Adding Hilton status to pre-cruise hotel

[MarEll1]

We are taking our first Regent cruise in mid-August. The pre-cruise hotel is the Hilton Anchorage. We asked our TA to add our HHonors number and she says she isn’t able to do that. She told us to give them the number upon check-in. Maybe not a big deal but seems odd to me. We have specific room preferences in our profile and if the hotel doesn’t have that ahead of time, likely they won’t be honored. Any thoughts?

[Snore42]

Have you tried calling Hilton Honors with your reservation #?  They should be able to add your HH#.  Unless Regent doesn't give you a confirmation code? 

[RetiredandTravel]

I'd just contact the hotel directly.  I think we just gave the Tokyo Hilton our Hilton honors information when we got there, but may have ahead of time.  I did contact the hotel ahead of time so we had the same room for the entire stay, which they did.   We had a free pre cruise package and added a night.  The Hilton included breakfast was much better than the Regent included. 

Edited July 26, 2023 by RetiredandTravel

[RELS]

1 hour ago, Snore42 said:

Have you tried calling Hilton Honors with your reservation #?  They should be able to add your HH#.  Unless Regent doesn't give you a confirmation code? 

 

Regent doesn't give out that code, because the reservation is a group reservation, so individual rooms don't generally have code.

 

You might not be able to get room nights from any stay that Regent pays for, but if you call the hotel directly you should be able to get the other perks associated with your status.

[boblerm]

In the past, when staying in an included hotel with Regent or any other cruise line, I have not been able to get points or any other hotel membership benefits, as the reservation is through the group.

[MarEll1]

18 minutes ago, RELS said:

 

Regent doesn't give out that code, because the reservation is a group reservation, so individual rooms don't generally have code.

 

You might not be able to get room nights from any stay that Regent pays for, but if you call the hotel directly you should be able to get the other perks associated with your status.

I will try this. Thank you!

[LvnCruisin]

My husband did this with Hilton on our last cruise out of Venice. We are diamond level and he called the diamond desk who called the hotel to make sure it was all on record. And while Regent is paying them, we paid Regent.

[taxare]

It may have to do with the level or whether you book an additional night on your own. I am Hilton Gold. When we checked into the Tokyo Hilton in April they said since it was a group rate they couldn't add our Hilton number. We were there three nights as part of the included Regent pre cruise land trip. When I returned I wrote a note to the Hilton Honors help desk and they said they same thing. When we were on our Lisbon-Barcelona cruise in September I added a night on my own to the Regent night. This was a Marriott and I am lifetime titanium. They gladly put our number in for both nights and ensured we could stay in the same upgraded room even though I paid for the first night and Regent the second. As RELS noted the hotels get a manifest from Regent but they don't assign "normal" reservation codes. I hope you have better luck with Hilton than I did.....

[MarEll1]

2 hours ago, taxare said:

It may have to do with the level or whether you book an additional night on your own. I am Hilton Gold. When we checked into the Tokyo Hilton in April they said since it was a group rate they couldn't add our Hilton number. We were there three nights as part of the included Regent pre cruise land trip. When I returned I wrote a note to the Hilton Honors help desk and they said they same thing. When we were on our Lisbon-Barcelona cruise in September I added a night on my own to the Regent night. This was a Marriott and I am lifetime titanium. They gladly put our number in for both nights and ensured we could stay in the same upgraded room even though I paid for the first night and Regent the second. As RELS noted the hotels get a manifest from Regent but they don't assign "normal" reservation codes. I hope you have better luck with Hilton than I did.....

Thank you - we are both gold - husband was diamond for years but not traveling much for business anymore. We are travelling by ourselves for a few days ahead of time but not staying in Anchorage so that won’t help us. I’ll have him call tomorrow and see what happens. I’m not concerned about earning points but I’m picky about room location etc. I’ll report back!

[RetiredandTravel]

I am also Hilton Gold (AMEX) and the Tokyo Hilton gave us free breakfast (or points) for four nights.  Three were Regents free pre cruise package and one we paid for, guess its the luck of the draw. The breakfast was at the main dining area not Regents which was on a separate floor.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by RetiredandTravel

[papaflamingo]

16 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

I'd just contact the hotel directly.  I think we just gave the Tokyo Hilton our Hilton honors information when we got there, but may have ahead of time.  I did contact the hotel ahead of time so we had the same room for the entire stay, which they did.   We had a free pre cruise package and added a night.  The Hilton included breakfast was much better than the Regent included. 

