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Update: AwardWallet has not heard back from Hilton regarding the Conrad Bora Bora or its policies for elite members. However, since this article originally published, the resort has walked back its elimination of the breakfast benefit. It has also adjusted the cash price of its standard rooms.
The Conrad Bora Bora is one of my favorite properties, which is why I recently returned for the third year in a row. This time, I even brought my family, and our group of five arrived with high expectations. Among those were the hopes of an upgrade and recognition for the elite status we all had.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I was handed a paper detailing the benefits offered to Hilton Honors elite members and they didn't match much of what Hilton promises its elites. Let's talk about what's going on.
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Hilton Elite Status Benefits at Conrad Bora Bora
Everyone in my group had either Hilton Diamond or Hilton Gold elite status, entitling us to a variety of benefits. This includes late checkout, room upgrades, and complimentary breakfast (for most resorts outside the U.S.).
I knew that the hotel was sold out during the first two nights of our stay, so I wasn't bothered by the fact that we didn't receive a complimentary upgrade. However, I was astonished to find the Conrad Bora Bora has made some new moves when it comes to interpreting Hilton's terms and conditions.
While the hotel can choose to only offer one-category upgrades (even though I've been upgraded to an overwater villa here in the past), what management can't do is disregard Hilton's breakfast benefit.
Related: How To Get Free Breakfast at Hilton Hotels
Conrad Bora Bora Is Self-Eliminating From Hilton Honors Benefits
Savvy-eyed readers have likely spotted what I mean by saying the Conrad Bora Bora is self-eliminating. Over the last few years, Hilton has revamped the way it offers breakfast benefits to eligible customers, with those in the United States (and Motto properties overseas) entitled to a daily food and beverage credit, rather than a daily breakfast.
This is what the Conrad Bora Bora is attempting to do, and it's wrong.
At first, I thought maybe there had been a sudden expansion of these food and beverage credits, but that's not the case on Hilton's website.
Not wanting to rely on Hilton's website, I checked my reservation confirmation to see what it had to say. As expected, it noted that a complimentary breakfast was offered, not a food and beverage credit.
I also contacted a Hilton representative, who confirmed that breakfast should be included for Gold and Diamond members at the Conrad Bora Bora.
Conrad Bora Bora Is Refusing To Honor Benefits
Armed with all this information, I tried to speak directly to the hotel staff about elite offerings. It went about as well as you'd expect.
That means that at first staff insisted I was wrong about the breakfast benefit and that they'd made changes. After asking for a supervisor, I waited more than an hour for a response. In the end, staff attempted to make a “peace offering” by giving my family complimentary breakfast. When I pressed more on the benefits for other members, I was rebuffed. A lot. I really tried for you all. Instead, I was told that my comments would be relayed to management. I heard nothing else from the staff during my five-night stay.
Why is this so important? Because the buffet breakfast at the hotel (which is the only offering) costs roughly $45 per person, per day. The credit you'll receive is just $63 per day. This means your party of two is now paying $27 per day out of pocket when breakfast should be free. That's more than just wrong. It's stealing from the loyalists who go out of their way to stay at a Hilton property because of the benefits promised.
Service at the Conrad Bora Bora Is Declining Also
To me, this looks a lot like management has shifted, and the newest person in charge is looking to cut costs. I can see this in the way staff really pressed to sell upgrades. For example, I paid $600 per night for an upgrade to a Deluxe Overwater Villa, which was free the first time I visited.
Staff refused to upgrade elite members beyond a one-category room upgrade. This is their prerogative — I guess — but it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Hilton elites who are used to many-level upgrades.
Aside from this, the recognition of elite members and overall quality of service at the property has declined significantly since my last visit. Whether it was the luggage that wasn't delivered until we requested it six times, the questions to our concierge (which now consists of rotating staff, instead of a single person) that were never answered, or the air conditioning that broke in the middle of the stay, there were more mishaps than you'd expect from a high-end resort like the Conrad Bora Bora.
Related: How To Get Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)
Cash Rates Look Suspicious
Finally — and this last note is more speculative than confirmable — I find it odd that the cash cost of a King Lagoon View Suite room at the Conrad Bora Bora (the base level room bookable for 120,000 Hilton points per night) is more than nearly all other room types at the resort.
In fact, in this example, a one-night stay in the King Lagoon View Suite will run you $2,737. Meanwhile, the upgraded King Tropical Beach View Villa costs just $1,553.
Perhaps it's the skeptic in me, but from over here it looks an awful lot like the cash rate of the base room is hyper-inflated. Why? Maybe it's so those using points and cash have to fork over extra. Maybe it's so those who only have enough points for a one- or two-night stay are forced to overpay for nights three and four during their stay. Maybe it's so the hotel can claim the room is worth more, forcing the Hilton Honors program to fork over more money to the on-site team when people book an award. Who knows, but it's very suspicious that the cash rate on the “base room” most people book with points is consistently priced higher than upgraded rooms.
