This past January I took a mileage run on United to Tokyo and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport for one night. The online rate I booked was shockingly low at only 8,000 yen (about $85) for a fully cancelable standard Hilton Queen room. The non-refundable advance purchase rate was only 1,000 yen less, for what it’s worth.

The hotel offers free shuttle service from the airport at various times throughout the day, typically in 20- or 30-minute intervals (except mid-day when it’s hourly). I had just missed one shuttle and out of laziness and a desire to take a nap as soon as possible, I grabbed a cab for the short ride (about $17).

As a Diamond HHonors member, I was upgraded to a Deluxe Plus room, which the only difference I can ascertain from the website description is 108 additional square feet of space.

The bed was very comfortable and a bit softer than what’s found in many U.S. locations. And there was plenty of desk space and drawers.

Deluxe Plus Queen Room

My welcome amenity included two bottles of water and a couple of hazelnut biscuit crackers. Also included with my status came complimentary health club admission and “American Breakfast,” which turned out to be access to the full buffet.

Welcome Amenities

The nightstand next to the bed controlled the room lights and temperature, and also included a digital alarm clock. Inside the closet a safe large enough for my 15” MacBook Pro was present along with robes and slippers.

I was expecting a super-small bathroom, but was pleasantly surprised by an average sized one similar to what you’d find at say a La Quinta or Holiday Inn – not necessarily a U.S. Hilton. And yes, the toilet featured all the bells and whistles that the Japanese love. The Peter Thomas Roth amenities, standard for Hilton, were slightly larger than what you’d find in the U.S., but still TSA friendly.

Service was excellent at the hotel and everyone spoke English quite well, which you’d expect for a worldwide brand at an airport location. I didn’t snap photos of the breakfast buffet the next morning, but it was fantastic. Everything from typical Western dishes to Japanese and other fare was available.

While the hotel is rather isolated for walking to much of anything, it’s ideal for a quick night before catching a flight the next day. Oh, and if you’re coming in from the city on the train, the hotel also offers free shuttle service to/from Narita Station.

Related posts:

Flight Review: United Airlines Global First Class, San Francisco to Tokyo

Lounge Review: United Global First, Tokyo Narita Airport

Lounge Review: ANA Suite Lounge, Tokyo Narita Airport

In case you haven’t already read about it, Hilton HHonors has unveiled its second quarter 2013 bonus point promotion.

Hilton HHonors 2013Q2 Promotion

The “Daily Grand” promotion runs from April 1 to June 30, 2013 and provides 1,000 bonus points for every weeknight of a stay, and 2,000 points for every weekend night. A weekend night is defined as Friday, Saturday, or Sunday for all regions except for hotels within the Middle East and Africa where a weekend night is defined as Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.

Registration is required (only once) and must be done prior to checkout of the first stay during the promotion period. As other bloggers have noted, it appears all properties are participating since there’s no mention of excluded locations in the FAQs.

It’s a no brainer to take the few seconds it takes to register, but this promo does little to excite me given the upcoming devaluation to the HHonors program.

• Hilton has upset a lot of loyal HHonors members today (self included) with their announcement of 2013 Hilton HHonors Program Changes. They’re increasing hotel categories from eight to ten, adding seasonal pricing (read: higher redemption rates) and trying to soften the blow by adding a 5th Night Free for elites staying 5-nights or more. I’m dropping from Diamond to Gold this year regardless, and won’t even accrue enough stays for 2014 status. The devaluation is sort of rightly timed for me, but painful to swallow. The changes take effect March 28, 2013.
• A diamond heist was pulled off at Brussels Airport Monday night. $50 million in precious stones were taken from the cargo hold of a SWISS Fokker F-100 flight from Brussels to Zurich.
• I’m not a huge fan of the Asiana Business Class lounge at Seoul’s Incheon Airport and now there’s a new Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge that Star Alliance Gold elites can enjoy. It opened today and I’ll be keen to review it on my next trip through ICN.
• A new coach airline seat architecture design has debuted sporting overhead fixtures with drop-down tray tables, screens and other gadgets. I doubt we’ll ever see it in actual use as FAA safety certification seems unlikely given the minimal overhead clearance in the event of an evacuation, not to mention the additional floor space (16 percent) it would occupy. Airlines want more seats in coach… not less.
• Finally, if you haven’t read fellow blogger Matthew’s account of being kicked off a United Airlines flight for taking a picture, please do. It sounds like the flight attendant was hyper-sensitive, as seems to be the case with U.S. airlines and onboard photos. Will my future United trip reports be in jeopardy?

