Hilton Honors elite status: What it is and how to earn it

If you’ve ever been a road warrior, chances are you’ve experienced its value firsthand The hotel’s elite status thanks to the on-property perks it offers to frequent guests. However, it can be difficult to understand the value of these benefits, especially considering the time and expense you may need to invest to earn them.

Luckily, Hilton Honors loyalty program There are various shortcuts to start enjoying the benefits immediately.

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into Hilton’s loyalty program to help you determine whether it’s worth pursuing. We will also discuss how earn Hilton elite status through stays, spending and travel credit cards.

What is Hilton Honors Status?

Hilton Honors is Hilton’s loyalty program, used by more than 8,000 hotels in more than 170 countries. The program includes premium brands such as Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, canopy And Antique collectionas well as budget-friendly brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites. you can Join Hilton Honors online for free as an entry-level member.

Hilton rewards its most loyal customers in the Hilton Honors program with the following elite status levels:

• Silver
• Yellow
• Diamond
• Diamonds for life

How to qualify for Hilton Honors

Here’s what you need to qualify for the annual Hilton designation:

• Silver: 10 nights, 4 separate stays or 25,000 base points
• Yellow: 40 nights, 20 separate stays or 75,000 base points
• Diamond: 60 nights, 30 separate stays or 120,000 base points

Lifetime Diamond status in the Hilton Honors program are awarded to any member who has held Diamond status for 10 years (years do not need to be consecutive) and has achieved at least one of the following milestones:

• Completed 1,000 nights at Hilton hotels (this can be a combination of paid and reward nights)
• Earn at least 2 million base points

Hilton Honors status levels and benefits

Here are the benefits you’ll receive when you reach each elite status level in the Hilton Honors program.

Silver

Lowest Hilton Honors elite offer:

• Bonus points: Earn 20% more points than regular members, equivalent to 2 additional points per dollar (12 points total) spent at most properties or 1 additional point (6 points total) at the Home2 Suites and Tru brands.
• Free 5th night when staying with an award: Whenever a Silver member redeems Hilton Honors points for stays of up to 20 nights, they will receive Thursday night is free (up to four nights free).
• Two complimentary bottles of water per stay: Available at most properties (excluding Hampton, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru).
• Elite Reinvestment Night: Once Silver members complete more than 10 stays or the minimum 4 nights required to achieve Silver status, the excess nights can be rolled over to the next year’s status criteria, giving them a head start the following year.
• 15% discount at full-service spa

Yellow

The next level of the Hilton Honors program is Gold status, which provides all the benefits of Silver status, plus:

• Bonus 80% points: Earn an 80% bonus on paid stays, delivering 8 additional points per dollar spent (18 total) at most properties or 4 additional points (9 total) at selected properties. Brands Home2 Suites and Tru.
• Room upgrade: Gold members are eligible for available upgrades to their preferred room type (up to Executive Floor room types) at most brands. Kit upgrades are not included, although they are still possible. Brands that do not offer free upgrades are Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations and Motto.
• Food and beverage or breakfast credit: Gold members and one additional registrant will enjoy the offer for free Food and beverage credit at most brands in the US or continental breakfasts abroad.
• Milestone rewards: After reaching 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year, Gold members earn 10,000 bonus points for every 10 nights stayed.

Diamond

The highest level in the Hilton Honors program is Diamond, which provides all Gold benefits, as well as:

• 100% bonus points: Diamond members earn a 100% bonus on all stays, taking home an additional 10 points per dollar spent (20 points total) or 5 additional points (10 points total) at merchants Home2 Suites and Tru brands.
• Room upgrade: Diamond members enjoy the same upgrade privileges as Gold members, but specific terms and conditions include suites (junior, standard, or one-bedroom).
• Executive Lounge access: Diamond members are guaranteed Executive Lounge access at applicable properties, even if they are not upgraded to an Executive Level room.
• 48-hour room guarantee: Hilton Honors offers guaranteed availability to Diamond members with 48 hours’ notice.
• Free premium internet: Hilton Honors offers free Internet to all members of its loyalty program, but Diamond members can access faster premium networks during their stay.
• Gift elite status: When Diamond members stay 60 nights in a calendar year, they can gift Gold status to another member. After staying 100 nights in a year, this gift is upgraded to Diamond.
• Diamond status renewal: Enjoy a one-time status extension for an additional year. This perk is only available to those who have been Diamond members for at least three years, stay 250 nights for life, or earn 500,000 base points.

Can a credit card help achieve Hilton Honors status?

You can easily earn Hilton Honors status with the following credit cards (registration required):

Information about the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

This means you can keep top elite status without any stay or spending requirements at Hilton hotels, which is rare for a hotel loyalty program. However, having so many cards offering Hilton elite status also means there are many elite members out there. This can make upgrades more competitive and other benefits harder to use.

Related: Can a loyalty program have too many elite members?

Is the Hilton Honors designation worth it?

When Decide on your hotel’s loyalty programMake sure it includes the places you travel to the most. Luckily, Hilton has thousands of properties in the US and abroad. You’ll find these properties everywhere, from major cities to along highways, so in most cases, there’s always a Hilton nearby no matter where you stay. Compared to smaller programs like World of Hyattthere will likely be a Hilton Honors hotel in the destination you are visiting.

You’ll walk away with a large amount of Hilton Honors points whether you’re achieving status organically or via credit card. So you should make sure you value your Hilton Honors points before pursuing Hilton elite status — otherwise, you could be left with a stack of points you can’t use.

Remember, Hilton Dynamic night award price. This means the number of points you need may vary based on need, cash price, or other factors. Because of this, we’ve found Hilton reward rates range from very reasonable to sky-high, such as over 1 million points per night for Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi on peak days.

Hilton elite status is one of the easiest to earn because many credit cards include it as a perk. However, this is a double-edged sword because it means there are plenty of elite Hilton members out there. If you’re staying at a property in the US, dozens of other Gold and Diamond members may be there at the same time, meaning upgrades will be rarer and early check-ins or late check-outs will be difficult. get more. Don’t expect a jaw-dropping upgrade as a Diamond member in the US, although these are more likely at properties in Asia and the Middle East.

That said, Hilton Gold status is probably the best mid-range hotel status you can hold, as it comes with a food and beverage credit in the US or a continental breakfast in other countries (although a full hot breakfast is usually provided, no questions asked). Gold status is worth it if you value free drinks at the bar in the evening or a proper breakfast the next morning. Diamond status is especially valuable if you frequently stay at properties outside the United States, where there are fewer Diamond members to compete with.

Bottom line

Achieving elite status with a hotel program is a great way to maximize your stay, and Hilton Honors offers some attractive perks for its loyal customers. Achieving the highest level of Hilton elite status is easy, with Hilton Honors Aspire Card including top Diamond status.

Hilton Point is not most valuable Hotel points you can earn—and Hilton status isn’t the most valuable hotel status out there. However, Hilton hotels are everywhere, from the largest cities to small towns around the world. Additionally, Hilton Honors points are easy to earn and redeem, and elite status benefits are clearly outlined.

Holding elite status in the Hilton program is a great way to maximize your travel, especially for Gold food and beverage credits and for Diamonds outside of US Plus, all genders. Hilton elite can take advantage of a free fifth night on award stays, which increases the value of your points.

For Hilton Honors American Express Card rates and fees, click This.