US's No 2 hotel chain sparks fury by cancelling room and selling it back to customer for 4x the price: 'Fraud'
A customer was stoked to find below-market-rate prices for his upcoming Super Bowl trip. But he says the company rescinded the unbelievable offer.
The football fan and Hilton Honors Diamond member allegedly snagged a room in a Canopy by Hilton hotel in San Francisco during the upcoming 2026 Super Bowl for just $288, according to View From The Wing.
Reaching Diamond status typically requires 60 nights, 30 stays, or 120,000 base points in a calendar year.
It's Hilton's top customer loyalty tier. The Canopy location spotted by the football fan is one of the hotel chain's top-end boutique locations.
But the frequent customer said the unbelievable deal was ripped away and then offered back for $1,090.
The customer, who is unnamed in the article, said he contacted the location's general manager after noticing his room was cancelled.
In alleged email screenshots, the hotel's general manager claimed that a $288 rate was a computer glitch, and the traveler was offered a 'special rate' of more than $1,000 per night for the same stay.
However, screenshots of the original booking suggest the rate was not only published, but accepted by the Hilton system. The hotel has not publicly commented on the discrepancy.
'Your response is unacceptable,' the traveler replied on the screenshotted email thread.
'I chose your property and booked early in good faith. Cancelling a reservation with zero communication, then shifting blame to a "system glitch" erodes trust in your brand.'
Hotel systems often use dynamic pricing during high-traffic events, including the Super Bowl.
The algorithmic sales model allows hotels to anticipate popular events and get customers to pay higher prices when hotels are expecting an influx of guests.
In the email thread, the Hilton manager alleged that other Super Bowl-bound customers were paying an average of $2,800 per night for their stays.
The manager called the new offer a 'significant discount.'
A representative for Hilton didn't immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.
Travelers commenting on the blog didn't take kindly to the manager's response.
A frequent hotel guest said he spotted a great hotel deal in San Francisco for next year's Super Bowl - but it didn't last
Hilton has drawn the ire of traveling experts for its rewards program
'My guess is that a court would be extremely likely to find that there is a binding contract,' one commenter said.
'If the hotel cancels reservations as a matter of policy then there is a good case that this is fraud.'
Another commenter said the emailed response was 'total BS.'
'Many better options in that area anyway,' they added.
Hilton's rewards members have criticized the company's offerings for several years.
According to Gary Leff, one of the writers at View From The Wing and a frequent flier, the company's rewards points are worth only 0.4 cents.
He also said the prices to claim the points are 'stratospheric.'
Also, the travel industry has been facing increasing pressure from regulators and customers who have been frustrated over increasing fees.
Hotels have been adding mysterious 'resort fee' charges that inflate the per-night prices.
It comes as airline companies have been cutting back their US-based services and announcing unpopular policies.
For example, Southwest Airlines recently announced that it would start charging for checked bags. The company's popularity grew in large part because of the formerly free offering.
Meanwhile, the company's CEO raked in a huge single-day jackpot because of the change.
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