Updated pricing as of May 29, 2024
While Hilton never replied to our original inquiries, it looks like there was some action behind the scenes. Cash prices (from cheapest to most expensive) now mirror the order of pricing you'll see when using points. The cheapest room is now the cheapest room.
The Bottom Line
Like I said in the beginning, I love the Conrad Bora Bora. In fact, I've already booked another stay here — mere minutes after decrying the property's outlandish defiance of Hilton elite benefits. That's because those operating under the Hilton name have to hold to certain standards, and it looks like corporate is forcing the on-site management team to get in line. That being said, without ongoing compliance with Hilton Honors policies, this bucket-list property might continue to slide from “tropical resort paradise” to “penny-pinching laggards.” We'll see what comes next.
Editor's note: We emailed Hilton a summary of this article and asked for a comment, as well as what they recommend guests should do when faced with similar issues. As of the time of publication, Hilton has not responded.
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Same with the new Hilton near the Tahiti airport. We were on a discounted rate (but not industry or military, just sale) but we are Diamond and they did not recognize or offer benefits.
Stayed over new year’s. They hadn’t yet cut breakfast, but service levels were poor and they definitely were into nickel and diming. As a diamond member I’m not looking to go back. Your review aligns with our experience.
I’m a Diamond Member and when you go on Hilton’s websites for alot of their hotels it looks like they changed to per diem. Four Seasons Bora Bora is looking much better now.
Hi Craig, can you explain what you mean on this? Hilton’s website is still showing us breakfast as a Diamond member benefit when booking hotels outside the U.S. It’s when you show up that things went astray on this stay.
Very timely….I was considering a stay there actually. Postponing to see how this plays out. It’s not necessarily about having to pay a bit extra, it’s the attitude I’m picking up from the story, which one wouldn’t expect at a hotel of this caliber. And yes, the cash rate for that room was indeed shocking, in that much nicer rooms cost much less. If I end up having to pay for nights (if I even stay there) I will just move rooms, no way am I paying that inflated rate for a room that doesn’t seem particularly special.
This is shady behavior by the Conrad Bora Bora management. Diamond members need to call this out and complain to HHonors customer service. I will be canceling my Hilton Aspire card if this shady practice is not reversed.
Cannot believe you registered all those complaints and still booked again. Why would they entertain the complaints if there aren’t consequences? You should have booked elsewhere and sent them that reservation.
I agree with you there – there are so many nice places to go and visit in the world. Even in Bora Bora there are multiple options. If staff at this level of resort made me request my bags 6 times and then spend hours arguing with them about breakfast it would be a no-go for me.
Carissa/Ryan – I wonder if the pricing on the base room is perhaps a bit more sinister than you suspect. Although the exact formula isn’t public, the reimbursement rate often depends on average room rate for that room type, or when the hotel is at high occupancy, on the actual price the room is offered at.
It’s very possible that the hotel is trying to keep the cash prices for that room type very high, both for off-peak nights (so the average rate is high), and on-peak (so the price that particular night is high). Then, they can attract cash customers with the cheaper rates on upgraded room types.
If I were Hilton, this would be one of the first things I’d look into – after correcting them on the breakfast policies, of course. If it does affect their reimbursement, I suspect offering upgraded rooms at a higher price would be considered manipulation of their program.
I also would guess Hilton has internal monitoring tools for complaints. I don’t know how Hilton specifically works, but in some programs, properties will get fined or risk de-branding if they receive too many complaints. I like that you already sent this to Hilton asking for a comment; hopefully it registers as a complaint in whatever internal tools they have as well.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us and pressing Hilton for a comment. I hole that helps in getting the best for us customers
“Staff refused to upgrade elite members beyond a one-category room upgrade. This is their prerogative — I guess — but it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Hilton elites who are used to many-level upgrades.” I have never received an upgrade the many years I have been Gold, nor the 1 year I was diamond from any Hilton property.
Hi Stephen, thanks for sharing this. That’s interesting to hear. Even when I was Hilton Gold (before moving up to Diamond), I received upgrades to preferred rooms with a better view or away from the elevator at several properties. Obviously, a lot depends on how busy the hotel is when you arrive, so it involves some luck.
Ok, I take that back. RARELY, I have been upgraded if we’re counting asking for higher floor or better view. I have sometimes been in that room next to the elevator which to me is a prestige room, because, well, the elevator is right there, saves me time walking down the hall, less distance to carry luggage.. I think that “Preferred” floor may have been at some point. And, they do put me on “Honors” floors sometimes and given me a lounge key (been several years well before covid-19 since getting lounge access). But these rooms have not struck me as particularly different from “standard”. And certainly not been upgraded to suites or anything like that. I tend to book last minute, usually same day, now that the free cancellation is day before; used to be 5 pm day of. And I tend to arrive late in the evening, so maybe “upgraded” rooms are all checked in by then.
Also, I tend to book the exact room I want anyway since like with airlines I dont like to count on upgrades, but maybe that limits what they could upgrade me to.
This is what happens when top-tier status is given away to everyone with a credit card. It is completely meaningless. I would be interested to know if this is a Hilton corporate-managed property.