The new Hilton Honors redemption scale of points was introduced earlier this year and it has been met with mixed responses from Hilton members. There is no question that the new model can save points for some while some of the members that preferred more aspirational properties found that there were no lower ranges on those anymore.
The New Hilton Honors: Constant Rebooking To Save Points
I wrote at the time when the new system was introduced that this could save people points on current reservations as the actual cash price drops and also mentioned it as one of the reasons to like the new Hilton Honors system. And, it is true – you can save points with the new Hilton Honors redemption system with rebooking. BUT, you will need to be checking!
This property had been 28,000 points just before this! This is NOT my room
Saving 5,000 Points – Enough for a Free Night!
I have an upcoming Hilton reservation and as I have been doing with these, I took 15 seconds each morning to check the date of my stay to see if the point price had dropped. And, it did drop – again, again, again, and again! Each time I found the points had dropped, I would rebook and then cancel the old, more expensive reservation.
In reality, it didn’t take that long to do because it wasn’t a ton of points I was saving. In fact, the total amount of points I have saved from this constant rebooking party was 5,000 points. Yes, Hilton points are not worth that much (5,000 points are worth about $25) but that is the amount needed for the cheapest of Hilton properties! So, you can look at it as the constant rebooking gave me a free night at a cheap Hilton property in the future! At least that thinking helps with my (maybe irrational?) rebooking of Hilton awards!
Check For Better Rooms!
Here is one tip – don’t just check the same room that you already booked! I have also seen more expensive rooms and suites drop lower in point cost than my original room so take a look at the whole list of rooms to make sure you are saving the most. I find that the Hilton app is the most efficient way to do this as you really just swipe up to take it all in at a glance – and you can do it on the go.
Have you checked your Hilton Honor awards for price drops? How many points have you saved as a result of the new Hilton Honors system?
Yes, aspirational properties now suck. Grand Wailea Hoolei Olei used to be bookable between 179,000 -229,000 per night, now it begins at 440,000 per night for every date I checked. 🙁
Following your advice, I checked my award booking. The award points remained the same, but now the room with 2 queen beds had become available for the same rate (which we prefer). So thanks for the advice.
15 seconds. This kind of “small” lie is irritating. I just tried to look up a one night stay next weekend (less clicking than if you were staying longer or were several months out) and it took on the order of two minutes.
Try the app. I should have mentioned that in that section as well. Since it remembers your last searched cities, it seriously takes like 15 seconds. I timed it before writing it. 🙂
Maybe you have a slow internet connection.
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