Rome Cavalieri Hitlon...worth it for free
 

I have booked two rooms for 4 nights at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton in November. We would be using Amex Points...so the 4 nights for 6 of us are free! I realize the hotel is a bit out of the way but it seems like such a nice place and the price is right. Should we go ahead and use the points here or save them for something else and pay for a different hotel more centrally located?

Thanks

A difficult choice, indeed.

Do remember that, if you stay at the Cavalieri Hilton, you will probably be spending taxicab fares twice daily to get into town and back to the hotel: once in the morning after breakfast and than again later in the afternoon/evening.

The hotels in Europe being so over-priced, your idea may very well be the way to go. Save money on the hotel portion, spend it on other expenses.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip and let us know how it turns out!

Buon viaggio!

That particular Hilton offers a periodic shuttle service into the city.

Go to Flyer Talk's Hilton Forum. Lot's of info about the wonderful Cavalieri. I've stayed there 3 times for a total of 18 nights. I hate the location,but love the hotel:IF YOU HAVE STATUS!

I too will be using some Hilton Honor points to stay at the Cavalieri Hilton. While the hotel is located "outside" the city, there is a shuttle that drops you off at Piazza Barberini. Besides, what you will save in hotel, will more than make up what you spend on a few taxis. Think of how much you would be paying to stay at a hotel with less category in Rome and here you will have it free. Go for it and enjoy! Ciao.

It is a beautiful hotel with fantastic views over the city, especially at night. And it houses Rome's - and perhaps Italy's - best restaurant.

The shuttle bus to downtown is very convenient; we used it a lot. And IF you choose to take a taxi: it won't ruin you.

Thanks for the tips! I think I'll go ahead and keep this hotel. It really sounds like a wonderful place. I'm sure the shuttle service will be just fine. And like you said...RRT25 and Traveller1959...a cab here and there won't break us. Hopefully we can get ourselves on the executive floor.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks!

We are planning to stay at the Cavalieri Hilton for 2 night in April. We have 2 rooms booked. We are using Hilton honors points for the first night. We are paying for both rooms the 2nd night. We have Amex points that I didn't even think about using. Is this a good use of the points or is it better to use them for mileage for a plane ticket? Is it too late to use the points for April 14th? Thanks.

Neglex...We tried to use our Amex points for 6 flights (9 months out) and there were no "free seats" available. But...Swiss Air has a buy one get one free program for 30,000 per free-be. I bought three and got three for 90,000 points. Also...even if you use your points for flights you have to pay the taxes on the flights. We're getting three free but have to pay $265.00 of taxes for each "FREE" ticket!

We have enough extra Amex points to get 4 nights (2 rooms each) at 30,000 points per room/night. Hilton Hotels seem to still be a great trade using points especially considering this Cavalieri Hilton is about 500.00 per night. I'll bet you can call Hilton and get the points transfered to use by April 15th.

Let me know what you find out. And let me know how the hotel is. Are you taking kids?

We are taking our kids...ages 12 and 14. We can't wait. Will keep you posted.

One relatively new feature that AmEx offers which I really like is the ability to use membership rewards points in lieu of cash to purchase airline tix and/or hotels. They have a booking engine similar to Orbitz/Expedia, etc. however when you check out it gives you the option to use rewards points. They credit you $.01 per mile.

I've used it for flights but I've never booked a hotel this way. What is great about it is that it gives you a lot of flexibility in choosing flights - you are not stuck with the cheapest flight option available. If there is a better but more expensive alternative all you have to do is post more points.

Sometimes is is cheaper and more convenient. I have some Delta Skymiles that I planned on using for a ski trip from NY to either Denver or Salt Lake City. I was looking for a 5 - 7 day trip within a 12 day window, so my departure & return dates were somewhat flexible. Delta only provided one option that remotely worked using 50k miles for 2 tix and it involved an overnight flight and changes in Cincinati both ways. I ended up booking non-stop roundtrip NY - DEN on United on the Amex travel site. The flights were on the exact dates and times I wanted for only 42,400 rewards points.

It doesn't always work out better, but with the scarcity of FF tix these days I find more often than not it works out to offer the best combination of cost and convenience. I don't know how the hotel end works, but it could be worth checking out if you have not already as it could provide some additional options to compare.

Ohhh! I'll look into that Amex program.