I’m disappointed with Hilton. I love the big-picture direction Hilton has taken recently, but the details leave a lot to be desired. Big picture: Hilton is rapidly growing its upscale hotel collection and adding valuable new perks to its elite program. Details: Hilton’s property expansion has led to spiraling award-price inflation (see details here), and its new elite benefits are nearly unobtainable for mere mortals. The destination is looking better than ever, but it’s far beyond reach.
Last year, I wrote that Hilton was winning me over, but that I wanted to see them add suite upgrades and guaranteed 4 PM late check-out. Hilton was listening. Hilton has announced a new elite tier for 2026: Diamond Reserve. Suite upgrades and guaranteed 4 PM late check-out are this tier’s headline features. I should be thrilled. Right?
…Right?
The problem with Hilton’s Diamond Reserve status is that it is absurdly hard to get. It requires 40 stays or 80 nights, AND $18k Hilton hotel spend. The latter part creates a disincentive for Hilton loyalists to use their points because only cash stays will move them closer to that $18K threshold.
Hilton’s Gold and Diamond status levels will remain easy to obtain without setting foot in a Hilton hotel. Get automatic Gold status with a Hilton Surpass Card, Hilton Business Card, or Amex Platinum Card. Get Diamond status with a Hilton Aspire Card. But having Gold or Diamond status doesn’t get you any closer to Diamond Reserve status. For Diamond Reserve status, you’ll still need 40 stays or 80 nights, plus $18,000 in Hilton spend within a calendar year.
The gap in requirements between Diamond status and Diamond Reserve status is too big, and the incremental benefits for doing so are too small. Worse, there are no meaningful carrots along the way. For example, Hyatt offers real, meaningful perks (Milestone Rewards) starting at 20 nights and every 10 nights thereafter. Hilton only offers 10,000 points at 40 nights, and every 10 nights thereafter. You have to reach 120 nights to get a meaningful perk (a Confirmed Upgrade Award).
Hilton’s bar for earning Confirmed Upgrade Rewards and Guaranteed 4 pm Checkout is way too high. Compare, for example, to competing programs:
Confirmed Upgrade Rewards:
- IHG: Earn one at 20 nights, another at 40 nights, and two more at 70 nights.
- Hyatt: Earn one at 40 nights, two at 50 nights, two at 60 nights, and one more every 10 nights thereafter.
- Marriott: Earn one set of 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards at 50 nights and another set at 75 nights.
- Hilton: Earn one at 80 nights (but only if you also spend $18K at Hilton) and another at 120 nights.
Hilton’s requirements for earning upgrade rewards are so far above those of other programs that it’s laughable. Worse, there are no shortcuts to earning nights with Hilton using credit cards, unlike both Hyatt and Marriott.
Guaranteed 4 PM Late Checkout:
- Marriott Platinum: Requires 50 nights (or, simply get the Bonvoy Brilliant card).
- Hyatt Globalist: Requires 60 nights.
- Hilton Diamond Reserve: Requires 40 stays or 80 nights, AND $18k Hilton hotel spend.
Again, Hilton’s bar is set way too high compared to the competition! Yes, Hilton’s version of this perk is better because, unlike Marriott’s and Hyatt’s, it doesn’t exclude resorts. But I can’t imagine wanting this enough to think it’s worth directing 80 nights and $18K in spend towards Hilton each year.
Diamond Reserve is so much harder to get than comparable status with other chains, and such a big leap from Diamond that it may actually discourage loyalty. When currently loyal members look into the details, they’ll see that similar benefits (and sometimes better benefits) can be had elsewhere at a fraction of the cost.
I think that Hilton can fix this. They should introduce meaningful Milestone Rewards. Perhaps, create a single-use 4 PM checkout certificate when we reach 20 nights, for example. And, give us a confirmable upgrade at 40 nights. And, crucially, provide a way to earn nights and Hilton spend dollars through credit card spend. For example, they could award 10 qualifying nights and $4,000 Hilton dollars for every $25,000 spent with the Hilton Aspire card. If they cap credit card spend benefits at $200K, the maximum elite earnings would be 80 nights and $16,000. In other words, even the biggest credit card spenders would still need $2,000 of in-Hilton spend to reach Diamond Reserve. Isn’t that enough?
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Three words not f worth it oops
This was meant as a way to separate real diamonds from fake ones (like me).
Diamond gets you the best room in the house. What’s the matter with you people?
The program is fine and they came up with something that does incentive real people who actually are loyal, not the people who stay 10 nights a year and get a bunch of elite night credits from a credit card that was pimpred to them by a a blogger to get them “diamond”. I have lots of staff that will meet this organically with business travel and it does benefit them, so it’s fine.
I’m afraid hotel programs are starting to follow the airlines lead by linking status to dollars spent. Not a great trend for us miles and points hobbyists. I can’t imagine many of us spending 18k of our own money to get this status.
The best Hilton status is till FHR