value of its points to significantly higher levels with its SLH Hotels partnership.
- Hilton Honors has been a low-value program. Its points have been worth around 4/10ths of a cent apiece. They give you plenty of points (it’s an inflated currency) but even the most mid properties are at stratospheric levels for redemption.
- Hilton’s base earning for hotel stays is weaker than competitor hotel chains. They make up for it (often) with their promotions. They keep you on the treadmill just to stay even.
- And elite benefits are lacking. Diamonds are not entitled to available suites as upgrades. Late check-out is not guaranteed. And in the U.S. there’s not even guaranteed breakfast, just a food and beverage credit that may not cover the cost of breakfast.
But now that you can use your points for SLH properties, those points have much greater utility.
- Most SLH Hotels are now bookable with Hilton points.
- You can use Hilton free night certificates on these hotels. And all Hilton elite members (even Silver) et 5th night free on redemptions.
- You can even book a $4,300 luxury suite for 150,000 Honors points.
What you need to understand though going in is that these are independent hotels, and not Hilton hotels. They are happy to take Hilton’s distribution (while crowding out the ability of actual Hilton brands to monetize the eyeballs of Honors members looking to book a room) but without valuing individual Hilton customers (sometimes even more so than an individual franchised Hilton hotel which has little incentive to do so, and even less requirement to do so).
In fact, some may see Hilton guests are ‘someone else’s customer’ and Honors redemptions as the begrudging price of Hilton distribution rather than incremental revenue, putting heads in beds that would otherwise go empty.
While all of my SLH stays have been pretty good, it’s a mistake to expect uniformity, brand standards, or recognition of Honors status as though it means something.
Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary breakfast at SLH properties, although most in my experience provide it to everyone. They’re also entitled to ‘space available upgrades’ which are at about the lowest priority, and were available to all members redeeming points when SLH partnered with Hyatt.
Here’s a telling TripAdvisor review of Flemings Mayfair in London.
- The guest expected some recognition as a Hilton Diamond, which is a mistake
- But they were treated worse that an average guest, told that property benefits are for ‘paying’ customers and not for those redeeming points.
Skip here if staying as a Hilton Guest!!!
Our stay at Flemings Mayfair was a major contrast to the luxurious experience we anticipated from a 5-star hotel, and was a big letdown. While the location was very convenient, the quality of service and accommodations fell far short of expectations.From the beginning, we felt undervalued and maybe even “punished” as Diamond Hilton Honors members using points towards our stay. Despite the hotel being a part of the Hilton family, we were treated differently from guests who had booked without using points.
Upon check in, we asked if we could get an upgrade based on our diamond status and was told that there was no availability but the next time we were in the lobby, a letter explicitly stated that our Hilton status and benefits would not be fully honored, which was both surprising and disappointing.
The concierge staff was particularly rude and unhelpful, making us feel bad that we were staying as a Hilton client, further exacerbating our negative experience. We asked how to get the shuttle to the airport that was listed on the website as complimentary to only be told that this was only available to “paying” customers and not people “staying for free”.
The room was incredibly small, lacking basic amenities that one would expect from a hotel of this caliber. The bed was made up of two twin mattresses pushed together, with a dip in the middle of the bed making for uncomfortable nights. The thin walls made it difficult to escape noise disturbances, and the small television offered limited entertainment options.
The staff in the bar area were very friendly and helpful which was a nice breath of fresh air!
While the location was a plus, it couldn’t compensate for the poor service and subpar accommodations. I would strongly advise travelers to seek accommodations that offer a higher luxury of service, especially if you are staying as a Hilton guest.
Credit: Flemings Mayfair Hotel, London
The hotel room wasn’t great, but that’s the base room at the property and what they were entitled to. The problem here is the disconnect between expectation and reality, the dismissive tone of the hotel towards Honors redemptions, and… the hotel manager’s appalling response.
Loyalty Lobby flagged the review and also the manager’s response… and whoa boy.
- The manager says the review is ‘untrue’ and ‘malicious’ but never explains how.
- He calls the guest arrogant.
- He makes clear the hotel is not “part of the Hilton family” and that benefits are not the right of the guest at his hotel (which is largely correct).
- And he tells them to stay at a Hilton property instead of his hotel “where your privilege is only acknowledged by a number, not a name.”
Here’s the hotel manager playfully threatening to ban his own country’s Prime Minister from the hotel. It was clearly a joke, but also a window into the way that nobody escapes his judgment.
