Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) launched a partnership last year that was rolled out in stages through the end of 2024.
SLH was previously partnered with Hyatt, but that ended when Hyatt acquired Mr & Mrs Smith booking platform.
You can access Hilton’s page for SLH hotels here.
READ MORE: Hilton Honors Rate & Bonus Points Offers
Hilton Honors benefits are limited when staying at partner accommodation, including SLH, and there are also separate Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) for SLH bookings.
Hilton’s SLH Reward Stay Update:
REWARD STAY NO-SHOWS OR CANCELLATIONS
No-shows or cancellations of Reward Stay reservations at SLH hotels outside the timeframe set by a hotel’s individual cancellation policy will be subject to point deductions based on the cancellation or no-show fee set forth by the hotel or equal to one night’s room and tax at the hotel’s Best Available Rate for that date if no cancellation or no-show fee is specified.
Hilton here tries to clarify that there is either a point forfeit or a significant cash penalty if you cancel an SLH booking outside of the cancellation window, but there is an issue.
Hilton Hermigate Bay, an SLH Hotel Award Booking:
I decided to look at how these cancellation penalties are displayed during the Hilton’s SLH booking process.
The booking confirmation for this Hermitage Bay hotel states a 100% penalty if a reservation is canceled within 31 days of arrival.
It is unclear, however, if this penalty fee is cash or you merely forfeit used points.
The exact “penalty fee” is not clearly disclosed when you click the rate rules.
The rate rules on the confirmation are similarly unclear.
The email confirmation refers to “point deductions” and a “no-show fee,” but it is unclear which one applies to this reservation.
When you click cancel, the exact cancellation penalty is still not clear.
Hilton’s Other SLH-Related Terms:
Small Luxury Hotels of the World + Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions
The following information forms the basis participating hotels of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (“SLH”)’s participation in the Hilton Honors Member Reward Program (“Hilton Honors” or “Program”). These SLH + Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions (“SLH + Honors Terms and Conditions”) are hereby incorporated into the Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions that govern the Hilton Honors Program, available at: https://www.hilton.com/en/hilton-honors/terms/. Any capitalized terms not defined in these SLH + Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions will have the definition assigned to them in the Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions. In the event of a conflict between these SLH + Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions and the Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions, these SLH + Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions will prevail with respect to guests staying at SLH properties.
PARTICIPATION
Unless otherwise indicated, all SLH properties listed here: https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/small-luxury-hotels-slh/participating-hotels/ participate in the Hilton Honors Program in a unique capacity outlined in these SLH + Honors Terms and Conditions.
HONORS BENEFITS AT SLH
Qualification for all on-property Hilton Honors benefits requires a confirmed reservation made through one of the following channels: Any official direct Hilton hotel brand or Hilton Honors website (for example, Hilton Honors.com or Hilton.com), Hilton Reservations & Customer Care phone line (1-800-4HONORS or local Hilton reservations office), Hilton Honors or Hilton mobile application. Reservations made through SLH channels, direct to an individual SLH hotel or online travel agencies (e.g. Booking.com, Expedia, etc.) or the following Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan and SABRE are not eligible for Hilton Honors Benefits or to earn Hilton Honors Points.
Partner Accommodations independently determine their own rates and fees. Rates and discounts negotiated for Properties that operate under a Hilton brand do not apply to Partner Accommodations.
Please be aware that the Hilton Price Match Guarantee may not be applicable, or may apply differently, to bookings at Partner Accommodations. For more information, please visit https://www.hilton.com/en/p/price-match-guarantee/.
You agree to pay all charges and taxes associated with your Partner Accommodation booking. For bookings that require a security deposit, the Partner Accommodation is responsible for collecting and refunding any security deposit at its sole discretion.
SLH does not yet offer MyWay Choice selection, Digital Check-in, Choose Your Room or Digital Key.
The following Hilton Honors Benefits apply at SLH for Hilton Honors elite tier members:
Member
- Guaranteed Member Discount
- Complimentary Standard Wi-Fi
- Complimentary Late Checkout (subject to availability)
- Bottled Water/Hydration per stay
- No Resort Fees on Reward Stays Booked Using All Points
Silver Members
- Guaranteed Member Discount
- Elite Tier Bonus (+20%)
- Complimentary Standard Wi-Fi
- Complimentary Late Checkout (subject to availability)
- Bottled Water/Hydration per stay
- 5th Standard Reward Night Free
- No Resort Fees on Reward Stays Booked Using All Points
Gold Members
- Guaranteed Member Discount
- Elite Tier Bonus (+80%)
- Complimentary Standard Wi-Fi
- Complimentary Late Checkout (subject to availability)
- Complimentary Continental Breakfast (for 2 guests)
- Space-available upgrades
- Bottled Water/Hydration per stay
- 5th Standard Reward Night Free
- No Resort Fees on Reward Stays Booked Using All Points
Diamond Members
- Guaranteed Member Discount
- Elite Tier Bonus (+100%)
- Complimentary Standard Wi-Fi
- Complimentary Late Checkout (subject to availability)
- Complimentary Continental Breakfast (for 2 guests)
- Space-available upgrades
- Bottled Water/Hydration per stay
- 5th Standard Reward Night Free
- No Resort Fees on Reward Stays Booked Using All Points
ACCRUAL OF POINTS
Hilton Honors members will receive base points and elite tier bonuses on the room rate only at SLH. Hilton Honors members will not earn Hilton Honors Points at SLH properties for any other non-room rate “eligible folio charges” as defined in the Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions.
SPACE-AVAILABLE UPGRADES
Space-available upgrades are available to Gold and Diamond members. All upgrades are granted on a space-available basis for the entire stay, as determined at the time of arrival. Upgrades will be given only for one room for the member, regardless of additional rooms the member may have purchased at or after the time of booking.
Conclusion
Hilton and SLH are at fault here.
For them to have an enforceable cancellation penalty, the exact penalty price in either cash or points should be clearly displayed during the booking process, and currently, neither of these is disclosed, and the wording of the penalty is unclear.
Many of these SLH hotels are much smaller than Hilton’s usual properties, and understandably, these hotels don’t want to get many last-minute cancellations, as they may find it very difficult to fill those rooms.
Have you had issues with SLH hotel cancellations if booked through Hilton? Please comment below.
Personally, I don’t like how these SLH hotels pollute the Hilton rate search, and they should be displayed at the end of the search results and marked as having limited Honors benefits.
