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 firsthand how valuable hotel elite status is, thanks to the on-property perks it conveys to frequent guests. However, it can be challenging to understand the value of these benefits, especially considering the time and expense you may need to invest to earn them.

Fortunately, the Hilton Honors loyalty program has various shortcuts to start enjoying benefits immediately.

In this guide, we’ll explore Hilton’s loyalty program in depth to help you determine whether it is worth pursuing. We’ll also discuss how to earn Hilton elite status through stays, spending and with travel credit cards.

What is Hilton Honors status?

Hilton Honors is Hilton’s loyalty program, which is used by more than 8,000 properties in over 170 countries. The program includes high-end brands like Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Canopy and Curio Collection, as well as budget-friendly brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites. You can join Hilton Honors for free online as an entry-level member.

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

• Silver
• Gold
• Diamond
• Lifetime Diamond

How to qualify for Hilton Honors status

Here’s a look at what you’ll need to qualify for Hilton status every calendar year:

• Silver: 10 nights, four separate stays or 25,000 base points
• Gold: 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 is given to any member who has held Diamond status for 10 years (the years do not need to be consecutive) and has reached at least one of the following milestones:

• Completed 1,000 nights in Hilton properties (these can be a mix of paid and reward nights)
• Earned at least 2 million base points

Hilton Honors status levels and benefits

Here’s a look at the benefits you’ll receive when you reach each elite status level in the Hilton Honors program.

Silver

The lowest Hilton Honors elite tier offers:

• Bonus points: Earn 20% more points than a regular member, which equals 2 extra points per dollar (12 points total) spent at most properties or 1 extra point (6 total) at Home2 Suites and Tru brands.
• Fifth night free on award stays: Whenever a Silver member redeems Hilton Honors points for stays of up to 20 nights, they will receive every fifth night for free (up to four free nights).
• Two complimentary bottles of water per stay: Offered at most properties (Hampton, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru are excluded).
• Elite rollover nights: When a Silver member completes more than the minimum 10 stays or four nights required for Silver status, the excess nights can roll over to the following year’s status qualification, giving them a head start on the next year.
• 15% discount at an all-inclusive spa

Gold

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

• 80% points bonus: Earn an 80% bonus on paid stays, resulting in an additional 8 points per dollar spent (18 points total) at most properties or 4 extra points (9 total) at Home2 Suites and Tru brands.
• Room upgrades: Gold members are eligible for space-available upgrades to preferred rooms (up to Executive Floor room types) at most brands. Suite upgrades are not included, though they can still happen. Brands that do not offer complimentary upgrades are Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations and Motto.
• Food and beverage credit or breakfast: Gold members and one additional registered guest will enjoy a complimentary food and beverage credit at most brands in the U.S. or a continental breakfast abroad.
• Milestone bonus: After reaching 40 eligible nights in a calendar year, Gold members earn 10,000 bonus points for every 10 nights they stay.

Diamond

The top tier in the Hilton Honors program is Diamond, which provides all of the Gold benefits, as well as:

• 100% points bonus: Diamond members earn a 100% bonus on all stays, taking home 10 extra points per dollar spent (20 points total) or 5 additional points (10 total) at Home2 Suites and Tru brands.
• Room upgrades: Diamond members enjoy similar upgrade perks as Gold members, but the terms and conditions specifically include suites (junior, standard or one-bedroom).
• Executive Lounge access: Diamond members are guaranteed Executive Lounge access at applicable properties, even when they aren’t upgraded to an Executive Level room.
• 48-hour room guarantee: Hilton Honors provides guaranteed availability for Diamond members with 48 hours’ notice.
• Complimentary premium internet: Hilton Honors provides complimentary internet to all members of its loyalty program, but Diamond members can access faster premium networks during their stays.
• Elite status gifting: When a Diamond member stays 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 extension: Enjoy a one-time status extension for an extra year. This perk is only available to those who have been Diamond members for at least three years, stayed 250 lifetime nights or earned 500,000 base points.

Can a credit card help earn Hilton Honors status?

Hilton Honors status is easy to earn with the following credit cards (enrollment is required):

The information for 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 hold top-tier elite status without any stay or spending requirement in a Hilton property, which is rare for a hotel loyalty program. However, so many cards offering Hilton elite status also means many elite members are out there. This can make upgrades more competitive and other benefits harder to utilize.

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

Is Hilton Honors status worth it?

When deciding on a hotel loyalty program, make sure it has properties where you travel the most. Thankfully, Hilton has thousands of properties in the U.S. and abroad. You’ll find these properties everywhere, from large cities to alongside expressways, so in most cases, there’s a Hilton near wherever you are. Compared with smaller programs like World of Hyatt, there is more likely to be a Hilton Honors property in the destination you are visiting.

You’ll walk away with a solid stash of Hilton Honors points whether you’re earning status organically or through a credit card. So, you should ensure you value Hilton Honors points before chasing Hilton elite status — otherwise, you could be left with a stash of points you can’t use.

Remember, Hilton prices award nights dynamically. This means the number of points you’ll need can vary based on demand, cash pricing or other factors. Because of this, we’ve seen Hilton award rates range from very reasonable to astronomically high, like well over 1 million points per night for the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi on peak dates.

Hilton elite status is one of the easiest to earn since many credit cards include it as a perk. This is, however, a double-edged sword because it means there are many Hilton elite members out there. If you are staying at a property in the U.S., dozens of other Gold and Diamond members could stay there simultaneously, meaning upgrades are rarer and early check-in or late checkout is harder to get. Don’t expect a jaw-dropping suite upgrade as a Diamond member in the U.S., though these are much more likely at properties in Asia and the Middle East.

That said, Hilton Gold status is probably the best mid-tier hotel status you can hold, given it comes with either a food and beverage credit in the U.S. or a continental breakfast in other countries (though a full hot breakfast is usually offered, no questions asked). Gold status is worth having if you value a free drink at the bar in the evening or a proper breakfast the next morning. Diamond status is especially valuable if you regularly stay at properties outside of the U.S., where there are fewer Diamond members to compete with.

Bottom line

Earning elite status with a hotel program is a great way to maximize your stays, and Hilton Honors offers some nice perks for its loyal customers. Getting even the highest levels of Hilton elite status is easy, with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card including top-tier Diamond status.

Hilton points are not the most valuable hotel points you can earn — and Hilton status is not the most valuable hotel status available. However, Hilton properties are everywhere, from the largest cities to small towns around the world. Plus, 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 the Gold food and beverage credit and for Diamonds staying outside the U.S. Plus, all Hilton elites can take advantage of a fifth-night free on award stays, which increases the value of your points.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card Card, click here.