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 18, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 15, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 14, 2013

• All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. ANA won based on its exceptional financial performance, fiscal management, customer service and technology leadership. Silver Airways (based in Florida and one I’ve never heard of) won Regional Airline of the Year.
• Virgin America will launch new service to Austin and Anchorage. Year-round service from San Francisco to Austin begins May 21 and seasonal service to Anchorage will operate from June 6 to September 9.
• DoubleTree Hotels will make their debut in Australia later this year. Two existing properties in Darwin and one in Alice Springs will be reflagged as such and operate under the Hilton portfolio.
• U.S. hoteliers sold more than 1.1 billion rooms in 2012. San Francisco saw the greatest jump in room rates, increasing 11 percent over 2011. The nationwide average daily rate (ADR) increased 4.2 percent over 2011.
• A study by Pricewaterhouse Coopers showed that Britain’s Air Passenger Duty does more harm than good. It’s the highest tax of its type in the world, it deters travel and it would pay for itself if abolished. Hear, hear!
• The Department of Transportation issued its Air Travel Consumer Report today showing mishandled baggage rates in 2012 were at a 25 year low and airlines had the third highest on-time rate in 18 years (among other interesting nuggets).

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 11, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 5, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 1, 2013

The unadvertised promotional United Global First fare to Tokyo I flew on last week had limited domestic origins, Boston being one of them. And since I’m getting “old” and can no longer handle nonstop flying over several days, I flew into Boston the day before my BOS-SFO-NRT segments and booked into the Hilton attached to the airport.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport

I flew in on a red-eye from San Francisco, so I initially hung out in the United Club as it was far too early to check-in. By about 11:00 a.m., though, I was getting antsy and decided to take the long walk from Terminal C, through Terminal E, to the skybridges connecting the hotel to the terminals. Shuttle service from each terminal is also available, but I was keen on the exercise.

Gladly, a room was available and I received an Executive Level King room on the 10^th floor.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Executive King Room

The room was very clean and offered the standard amenities for executive level accommodations, including complimentary bottled water, bathrobes and slippers. I dug the leaning mirror along the wall near the window, as well as the lap tray for use on the lounger.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Room

I had a pretty decent #avgeek view overlooking the parking garage to the tower at one angle, and a view of the runways and terminals at another. A grounded Japan Airlines Boeing 787 sat nearby its replacement 777-200 parked at the gate.

View of Boston Logan's Control Tower

View of a JAL 787 and 777-200

I enjoyed complimentary Wi-Fi as a Diamond HHonors elite and booted up my laptop on the average-sized desk. A safe is housed in an adjacent compartment that appears to have been where a minibar was once located.

Work Station

In-Room Safe

The bathroom was nothing special and included Peter Thomas Roth bath amenities commonly found at most Hiltons, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. My only complaint about the bathroom was the rather aged showerhead that could use replacing.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Bathroom

Bathroom Amenities

As a Diamond and having received a room upgrade, I had access to the Executive Lounge (also on the 10^th floor), which opens at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. You should be aware it’s closed on Saturdays.

Evening hors d’oeuvres consisted of veggie egg rolls and rather chewy beef tips on a skewer with roasted peppers. A selection of cold veggies and fruit was also available, along with soft drinks, coffee, tea and bottled water. Sadly, I forgot my iPhone in the room and didn’t get any pics. I would’ve felt a little weird going back a second time just to snap photos.

It’s a decent property, though I have to say the nearby Hyatt affords even better views of both the airport and Boston’s skyline. In the morning, I ended up taking the shuttle back to Terminal C for my 6:00 a.m. flight to San Francisco.

