Hilton is one of the world’s most recognizable and largest hotel chains, with over 7,000 properties across 120+ countries.
The three hotel brands that make up Hilton’s top tier are the opulent Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and LXR Hotels & Resorts. And while these three high-end brands can all be booked with points through Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors, the points required tend to be quite steep.
If you’re looking to stay at the Waldorf Astoria, LXR, or Conrad brands, then a potentially better alternative is by booking a cash rate through Hilton Impresario.
What Is Hilton Impresario?
Hilton Impresario is Hilton’s preferred partner program, which provides additional perks when you stay at Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria, LXR, or Conrad brands.
By booking with Hilton Impresario, you’ll get access to perks and benefits even if you don’t hold Hilton Gold or Diamond Elite status through the Hilton Honors loyalty program.
Between the three participating brands, Conrad is the largest, with over 40 properties across 22 countries. Marketed towards the new generation of savvy travellers with a modern approach to luxury, Conrad’s most popular hotels and resorts are generally found in Asia.
Some of the most sought after Conrad properties include Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Osaka, Conrad Hong Kong, Conrad Bora Bora, and Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.
The over 30 upscale Waldorf Astoria hotels and resorts can be found across 15 countries, each providing a timeless luxury hotel experience.
Some of the more popular Waldorf Astoria properties include the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, the Grand Wailea Maui, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, and the Waldorf Astoria Orlando if you’re visiting Disney World.
Lastly, LXR Hotels and Resorts has the smallest footprint of the three, with only nine hotels in seven countries.
LXRs can be found in some unique locations, including the Mango House in Seychelles, Roku Kyoto in Japan, Oceana Santa Monica in California, and Susona Bodrum in Turkey.
Benefits of Booking Through Hilton Impresario
By booking through Hilton Impresario, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- Daily complimentary breakfast for two
- $100 (USD) hotel credit per stay
- Complimentary upgrade to the next room category, subject to availability at check-in
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- Double the Hilton Honors points you’d otherwise be entitled to
The most compelling benefits on the list are the $100 (USD) hotel credit per stay, and the complimentary breakfast for two.
Even if you already enjoy complimentary breakfast through your status, the $100 USD hotel credit likely brings the value well below of the standard rate that you’d otherwise pay.
Another incredibly valuable benefit that’s offered on select Hilton Impresario hotels is getting extra nights for free.
Indeed, there are quite a few Hilton Impresario hotels that will give you either the third, fourth, or fifth night free on your booking. This would represent a 20–33% discount on your stay, on top of all the other perks you’ll receive.
Let’s look at an example. A three-night stay in New York City during the summer at the Conrad New York Midtown would cost you around $579 (USD) per night, before taxes, for a flexible rate.
If you book a non-refundable rate, you’d pay around $532 (USD) if you were to book yourself.
The same hotel when booked through Hilton Impresario is currently offering a third night free if you book two nights. This lowers the cost to around $400 (USD) per night, which is significantly cheaper than even the non-refundable rate.
What’s more is that this rate will get you the Hilton Impresario perks, including a $100 (USD) hotel credit, upgrades subject to availability, complimentary breakfast, and double Hilton Honors points.
In order to unlock these additional benefits, your booking has to be made through an authorized Hilton Impresario travel advisor, who will be able to tell you what all of the specific perks and benefits are for your desired hotel and for the days you wish to book for.
Book a hotel stay with Prince of Travel through Hilton Impresario and enjoy exclusive additional benefits at no cost to you, including:
If you have status with Hilton, the good news is that your status will still be recognized if you book through Hilton Impresario. Your stays will count toward maintaining or upgrading your elite status, and any benefits from your elite status will overlap with Impresario benefits, too.
How to Maximize Value with Hilton Impresario
The best way to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your luxury Hilton stays is to compare the rates for your stay across all of the booking options. This ensures that you’re always getting the best deal.
Compare with Public Rates
First of all, you should always compare the Hilton Impresario rate to the public rates. Prepaid, member, and corporate rates may be cheaper than Hilton Impresario rates, but you might not enjoy the same flexibility for changes or cancellations.
You’ll also want to be mindful of the Hilton Impresario benefits as you make your comparisons. At times, the difference in the rate is more than justified by the $100 (USD) hotel credit alone, and the complimentary breakfast and upgrades can add even more value.
