China’s consumer festival – Double Eleven – is just around the corner, and we wrote about Accor’s Platinum offer already (where I caught someone red-handed). Hilton also has an interesting offer, and includes hotels in Asian countries other than China.
All offer pages will be in Chinese, and you can use Google Translate or follow our tips on the Alipay mini-program here.
Hilton’s official Fliggy shop is here, and you’ll be looking for the keyword 一住升金 (Gold Upgrade After One Stay) when filtering their products. Rules are:
- Purchase any product (stay voucher) with the 一住升金 label
- Redeem the voucher and complete the stay by expiry (March 31)
- Hilton will perform the status upgrade in two batches (January 20 and April 20)
- Once upgraded, your Gold status will be valid through December 31, 2026
As well as hotels in China’s mainland, a few eligible vouchers are intended for other regions, which is probably more useful for the readers of my English blog. For example:
- Conrad Hong Kong / 2088 RMB: one-night stay with breakfast and 400 HKD credit
- Conrad Singapore / 2088 RMB: one-night stay with breakfast and executive lounge access, or 4099 RMB for two nights
- Conrad Bali / 1599 RMB: one-night stay with breakfast and dining / spa discount
- Conrad Koh Samui / 4088 RMB: one-night stay in the sunset one-bedroom pool villa with breakfast and dining / spa discount
- 5 Bangkok Hotels / from 875 RMB: one- or two-night stay at Doubletree, Hilton or Conrad Bangkok; breakfast included and some with room upgrade or executive lounge access
- 7 Japan & South Korea Hotels / from 1099 RMB: two-night stay at Seoul, Kyoto, Nagoya, Naha and Okinawa; breakfast included
Blackout dates apply and honestly I’m not sure how easy it is to redeem if you don’t understand Chinese. Fortunately they are all refundable.
You need to link your Hilton account to your Fliggy account before you purchase. Strangely the Fliggy Hilton vouchers are “non-qualifying stays” so you earn no points or credits, and don’t expect Hilton elite benefits if you are one, in spite of the close partnership between the two.
As these vouchers have a fixed price, they might work out pretty well on certain peak travel dates, even if you don’t care about the Gold upgrade perk.
Hilton Gold, Accor Platinum, and Marriott Platinum status are practically available for everyone based in China or for those that use Chinese-language travel apps! As for the rest of us that earn status the normal way, you really have to wonder if it’s worth it at all anymore.
Well, it’s even easier in the US where you can just take out a credit card :p
It is easier in the US, but is not cheapier. For local offers I think it is fair that local people from poor countries pay less. However, for international offers it is not right if I pay way more than someone from another country who is rich enough to travel international. People who stay in the same hotel should pay the same for the same status.