Join Hotel Affinity Programs

[thereuare]

Although your Priceline/Hotwire stay won't earn credit towards the hotel's program, you will still often be given many of the perks associated with the program.

Depending upon the hotel, this may include free morning newspaper, free local phone calls, continental breakfast, late check out, etc.

[zbenye]

Some hotels actually do give miles/points for Priceline stays. In return, I favor them on business trips whenever I can book them at rates not exceeding my employer's allowance.

I strongly recommend that you enroll in every program and always present your card when you check in.

[BurBunny]

I completely agree! While I've never gotten reward points, I have gotten upgrades, added amenities, late check out, and generally preferred service. It can be a definite advantage!

[essxjay]

As a Hilton HHonors Gold, I've usually gotten most of the normal perks -- breakfast coupons/lounge access, better view if not executive floor upgrade, etc. -- AND stay credit. I just charge some small incidental to the room and voila! Stay credit. It's helped me maintain status that I wouldn't otherwise have qualified for.

[nilkaya]

When you say you have Hilton Honors Gold do you mean a credit card? I have a Hilton Honors Platinium card from American Express, so when I stay at a Double Tree Hotel this weekend, and show it to them while checking it, would it help me get a better room (in comparison to the reserved priceline rooms next to the vending machine?

Thanx

[thereuare]

When you say you have Hilton Honors Gold do you mean a credit card?

I don't believe so, the reference is to the Hilton Honors program which gives perks to frequent stay guests (Priceline stays are not supposed to qualify for points, but some properties still give some of the benefits associated with membership). The Hilton Honors program is similar to the 'frequent flyer' programs that many airlines have, but instead of flying on a given airline is for staying at their hotel properties.

[aksarben1]

These perks are nice, but I'm a cheap SOB so I end up in the 1-2 star hotels/motels.

Translation...no perks, but I'm just there for a decent/clean room and not much else.

I guess it depends on what your needs are...

[thereuare]

But if you ever get upgraded from a 2* to a 2.5* and land in a Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, etc... their amenity programs may help you land a better room at the property.

Best of all... it costs nothing to join, so there is nothing to lose.

[betsybug]

Effective August 1 HiltonHHonors will give stay credits or airline miles only to reservations made with Hilton (by telephone or web site) or a travel agent. Hilton now excludes reservations made with any other web site.

[liveinhotels]

We started living in hotels when we sold our house in August of 2005 and usually book Hotwire rooms 4 nights a week. Hilton has credited every night's stay to my Hilton Hhonors account. They gave me credit for qualified stays and nights stayed for every visit, and on some stays also credited the $, mostly when I had an incidental charge to the room. This included stays at Hilton, Doubletree, and Hampton Inn. The visits and nights stayed are the criteria they use to determine your membership status, which is what getsyou upgraded rooms and amenities.

[LoneStar]

You've had good luck! I've gotten some upgraded rooms at Hilton chain properties, and they're included on my account summary, but I haven't gotten any points. And that's after about 4 or 5 Hilton stays this year.

Still, it never hurts to try!