Last week after playing the Anywhere Challenge, I took a closer look at Priority Club’s Hotels Anywhere program. I found several examples of Hilton brand hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than the same reward booked with HHonors points through Hilton.
Here are some examples:
Hilton San Francisco Union Square (Fri Sep 24, 2010)
- Hilton HHonors = 50,000 points (HHonors category 7 reward)
- Priority Club Hotels Anywhere = 46,000 points
Hilton San Francisco Financial District (Fri Sep 24, 2010)
- Hilton HHonors = 50,000 points (HHonors category 7 reward)
- Priority Club Hotels Anywhere = 47,000 points
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Hilton San Francisco Union Square room rate is $275 after tax. This gives HHonors points a value of $5.50 per 1,000 points. That is about average redemption value for Hilton HHonors.
Hilton San Francisco Financial District room rate is about $244 after tax. HHonors points value is $244/50 = $4.88/1,000 points. Again, about average for HHonors.
IHG Priority Club Hotels Anywhere offers these two San Francisco Hilton Hotels for less than 50,000 points.
Hilton San Francisco Union Square room rate is $275 after tax. This hotel only requires 46,000 Priority Club points for the same night Hilton HHonors is charging 50,000 points. Priority Club points have a higher value at $5.98 per 1,000 points compared to $5.50 per 1,000 points when redeeming a reward night at this Hilton hotel using HHonors points.
Hilton San Francisco Financial District room rate is about $244 after tax. Despite the Hilton Financial District having a lower published room rate, this hotel requires more Priority Club points than the Union Square hotel for the same date. Priority Club points are worth $5.19 per 1,000 points compared to HHonors points value $4.88/1,000 points for the same reward night.
Hilton HHonors members have a Points & Points advantage for earning 15 points per $1 in hotel spend, however, HHonors Points & Miles collectors earn base points at the same rate as Priority Club members with 10 points per $1.
Priority Club members earn base points just as fast as HHonors members, tend to have more promotional points earning opportunities from hotel stays than HHonors members, and have the ability to get some Hilton Hotel rewards through Priority Club’s Hotels Anywhere program for fewer points than HHonors members get Hilton Hotel rewards through the Hilton program for these same hotels.
Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley is $162 after tax.
Priority Club points value is $162/27,000 = $5.32/1,000 points.
Using a Hilton HHonors reward will cost 35,000 points for the same reward date that is available for 27,000 Priority Club points. $162/35,000 = $4.63 per 1,000 HHonors points compared to $5.32/1,000 Priority Club value.
The real hit comes with a hotel like the Doubletree Club Hotel San Diego shown in the picture above as HHonors Category 6 for 40,000 Hilton HHonors points. This hotel is only 33,000 Priority Club points through Priority Club Hotels Anywhere.
But really, why bother with points?
Doubletree Club Hotel, San Diego – Friday, September 24, 2010
$104 after tax or 40,000 Hilton HHonors points. This hotel is not even a HHonors Point Stretcher option for 2010.
HHonors points redemption value = $2.60 per 1,000 points.
Priority Club points redemption value through Hotels Anywhere = $3.15 per 1,000 points.
The high cost of Hilton HHonors rewards makes the cost of many Hilton Hotels more expensive through the HHonors program than through Priority Club Hotels Anywhere which correlates reward cost to the actual rate cost for the hotel. Priority Club members have the greatest potential with Hilton Hotels compared to the other chains of Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt, but there are some fairly reasonable deals when you have more Priority Club points to spend than cash.
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