Related posts:

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run

Hotel Review: Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront

Hotel Review: Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong

• Oy, more 787 issues as an All Nippon Airways (ANA) jet makes an emergency landing in Osaka. This is breaking as I type, so further details will certainly emerge.
• United Airlines will lay off 472 workers at Newark Liberty Airport. A spokesman at United confirms it’s due to outsourcing of cargo operations, but adds the airline will help them find other jobs with the airline.
• A shipment of 18 human heads was seized at Chicago O’Hare Airport. A mix-up in paperwork reportedly delayed the shipment and subsequent delivery of the medically-researched heads on their way for cremation.
• San Francisco International Airport could soon be renamed after the legendary gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Voters will decide on the potential name change/addition this November.
• Air China may soon fly nonstop from Houston to Beijing. The airline announced the route today, which still requires government approval. It might bring decent Star Alliance award availability into play.
• United Airlines is (finally) introducing Wi-Fi to their international fleet. The satellite-based Wi-Fi service is presently equipped on one Boeing 747-400 and two Airbus A319s, with plans to roll it out to 300 more aircraft this year. Fingers crossed one of the two United 747s I’m flying next week is the sole -400 offering the service so I can try it out.
• Hilton has a 24-hour promo beginning tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. EST. Part of the Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale, it offers up to 40 percent off weekend stays and 2,500 bonus points. The sale is ongoing through January 31, but book tomorrow for the bonus points.
• The moron who called in a fake bomb hoax will submit a written apology to each of the passengers on the US Airways flight forced to return to Philadelphia airport resulting from his call. That’s not nearly as bad as the fines and prison term he’s facing.

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: January 14, 2013

I plan to bring back this once-regular post here on Frequently Flying as I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoys a quick snippet of notable airline, hotel and travel industry news of the day. It’ll be back as often as possible pending work, travel and other distractions. As advance notice, I’ll be flying 22,000 miles over the course of six days next week without Wi-Fi, so posting might be light.

• United Airlines and American Airlines have been accused of running sham operations in a rural Illinois city where satellite offices for each airline “process” jet fuel purchases for use at O’Hare and other Midwest locations. Doing so there saves the airlines millions of dollars by skirting Chicago’s hefty taxes. I blogged about this in 2011 and a lawsuit has now been apparently filed.
• Hilton Hotels launched a spoofy Vacation Care Center website where users can diagnose their vacation needs based on workplace and other stressors. It’s a fun concept, but I think they fail by adding in a section that requires you to enter your name, address and email to get your “prescription.” Why not just make it a fun quiz-like thing with an immediate Rx without requiring personal information? Yeah, I know why. Sigh.
• New rental car service Silvercar offers only Audi A4s for renters at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It’s a niche concept with techy features some travelers may like.
• The Australian Open began (I’m a huge tennis fan) and you can now book Venus Williams-designed suites at the InterContinental Hotel Miami. The two presidential suites her V Starr firm were involved with are a part of the property’s $30 million renovation.
• A new Star Alliance lounge at Buenos Aires airport opened. The 24-hour location offers the usual amenities (for an international lounge), including hot and cold snacks, Wi-Fi and shower facilities.
• The first of American’s 42 Boeing 787s are now slated for delivery in November 2014, having been moved up through an accelerated delivery schedule agreed upon by American and Boeing.

Hilton announced its first quarter 2013 promotion, going once again with the “Double Your HHonors” deal where you earn either double points or double miles.

Registration is required prior to checkout at a participating property for stays from January 7 to March 31, 2013. And once you select double points or double miles, you’re locked into that decision for the entire promotion period – there’s no changing from one to another after registration.

Note the list of non-participating properties is rather extensive in the United States. There are only 14 properties outside of the U.S. not participating.

Click here to register.

(HT: The Points Guy)

When it comes to having elite status with a hotel, my two favorite perks are by far free Wi-Fi and access to the club lounge. I also appreciate the other amenities that vary by hotel chain – and even brand within a chain – including room upgrades and welcome gifts (free bottled water, food platters, etc).

But what keeps a brand front-of-mind even more in my book is when I receive an email from the hotel. And I’m not talking about the post-stay surveys (obviously), of which I probably complete 80% of the time. They’re the ones from hotel GMs or other managerial staff either before or after my stay that leave a lasting impact.

I was in suburban Chicago for a wedding the weekend before last and stayed at the DoubleTree Wood Dale, a property I’ve been to several times in the past. (Side note: this is a great hotel for out-of-towners attending the Chicago Seminars if the Holiday Inn and other overflow hotels book up – the rates are usually incredibly cheap and it’s just a short drive away).

