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I’ve had the Citi Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card for some time now. I never use it, but it has no annual fee and gives Hilton Silver status, which makes Hilton award redemptions significantly cheaper.
They have now launched a premium version of that card, the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Reserve Card It comes with some pretty sweet bennies.
Signup bonus:
-Earn 2 weekend night certificates good at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio after $2,500 in eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening
-The signup bonus is 2 free weekend (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) nights at any Hilton branded hotel in the world that has standard rooms after spending $2,500 on the card within 4 months. This includes their higher-end brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad and any category 1-7 hotel. Hotels that only have suites and have no standard rooms are excluded.
The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, in an incredible location right across from the Mamilla Mall, is slated to open up in November 2012. There is also a Waldorf Astoria planned for Tel Aviv as well. While most hotels have cheaper rates on the weekend I can’t even imagine what the rates at the Waldorf Astroia Jerusalem will be over a shabbos when it’s just minutes away on foot from the Old City Walls, but I’m positive they will be sky-high. For opening this card you’ll have a weekend there for free!
The Waldorf Jerusalem will have standard rooms, so I see no reason why you won’t be able to use your nights there. Jerusalem is a black hole when it comes to using points (there are no Hilton, Hyatt, or Starwood properties there), so this opening is very exciting!
Category 7 and Waldorf Astoria properties range from 50,000-80,000 points per night, so the signup bonus is pretty great.
Annual bonus:
Additionally every year that you spend $10,000 on the card you get an additional free weekend night at any Hilton with standard rooms.
If you spend $40,000 on the Hilton Reserve card you get top-tier Hilton Diamond status.
Automatic Gold Elite status:
Having this card gives you automatic Hilton Gold status that normally requires 16 stays or 36 nights in a Hilton hotel. Gold status gets you free internet access, rooms upgrades, and free breakfast or bonus points.
I am super excited to get a free Israeli style breakfast even when using points when the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem opens up!
As an elite you are also eligible for discounted award stays at category 3-7 properties and at Waldorf Astoria hotels. You save 15% on 4 night award stays, 20% on 5 night award stays, and 25% on 6+ night award stays.
Status Matching:
Hyatt will match people with Hilton Gold status (as long as they have some points in their account) to a Hyatt Diamond trial. With that you will have 60 days of Hyatt Diamond status and 4 confirmed suite upgrades in Hyatt hotels (you get to keep the status if you stay 12 nights in the 60 days). Plus if you apply for a Hyatt credit card while you are a Hyatt Diamond you get 2 free nights confirmed into a suite at any Hyatt in the world! Hyatt Diamonds also get free breakfast, and I’ve had many Hyatts buy me daily lavish free kosher breakfasts as long as you book when you are still a diamond.
Spending:
You will earn 10 Hilton points per dollar at Hilton hotels, 5 points per dollar on airfare and rental cars, and 3 point per dollar on everything else.
I consider Hyatt points to be worth about 3 times as much as Hilton points and Starwood points to be worth about 4 times as much as Hilton points. However if you are aiming for the $10K anniversary night or the $40K Diamond status thresholds you also need to factor those benefits into the equation of which card to use. At any rate it should always make sense to use this card at a Hilton hotel.
There are no foreign transaction fees and there is a chip to use the card when abroad.
Annual fee:
$95
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51 Comments On "Citi Launches Hilton Reserve Card"
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Very nice deal…any way to get the annual fee waived for the first year?
Although, as a Jerusalem resident, i have to say i’ve never seen an Israeli hotel in which the breakfast wasn’t included in the room rate, certainly not hotels in this category like Citadel, Mamilla, etc., so I don’t think you’ll need the points for breakfast, it will probably be included in the free nights…
FYI I status matched to hyatt with no stays at all.
Do the free nights expire?
Are you 100% sure waldorf astoria in jerusalem is opening in November?
@yair:
Citi is excellent about waiving annual fees if you ask them to. DDF members never pay an annual fee on their AA cards and they get bonus points for asking for it to be waived 😀
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=1572
However it’s too soon to know about this card yet.
Also the old Sheraton Plaza excluded free breakfast when using Starpoints, I’d expect the Waldorf will do the same. The Mamilla also excluded free breakfast for people (likle myself) who got shifted from the Sheraton to the Mamilla when using points after the deflagging of the Plaza.
However people that have this card will have automatic Gold status, which guarantees free breakfast.
@Sunny:
Yup, congrats!
You will get a certificate for the free nights within 6-8 weeks from spending $2,500.
Once issued the certificate is good for 1 year.
You can always delay the spending of the $2,500 though to get the certificate issued later.
Nothing is 100% when it comes to Israeli timetables, I’m just reporting what the Waldorf Astoria website says.
Are you sure the Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem will have standard rooms?
How hard will it be to redeem these nights? Honestly Hilton points are a total b!tch to redeem and I won’t bother with this card if redemption’s will be a hassle.
Also will there be capacity controls on redemptions?
Also when do the free nights expire?
Thanks Dan!
@Anonymous:
Their website says they will have guestrooms as well as suites. To me that means standard rooms 🙂
As long as there are base standard rooms you should be able to redeem these. As far as I know base standard rooms are not capacity controlled.
