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Hilton Honors is one of the most popular and largest hotel loyalty programs. It has more than $100 million members and a collection of more than 6,800 properties around the world.
The program has four status tiers and each tier offers a different set of perks whenever you stay at Hilton properties. The highest tier is the Hilton Diamond status which comes with solid benefits such as complimentary meals, room upgrades, and executive lounge access – and this is what everyone wants to have.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits and the different ways on how to get, and of course, help you decide if it’s worth earning or not.
Read More: Can You Book Hyatt Residence Club Properties With Points?
How To Earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status
There are two primary ways on how to earn Hilton Diamon Status and that is by staying at Hilton hotels or by singing up for premium co-branded Hilton credit cards.
Earning Hilton Diamond Status Through Stays
The traditional way of earning Hilton Diamond status is through hotel stays and you need to be able to meet the following requirements in one year to be eligible.
If you want to achieve Hilton Honors Diamond status through hotel stays you ordinarily need to earn any of the following in a calendar year:
- 60 nights
- 30 stays
- 120,000 base points
Base points are typically earned at 10 points per dollar at most Hilton brands so expect to spend around $12,000 or more per year if we base off on this requirement.
Now, let’s discuss nights and stays. “Nights” are counted for every night you spend at hotels while “Stays” are counted for every check-in and check-out you make.
For example, if you stayed 5 straight nights at a Hilton hotel through a single booking, it will either count as 5 nights or 1 stay. Take note that if you plan to make 5 separate but consecutive bookings at a hotel, it will still count as 1 stay. A stay will be only counted separately if it’s not consecutive.
However, Hilton has decided to lower the requirements for 2022 so as of this writing, earning Hilton Diamond status only requires at least:
- 42 nights
- 21 stays
- 84,000 base points
Remember that hotel bookings made with either cash or points are eligible to earn elite qualifying Nights, Stays, or Base Points – as long as you book directkt through the Hilton’s website.
Earning Hilton Diamond Status Through Co-Branded Cards
Another way of getting Hilton Diamond elite status is through co-branded credit cards and there are three options you can choose from:
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Credit Card
- Hilton Honors Amerian Express Aspire Credit Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Aside from the automatic Diamond status, you’ll also get a plethora of benefits from these cards such as bonus points earnings, Hilton credits, and many more.
Read More: The Complete Guide To IHG Rewards One Program
Hilton Diamond Benefits
These are the benefits that Hilton Diamond status holders are entitled to get.
Earn 100% Bonus Points On Hotel Stays
Hilton Diamond status holders can earn 100% bonus points on Hilton stays. Typically, members earn 10 base points per dollar so a 100% bonus means that you’ll earn a total of 20 base points per dollar spent.
You would even earn more points if you have a co-branded credit card. For example, if you have the Hilton Aspire Credit Card, you’ll be earning 14x points per dollar on Hilton Stays (A benefit that comes with the Aspire Card) + 20 points per dollar as a Diamond member, which totals to 34x points per dollar on stays.
Additionally, Hilton does run some offers where they triple the base points that you earn so that’s potentially 54x points per dollar on stays.
Executive Lounge Access
Typically, executive lounges are offered to customers who book executive-level rooms, however, you can also have lounge access if you have a Hilton Honors Diamond status or Gold status.
These exclusive lounges offer complimentary breakfast, round-the-clock snacks, working areas, alocoholic drinks, and many more travel perks.
Free Continental Breakfast Or Daily Food & Beverage Credit
Diamond members who booked properties outside of the U.S. are entitled to a complimentary continental breakfast, although there are instances where some hotels might offer a full breakfast.
Meanwhile, Diamond members who booked properties within the U.S. will receive a food and beverage credit instead. This temporary change was introduced in July 2021 and was recently extended until 2022.
The amount of food and beverage credits you’ll get will depend on the properties you booked. Members with guests will also receive additional credits.
The complete list of participating hotel brands includes Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Signia by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Canopy by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, and Hilton Garden Inn.
Booking these brands include the following locations: Boston, Chicago, Hawaii (the entire state), Key Largo, Key West, Los Angeles County, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Room Upgrades
Hilton Honors Diamond status holders are entitled top upgrade benefits at junior, standard, or one-bedroom suites. Upgrades are dependent on space availability and the discretion of the hotel management.
While Hilton properties might have the best rooms and amenities, its upgrade policy might not be the best because it’s also dependent on the discretion of the hotel. This means that even if there is an available roo, the management will still have the final say.
Other major competitors like Hyatt and Marriott clearly state that upgrades are dependent on availability only so once a room is vacant, you’ll get the upgrade right away.
Free High-Speed Wi-Fi
Premium Wi-Fi is available to all Hilton Diamond Members (Not available for Gold members). You’ll have access to it in the lobby or inside your room.
Complimentary Water
Hilton Diamond members (including all Hilton Honors members) get 2 free bottles of water per stay.
