E ffective as of today, Friday, August 19, 2016, the terms and conditions to the Hilton HHonors frequent guest loyalty program have been updated — and some of them may directly affect you.
Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions Updated Effective As of Today
There are changes to the terms and conditions which may affect you.
Gaming Chip Rewards — which were specific to hotel and resort properties located in Las Vegas and Puerto Rico — and Hilton Hawaiian Dollars are no longer being issued as of Monday, September 19, 2016; so ignore the terms and conditions which erroneously has the date as of Monday, August 1, 2016. Any Gaming Chip Rewards or Hilton Hawaiian Dollars which are currently in circulation will be honored until either the Gaming Chip Reward has been used; or one year from the date it was issued.
The MyWay snack which you receive as a guest at a Homewood Suites property has been updated: instead of a cookie, you will receive chocolate with flavors which will vary by region.
All Hampton by Hilton hotel properties in the People’s Republic of China are currently excluded from the Hilton HHonors frequent guest loyalty program due to the rapid launch of that specific brand in that country — meaning that points and benefits are currently not offered at those properties, as that brand has its own separate frequent guest loyalty program — but potential solutions are currently being negotiated with the partner of Hilton Worldwide which is responsible for the Hampton by Hilton brand in the People’s Republic of China.
Hotel and resort properties have either been added to or removed from the exclusions for Weekend Night Certificates — although specifically which hotel and resort properties have been affected is unclear at this time.
Some of the changes are merely procedural and will not affect you at all — such as:
- Canopy by Hilton is a new brand which was added to the portfolio of Hilton Worldwide and has therefore been added to the terms and conditions.
- Any reference to Hampton has been changed to Hampton by Hilton.
- Due to a change of name in the employee benefit programs of Hilton Worldwide, the terms Team Member Travel Rates and Hilton Family Rates have been changed to Go Hilton Team Member Rates and Family & Friends Travel Rates.
- The term health club has been changed to Fitness Center to avoid potential confusion pertaining to on-property amenities. The Fitness Center — which is owned or operated by the hotel or resort property — encompasses stretching, cardio and strength zones; and is distinct from other fee-based or membership-based Health amenities such as Spa, Sauna, Treatments, and Sports.
- The Hampton by Hilton water benefit for Diamond VIP elite level status members was updated as a correction to match the Diamond benefits found on the Internet web site of Member Benefits — meaning that instead of two complimentary bottles of water per stay as is standard in many of the other brands of Hilton Worldwide, you decide whether you would rather have 250 Hilton HHonors bonus frequent guest loyalty program points per stay or choice of snack and non-alcoholic beverage.
Summary
None of the updates and changes to the terms and conditions of the Hilton HHonors frequent guest loyalty program are exactly “earth-shattering” — if the relative inactivity of this discussion at FlyerTalk is of any indication…
…but I give the people at Hilton HHonors credit for proactively announcing the updated information which they could have otherwise kept in conspicuous — other than the required written notice to members. One of them even contacted me to help spread the word — and this article is a result.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