See comment 3 for expiration details.
You get the 2 free weekends only after spending $2,500 in the first 4 months
Can this be used for business as well? or only personal use
@anyonymous, their website clearly indicates there will be standard rooms and suites…although, since i drive by the construction site every day on my way to work, i can tell you i’m very skeptical that it will be open in November, so drag out the certificates as long as you can…
@jeff:
I don’t see why not?
@yair:
Agreed, if your desired use is only the WA J’lem then just don’t spend the $2,500 until they open their doors. Though then you will have to wait 6-8 weeks before you can actually stay there.
lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQxi1q-dw_c
“we’re building it for Mashiach. where else would Mashich stay if not for the waldorf astoria”
@Anonymous:
😀
@mike:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/15735
@DAN Thanks i just got accepted.
how do i start the process of status matching my Hyatt account to Diamond?
also, are there any hyatt locations in israel?
According to The Waldorf’s Website, the hotel is scheduled to open in March 2013.
http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/israel/waldorf-astoria-jerusalem-JRSWAWA/index.html#/en/hotels/israel/waldorf-astoria-jerusalem-JRSWAWA/index.html
@Naftali – Hyatt left israel a while ago, along with Sheraton…
Dan, how often can I do a Hyatt status match? Is it once in a lifetime?
@Michael:
Yep once in a lifetime
Dan, i would like to open this card using a 3BM, does this method work for citi too? i currently have citi advantage visa signature card and citi premier master car. which other cards is best to open together with this one? can you give me a link? thanks
@ Dan: You need to spend the 2500 within 4 months of receiving the card so you cannot wait indefinitely. You can wait to apply in the first place until closer to the grand opening.
Also, are there any other citi hilton cards? does this replace the old one or can you get both (with a 2BM)
@jayny:
03/05/13, I guess that’s more precise than the “November 2012” that it says on the main Waldorf site.
@Michael:
Call or email Hyatt.
@esther12:
It does work for Citi.
@Jeff:
True.
You can do the free Hilton and the Hilton Reserve in a 2bm and get the bonus for both.
Just put in application got pending status online called Citi: 866-606-2787 (Account Analyst) they transfer me to someone to work out credit line i asked for 10000 they offered 5000 and got 6000 for start!! Thx DAN!!
5 points for airfar ,, is that better than the amex gold ?
wich gives 3
@levi:
no
Do you know if the 2 free weekend nights can be used on weeknights?
thanks dan. we r going to israel for chanukah. what r my options for free hotel stays? and is the tel aviv hotel open
Dan, any other good cards to do the 3BM with?
@esther12: If it says weekend why would it mean weeknight?
Hi dan, can you please explain what 3BM is? thanks
@Dan can the free nights be used for the Hilton Tel Aviv?
If yes, what kind of upgrades would i be able to get with this card?
its only one night .like friday night, whats with shabas night? you could only use one night at a time that kind of sucks plus you have to wait 12 month to eaven be alowed to use your nights ,and if your your card is closed you wont be able to us them so for me i dont think this is a great card
Will the Waldorf be Mehadrin?
Can you do 3bm on two different computers? (two browsers on one computer and the other on another computer?)
@Eli:
I doubt that’s known yet, but here’s hoping!
@Itzik:
Yes.
How bad are the foreign exchange fees with this card?
Meanwhile, i just received the regular citi hilton signature card and havent spent enough yet
To get my points. Will now have to work on this new card!
Oh i just noticed that you wrote that there are no forex fees. Is that true?
If so then i can now get rid of my chase sapphire and just use this citi hilton reserve card. Sweet!
Please confirm.
How does this card compare to the Hilton AMEX?
y is the 5 points for air fare not better than than the ames gold
Anyone know if the 40k bonus on the Hilton Visa Signature applieseven if It’s not a “new” card rather it was switched to from a different Citi card? Thanks.
What is the quickest easiest way to get HH points (without staying at a hotel)? My wife has a gold account but has no points currently in her account. We want to status match her to Hyatt Diamond and then transfer hyatt points to her account to get free breakfast in SA.
@smarty:
Transfer points from AMEX MR.
Dan,
Are the Diamond Top Teir Benefits worth spending 40k on the card ? Also how long do you remain a diamond ?
Thanks for replying..regarding transferring to HH. Unfortunately my wife does not have this card however I have MR points in my name. Will AMEX allow me to transfer some to the Hilton account in her name? Thanks
@smarty:
Yes.
hey dan did you ever have any luck in getting spg hotels in the ny area to give kosher food? do you think it will make a dif if i’m a vip member?
Did anyone have any luck getting the $95 fee waived for the first year?
Can you “guest” the nights to s/o else with Hilton?
dan is it just weekends or weeknights also?
jerusalem waldorf is scheduled to open in March 2013.
Is it true that Citi does not report credit limits on your credit report? Does it do it for this card?
dan-is there any way to redeem the free nights on a weekday night?
Hi,
Is it possible to use this card at a hotel in Jerusalem? Perhaps the Waldorf? Thanks!
when do u actualy get cert. after cycle closes?