Currently, Hilton Honors has four different elite statuses (five, if you count Lifetime Diamond): Blue, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Mid- and top-tier Hilton elite status is one ofHi the easiest to obtain in the industry; multiple credit cards provide Gold status, and the Hilton Aspire gives cardholders Diamond status just by holding the card.
Detractors would (rightfully) say that this coincides with Hilton offering perhaps the least meaningful top-tier elite status to its members. There’s no guaranteed early or late checkout, no confirmed upgrades, and breakfast isn’t even completely covered within the US for Diamonds.
However, it looks like Hilton may be about to make some changes.
Several US Credit Card Guide forum members discovered some leaked images and source code that seem to indicate that Hilton plans to create a new top-tier elite status called “Diamond Reserve.” The new status would require a member to stay 80 nights, 40 stays, AND spend $18,000 per year to obtain it, which would be the first time Hilton has ever introduced a spend requirement for an elite tier.
There’s not much known about the benefits of the status, outside of earning 22x on Hilton spend, and having access to a new Milestone Rewards at 120 nights that includes a confirmed suite upgrade. Another interesting tidbit is that thresholds for Silver, Gold, and Diamond status will be reduced by 30% once Diamond Reserve is introduced…which would most likely have little impact on folks reading this, since anyone spending that amount of time at Hilton properties probably has one of the credit cards as well.
Quick Thoughts
While this hasn’t been officially confirmed by Hilton, the leaked images appear to indicate that there might be more than a small fire underneath the smoke. It’s long been rumored that Hilton was looking at adding another elite tier, and it certainly makes sense.
Elite benefits are so watered down due to the ease of access from credit cards that it dilutes the recognition that’s offered to travelers who legitimately stay and spend a lot of money at Hilton properties. Folks like that would welcome the addition of a more generous status that requires thousands of dollars in spend.
My question is what happens to existing elite tiers once the new Diamond Reserve status is introduced, AND qualification thresholds are reduced? Will Hilton Gold become something more like Marriott Gold or Hyatt Explorist, with insubstantial room upgrades and no food and beverage benefit? That would move Hilton closer to Marriott’s model: in order to get a meaningful status with breakfast benefits, you have to be an ultra-premium cardholder.
Hilton hasn’t been wowing its members over the last year; its points have dropped ~15-20% in average value at the same time that the maximum price for award nights has more than doubled. If indeed a refresh of Hilton Honors elite status is coming in 2026, it will be fascinating to see if it alleviates the current dissatisfaction among members, or if it will be just another reason to feel Bonvoyed.
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Given that high-end travel — and high-end credit card sign-ups — are going gangbusters, I’m not surprised to see this development. Where I think Hilton is making a mistake is not offering free breakfast to their existing Diamond members while offering it overseas. It’s pretty absurd, because US hotel prices are now among the most expensive in the world. So, in America, you pay the most and get the least. Hardly loyalty-inducing. Given what the US hotels are charging, the math should enable them to comp the Diamonds a free breakfast like they do abroad.
Diamond is already one of the most meaningless hotel statuses there is, but at least you could expect SOMETHING when staying overseas, where hotels tend to treat top tier status a little more seriously than US properties do. But now they introduce a top tier status that is RIDICULOUSLY hard to obtain – $18,000/year? That will water down the already heavily watered down Diamond tier which was already something of a joke.
Hard disagree – I get a ton of value out of my Diamond status for my overseas stays. The effort that goes into attaining the status each year is nil, which itself holds huge value to me.
As long as they keep lounge access for Diamond members I’ll keep my Aspire, that perk is invaluable when traveling overseas, they change that and I’m cancelling the card.
Right. It’s a nother great benefit that makes having an Aspire card valuable if you travel a lot overseas, but makes the Hilton benefits very “meh” for US travel.
Cancelling/downgrading both Aspire and Bonvoy Brilliant cards at renewal.
“Another interesting tidbit is that thresholds for Silver, Gold, and Diamond status will be reduced by 30% once Diamond Reserve is introduced…which would most likely have little impact since anyone spending that amount of time at Hilton properties probably has one of the credit cards as well.”
Well, last I checked there are Honors members outside the US who quite likely aren’t eligible for credit card status.
Amex Platinum cardholders worldwide have access to Hilton Gold status. That said, for folks without any credit card access, you’re right that reduced requirements would be welcome, so long as the benefits stay the same.
Oh Hilton, you wooed me in with your SLH partnership. You have bonvoyed my points and now maybe my status. You are definitely winning the bonvoyed award this year.
Southwest vs Hilton
Or like Delta selling first class upgrades for $26 rather than rewarding their top elites.
I know, Right?
Oh yeah, totally forgot about Southwest.
It’s tough to see this as anything but engaged loyalty members getting Bonvoyed unless someone is naive enough to believe that HHonors is going to create a new top tier level but suddenly stop nerfing the program for existing tiers after a host of devaluations. Hilton isn’t going to leave existing tiers alone. That’s not how they’re wired.
Too much blood has flowed under the bridge.