A bit off topic, but we are going a day early to Hong Kong and will pay for the one night for our room.  There are different levels available and I was wondering what level room Regent normally books?  Don't want to book an upgraded room only to find we'll have to move to the Regent contracted room

Thanks

[RetiredandTravel]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

A bit off topic, but we are going a day early to Hong Kong and will pay for the one night for our room.  There are different levels available and I was wondering what level room Regent normally books?  Don't want to book an upgraded room only to find we'll have to move to the Regent contracted room

Thanks

 

 

I don't know the level Regent books.  We just went with the base room but specified a King bed.  Again I'd email the hotel, seems to me if the hotel tells you they have to stand by it.  In our case Hilton said they could make sure we had the same room but asked that we email them back a couple of weeks before arrival to confirm (also specified King bed).

 

 

 

 

[papaflamingo]

49 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

I don't know the level Regent books.  We just went with the base room but specified a King bed.  Again I'd email the hotel, seems to me if the hotel tells you they have to stand by it.  In our case Hilton said they could make sure we had the same room but asked that we email them back a couple of weeks before arrival to confirm (also specified King bed).

 

 

 

 

Thank you. That helps a lot.  Right now there are 2 possible hotels that Regent will use in Hong Kong.  I've got cancellable reservations in both pending our assignment for our pre-cruise tour.  I guess if worse comes to worse we'll simply move rooms.  Appreciate the info.  I'll definitely email the hotel when we know which one it is. 

[MarEll1]

Just an update - husband called the Hilton Anchorage. They told him they have no reservation for us and wanted a confirmation number which we don’t have. They also said they don’t have any reservations for RSSC. I may try again in a few days and hopefully get a more informed clerk.

[loriva]

10 hours ago, MarEll1 said:

Just an update - husband called the Hilton Anchorage. They told him they have no reservation for us and wanted a confirmation number which we don’t have. They also said they don’t have any reservations for RSSC. I may try again in a few days and hopefully get a more informed clerk.

 

This has been my experience as well--with both Hilton and other hotels and with Regent and other cruise lines.  Hotels cannot link my loyalty account to group reservations or even find the latter.

 

What has worked for us is what others have said.  We make an independent reservation with the cruise line's hotel for the day (or days) before the included night.  I note in my reservation that we'll also be staying another night/s under the cruise line reservation.  About a month out, I send an email to the hotel notifying them again of the double stay and asking them to link the reservation.  They usually reply in the same way as the clerk at the Hilton Anchorage did--that they cannot find a group or individual reservation for the subsequent stay.  BUT they also usually say they have made a note in the reservation I have booked independently (and for which I have a confirmation code) about the extra time at the hotel.  And, of course, when we check in, I remind them again of the double stay.

 

I've had luck with this strategy at Hilton (where I'm a Diamond member) and other hotels.  I try to book the same (standard) category as the cruise line or just one additional category higher and we have been able to stay in the same room for the duration of both our individually booked and group reservation.  (I'm not sure if it would work if my independent reservation was for a suite or other significantly higher category than the cruise lines book.)  Of course, as always, past performance does not guarantee future results and YMMV.

[cruiseej]

13 hours ago, MarEll1 said:

Just an update - husband called the Hilton Anchorage. They told him they have no reservation for us and wanted a confirmation number which we don’t have. They also said they don’t have any reservations for RSSC. I may try again in a few days and hopefully get a more informed clerk.

 

The cruise line reserves a block of rooms. It's quite possible they haven't even provided a list of names to the hotel yet.

[irishwitchy]

Last year, when I checked into the Marriott in Copenhagen, I gave them my card and as soon as they had that - I got thank you for being a loyal member, blah, blah, blah.  I also got  room with a great view, lounge access and the breakfast in the lounge was better than the “other” breakfast.   Worked just fine.  

[MarEll1]

Thank you everyone for your replies. We will be in Denali for a few days before the cruise so not able to stay at the Hilton Anchorage until the pre-cruise night. So we will just have to give them our HHonors info when we check in and hope for the best.

[cruiseej]

20 hours ago, MarEll1 said:

We will be in Denali for a few days before the cruise so not able to stay at the Hilton Anchorage until the pre-cruise night. So we will just have to give them our HHonors info when we check in and hope for the best.

 

If you have some high level of Hilton status, you might try calling the hotel a day or two before you arrive back in Anchorage. By that time, they should have the guest list from the cruise line. You don't qualify for a higher-level room with the group booking, but you can say you want to add your HHonors number and, if a better-than-standard room is available, you'd appreciate it. It might not work any magic — but it can't hurt to try. 😀