Hilton Will Refund Non-Refundable Bookings -- With A Catch

Can your second reservation be refundable and then you could just cancel that one later on?

@ Daniel -- Nope, the terms specifically state that the second reservation also has to be non-refundable.

@ Ben -- Very useful info. I had no idea, and likely never would have without your post!

No, I was not aware of the policy and, like you, I would book a non-refundable (Advance Purchase) rate only if I am as sure as can be that I would take the trip and the discount is substantial.

Booking and locking in an AP rate is not always a bad thing, however. I'd booked an AP for a late June stay at Hilton Paris Opera that cost me €229/night for 5 nights back in February. I went for an AP rate mainly because it would be billed immediately and I could use the spend toward meeting minimum required $4K to collect the Aspire's 100K signup bonus. When I got at the hotel to check in, the guy checking me in told me that I was lucky I locked in that rate because the flexible rate, which was just €20-30 or so more expensive than the AP, had jumped to nearly €400!

would that include priceline/hotwire booking too?

@gene you should be thanking John Ollila from Loyaltylobby not Ben!

I was recently unable to complete a stay in a Hilton in Germany for which I had booked a non-refundable rate, due to a traffic accident. I sent them a nice email on the day of the reservation and advised them that I would not be able to make it, and if they would be able to refund the prepaid rate. They couldn't, but they gave me the option to apply my prepayment for a stay on another night, which I cashed in about 6 weeks later. I thought that was extremely generous and thoughtful of Hilton. I'm only a Gold level member, so I really appreciated the gesture.

@DCS: if you book a refundable rate, and the rate goes up, you don't pay more, the front desk guy was speaking nonsense.

So, make no mistake please. Dealing with Hilton on a non-refundable reservation is *very difficult*.

My experience was from February -- just 6 months ago. (And I concede it may be possible that the rule cited above is a new one since then; I simply do not know.)

My 80 year old mother was going to visit her 88 year old sister in Phoenix. There are multiple Embassy Suites properties there with names that are more confusing than helpful in identifying their location. One of them is adjacent to where my aunt lives and the other is some miles away.

I erred and book the property some miles away. Hilton's toll-free/gold member line was completely unhelpful. Their behavior was actually pretty shameful. Nothing at all could be done; nothing -- and that was despite multiple phone calls (HUCA).

In frustration, I finally called the hotel directly and spoke to the operations manager -- and he authorized everything that needed to be done and even followed up. I was very grateful for his timely assistance.

Be sure that if this rule is old (i.e. before my February 2018 experience) that NO ONE in the Call Center knows about it -- and you will send them into a tizzy ("Please could you hold a few minutes while I go outside and have a cigarette and read this printout?") to educate themselves about it.

@ lrdx - I’m sure the desk clerk was just massaging DCS’s ego that he’d come out ahead by booking the prepaid rate. However, 400 euro is an inflated rate even in this touristy area so not much of a comparison there.

So not Hilton, but an experience with an SPG property on a non-refundable night:
I recently needed to cancel Hotwire (non-refundable) reservations due to a death in the family. Hotwire said it’s up to the individual hotels, but to send them a death certificate. The first hotel I was supposed to stay at refunded the money without issue.
The second (Westin City Center in DC, where I had stayed many times over the years, both on direct bookings and through Priceline/Hotwire) refused, claiming I had checked in.

Hotwire wouldn’t go beyond that, and the hotel insisted I had signed in. I asked for the paperwork and the accounting office and GM refused to return calls or emails from me or my assistant. I even had someone go in person to the hotel and request to see this paperwork they claimed I had signed LITERALLY AT THE SAME TIME I WAS DELIVERING A EULOGY. (I offered in my emails to send them a letter from the priest.).

My credit card ultimately and quickly refunded the money, but the fact an SPG hotel seems to have such fraud going on and was so ridiculous about it really left an impression.

As a Hilton Diamond member they usually let me switch dates I’ve booked non refundable for free as long as they have availability (and I ask nicely)

@lrdx sez: "if you book a refundable rate, and the rate goes up, you don’t pay more, the front desk guy was speaking nonsense."

@Chancer got it about right. I am sure the front desk guy knew that, and was just doing small talk, when he noticed that I was already fully paid, to make me feel good for having gone for a non-refundable rate, which does usual represent real risk, especially when booked 4 months before the stay.

As for Paris Opera's $400 for standard rooms, that's the tourist season picture for the City of Lights in the middle of the summer . Just today, with summer all but over, rates for the cheapest room in the hotel look like this:

- FLEXIBLE RATE. Change or cancel up to 1 day before arrival. Pay when you stay: 329 €.

- SUMMER SALE. FULL PRE-PAYMENT IS REQUIRED NON-REFUNDABLE UNLESS INDICATED BY LOCAL LAWS: 271 €

- HILTON HONORS SALE HILTON HONORS MEMBER RATE. NO BREAKFAST. 239 €

I was upgraded to the next level ("king deluxe"), as all their suites (entry level cost now: 549 €) were fully booked. A promise to upgrade me to one of the suites for the last 3 nights of the 5-night stay was not kept, due to an influx of tourists willing to pay the high rates for the suites...

So, you have to cancel first, make new booking, then call in and they MAY give you the refund? Even if you call first and ask, we all know how different agents can give different answers. Too dangerous I think.

@ Greg, Unfortunately the call centers do not have any authorization when it comes to AP rates. It is always a property by property call to make. I've worked for the 3 big companies (Marriott, Hilton, IHG) and its been that way at all of them. That being said, the Hilton agent should have directed you to the hotel to call., or at the very least informed you of the policy.

I’m based in the UK. My experience here if you book a non refundable rate but call the hotel Within 24 hours of the booking to cancel they’ll refund you. This could be a UK law issue re cooling off periods for contracts

It is up to the specific Hilton property, not 1-800 reservations, as to whether they will let you out of a prepaid rate (incl using points) w/out charge. Then they contact the Hilton res desk as to their decision &/$points are refunded.

I have appealed to properties on several occasions when emergencies arose & was refunded the rate. Same with Hyatt. Takes time & effort but is well worth it & saves the fee.

Theoretically could I re-book the cheapest hotel in the Hilton portfolio and just eat that cost as opposed to losing all of a rate? I have an ill family member and won't be able to make an upcoming reservation and was just going to look at all of my options before I call.

Policy not working for semiflex bookings.

I am a diamond member and called the diamond htline to cancel my semiflex booking 2 days before arrival. They were not aware of this olicy and pointed out multiple times that I would have to pay the full night stay if I cancel.

With the outbreak in Corona Virus, many have cancelled trips to Denver, our team is cancelling and need to cancel our Denver Hilton Hotel. Will the Hilton Hotels refund stay if we have cancelled 24 hours in advance?

My cousin had booked for us to stay at Double Tree for her dads funeral and my aunt who both died three day apart. Unfortunately one of the rooms was not used because the person arrived on the Friday and my cousin was charged for 5 room in full. I was told at the front desk at the hotel that if the person does not arrive by 8 that evening the room will be given to someone else. Is this fair to her being charged for 3 nights when the room was given away. I am a Hilton's Honor member and I am totally disappointed because she was already grieving her dads death and being robbed.

Booked a night stay with this hotel and it was the wrong day , asked if I could just move the reservation a day earlier and I was told no!! I will call the hotel directly from now on and save myself the frustration of dealing with Advanced Purchasing!!! This company is terrible!!!

Only offered a partial refund for a selling us a filthy room, with everything broken. Stay AWAY