If you have Hilton Honors points, you’ll want to look at the number of points required for your stay in order to decide if booking with points makes the most sense.
This is especially true if you are a Hilton Honors Silver Elite member or above, and you’re staying at least five nights, as Hilton will give you the Fifth Night Free if you book with points.
Book Shorter Stays
It’s important to note that the $100 (USD) credit will be relatively more valuable on shorter stays rather than longer stays, as you’ll only get one credit no matter how many nights you’ve booked for.
However, note that booking separate consecutive nights at the same hotel through a Hilton Impresario rate will be treated as one consecutive stay.
Property-Specific Special Offers
As mentioned above, some Hilton Impresario properties will offer rotating promotions for free nights on the third, fourth, or fifth night of a longer stay.
This can be a dealbreaker when deciding which channel to book through, as the free night will often bring the price down to lower than any other option available.
The following Waldorf Astoria, LXR, and Conrad properties are offering a free night promotion for bookings made and completed by March 31, 2023:
- Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, The Caledonian
- Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace
- Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel
- Waldorf Astoria Berlin
- Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
- Waldorf Astoria DIFC
- Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
- Waldorf Astoria Kuwait
- Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Qasr Al Sharq
- Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach
- Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
- Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead
- Waldorf Astoria Chicago
- Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
- Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort
- The Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel
- Waldorf Astoria, Park City
- Waldorf Astoria Washington DC
- Waldorf Astoria, Los Cabos Pedregal
- Waldorf Astoria Cancun
- Waldorf Astoria Panama
- Waldorf Astoria Xiamen
- Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
- Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
- Waldorf Astoria Beijing
- Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
- Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
- The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Susona Bodrum, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Hotel 1000 Seattle, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Conrad, London St. James
- Conrad Dublin
- Conrad Algarve
- Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia
- Conrad Dubai
- Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
- Jabal Omar Conrad Makkah
- Conrad Cairo
- Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus
- Conrad Los Angeles
- Conrad New York Midtown
- Conrad New York Downtown
- Conrad Washington DC
- Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Conrad Indianapolis
- Conrad Nashville
- Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya
- Conrad Punta de Mita
- Conrad Bora Bora Nui
- Conrad Beijing
- Conrad Tokyo
- Conrad Seoul
- Conrad Shanghai
- Conrad Osaka
- Conrad Centennial Singapore
- Conrad Hong Kong
- Conrad Maldives
- Conrad Bangkok
- Conrad Bali
Compare with Virtuoso and Amex FHR
Virtuoso and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) are similar programs that also offer additional benefits at luxury hotels.
Waldorf Astoria hotels tend to participate in both programs, while Conrad and LXR hotels can commonly be found on Amex FHR, but less commonly on Virtuoso.
Virtuoso is the most similar to Hilton Impresario, in that it is a program available to everyone, but must be booked through a participating travel advisor.
The Amex FHR program is only available if you hold the American Express Platinum Card or the American Express Business Platinum Card. If you have one of these cards, then you can look up and book Amex FHR rates on your own via the Amex Travel portal.
In general, hotel rates through all three programs tend to be in a similar range, and your choice of which program to book through may boil down to the benefits that you get.
Amex FHR is the only program that offers guaranteed 4pm late check-out, which is a powerful benefit that isn’t even extended to Hilton Diamond members.
If late check-out would be valuable, Amex FHR may be the best channel to book through, if you have access to a personal or business American Express Platinum card.
On the other hand, Hilton Impresario may be the preferred choice if you’re looking to have the best chance for a room upgrade or early check-in request, as hotels will often prioritize these requests if you book through their own proprietary program rather than a third party.
Conclusion
Booking a stay through Hilton Impresario can provide superior benefits, far beyond what you’d receive even if you have elite status with Hilton.
While you should always look at all of your options when comparing rates, Hilton Impresario offers unique benefits, sometimes including third, fourth, or fifth night free benefits, that can certainly beat out the alternatives.
Whether you already have Hilton Gold or Diamond elite status, and especially if you don’t, the Hilton Impresario program is a great way to get the most out of your next stay at a Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, or LXR hotel around the world.
Book a hotel stay with Prince of Travel through Hilton Impresario and enjoy exclusive additional benefits at no cost to you, including: