Hilton Diamond Status: Benefits & Perks of Hilton’s Top Tier Status

Having Hilton Diamond Status comes with some great benefits.  The best part about it is that there are several ways for anyone to qualify to become a Diamond member. This article will give you an overview of what the best perks are and the three ways you can earn Hilton Diamond Status (some of which are very easy!).

What is Hilton Diamond Status?

The Hilton Honors program has four levels of membership:

1. Member
2. Silver
3. Gold
4. Diamond

Hilton Diamond Status is the highest level of status you can earn in the Hilton Honors loyalty program.  Keep reading to learn about the best features and how to easily earn Diamond Status.

How to earn Hilton Diamond Status

Hilton Honors Diamond status is the easiest “top tier” status to earn of all hotel loyalty programs, with 3 ways to earn it.

1. Earn Status with Hilton Stays

You can earn Hilton Diamond Status by accomplishing one of the following three things:

• 60 nights; or
• 30 stays; or
• 120,000 base points (you will normally earn 10 base points per dollar at most Hilton properties, so this is the equivalent of spending $12,000 in a year)

2. Earn Status with a Status Match

Hilton also offers a status match.   This program will allow you to match your status from another program to Hilton Gold and upgrade to Diamond status with additional nights over the promotion period. Here is a link to the Hilton Status Match page where you can request a status match.

3. Earn Status with a Credit Card

The easiest and fastest way to get Hilton Diamond Status is with the American Express Aspire Credit Card which provides automatic Diamond status to all cardholders.

I don’t stay at Hilton’s very often, but I have this card because the benefits far outweigh the annual fee.  The card has a long list of features and benefits, but the following four features are why I originally applied for the card and continue to keep it each year.

1. Complimentary Diamond Status
2. Annual Free Weekend Night at any Hilton Property (I use these for stays at Waldorf Astoria properties that can cost over $500/night)
3. $250 Statement credit when staying at a Hilton resort (I normally use my free weekend night at a Waldorf resort, so I can also use this credit for any dining or drinks I charge to my room during my stay)
4. $250 Airline credit.  I don’t always get the full benefit out of this one, but it can work well for getting credit back when you pay for baggage fees, drinks/food on board, seat assignment fees, pet fees, and airline lounges.

Hilton Diamond Benefits & Perks

The Hilton Honors program provides incrementally better benefits with each level of elite status, with the best perks being reserved for customers with the highest level of status.  The following are eight benefits and perks that are only available with Hilton Diamond status.

1. Executive Lounge Access

Diamond members will have access to the executive lounge for the duration of their stay (at Hilton properties that provide a lounge). These lounges offer complimentary breakfast every morning and an evening spread ranging from basic appetizers to what can amount to a full dinner, depending on the location.  (The lounge at the Conrad Tokyo is one of my favorites)

Hilton often provides complimentary evening cocktails as well at international properties.  However, the majority of domestic Hilton hotels charge for alcoholic beverages in their lounges.

2. Diamond Point Bonus – 100% Bonus Points

Get a 100% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay.  Base members will earn 10 base points per dollar spent, so Diamond members will earn an additional 10 points per dollar spent (total of 20 points per dollar), not including any promotions or other bonuses that may apply.

3. 48-Hour Room Guarantee

You are guaranteed a room, even if the hotel is sold out, as long as you book 48 hours in advance.  However, this isn’t that great of a benefit because you will have to pay a very high rate to get that room, most discounts and codes will not work under this scenario.

4. Diamond Status Extension

Enjoy an extra year of Diamond perks with a one-time extension. Available when you have been a Diamond Member for 3 years and stayed 250 lifetime nights or earned 500,000 Base Points.  Note:  You can only use this benefit one time, so think it through before pulling the trigger.

5. Elite Status Gifting

If you hit 30 nights in the calendar year, you can gift Gold status to any member. If you hit 60 nights then that gift is upgraded to Diamond.  This benefit will not apply if you earn status through a status match or a Hilton Aspire card.  It only applies if you earn status via staying at Hilton hotels.

6. Premium Wi-Fi

Upgrade your WiFi to the fastest in the hotel – at premium speeds for free.

7. Room Upgrade

According to their terms and conditions, Hilton Honors Diamond members are entitled to a room upgrade, if available, although the individual hotels have a lot of discretion with this benefit. As the terms explain,

If we have a better room available, it’s yours – up to a 1-bedroom suite.

Upgrades are at the discretion of the hotel and are granted on a space-available basis for the entire duration of the stay, at the time of check-in.  I have always received some level of upgrade, but it’s generally to the next best room type, rarely is the upgrade all the way up to a suite.

8. Complimentary Breakfast

For properties without executive lounges, Honors Diamond members are entitled to a complimentary continental breakfast.  This can vary by location.  For example, when I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Boca Beach Club, they did not offer free breakfast but provided $30 per day for any drinks or meals purchased on the property.

Other Benefits of Hilton Honors Elite Status

The chart below shows all of the benefits offered to Hilton Honors elite members, from a basic member all the way up to a Diamond member.

Is Hilton Diamond Status Worth it?

I like having Diamond status because the benefits make any trip to a Hilton property better.  That said, I do not think the benefits are good enough to earn Diamond status through hotel stays.  If you are going to earn status through stays, World of Hyatt is a much better program for that.  However, since all you really have to do to earn and maintain Hilton Diamond Status is have the American Express Aspire Card (referral link), I think it’s a no-brainer to achieve it the “easy way” with the card.

More Content for Hilton Honors Fans

If you like what you are reading now, here are some more great articles every Hilton Honors member should check out!

• Detailed Guide and Review of the Hilton Honors Loyalty Program
• How to Easily Get Hilton Diamond and Gold Status
• The latest Hilton Honors Promotion and other ways to save on your Hilton stays
• The Go Hilton Team Member Rate
• Hilton Travel Agent Rate