But it’s true that SLH are not part of Hilton in the same way Hilton properties are.
Sounds like an overly entitled elite expecting more than the partnership actually provides.
Diamond is literally credit card status on Hilton
@ Tim Dunn, I don’t disagree with you, but I do wonder if some of these people in the hospitality business that Gary shines a light on have ever read the definition of the word.
I’d still like to know more about what benefits they provide to paying customers that weren’t afforded them.
A lot here is very unclear. For instance I can think of two SLH hotels that provide transportation to the hotel from the airport (Calala Island and Hermitage Bay) and that includes Hilton points redemption.
What did they deny?
Pretty obnoxious considering if the US hasn’t bailed out their pathetic island 80 years ago they would be speaking German.
@Gary: You inverted the meaning with your edit here:
“And he tells them to stay at a Hilton property instead of his hotel “where your privilege is only acknowledged by a number, not a name.””
@Dave @ MilesTalk : The shuttle to the airport. That’s a $50+ value! So very substantial.
Also, read the description of the room. It sounds like a staff room pushed into service in emergencies. Nothing 5* about it.
“We asked how to get the shuttle to the airport that was listed on the website as complimentary to only be told that this was only available to “paying” customers and not people “staying for free”.
The hotel does not seem to understand that frequent stay miles are prepaid rooms. Those points are paid for. There is no “point fairy”.
Always ironic when Brits refer to others as arrogant.
That said, I have seen plenty of entitlement by Elite guests, while in line behind them at check-in. Including a Marriott Gold “Elite” who kept asking for an upgrade, across Christmas in Waikiki, repeatedly saying ‘I demand satisfaction!’ in his annoying thick accent.as the line behind him kept growing.
I don’t get too concerned about upgrades – certainly never ask or ‘negotiate’, especially on an award stay.
If the hotel lists the shuttle benefit on their website then I think it is reasonable for this individual to expect that benefit to apply to their stay. Additionally, if they got put in some piece of crap room, when this is supposed to be a five star hotel, then I think it’s perfectly reasonable for them to complain about that as well.
@Mark: He is German.
Spoken like a real Labour man! A hospitality manager filled with resentment towards his guests. I’ll be sure to avoid this place.
A pompous liberal who looks down on others that likes Starmer, shocking.
@Hal what makes them liberal?
Hotels are short staffed no one wants to be hoteliers anymore. There is no more “the customer is always right” get over it. If you think the industry is the same as it was 25 years ago where working in a hotel was a prestigious job when the guest was not so self entitled, you’re mistaken. Be happy you have a bed, some soap, internet. The only people who care about your reward status is you.
Good to know that we should avoid this place next time we’re in london.
Thanks Gary! Glad to know to avoid this location with Hilton points, especially since we have a vacation planned this summer.
There’s certainly plenty of SLH + Hilton in LON to choose from. We won’t be hurting for choice.
That picture in the post might be credited to Flemings, but it is *not* the hotel – it is Fortnum & Mason, very charmingly decorated like one of their advent calendars for the holiday season. Flemings Mayfair is a good 0.5 mi/0.8 km away from there, and on a side street, not on Piccadilly (which could be a plus, given the reported quality of the windows).
Just so you know, the photo you use of Flemings is not Flemings. It is Fortnum and Mason in this years Advent Calendar decorations (I have been to F&M 3 times in the past week).
Love the blog. Keep up the great work
As bad as the main chain hotels are these days, especially with cuts in amenities or services and point devaluations, this is why I stay with chain hotels. If something goes wrong I have recourse through the chain. That may or may not resolve the situation. If I stay at an independent hotel, I have little to no recourse. The problem here is the general manager does not understand that his independent hotel has chosen to affiliate with SLH and thus are bound by the agreement with Hilton. If they don’t like it, they should leave SLH.
I actually stayed here two separate nights in November. On Friday night I booked through a travel agent and on Sunday night I used Hilton points. I got a free ride from the airport on Friday, but it was part of the travel agent package – I can’t find anything on the website about free airport transfers. I found the staff to be equally charming both stays. I stayed in a single room, which was small, but I was alone so it met my needs (the TV was small, but if you’re on vacation in London and staying in Mayfair and spending a lot of time watching TV, you’re doing it wrong). I would absolutely stay here again
Look at his post with the prime minister. Enough said. I don’t want to be around such crude people.
