My plan for 5 nights in Conrad Hong Kong

[El Ingeniero]

The award is 80K Hilton points per nights. I want it to be the high point of our SE Asia trip in October.

80K * 5 = 400K points

Amex Surpass, gives 92K points after meeting $4K min pend via AGC purchase liquidated via RedBird. Also gives access to AXON (5th night free) awards,taking care of another 80K. Gold recognition at the Conrad HK is pretty good, should get full breakfast and possibly an upgraded room out of it. Leaves the deficit at 228K points needed.

Citi Hilton Signature Visa 60K offer, gives 65K points after meeting $1K min spend via direct load to Redbird. Leaves me at 163K points needed.

What I'm wondering about is the BoA Virgin Atlantic 90K offer. $12K spend on AGC plus 2 AU cards gives a total of 93K VA miles, which converts to another 139.5K Hilton points, leaving me at 23.5K points needed. I could just churn 3 Citi 50K offers for a total of 165K miles, for a total min spend of $3K, pay no annual fees, and be done with it. On the other hand, that would mean there would be 2 other cards I couldn't get. Bottom line, I am trading 2 hard pulls for an extra $9K in minimum spend taking up Redbird capacity which would otherwise make me at least $180 on a 2% card.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Matt]

The award is 80K Hilton points per nights. I want it to be the high point of our SE Asia trip in October.

80K * 5 = 400K points

Amex Surpass, gives 92K points after meeting $4K min pend via AGC purchase liquidated via RedBird. Also gives access to AXON (5th night free) awards,taking care of another 80K. Gold recognition at the Conrad HK is pretty good, should get full breakfast and possibly an upgraded room out of it. Leaves the deficit at 228K points needed.

Citi Hilton Signature Visa 60K offer, gives 65K points after meeting $1K min spend via direct load to Redbird. Leaves me at 163K points needed.

What I'm wondering about is the BoA Virgin Atlantic 90K offer. $12K spend on AGC plus 2 AU cards gives a total of 93K VA miles, which converts to another 139.5K Hilton points, leaving me at 23.5K points needed. I could just churn 3 Citi 50K offers for a total of 165K miles, for a total min spend of $3K, pay no annual fees, and be done with it. On the other hand, that would mean there would be 2 other cards I couldn't get. Bottom line, I am trading 2 hard pulls for an extra $9K in minimum spend taking up Redbird capacity which would otherwise make me at least $180 on a 2% card.

Decisions, decisions.

5 nights gets a bonus right? I haven't followed HH since they killed the old Axon, but believe there are a couple of current deals like that (New Axon/VIP etc)

Prices as 64K for 5 night stay in Oct for me:






Maybe this can help when considering your earning strategy?

 

[El Ingeniero]

5 nights gets a bonus right? I haven't followed HH since they killed the old Axon, but believe there are a couple of current deals like that (New Axon/VIP etc)

Prices as 64K for 5 night stay in Oct for me:



View attachment 1634


Maybe this can help when considering your earning strategy?

Well crap. Hilton site was showing 80K/night on Friday for a Harbor View king bed. Now it shows no availability with points at all from August through January 2016. WTF?

EDIT: For that matter, Conrad Centennial in Singapore and Conrad Bangkok are showing no points availability for me.

 

[Matt]

Maybe a glitch... what dates for HK?

 

[El Ingeniero]

OK, this is weird. I logged out of the site, and points availability hows at 80K night again. Dates are Oct 29 through Nov 3.

 

[ukinny2000]

I randomly checked 15th-20th. It shows 80,000 per night if I don't log on, and 64,000 per night if I do log on (I am HH Gold, have Amex Hilton, and Citi Hilton card)

 

[Matt]

Interestingly, for those same dates I get zero points options for a harbor view, but I get 64K per night for a skyline view (king or two doubles)... I'm a HH Gold (via CC) with a small balance (30K ish) if that matters

 

[smittytabb]

And, I would also add that I always book the cheapest room on points and find a way to get upgraded to a better room later. If you have status, you are taking a chance, but it works for me a good part of the time. Inventory on these things changes all the time. By the time you have the points, the whole thing may have changed by then.

Oh, and the website is really bizarre. You have to log in and out to do anything.

 

[Matt]

I think this is the 5th night free Bennie- only applies to people with exalted status like us...

The catch is that it only works on standard rooms, so I wonder if it is not showing harbor view rooms in some relation to that rule...

 

[El Ingeniero]

Maybe because I have no points balance at all.

 

[El Ingeniero]

Also, 64K is 80% of 80K, which is looking like a 5th night free.

 

[Matt]

Also, 64K is 80% of 80K, which is looking like a 5th night free.

Yep - pricing out like SPG does. The only thing I don't get is why it was only showing me skyline views.. but I'd personally take that and hope for an upgrade over 80K.

 

[jmw]

The award is 80K Hilton points per nights. I want it to be the high point of our SE Asia trip in October.
[...]
Decisions, decisions.

When are you showing up in Hong Kong?

Don't show up in Hong Kong during Golden Week.

If you show up during Golden Week, you are not going to be upgraded for free. Furthermore, the lines for anything are going to be very long and you will get pushed and shoved by all the mainlanders who are in town.

