I consider Hilton Honors is likely one of the greatest (if not the greatest) resort loyalty applications.
For starters, there’s a big variety of Hilton properties within the U.S., Europe and world wide. I’ve not often been to a vacation spot that does not have a Hilton property close by. This makes it straightforward to earn factors and gives loads of choices to redeem your factors, too.
Also, you earn Gold standing in this system by proudly owning The Platinum Card® from American Express. While the cardboard comes with different elite resort statuses, Hilton Gold is the one one that gives you with free breakfast. For that purpose alone, I discover it to be the greatest standing this invaluable card provides.
Finally, in my expertise as a U.Ok.-based traveler, the elite recognition is unbelievable worldwide, and Hilton could be very beneficiant with early check-in and late checkout.
Because Hilton generously lowered elite night time necessities in 2021, I made top-tier Diamond standing for the primary time 12 months in the past. Here are 5 observations from my first 12 months as a Diamond member.
Elite recognition stays excellent
By this level, I can most likely recite the phrase Hilton workers members use to acknowledge and thank me for my loyalty worldwide. I don’t know if this outcomes from constant and thorough entrance desk workers coaching, however in all my stays since incomes Diamond, they thanked me for being a Diamond member after which often stated, “so I’ve upgraded you.” I’ve even acquired emails and app notifications earlier than check-in notifying me that I had already been upgraded.
That stated, a few of my U.S.-based colleagues have not had the identical luck with elite recognition on home stays. But as TPG reporter Kyle Olsen identified in a latest article, it is usually simpler to get a greater worth on your Hilton Honors factors and elite standing perks on stays outdoors of the U.S.
Related: Why I don’t care about suite upgrades anymore
Room upgrades have been largely good
I hoped for multicategory room upgrades as a Diamond member, and I’ve acquired some. My greatest was on the Sea Breeze Santorini Beach Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton. I booked a base room and acquired an improve to the most important and greatest room on the resort — an unbelievable three-story, two-bedroom, three-bathroom villa with its personal non-public pool.
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It was spectacular.
Related: Dreaming of Greece? These new factors resorts are ready for you
A property can solely improve me when there’s a higher room out there. So throughout my quite a few and really unglamorous stays at Hilton Garden Inns, I haven’t acquired upgrades as a result of there weren’t any higher rooms.
I haven’t pushed the boat out by reserving, say, the most affordable room at a Conrad property with 10 room classes and seeing simply how far I might be upgraded. However, since I requalified for Diamond in 2023, I can attempt that.
US motels supply a weak food-and-beverage credit score
In 2022, I stayed at a number of U.S. Hilton properties — particularly in New York City — for work.
While Diamonds obtain free breakfast at most properties worldwide, properties within the U.S. changed this with a each day food-and-beverage credit score. The concept is that some visitors don’t need or want breakfast, and they need to as an alternative have the flexibleness to obtain a free drink or night meal.
Diamond members obtain a $15 each day credit score in regular markets or an $18 each day credit score in premium (learn, “more expensive”) markets like New York. In concept, if I’ve an early flight the subsequent day, I received’t have time for breakfast, so a credit score I can use the night time earlier than is an enchancment.
There’s one quite simple drawback with the food-and-beverage credit score: It doesn’t cowl the price of most resort breakfasts within the U.S. This means Diamonds not obtain a free meal as a result of they usually must pay the distinction.
Some motels re-priced their breakfasts to precisely the restrict of the each day credit score, after realizing that elite visitors need free breakfast every day. Still, some haven’t. I’ve needed to pay out of pocket, all of the whereas scratching my head at how this helps reward loyalty. When you add the tax and tip, the ultimate invoice can simply be twice the quantity of the each day credit score.
Related: How to grasp the proper resort breakfast technique
There’s additionally usually confusion round how the each day credit score works. Can I apply it to the day I verify in? Does that imply it doesn’t cowl breakfast the next morning? Can I mix two days of credit on someday if it’s two separate meals? Does every visitor within the room obtain the credit score?
Even if you happen to don’t need breakfast and would relatively have a nightcap on the bar after a protracted day, $18 is unlikely to cowl even one glass of wine if you embrace tax and tip in an costly metropolis like New York, Los Angeles or Miami. I don’t take into account one glass of wine an applicable alternative for a full, cooked buffet breakfast, and I’m not a fan of this modification.
The promotions are limitless
It’s uncommon for a month to go with out a Hilton promotion that helps you earn bonus factors or elite night time credit. The Hilton Honors program appears to supply fixed methods to earn extra. Earning double factors for stays has been the norm, not the exception, in 2022. With the discount in elite nights to earn Diamond standing — in addition to a really useful promotion for double elite night time credit for the previous few months of 2022 — I didn’t discover it troublesome to requalify for Diamond standing for subsequent 12 months.
Since qualification quantities will revert to pre-pandemic norms subsequent 12 months, I’ll want 42 nights to requalify once more for Diamond. I’m undecided if this can be attainable with out extra of these beneficiant promotions.
Points are straightforward to earn however not very invaluable
It’s common for me to earn 30,000 Hilton factors for a two-night keep at a midrange property when stacking the varied elite bonuses and promotions. Compared to incomes 30,000 Avios for a flight (which might by no means occur), the incomes price for Hilton stays is unbelievable.
The draw back is that Hilton factors are among the many least invaluable resort factors within the business. With Hilton’s dynamic redemption pricing, base rooms generally price 80,000 factors per night time at properties that are not precisely aspirational (in my view).
Compare this with World of Hyatt factors, that are probably the most invaluable resort factors you may accumulate per TPG’s valuations. On Hyatt’s award chart, redemptions begin from an astonishingly low 3,500 factors for an off-peak Category 1 property. I’ve by no means seen a Hilton property — even a regional Hilton Garden Inn — priced beneath about 18,000 factors this 12 months.
Related: Staying on the solely Category 1 Park Hyatt: My evaluate of the Park Hyatt Chennai
Rather than saving up half one million factors for an overwater bungalow within the Maldives, I’ve tended to redeem my Hilton factors as quickly as I earn them. So, the 30,000 factors I earn on a luxurious two-night keep will often cowl the price of an evening at an airport resort.
Bottom line
I most likely might have extracted extra worth from my Hilton Honors Diamond standing this 12 months by staying in some extra aspirational properties. Still, I’ve been happy with the standing and advantages I’ve acquired sufficient to (try and) requalify for an additional 12 months of Diamond.
There are just a few frustration factors — comparable to that weak U.S. eating credit score that not often covers the price of an precise breakfast — however Hilton Honors is a good program with glorious elite standing recognition at its hundreds of properties worldwide. It works for me.
If Hyatt had been to considerably improve its United Kingdom and Europe footprint and maybe turn into a switch accomplice of American Express Membership Rewards, I’d take into account switching. It’s no query that World of Hyatt’s factors are extraordinarily invaluable.
Until then, I’m a contented and constant Hilton Honors Diamond member.
If you are thinking about incomes Hilton Honors Diamond standing, keep in mind that U.S.-based vacationers can earn it standing by merely opening the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Otherwise, you will must earn 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 base factors in 2023 to earn standing for 2024, as Hilton goes again to pre-pandemic elite standing necessities.
The data for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.