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Cheaper Hilton Reward Nights using Priority Club Points

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

 

a screenshot of a computer

a screenshot of a computer

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.

a screenshot of a website

a screenshot of a hotel

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.

a screenshot of a travel website

a screenshot of a computer

Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley is $162 after tax.

Priority Club points value is $162/27,000 = $5.32/1,000 points.

a screenshot of a hotel

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?

a close-up of a computer screen

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.

12 Comments

  • Kalboz September 17, 2010

    Ric, how about point comparison between PC and HH? Which point is more valuable? Lucky values HH point more than PC’ … if that’s true then the above article/analysis is presenting a better opportunity.

    http://boardingarea.com/onemileatatime/2010/06/27/whats-a-mile-or-point-worth/

  • Ric Garrido September 17, 2010

    30,000 or 40,000 HHonors points will not get you into an InterContinental Hotel.

    Points only have value when redeemed. I think I have illustrated here which program has more valuable points for these hotel stay redemptions.

    I made an argument that I consider a Priority Club point more valuable than HHonors points in many cases. HHonors points will be more valuable than Priority Club in some cases. It all depends on how you use your points.

    Here are three posts I wrote earlier this month discussing the value of a point and hotel loyalty program credit card analyses.

    http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2010/09/02/loyalty-traveler-hotel-credit-card-comparison-by-value-of-points/

    http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2010/09/05/hotel-credit-card-rank-using-nerdwallet-hotel-point-values/

    http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2010/09/07/better-than-average-value-of-hotel-points/

  • EYK September 20, 2010

    you really have to take into account the fact that PC point are incredibly easy to accumulate. as opposed to hilton points

  • Ric Garrido September 20, 2010

    EYK – I agree.

    “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”

    I think the ability for Priority Club members to earn promotion points outpaces the earning rate of a HHonors member collecting Points & Points for 15 points/$1 in hotel spend.

    Many Priority Club members find they can earn 30 to 40 points per dollar with base spend earning (10 points/$)and bonus points from combined promotions.

  • don h October 7, 2010

    Ric the data is shocking to me and demonstrates that Hilton needs a complete revamping of a number of its out of line hotel categories.I always thought it was out of line for a number of the hotels.
    This is very damaging to their program and the perception that their points are deeply devalued when one can redeem out of another program for less and earn more generous bonuses year round.Hilton should be red faced!It looks like cutting off my Amex HH card and slowing down my business with the HH program was a wise move now to some degree.PC definately received some of that business overflow
    What on earth is next?Are we are going to find out that one can redeem a united airlines mielage ticket for less with American Airline miles? 🙂
    Incredible thanks for the heads up!

  • Ric Garrido October 7, 2010

    American Airlines will certainly get you farther with Hilton than United miles.

    The one unique aspect of the Hilton HHonors program is the ability to convert miles into points. No other hotel loyalty program offers that option. Marriott discontinued it in 2000.

    When 6 night HHonors VIP rewards were only 100,000 points (until 2003), exchanging 50,000 miles was a route to a six night free hotel stay.

    I took advantage of that deal many times. Then one by one airline partners like United dropped out. American is still a miles-to-points partner.

    But with those same Hilton hotels that were 100,000 points in 2003 for 6 nights now at 225,000 points for a 6-night VIP reward, the exchange is not so agreeable.

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  • […] Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – this Loyalty Traveler analysis developed from the Priority Club Anywhere Challenge. Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points for the same reward. (LT post Sep 17, 2010.) […]

  • […] Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – this Loyalty Traveler analysis developed from the Priority Club Anywhere Challenge. Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points for the same reward. (LT post Sep 17, 2010.) […]

  • […] Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points. (LT post Sep 17, 2010) […]

  • […] Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points– Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points. (LT post Sep 17, 2010) […]

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