The day after I checked out I received an email from the GM thanking me for my business and hoping my stay was “excellent.” He noted a survey would likely follow from Hilton, but he also encouraged feedback sent directly to him. And I did just that. My stay was indeed very good, though I noted a couple of very minor annoyances (a flickering light outside my room creating a strobe effect and a wet lobby floor from remodeling work).

The GM responded to my email within an hour, addressed my concerns and provided updates on the progress of the hotel’s refresh. His reply honestly did more to keep DoubleTree and Hilton front-of-mind than the free bottled water and room upgrade I received.

Similarly, I have a couple of separate hotel stays this weekend (United’s 787 inaugural!!!) and one property already reached out via email offering a specific point of contact for any issues that might come up during my stay.

These are just two examples of the many emails I’ve received since holding elite status with hotel chains. It’s a simple, free and effective marketing tool a hotel can employ to keep my business. I still want my published elite amenities, of course, but the act of personal, direct contact by an actual on-site employee increases the likelihood I’ll be a repeat guest and remain loyal.

[Speaking of outreach and communication, there is an issue with all reader comments being sent to the SPAM folder for BoardingArea blogs, including mine. I'm filtering through the hundreds I receive daily for actual comments and will get them approved and respond in-kind as soon as possible... I'm not ignoring you!]

Related posts:

Another Hilton Social Media Outreach Success Story

Hotel Promotion Failure Resolved via Twitter

Chicago Seminars: Summary

While in Australia, I flew to Perth and stayed at the Hilton Parmelia for one night before returning the next day back to Sydney. I had been to Perth previously and this trip was primarily to review Virgin Australia’s service (post forthcoming), so the one-nighter was just fine with me. Not to mention hotel rates in Perth are astronomical compared to most of the rest of Australia. My rate: AU$360 for a Queen Deluxe Guestroom.

While some question their authenticity, I do check out the reviews on TripAdvisor to get an idea of what to expect when staying in a hotel for the first time. Reviews ranged from stellar to terrible (aren’t they all?), but I did note a consistent theme of “great staff,” “dated property needing renovations,” and many noting they received an upgrade.

With an arrival at the hotel at around midnight, the lobby was empty and front desk agent Alex greeted me immediately. I didn’t ask about an upgrade and decided just to see what type of room I got out of sheer exhaustion not having enough energy to muster up a friendly chat about my Diamond benefits. Alex did, however, hand me a personal note from the front desk manager detailing my benefits, as well as a drink voucher.

I was, in fact, upgraded and assigned to room 419, a King Deluxe Plus Suite of the 10-story hotel. The hotel does indeed show its age, but the carpeting seemed new in the hallway leading up to my room.

The room opens into a foyer with separate doors leading to the bedroom, bathroom and living/dining room. My two complimentary bottles of water were awaiting my arrival on the glass-top table.

The suite was huge and I was impressed by the size of the living/dining room. Its furniture, as you can see, is quite dated and shows some wear and tear. A minibar was located underneath the TV, as well as the coffee service tray and dishware.

The bathroom was the most modern part of the suite with marble floors and a granite countertop similar to what you find at many Hiltons. I always like a separate shower from the bathtub, as was present here. Peter Thomas Roth amenities were on the countertop, though in a larger size than any other Hilton I’ve stayed at (50ml bottles of shampoo and lotion instead of the normal 30ml size).

The bedroom was also impressive in size and included a walk-in closet that housed a safe and a pair of bathrobes and slippers.

The next morning, I woke to discover my room had a walk-around L-shaped balcony and I enjoyed some crisp, fresh air before heading down to breakfast. The hotel is right in the heart of the city, so the views looked directly across into office buildings.

View up from the balcony

Buffet breakfast is served in the Globe Restaurant on the lobby level and it was an impressive affair. Everything imaginable that would appeal to just about any culture was available and being “Western,” I went for a mostly American-style breakfast.

My visit was very short – 12 hours in fact – so I didn’t get to explore the property as much as I would have liked. Its location is pretty much ideal to everything Perth has to offer and I definitely would stay there again, though I do hope they consider updating the rooms.

Now as far as getting a suite upgrade… while the HHonors website was recently changed to mention Diamonds are eligible for suites, this is the first time I’ve been upgraded to one. It was, actually, the next category up from what I had booked and given there is no executive floor (or lounge) at this property, I suppose it’s the least they can do.