Hilton To Scrap Frequency Program Blackout Dates

Hilton Hotels Corp. today announced that, effective Friday, it will eliminate blackout dates from its HHonors guest reward program.

Currently, only the upper echelon of HHonors members—gold and diamond members—are exempt from blackout dates in redeeming reward points for stays in Hilton properties, and blue and silver members had blackout dates, said Adam Burke, Hilton's senior vice president of customer loyalty. Under the new rules, all members will be exempt.

Several other hotel reward programs, including Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, already have eliminated blackout dates from their rewards program. However, Burke said Hilton's program is unique because it will not include such other policy restrictions as capacity controls, exclusion of certain properties or requiring more point redemption for what would have been a blackout date.

"We have one of the most lucrative reimbursement plans, but we are constantly researching to make sure our benefits are the best," Burke said. "We wanted to be able to do this with no caveats, no asterisks."

Hilton brands include Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Waldorf-Astoria Collection.