Guide: Booking Hilton Day-Use rooms

Because of the nature of my work, I often build long layovers into my trips, just so I have more time to review airport lounges. Having the time to fully experience all a lounge has to offer sure beats a mad 30-minute rush to document everything. 

But unless that lounge has sleeping rooms— and I’m talking proper ones like what Turkish Airlines has, not a communal area with slumberettes — I don’t fancy hanging out there the entire time. 

That’s where day-use rates come in handy, and Hilton makes it really simple to book them. 

My Doha problem

My need for a day room arose when planning a May trip to Europe on Qatar Airways, my 2,542nd attempt to review Qsuites (and as everyone says, the 2,542nd time’s the charm!).

I deliberately built in a 20-hour layover in Doha because I’m betting that the mysterious Al Mourjan Garden Lounge (Qatar Airways’ new flagship) will have opened by then, and I’m keen to see what Qatar has in store. 

That said, I certainly don’t intend to spend all 20 hours in the airport. My flight into Doha lands at 0640 on Friday morning, and my flight out of Doha departs at 0240 on Saturday morning. This creates a unique problem, because if I want to book a hotel room, do I select a Thursday check-in and Friday check-out, or a Friday check-in and Saturday check-out?

• A Thursday check-in would mean I need to vacate the room by 12 p.m on Friday
• A Friday check-in would mean I couldn’t check-in until 3 p.m on Friday (early check-in is certainly possible, but 6.40 a.m is pushing it)

If I really wanted to guarantee an available room on arrival, I would need to book two nights, and that would be a colossal waste of money/points.

Day-use rates are the next best solution, but unfortunately the vast majority of hotel operators don’t offer these online. You’ll need to compose and send an email to check (and that assumes you can even find an email address), which seems horribly archaic in this day and age.

Thankfully, there’s Hilton…

Hilton’s Day-Use rates

To book a Day-Use rate on Hilton.com, simply enter the city, and set the same date for check-in and check-out. 

You’ll then see a listing of hotels offering Day-Use rates in the area.

To know the exact hours that Day-Use gives you, click into a hotel and select a room. You’ll see the conditions of Day-Use stated under the rate selection. For example, the Hampton by Hilton Doha Old Town charges 195 QAR (~S$72) for eight hours of use from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

This was significantly cheaper than the S$300 the Oryx Airport Hotel wanted for an eight-hour stay, and Old Town is only a short taxi ride away from the airport, making it a no-brainer.

Most Day-Use rates are refundable up till 11.59 p.m the day before check-in, but you should confirm this for the individual hotel you’re looking at.

Here’s some other examples from common layover cities like Dubai and Istanbul. Just for fun, I checked out Singapore too- though the options here aren’t really airport-friendly!

Of course, I’d advise you to do some due diligence and also check the rates the hotel is charging for a full night’s stay, because Day-Use rates may sometimes only be a mild discount. 

Is this available at all Hilton hotels?

Nope.

There are some hotels which just won’t show availability, no matter what dates you pick. I know these properties aren’t sold out, because once I change my dates to reflect an overnight stay, rooms become available. So it appears that hotels have some discretion as to whether they participate in this programme. 

What benefits do Hilton elite members enjoy?

Hilton Honors Diamond and Gold members benefits apply for Day-Use rates, so you’ll be eligible for room upgrades and lounge access. However, breakfast generally doesn’t apply to Day-Use rates, though the hotel may grant it on a goodwill basis.

Day-Use rates are eligible to earn points, and apparently elite night credits as well. I’ll be sure to confirm this in May.

Alternatives?

There are third-party websites like dayuse.sg and hotelsbyday that offer similar functionality with wider inventory, since they’re not limited to a single chain (or even to chain hotels, for that matter).

Feel free to explore these, but do remember that since these are third-party bookings, you won’t earn any hotel points or enjoy elite status benefits on your stay.

I’ve also learned that Hyatt allows you to book day-use rates with the special offer code OFFICE. This covers use from 7 a.m to 7 p.m (put the date you want to use the room as the check-in date and the following day as the check-out date). 

Packages are valid from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. and do not include an overnight stay, even though our systems may reflect a 1-night stay

-Hyatt

Conclusion

Hilton’s Day-Use rates are super simple to book, and can come in very handy when you have an extended layover. The main caveat is that they may not represent a significant discount over the nightly rate, so be sure to do your diligence before boking one of these. 

Any other good places to book Day-Use rates?