The next ten years will be very interesting for frequent travellers. Expect two or three hot options, including vegetarian and a cold buffet (cold cuts, cheeses, and so forth). Reader Email: Hilton Executive Lounge Closed And - LoyaltyLobby This means the hotel is not overly central. Disclosure: Some links on this page might be affiliate links. I have been a Hilton Diamond member off and on for over 20 years. There are 702 rooms, including 33 suites at this hotel, and the interior look is elegant and classy. Find the right card for you. You also get your usual Marriott Bonvoy, IHG, Hyatt, loyalty points, and status benefits when you book with our concierge. I laughed when the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota tried claiming $6 J.P. Chenet sparkling wine was acceptable for a club lounge. This most definitely is not just restricted to Hilton lounges in the US! All of these changes clearly accomplish exactly what Hiltons CEO set out to do to make hotels higher margin and create more labor efficiencies. When were travelling for leisure, we usually have our dinner in the Lounge. Subscribe to our newsletter and we will help you get faster free nights, lots of bonus points, elite status upgrades and more. Josh is a freelance attorney and travel writer who is passionate about remote work and finding amazing travel deals. Hilton Now Lets You Restore Expired Points, But Is It Worth It? This club opens at 6:30 am and serves breakfast through to 9:30 am on weekdays and until 10:30 am on weekends. As the top-tier status, Hilton Diamond status comes with several benefits, including: No resort fees on reward stays. I've had decent success with them in Asia, less so in the US. Signia Hilton: The New Brand That Wants to Make Hotel Meetings Trendy, Hilton hotels will now only offer housekeeping by request, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Thank you for any comments. Brief-Instruction153 3 mo. Reboot at the 24-hour fitness center and refuel with an expertly prepared espresso at illy Cafe, the on-site coffee shop. Cookie Notice All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. My next trip in a few weeks, I believe the lounge has reopened but if it hasnt, no fuss, there is always somewhere else in the hotel where I can work and see clients. Outside the US, there are much better and well appointed lounges, easier access and higher chances of an upgrade to one. This hotel is a vibrant fixture of Times Square and brilliantly captures the citys spirit in modern style. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. All other hotel customers can enjoy the peace and quiet in the new lounge for a 50 euro fee. However, in some cases, you can also get complimentary access to executive lounges at Hilton hotels and resorts. Do not share any materials on this website with any third party without the permission from Hilton. For example, on Friday evenings, guests of the club lounge can indulge in exclusive tastings from the wine cellar, focusing on local and regional wines, or sip on a select distinct spirit accompanied by exquisite hors doeuvres alongside picturesque views of Central Park. In each case these are named lounges that genuinely do offer service above-and-beyond what youd usually find at Hilton family properties, so while I dont love that concept, I kind of get it.Sakura Club at the Conrad Washington DC. Most Hilton lounges also come with a business center with desktops, printers, etc. Time and again, the program has defied countless predictions of doom to emerge as the last and only standing viable hotel loyalty program after beloved SPG went belly-up, Hyatt Gold Passport transformed into a boutique or niche program appropriately called WOH!, and Marriott gutted -- i.e., BonVoyed -- their once thriving Reward program by trying to be like SPG. Not to say that many hotels do it on purpose or just to save costs. As part of the restructuring effort, the company said it was reducing marketing spending, closing some hotels and canceling events like golf tournaments. ago I havent found a North America club lounge at any brand worth the access, outside of taking Diet Cokes back to the room. For members of the Hilton Honors Diamond program and guests booking Executive rooms in the hotel's north wing, admission is free of charge. However, the fallout from covid and now the conflict, I accept some hotels can not afford the levels of benefit, previously given to their loyal customers. New York Marriott Marquis is a Rewards Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy hotel. Even in leisure markets where hotel occupancy rates are higher in 2021 than 2019, we still see club lounges closed. I tend to prefer a lounge environment that usually allows me to work too. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. You wore a mask when standing up and moving, and around the hotel. Our free daily newsletter sends you the latest information on hotel and airline programs. Thats why Hilton Executive Lounges have always been popular among business travelers. The InterContinental New York Barclay club lounge is one of the best in New York. Access to executive lounges is only available at select properties, and excludes Club Signia for Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members, per the Hilton Honors benefits website, which also notes that Diamond members generally receive complimentary access to executive lounges, without having to upgrade their room to a type that includes lounge access, as is the requirement for Gold members. Choose between two-seat tables which run along the window to restaurant-style dining tables for four or a more comfortable living room setup to relax or watch some TV. The Hilton Americas-Houston Executive Rooftop Lounge Review Would do the same thing, it should not impact in other hotels. Conrad London St. James. (function (d, s, n) { Hilton Honors Bonus Points & Rate Promo Update May 2023. Who Is Our 100,000 Hilton Honors Points Giveaway Winner? Signia by Hilton isnt an ultra-luxury brand. Many other hotels became a graded brand and others bookable on the platform of Accor listed. With its walks and playgrounds and the zoo, Central Park is just a short walk away. As bad as that crap was, the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City tried passing off Martini & Rossi sparkling wine. Yes, sorry, but there are no free alcoholic drinks in this lounge. Hilton Diamond status offers several valuable benefits, including space-available room upgrades, premium Wi-Fi, executive lounge access and bonus points for hotel stays. For people who travel a lot for work, a hotel lounge offers a lot more benefits. Terms and Conditions Apply. Learn more: Things to know before joining Hilton Honors. They wanted money for a glass of wine and the offerings were basic at best. In merging both programs, Marriott transformed a great program (SPG) and a good program (Marriott Rewards) into a mediocre program (BonVoy). But i agree with you all, that Our Loyalty means Theres also, and if it is not reciprocated i would simply move Hotel chains and loyalty programs. It may offer a variety of seating options, including chairs, sofas, and booths. He has visited over 50 countries and tries to work from a different location each month. In instances where the Executive Lounge is suspended, a hotel should provide eligible guests one breakfast and one evening voucher per person, per night of their reservation in which the lounge is closed. We randomly chose the winner of the 100,000 Hilton Honors points giveaway that ended yesterday. Earlier this year Hiltons CEO warned that coronavirus related service cuts were largely permanent, and that hotels would become higher margin and more labor efficient businesses. The corridors of this hotel (a feature I dont usually mention) are a bit dingy and narrow. I presume dam meant the Hilton Kensington on Holland Park Avenue. Your complete guide to the Hilton Honors program, You want a travel credit card that prioritizes whats important to you. Hilton Executive Lounge - FlyerTalk Forums It can be found to the left of the lobby and is open from 6:30 am 8:00 pm. Then there are also hotels that just hate elite members. They served appetizers.. This allows you to pick the cheapest days to fly if your trip allows flexibility and score cheap flight deals to Grenoble. Hilton and IHG manage very few properties. A receptionist informed me today that the lounge is permanently shut and is now a meeting room. . We all have our stories -- benefits are typical devalued, unavailable, or elusive -- especially the room upgrade. Hiltons loyalty program, Hilton Honors, has four tiers Member, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Nowhere. I suppose anything is possible, but I have a hard time believing this for a brand thats ultimately operating large conference hotels. -- Belly-up or not SPG is no more. It offers gorgeous views through large panoramic windows on the 44th floor. Some of the best executive lounges at Hilton New York Hilton Midtown The lounge is a perfect spot to enjoy. I am a traveller who benefits from hotel lounges from my favoured hotel and group (Westin and Bonvoy) and I have missed the lounges both in BKK and Malta. INRAE center Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes If you are staying at a Hilton hotel or resort, Hilton Executive Lounge is a great place for all of these. They'd also removed glassware, the fridge, and shower gel from rooms. View Tavola's breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The reason for loyalty programs is so Hilton/Hotel Brand X can help market and fill up beds at branded hotels. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. JW Marriott Essex House is located on 59th & 7th and is close to Central Park, making it a good base in the city. There is nothing -- Gold Passport changed name and made it tough to qualify for the program's top elite status -- Globalist -- that is the only that is that is worth anything, which, thus, made it an expensive "boutique" and niche program and anathema to the idea that joining a loyalty program would allow one to travel luxuriously on the cheap. So much for loyalty. Remember to send us questions and comments by email, and Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It's not just about what's happening to this benefit -- it's about what's happening to all elite status benefits. Keep it up and they will end up with hotels off of guests who "have to stay there" rather than guests who "want to stay there." But unless theyre going to serve real champagne and offer quality food, charging for club lounge access is absurd. -- Marriott acquired SPG and tried to create a 'hybrid' program to try to appease SPG loyalists -- a quixotic goal that ended up gutting ("BonVoying") Marriott Reward, which was a descent program up to that point. Ok my months and months out of the year in a hilton hotel now matter even less? They do not feel particularly luxurious, although the rooms are fine, and I particularly love the super comfy Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds, along with the views across the New York skyline. Come on We're not that stupid. New York Marriott East Side is a Rewards Category 6 Marriott Bonvoy hotel. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The club lounge at the original, older, Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is near ground level, and the windows look out towards central park and over the road. Hotels with an Executive Lounge offer breakfast in their Executive Lounge. I guess with Marriott I get Suite Night Awards to keep my hopes up on getting a decent upgrade occasionally? Read more. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. ago Cool I'll make note. And Executive Room guests enjoy extra perks. It might be because of certain bitter experiences. And there is a valid reason for it. In February 2019, Hilton launched Signia as a "new meetings-and-events-focused brand" for "meeting professionals and sophisticated business travelers," and most notably added larger spaces for meetings and events, while focusing on "modern design, technology and culinary experience," as TPG previously reported. We understood and stayed loyal during the pandemic and this is the result. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. The InterContinental New York Barclay is located behind Tiffanys Fifth Avenue store on East 48th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. This is all the more reason to create an elite tier above Diamond. I've had decent success with them in Asia, less so in the US. Hotels sell passes or upgrades to rooms with club access, and just like in paid for airport lounges, some folk like to ensure they get their moneys worth. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Executive lounge access. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. I stayed in a Hilton in NYC (cant remember which) once, and a couple walked in to the Exec Lounge, stood by the buffet of evening canapes, and proceeded to eat every single one! The only value it had last weekend at a Hilton was as $10 voucher for food. Im skeptical as to whether or not that will be the case, but regardless its hard to view this as anything but a cost cutting measure. Sheraton in Tribeca has one of the best hotel Club Lounges in New York if you like a terrace with a view (pictured above) and crucially, free beer and wine. After a number of my own stories, I have concluded that it is all simply about earning and redeeming points. Although your Hilton Diamond status comes with Executive Lounge access, not all Hilton hotels have Executive Lounges. Loyalty is not a two-way street. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Its your very own penthouse above the city. The hotel was OK! The Hilton Executive Lounge is open seven days a week and has the usual daily continental breakfast, hors-doeuvres in the evenings, and coffee and teas plus snacks and soft drinks throughout the day. French Air Traffic Controller Strike Expands To May 1 2, 2023, Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans. Makes perfect sense, they want to keep the senior management from commingling with all the Diamond members which have the card but are not senior managers. INRAE center Clermont-Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes The easiest way to get access to Hilton Executive Lounges is to pay for one. Outside the US, it is a different story. The Park Ave London Hilton had a wonderful lounge. Staying at a hotel with an Executive Lounge is a great way to get more value from your Hilton Diamond status through complimentary food and drinks. Hilton New York JFK Airport is in Jamaica, NY, within three miles of government buildings and businesses such as DHL and Swissport. I have a prediction of my own: Hilton Honors will remain the stable, innovative, vibrant and rewarding program that its been for the last several years while its competition was either failing or undergoing metamorphosis in search of identity. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. I know lounges like Airlines were closed, but in re-opening, they have service to you at yr table, rather than a move around Buffet, which in Covid eras, is a hazard. No use crying over spilled milk. This seems like more evidence of the slippery slope Hilton is on. Hilton is doing what so many other corporations do, make decisions good for the short term that will come back to bite them in the long term. You're a customer of the hotel owner. Access is available to all guests in executive floor rooms and suites, as well as Hilton Diamond members. Our partners compensate us. I laughed when the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota tried claiming $6 J.P. Chenet sparkling wine was acceptable for a club lounge. Historically Diamond members have always received lounge access, while Gold members have received lounge access when upgraded to an executive room. What did everyone expect when Hilton started giving top-level status away with credit cards that bloggers peddle like crack to crack addicts? Pre-qualified offers are not binding. Guests are the product that Hilton, IHG and Marriott sells the customer. -- Gold Passport changed name and made it tough to qualify for the program's top elite status -- Globalist -- that is the only that is that is worth anything, which, thus, made it an expensive "boutique" and niche program and anathema to the idea that joining a loyalty program would allow one to travel luxuriously on the cheap. Those who have worked hard to earn their diamond status and people who buy executive rooms with lounge access deserve their drinks and food. Dine in an array of restaurants, including New Yorks only revolving dining destination, where views of Times Square are spectacularly on display. Signia by Hilton is Hiltons newest hotel brand, which was first revealed back in 2019. A hotel lounge is a place where people can relax, eat, have drinks, socialize, and, maybe, get some work done. Hilton has been my brand of choice, but as the article points out they have started to change the way they reward their loyal customers. The Lounge offers continental breakfast. They seem to be aligning their thinking more and more with that of Marriott. And thats not good news for guests.Hilton has replaced free breakfast with a food & beverage credit. In this property, an executive lounge is on the 44 th floor. I recently got upgraded to executive floor and I asked the front desk if they have an executive lounge and they said they did but after Covid its no longer open and may never re-open. The same is true for Hilton Executive Lounges. As an example for years I used to stay dozens of nights in a year between the Hilton Olympia and the Hilton Kensington in London which have closed their lounges permanently.I didnt stay because the hotels and rooms are particularly nice and in fact they are quite mediocre but the lounges were fairly decent and provided a useful and convenient space to meet with colleagues and relax. Stick around on Saturday evenings to indulge in their sumptuous caviar presentation. While there will be some newly built properties in the portfolio, its also clear that this is largely just a marketing play, given that this hotel is changing brands without a major refresh. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners, Convention hotels are likely to have the most business travelers, Business travelers are the most likely to have elite status with a hotel group, If all Hilton Honors Diamond and Hilton Honors Gold members were to get lounge access, I could see these lounges getting pretty crowded; then again, many lounges already are. Settle into contemporary guest rooms and suites, all smartly accessorized with plush featherbeds, sleek marble bathrooms, and high-speed Wi-Fi; for special stays, reserve your Terrace Suite, which boasts a private outdoor patio overlooking NYCs East Side. Provided, there is one at the property. I am a multi-year Marriott Ambassador Elite and a Hyatt Globalist. So before you book your stay, you should check with the hotel to see if it has an Executive Lounge and confirm youll be able to access it with your Diamond status. Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. And while you may hate Marriott, they have by far the highest fill rates with the least amount of additional advertising cost to an owner. We went the same way to receive lifetime Diamond. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. READ MORE: Hilton Honors Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions, Can I bring to your attention a thread Ive seen on FT https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hilton-honors/2019839-exec-lounge-replaced-one-drink-voucher.html. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. The owners/franchisees are the real customer. Even where we dont offer free lounge access, we do offer free upgrades, free breakfasts, free credit, and free perks at hotels, including the Four Seasons, Aman, Belmond, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, InterContinental, and more. The one exception is on the luxury end when it comes to club lounges, it does appear that some Ritz-Carlton club lounges have opened, where elites don't receive complimentary access. There are more and more inconsistencies between properties of the same brand in the group. I accepted the hotel could not afford to keep it open after 2 hard years. js.className = n; You can access this lounge if you book a Club King or Club Double room or are a World of Hyatt Explorist (and use your voucher) or Globalist member. Hilton dropped America. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Southwest unveils stunning new Hawaii-themed aircraft, How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value, IHG Rewards Premier Business card review: The annual fee is justified. Hyatt Gold Passport did not transform into in "boutique" program. And, post-covid, prepared for it to be shut without notice. Because they dont have a Four Seasons loyalty program, you will never be able to book a free stay at Four Seasons hotels by racking up and redeeming points, or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them on a Four Seasons hotel stay. This hotel has a heated indoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, Starbucks coffee, a Hilton HHonors Lounge, where you will receive complimentary breakfast, evening snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Besides the change in the daily breakfast to a daily credit of $10-$20 per day. At the Conrad Punta de Mita, it includes a breakfast dish off their menu and nonalcoholic beverages. It will reopen its Miami (MIA) Flagship Lounge on Sept. 28, followed by the airline's three other outposts Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX) later throughout fall 2021. When I went to BKK in December, my favoured work position in the exec lounge remained closed. As a loyal Hilton customer, how would I have known that. And yet they had the balls to charge guests $150 per day for club lounge access. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Recently, with a new role I have again begun extensive travel. All loyalty programs have opened the flood gates to elite status and can't support the numbers. Sign up and well send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money. For years, Hilton was my go to and I rarely looked at other brands. So they are cash rich, and have plenty Hotel chains. Hilton eliminates lounge access benefit for elites at its newest brand I will say shopping for a new hotel chain is coming. For so long Hilton was doing so well, headed in the right direction. I no longer feel bound to choose Hilton based on status. Diamond elite isn't really that I guess. Currently writing this from an overpriced Hilton property that wont enter my room to clean due to Covid (but staff dont wear masks and no other covid measures are in effect), dont offer breakfast due to covid and have closed their lounge due to covid. Will Americans New York To Doha Route Survive? Loyalty is a 2 way process so unless they reverse this trend then ADIOS Hilton Honors! Review of Hilton Chicago/Magnificent Mile Suites. He has visited over 50 countries and tries to work from a different location each month. Hilton Won't Offer Elite Lounge Access At New Signia By Hilton Brand The Hilton Executive Lounge is open seven days a week and has the usual daily continental breakfast, hors-d'oeuvres in the evenings, and coffee and teas plus snacks and soft drinks throughout the day. I think the problem could be rectified if there was a higher level of status that you actually had to earn. This club lounge also offers continuous complimentary culinary offerings throughout the day including breakfast, light snacks, hors doeuvres, alcoholic beverages, and sweets. Here are our picks for the. In any case, it was a disappointment. The Diamond program was always a tie-breaker when making a booking decison. Lounges are typically. To make the most of your Hilton Diamond status, you should try to earn and use as many points as you can while you have Diamond status, stay at non-U.S. properties whenever possible to take advantage of the free breakfast benefits and also try to stay at Hilton hotels that have Executive Lounges you can access. Hilton Executive Lounge - Munich Airport On a recent stay at a Hampton by Hilton, they told me Hilton corporate had instructed them to stop offering room upgrades to Diamond members and instead they wanted a 20 supplement to upgrade. The announcement comes after news this week that the company plans to cut its workforce by 7 percent. With Marriott it's super annoying that I get less benefits at the more expensive hotels. The Hilton Da Nang's executive lounge is located on the 27th floor, and open from 6.30 a.m to 8 p.m daily. Access to Club Signia will be available for an additional cost, therefore Diamond members will not receive access as part of their benefits.