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There is a new pilot booking platform for Hilton vacations called Hilton Getaways, and it's powered by Expedia. But is it a good platform? Here is what we know so far about the new booking site and whether members should use it.
Hilton Getaways
The HiltonGetaways.com website seems like it's in the pilot stage. In fact, if you Google “Hilton Getaways,” the website doesn't even show up. The Hilton Getaways website allows members to book full vacation packages — including flights, stays, and car rentals. If you're a Hilton Honors member, you will earn 3,000 bonus points for each stay.
Hilton does not seem to be promoting this website at this time. The only mention of it is in the terms and conditions of a stay, which state that HiltonGetaways.com stays are not eligible for elite night credits. A spokesperson for Hilton confirmed that “stays booked through HiltonGetaways.com are ineligible. Unfortunately, it will not count towards helping re-qualify for Diamond status for next year since it is a non-qualifying stay.”
The website also doesn't appear to give any special discounts beyond what you would find when booking on Expedia. In fact, only select Hilton properties are available for these packages. Flight reservations are still made with the respective airline.
Booking Through Hilton Getaways or Expedia vs Booking Directly
Usually, it's not a good idea to book a hotel through a third-party booking site like Kayak, Expedia, or Booking.com. This is because you won't get your bonus points or miles if you don't book directly with the hotel. And hotels usually don't recognize your elite status if you book through these outside vendors. With Hilton Getaways, Hilton Honors members will earn 3,000 points per stay, plus free Wi-Fi. That's not a lot, depending on the stay. Consider that AwardWallet users typically get a value of 0.59¢ per point with Hilton points.
HiltonGetaways.com looks just like Expedia…only branded for Hilton properties. The searches are the same as the packages tab of Expedia. You can select a flight, hotel, and/or car rental for your package, your departure and destination cities, and the dates of your trip. From the search results, you can select a property, room type, outgoing flight, and returning flight. At the end of the booking process, there is a space to include your Hilton Honors number to earn 3,000 bonus points on your stay.
Again, while you'll earn these bonus points, you won't earn stay credit, status benefits, or anything else related to the Hilton Honors program.
Our Take
HiltonGetaways.com is an interesting website that is definitely still in its pilot phase. It will be interesting to see if Hilton will provide additional details or benefits to Hilton Honors members as Hilton Getaways grows. Minimally, we think members should be able to earn bonus points and nights from any current promotions that operate on a per-night or per-stay basis. Maybe these will become qualifying stays in the future. For more information, check out our comprehensive guide to the Hilton Honors program.
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