Can you all take Harry and Meghan back? While you’re at it can you now Exit the planet. You lost, and the world is sick of listening to you.
I so disagree with many of the nasty comments. I’m 76 and have played this points game for decades, thanks to Gary and his colleagues. We chase award status as it grants us benefits – some that might be a financial strain. It is good that the poster told us what to expect in terms of the room at this hotel. And he is a Diamond – imagine what a lesser elite would get.
anyone on this blog should care about points and status. That’s the game we play here. I cannot overstate how much I have learned from such blogs and things like FlyerTalk. Gratuitously insulting the poster for caring about points and status is just mean and crazy.
It appears the Managing Director has deleted his Trip Advisor response – at least I don’t see it. I scanned a couple of his other responses, and believe his argument would be stronger if he wrote more temperately.
Manage your expectations. If you are staying at a luxury hotel on points, especially one that is new to a program or a bit superficially connected to one, like SLH, try to understand the economics of the situation. That hotel may be getting only paid a percentage of the quoted room rate for your stay. The hotel may be losing money on your stay based on when you stay, the costs of servicing your stay (labor, breakfast, etc). You may have only “earned” your status by paying for it (i.e. signing up for a Hilton Aspire card). Many customers expect to be treated like royalty when only contributing minimal revenue, not only to a particular hotel, but even to the loyalty program at large. Appreciate the situation when you are getting a lot of value with little personal expense. If it were your business, you would feel similarly.
Why do people chase hotel points in the first place? Hotel companies don’t like to offer benefits. Customers gripe about it all. Why even bother?
A standard room at Flemings Mayfair is small. Some may be worse than others. Last year when it was a Hyatt partner I ultimately decided against it because I read alot of reviews that were not satisfied with the standard room they got.
All hotels under all chains gain reimbursement by the chain (Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, BW, etc) for reservations booked by points. The reimbursement amount is based on the hotel’s occupancy for the night(s) the points are used. If a hotel reaches a set occupancy percentage, each brand has its threshold, then that hotel is reimbursed the average rate of the rooms sold for that night. So yes, if the hotel was dead anyway, the reimbursement is minimal but enough to cover turning the lights on. Still, the idea is they wouldn’t have had the room sold anyway, but the busier it is, the higher the reimbursement amount will be, so it is not a loss to the hotel for honoring these reservations. For hotels with F&B, guests would also theoretically be spending money in those establishments, which would not otherwise be slower. Limited-service hotels offering complimentary breakfast and not having bars and restaurants would not benefit as a full-service hotel would.
Travel “partnerships” of any kind are beneficial only to the travel providers, not the customer. It’s all a marketing ploy; the people thinking this stuff up and agreeing to the details aren’t particularly sophisticated and probably don’t travel much at all. Travellers need to understand this, so they’re not crushed when treated as badly as this guy was in London. I’m not the slightest bit surprised at the manager’s attitude. It’s London, the guy’s myopic, but it’s his hotel, so he can behave any way he wishes. What’s Hilton going to do about it? Send him a letter asking him to be nicer? Just avoid all this baloney, book the big Hiltons and Conrad … and for God’s sake, don’t use a HH free night at a ‘partner hotel’.
Hotel rooms in London and Paris are crazy expensive and if you’re not willing to pay700.00- 1000,00 a night they , are going to be small .
As a lifetime Diamond member my advice would be,stay at at a Hilton property,
.A bit more spacious room,,better breakfast and no downgrade to rabbit hole room-.(I’ve been there)
SLH hotels are great,but only if you book the premium room,otherwise you’ll be stuck in a closet.
@ Steven s. Yes. Well stated.
If hotels join a chain like Hilton, even if through affiliation, they need to honor the deal and expectations. Hilton Honors is as large and valuable as it is due to their members, elite chasers, and point chasers. Do not affiliate if you want to remain “boutique and independent”. Simple as that
i stayed here earlier this year on points when the property/slh was still partnered with hyatt and had a lovely experience, very nice room and kind staff all around. sometimes ppl just are gonna have a bad time.
So many commenters here, miss the point. It is the manager’s reply that was unprofessional! Then Gary added the Instagram post by the manager. The guy is a jerk! For commenters saying the manager is the liberal, please! Starmer is Labour. The manager is obviously Conservative. But for him to say he would ban the PM from staying at his property is downright disgusting!
I am now informed that I should never stay at Flemings Mayfair. I don’t want to encounter that kind of grief even on paid stay.