My mom asked me this weekend, “Why do you love Hiltons so much? It seems like you are always staying at a Hilton or a Hampton Inn. I like Holiday Inn better!” People like hotels for all kinds of reasons; comfort, location, amenities, food can all play a part. I have a different reason for staying in Hilton hotels. Sure they are comfortable, their amenities are just fine, and they are located all over the place. But the main reason I stay in Hilton brand hotels are because of the Hilton HHonors program. Not only do they give me a lot of points for staying in their hotels, but I also get those points deposited into my American Aadvantage account. They reward me in both places, which I LOVE.
I used to stay primarily in Marriott properties, which, to be honest, I actually like a little bit better. The Marriott Rewards program would either give me points for them, or points to my Aadvantage account, but not both. And in fact, Marriott doesn’t even allow that anymore–you only get Marriott points. Lame.
Hilton properties encompass many brands–Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and more. They are located in virtually every town I have ever stayed in. My favorite Hilton was the one in downtown Charlotte, but they are nice everywhere. However, regardless of who your favorite hotel is and why you love them, make sure you register for their reward program and then consistently stay there. Points are one of the perks of business travel, and we all need to take advantage!!
I used to be a Hilton fan but I’ve switched loyalties to Marriott over the past few years, mostly because I stayed there extensively for a particular project and got Platinum status and it’s just too cool to give up! Plus, I like that they have so many properties available in just about any city, and I generally get exceptional service.
I love Fairmonts; they are so plush and cushy, but their loyalty program stinks, so I rarely actually stay there, except in one or two cities where they are the best choice.
Totally agree with you on the reason to be a Hilton nut. Sure, Hyatt might have a “better” program with overall “nicer” hotels, but being as I want a hotel loyalty program where I can mix business and pleasure, HHonors is PERFECT for me. Hilton is more flexible and just has a broader system I can be a part of, so it’s the program for me!
And why would you prefer Hilton HHonors over SPG. I would love to hear your comments/views
It’s all about footprint. If you look at the Tokyo area, Hilton vs. SPG:
HHonors:
Conrad Tokyo: Luxury hotel with world-class dining in Shiodome (near Softbank, Dentsu, NTV, etc)
Hilton Tokyo: Nishi-Shinjuku (pain to get to from the East side), but near all those Nishi-Shinjuku office buildings
Hilton Tokyo Bay: overpriced hotel at Disney resort…all the way in Maihama
Hilton NRT: nice cheap hotel next to NRT where you can earn points if you need to stay the night
SPG:
Westin Tokyo: near Ebisu…huge pain to get to not just from East side, but a long walk from Ebisu Station
Sheraton Miyako Tokyo: pain to get to from Shinagawa Station, old and not worth the price
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay: overpriced hotel at Disney resort…all the way in Maihama
Yokohama Sheraton: all the way in Yokohama
Both the Disney resort hotels are a wash, but in terms of other hotels, one can see that for certain (perhaps more) people, HHonors would make more sense due to its footprint.
I’m a big fan of Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inns over the traditional Hiltons. But I prefer less pretentious properties in general. If I’m going long term, I like suites with a kitchen – Residence Inn is a favorite, but I’m rarely anywhere for more than one or two nights.
I never really thought about reward programs when I book hotels for my business trips… but it makes a lot of sense. If you have to travel, why not get some form of reward for it? Also I like the fact that they have an on-site manager for their HHonor program.