[Update: Search via app] Hilton / SLH partnership live with nearly 400 properties

Update 3:13pm Eastern time: If you’re having trouble finding availability, try using the Hilton Honors app. I’m finding many properties available in the app that aren’t available on desktop. Also, it appears that availability continues to be turned on — I had been searching for the Grand Hotel Victoria all morning and just found it available about an hour ago (around 2:30pm Eastern).

This morning, Hilton Honors has announced a much more extensive launch of the booking of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) properties through the Hilton Honors platform. While this doesn’t include all SLH properties worldwide, there are many, many hotels available today that were not available yesterday. As expected based on what we reported in April, all of the participating SLH properties I’ve searched have standard rooms available to be booked with points or free night certificates (though keep in mind that availability at many of these small properties can be limited). If you have points or free night certificates, many of these properties offer outstanding value for either.

As a reminder, Hilton has slowly launched availability for some SLH properties over the past few months, with a test phase in the first half of June, a further expansion toward the end of June, and now this larger rollout of almost 400 total properties with much wider availability than in previous phases.

I’m personally very excited about the Hilton / SLH partnership given my past positive experiences with SLH. I’m glad to see numerous properties that offer excellent value now available. I’m also glad to see that Hilton Honors elite benefits, including continental breakfast for up to two guests, will be honored. As expected, you’ll pay no resort fees and get the 5th standard reward night free. From the press release:

Hilton Honors members can elevate their stay at participating SLH hotels with exclusive benefits, including earning and redeeming Points, free WiFi and a guaranteed member discount. Gold and Diamond members also enjoy space-available room upgrades and continental breakfast for up to two guests. Hilton Honors members will appreciate the continued flexibility and value of the award-winning program, including benefits like Points & Money payment options, no resort fees on stays booked using all Points and 5^th Standard Reward Night Free.

I was personally incredibly excited about a planned stay last year at Nanuku Resort in Fiji. The place looks lovely and according to the hotel’s website, “Every child under the age of six has a dedicated nanny to attend to their care from 9am until 6pm daily.” — and that’s complimentary during those hours. Children aged 6 to 12 have the choice to be paired with a buddy for activities. Unfortunately, I had to cancel that trip when my son got sick on the way to the airport. However, I found availability through Hillton Honors next spring for a standard room, which is the Nanuku Suite, for 100,000 points per night. The cash rate must be something of a mistake (as are the premium room rewards here no doubt) as the cash rates look like they start at more than $400,000 per night. It’s a luxury resort, but based on the cash rates when I had looked before I don’t think that’s a typical price. Still, it’s a nice value for free night certificates for sure.

I didn’t end up booking Nanuku Resort yet, but it will surely be on my mind as we collect more free night certificates.

I was sad not to see my beloved Grand Hotel Victoria available for the dates I’d like, but I wasn’t surprised to have difficulty finding availability given the fact that I think they only have a few “standard” rooms. I know that many SLH properties are quite small (some have as few as 10-20 total rooms).

One frustration at the moment is that many properties aren’t showing definitive availability in search results. They might be available. Definitely, maybe.

Unfortunately, for now, you’re just going to have to click through on individual properties to see whether they are or are not available.

It can certainly be worth clicking through to check. Greg loved his stay at Eichardt’s Private Hotel in Queenstown, New Zealand — and despite it saying “maybe available” in search results, when I clicked through I found that it was indeed available. I almost backed out of it thinking that only premium rooms were available, but then my eye caught the fact that Hilton is listing the Heritage Suite, which is not the cheapest room from a cash perspective, as the “standard” room.

While 130,000 Hilton points is a steep price from an award perspective, the Hilton Honors discount rate for that night is $1,678.61. That would make for an outstanding use of a Hilton Free Night Certificate! It’s also a great deal for anyone buying points since, when Hilton is selling points for half a cent per point (as they are right now), one could buy the points for a night for a thousand bucks per night less than the going cash rate!

Again, keep in mind that a property like Eichardt’s Private Hotel only has (I believe) a total of 11 rooms including all room categories, so don’t be surprised if you have some difficulty finding a date when one of just a couple of potential award rooms is available. That was true when SLH partnered with Hyatt and I imagine that things won’t be any easier given the fact that Hilton has far more members.

Update: Search via the Hilton Honors app. You may notice that the screen shots above all came from the app because that’s where I was searching as I typed this post. It wasn’t until well after publication that I realized that some of the same properties I’d booked  were showing no availability on desktop. I’m seeing many properties available in the app that show no availability via the desktop flexible rate calendar. Keep in mind that many might show “Maybe available” initially — click through and some of them (maybe many of them?) are available.

Still, if you’re sitting on points or free night certificates right now, I recommend jumping on some reservations. Do check the cancellation policies — while I booked one that had a policy of 2pm 48 hours before arrival, I’ve seen some with deadlines further out (like Eichardt’s Private Hotel, which I believe has a 30-day cancellation window).

Keep in mind that not all SLH properties participate in the Hilton Honors program. That was also true when SLH partnered with Hyatt. According to the Hilton press release, “390 SLH properties have opted to join into the partnership with more hotels expected to be added as the SLH and Hilton relationship grows.” I expect that there are some properties that may never opt in to the partnership, but hopefully we’ll continue to see the partnership expand.

Overall, I’m very excited to see the partnership with SLH flourish. We’ve burned through most of our household Hilton points and free night certificates this morning booking some places that look like they’ll make for great stays. While I’ve long been unenthusiastic about the prospect of transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton, this new partnership will have me considering it to top off for a few more reservations at great value.

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