 

[smittytabb]

When are you showing up in Hong Kong?

Don't show up in Hong Kong during Golden Week.

If you show up during Golden Week, you are not going to be upgraded for free. Furthermore, the lines for anything are going to be very long and you will get pushed and shoved by all the mainlanders who are in town.

And a good general reminder to consider checking for national holidays anywhere you travel as that means crowds, closed banks and other businesses and general bedlam.

On the other hand, some of the coolest experiences I have had were when I was in a country on a holiday or festival. So, mostly it is important to know and choose what you are walking into.

 

[Matt]

I think GW is at the start of Oct so he is clear.

OT - songkran in Thailand- holy moly we had a good time!

 

[El Ingeniero]

And a good general reminder to consider checking for national holidays anywhere you travel as that means crowds, closed banks and other businesses and general bedlam.

On the other hand, some of the coolest experiences I have had were when I was in a country on a holiday or festival. So, mostly it is important to know and choose what you are walking into.

Landed in Beijing during Spring Festival 2010. Bought a SIM card at the airport for my quad band cell phone. Managed to get a ticket on a soft sleeper to Shenyang, and another from Shenyang to Anshan without a speaking a lick of putonghua: every time I needed translation services, I'd text DW and she would text back the Chinese.

I really like Chinese fireworks technology. They have roman candles in boxes of 100 all fused up to go off one by one. Just rip the tearoff strp around the top, take off the top, put the box on the ground and light the fuse: fireworks show in a box. We would walk to breakfast in the morning, and last nights firecrackers would be drifting up against the doorsteps like fluorescent red leaves, and cars would be picking their way through all the spent boxes in the middle of the intersections.

 

[niehlin2]

Also, 64K is 80% of 80K, which is looking like a 5th night free.

It is. I had similar experience and was confused. Called Hilton and was told it's 80000 times 4 then divided by 5 since the 5th night was free.

 

[El Ingeniero]

Also landed in PEK during Mid Autumn festival once. It was a choice between a scalped ticket for a hard sleeper bottom bunk taking 10 hours to get to Shenyang, or standing room on a slow train (18 hours) leaving at 5 pm the next day.

 

[El Ingeniero]

Also landed in PEK during Mid Autumn festival once. It was a choice between a scalped ticket for a hard sleeper bottom bunk taking 10 hours to get to Shenyang, or standing room on a slow train (18 hours) leaving at 5 pm the next day.

I took the scalped ticket at 100 RMB over the price on the face, of course. Spent the next 4 hours at the McDonalds on the 2nd floor of Beijing Main, somehow managed to snag 30 minutes of free wifi and skyped DW to tell her what train I was on. Train left at 4 am, arrived in Shenyang at 2 pm the next day. Even managed to sleep.

So, Virgin Atlantic 90K card with $75 AF or churn 3 more Citi Hilton Signature Visas?

I could MS $40K worth of AGCs on the Surpass and get at least $600 of CB + 120K. Conrad HK doesn't seem to do points+cash, so that's probably out.

I could buy $40K of grocery store GC, cycle them through my Serve cards and be $476 out of pocket. For 5 nights, no matter how nice they are, that's more than I like to spend. Is there anything about Diamond status that might offset the $476?

I could MS $40K of AGC on a 2% card and have at least $800 + $600, which would pay all but $487 of the room. But then I would feel like I'm actually paying for the room. Oh but wait, I am paying for the room any way I cut it.

Seems like the easy thing to do is snag 3 more 50K Signature Visa offers.

 

[Voyaging Doc]

I took the scalped ticket at 100 RMB over the price on the face, of course. Spent the next 4 hours at the McDonalds on the 2nd floor of Beijing Main, somehow managed to snag 30 minutes of free wifi and skyped DW to tell her what train I was on. Train left at 4 am, arrived in Shenyang at 2 pm the next day. Even managed to sleep.

So, Virgin Atlantic 90K card with $75 AF or churn 3 more Citi Hilton Signature Visas?

I could MS $40K worth of AGCs on the Surpass and get at least $600 of CB + 120K. Conrad HK doesn't seem to do points+cash, so that's probably out.

I could buy $40K of grocery store GC, cycle them through my Serve cards and be $476 out of pocket. For 5 nights, no matter how nice they are, that's more than I like to spend. Is there anything about Diamond status that might offset the $476?

I could MS $40K of AGC on a 2% card and have at least $800 + $600, which would pay all but $487 of the room. But then I would feel like I'm actually paying for the room. Oh but wait, I am paying for the room any way I cut it.

Seems like the easy thing to do is snag 3 more 50K Signature Visa offers.

With that much effort I would just opt for the "regular" MS'ing with maximized CB and pay cash for the hotel nights earning CC+hilton points instead of worrying about card apps, when points will post, award availability, etc.

 

[Matt]

Is there anything about Diamond status that might offset the $476?

Not something I've got, but the benefit may be the Exec Lounge. It comes with 2hrs of booze and snacks in the evening.

Each property has slightly different rules, from what I can gather if you get upgraded to an Exec floor room you get the lounge - but as Diamond you are supposed to get the lounge upgraded or not. Though there may be exceptions to this.

When I needed a bunch of points in the past I used the visa sigs - I think they were little to no spend so easy points.