Get Your Fifth Award Night For Free
Take note that this benefit is available to all Hilton Honors members, but it will be included in this list of Hilton Diamond benefits for information purposes.
Basically, if you book 4 consecutive nights at a Hilton property using points, you will get the fifth night for free. For example, if you booked a 10-night stay at a Hilton property that costs 100,000 points per night, you’ll get your 5th and 10th night for free so you’ll only pay 800,000 points in total.
Late Checkout
Late checkout is also a benefit that’s available to all Hilton Honors members but we’ve also added it to this list. However, this benefit is always subject to availability compared to the World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs that offer guaranteed check-out to top-tier elite members.
Guaranteed Room Availability
Hilton Diamond members are entitled to guaranteed rooms if they book at least 48 hours in advance, however, there’s a catch.
A lot of members don’t find this perk that valuable because guaranteed rooms are typically expensive, making it seem like you’re paying extra for the perk. Also, this guarantee might not be available during major events where the hotel is overbooked.
Ability To Gift Elite Status
Diamond members can gift an elite status to one person if they can earn a certain number of elite nights.
- Earning 60 elite nights allows you to gift Gold status
- Earning 100 elite nights allows you to gift Diamond status
This requirement also applies to Diamond members who earned their status through a co-branded credit card.
No Resort Fees On Award Bookings
Hotels charge extra fees on top of the regular price. These fees cover the cost of certain amenities and they typically cost between $25-$40 depending on the hotel brand and location.
Hilton Honors members who book award stays don’t need to pay these fees which could mean hundreds of dollars in savings, especially when you book multiple nights.
Hilton Honors MyWay Benefits
Hilton Honors gives Diamond members bonus points through the MyWay benefit. Basically, you’ll get bonus points whenever you book a certain brand.
Here are the bonuses per brand:
Hilton Brand | MyWay Bonus Points |
Home2 Suites by Hilton | 100 points or 1 bottle of water and a snack item |
Tru by Hilton | 250 points and a Tru Snack and Water |
Motto by Hilton | 500 points |
Homewood Suites by Hilton | 250 points or 2 bottles of water and a snack item |
Hampton by Hilton | 250 points or a snack item and non-alcholic beverage |
Hilton Garden Inn | 750 points or a hot breakfast for up to 2 guests |
Canopy by Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Signia by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts | 1,000 points |
Embassy Suites by Hilton | 1,000 points or 3 snacks and/or refreshments |
Hilton Grand Vacations | 2,000 points |
Diamond Status Extension (and Earn Towards Lifetime Diamond Status)
Diamond members who are about to lose their Diamond status for the following year have the opportunity to extend it.
To be eligible for the status extension, you need to meet the following requirements:
- Earn at least three total years of Diamond status (doesn’t need to be consecutive)
- Earn at least 250 elite nights or 500,000+ earned base points
However, this benefit only applies to members who acquired their status through elite nights, elite status, or base points, and not to those who go their status via co-branded credit cards.
Exclusive Hilton Honors Experiences
Hilton Honors Experiences works like a travel booking platform where you can find bundled packages that includes stays at Hilton properties and local experiences. Diamon members will have access to exclusive deals on concerts, nature parks, cultural experiences, birth spotting tours, tropical destinations, and many more.
Hilton Honors Rewards Program FAQS
Can I Earn Points From Multiple Rooms If I A Paying For All Of Them?
You can earn points for up to four rooms per eligible stay as long as all charges will be under one bill.
Is There A Lifetime Hilton Honors Diamond Status?
Yes. You can get a lifetime Hilton Diamond status if you earn at least 1,000 stays or accumulate 2 million base points.
What’s The Difference Between A Hilton Stay And Night?
One “Stay” is counted whenever a customer checks in and checks out at a hotel while “Nights” are counted for every night you stay at a hotel. For example, if a customer books 3 consecutive nights, it will be counted as 1 stay or 3 nights.
If a customer plans on booking 3 consecutive nights under different reservations (that person checks in and checks out daily) it will still be counted as 1 stay.
The booking must NOT be made consecutively for it to be counted as 3 stays.
e.g.
Day 1 – Check-in & Check-out at hotel A
Day 2 – Stay at hotel B
Day 3 – Check-in & Check-out at hotel A
Day 4 – Stay at hotel B
Day 5 – Check-in & Check-out at hotel A
In theory, this should be your strategy if you want to earn 3 stays at Hotel A.
Read More: Complete Guide To The Hotels.Com Rewards Program
Final Thoughts: Is Hilton Honors Diamond Elite Status Worth It?
In theory, the Hilton Diamond benefits packs a lot of punch in terms of value, however, the path to Diamond status requires a lot of spending which somehow negates the value of the benefits. Imagine having to spend thousands of dollars just to earn 60 nights, 30 stays, or 120,000 base points.
In our opinion, it’s only worth it if you acquired your Hilton Diamond status through a co-branded card. The Hilton aspire credit card only costs $450 annually which comes with a complimentary Diamond status plus multiple travel perks that come with the card.
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