Hilton HHonors 1,000 Reasons Promo

Resident Hilton HHonors TPG contributor Nick filled us in on Hilton's October sweepstakes yesterday - the same day Hilton finally announced what their fourth quarter promotion would be, so here he gives us the details on what Hilton HHonors members can expect this fall...and why he's not thrilled.

Well, the same day that I bemoan the lack of an announced fourth quarter promo from Hilton HHonors, they go ahead and release details, and as expected, it is just about as underwhelming as they get. From November 1 - December 31, you will earn 1,000 bonus points for every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night that you stay.

Simply sign in to Hilton HHonors using your username/account number and password/pin (or sign up for an account), and the confirmation page will look like this:

As usual, there is a lengthy list of hotels that have chosen not to participate, the vast majority of which are in the United States. Be sure to check this list prior to any stay during the promotional period. As usual, if one of your usual jaunts is on the non-participating property list, be sure to let them know that you will not be staying with them as a result of their lack of participation so that maybe they'll reconsider their position.

I’m sure many of you will agree with me that this is probably the least rewarding promo out there this quarter. I’m guessing that their sweepstakes took the place of October (in their minds, at least), but I can’t for the life of me understand why they would exclude Tuesday and Wednesday nights. As a frequent business traveler, those two nights are among the most common for me, and I’m guessing many are in a similar boat. My only guess is that Hilton’s revenue management department crunched the numbers and decided that those nights already have high occupancy levels during the week, and the incremental cost of giving the bonus points is higher than any reservations cancelled as a result of those nights being excluded.

I have not booked any stays for November or December yet, but I for one will not be giving Hilton HHonors any of my business on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and I would suggest others do the same. This may not be practical if you have a five- or six-night stay in one location, but the only way Hilton will rethink promos like this in the future is if they see a distinct revenue impact on the excluded nights.

Keep in mind that this promo is stackable with the Virgin Atlantic promo, but that will only help for the first five stays. Such a weak promo certainly isn’t going to lead me to stay at Hilton properties any more than I would without one.

What are your thoughts on this promo? Will you stay more or less as a result?
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