Three Years in a Hilton...Lifetime Diamond Status

[TimeshareTraveller]

So, my Dearly Beloved mentioned to me that we're actually narrowing in on achieving the goal of lifetime Diamond status. He's had Diamond status for a lot of years due to traveling for work and being weirdly obsessive about moving hotel rooms nightly (like one 8 night stay away he moved rooms every single night).

"Huh?" I said, "What is that?"

Hilton has a program to earn lifetime Diamond status if you get Diamond for 10 non-consecutive years, and complete one of the following:

• Complete stays totaling 1,000 paid and reward nights

OR

• Earn 2 million base Points

https://help.hilton.com/s/article/How-do-I-become-a-Lifetime-Diamond-Member

There are ways to earn Lifetime Diamond Status by getting enough timeshare purchased from the Developer too, I think.

Has anyone out there achieved the Dream?

 

[skier4]

I recently became aware of this as well but I'm a few years out. We bought developer points (yes, yes, I know, let's not go there) which I cycled through on my Aspire card instead of just paying cash specifically to get the 14x points (not getting status for the HGVC points themselves- that's a level of "Elite" we'll never go). I need more time at Diamond level for the 10 year requirement and in the meantime those maintenance fees will top off the point minimum.

 

[DRIless]

Wonder if I will eventually get some sort of Hilton Hotel status for being Diamond Resorts VIP?

 

[tombanjo]

I just got diamond again for this year, and think I am 1 year out for the ten years. I travel alot for business as well. To be honest, it is not a stunningly great benefit, but it does have it's perks. Breakfast at Hilton Garden Inns is the best for me.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Has anyone out there achieved the Dream?

Assuming you are referring to the Hilton Hotel Diamond level, I would hardly call this "achieved the Dream" as the lifetime benefits are really not worth putting in that much effort to change rooms every night just so you hit 1,000 nights in 10 years.

I get Hilton Diamond as a benefit of my Hilton Aspire credit card, so it is easy peasy for me to be Diamond, but I will never get lifetime Diamond

Here are the benefits

Benefits and Member Tiers with Hilton Honors

Members enjoy exclusive perks and benefits across our hotels around the world. When you stay more, you get more with Hilton Honors.

www.hilton.com

 

[GT75]

Has anyone out there achieved the Dream?

I am Hilton Hotel Diamond level and I agree with @DazedandConfused. Maybe I am missing something, but what benefit(s) do you see making this a dream. You can easily reach this "dream" with an Hilton Aspire card (which actually is a good deal).

 

[CalGalTraveler]

They can devalue the lifetime benefits at any time. Get an Aspire credit card with Diamond status and save yourself the effort.

The devaluation by these brands never ceases to amaze me.

United significantly devalued their points program removing flight miles toward elite to money spent instead. My DH had only 75,000 miles to reach million miler status (lifetime gold elite for DH and me). Now with dollars spent it would take 25 years and $75,000 to reach that goal. Now that's moving the goal post! We were flying on United metal but they killed that dream so we are now free agents to fly using the best deal.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Other than the points bonus being higher for Diamond, I'd agree that Diamond status is pretty meaningless. Oh, I forgot about the close parking spots you'll find at some properties. I've got the Aspire as well and the card pays for itself and gives Diamond status without all the stays and moving around. If you travel internationally I understand some of the lounges outside the U.S. can be nice.

I'm curious what benefits the OP considers dreamy?

 

[frank808]

Wondering why you would move rooms every night? You get 8 night stay credit if you stay in the same room or move every night. I hate packing up and going to a new room unless absolutely necessary.

I get Diamond status by having the two Aspire cards. Actually wife and I each have two Aspire cards. Does that make each of us Double Diamond member and get Double the perks on every stay ?

Sent from my SM-T290 using Tapatalk

 

[Magus]

I think Diamond status is pretty decent - free breakfast, free upgrades WiFi, reasonable chance at room upgrades, free lounge access and way more points per dollar spent at Hilton locations, get 5th night free on award redemptions, etc. i wouldn’t say they are amazing but not bad either. Probably the best hotel loyalty program I am a member of is Sandals - we will get our 2nd free week in September.

 

[Shmiddy]

I am Diamond - no more free breakfast, we now get $10/day food credit. I like being able to choose my room 24 hours before and using the app for the room key. Not a lot of difference any more between Gold and Diamond, except points bump. And I get zilch at HGVC when staying as an owner.

 

[buzglyd]

They can devalue the lifetime benefits at any time. Get an Aspire credit card with Diamond status and save yourself the effort.

The devaluation by these brands never ceases to amaze me.

United significantly devalued their points program removing flight miles toward elite to money spent instead. My DH had only 75,000 miles to reach million miler status (lifetime gold elite for DH and me). Now with dollars spent it would take 25 years and $75,000 to reach that goal. Now that's moving the goal post! We were flying on United metal but they killed that dream so we are now free agents to fly using the best deal.

million miler status is BIS (butt in seat) miles. It doesn’t have anything to do with spend. Spend is for current year status.

that being said, a few years ago I could see I was close to MM on United. I stepped on the gas and threw in a few mileage runs which got me over the top and jacked up my points total.I’m now Gold for life as is my wife.

 

[dvc_john]

• here are ways to earn Lifetime Diamond Status by getting enough timeshare purchased from the Developer too, I think.

I've earned Diamond for well over 10 years, but I'm not anywhere near 2 million base points or 1000 nights.
If there was a way to earn Diamond thru HGVC I'd like to know.
Sure, you can earn points thru a credit card (especially by paying mf's). But they are not base points. And you don't earn nights credits while staying at HGVC resorts on HGVC points. (I did earn Marriott Bonvoy lifetime titanium mainly because with them you did earn nights credits on timeshare stays.)

 

[dvc_john]

Wondering why you would move rooms every night? You get 8 night stay credit if you stay in the same room or move every night. I hate packing up and going to a new room unless absolutely necessary.

Because you could earn Diamond with 30 stays or 60 nights. I earned my diamond mostly with 30 stays.
8 nights moving every night does only earn 8 nights credit, but it earns 8 stays credit too.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

million miler status is BIS (butt in seat) miles. It doesn’t have anything to do with spend. Spend is for current year status.

that being said, a few years ago I could see I was close to MM on United. I stepped on the gas and threw in a few mileage runs which got me over the top and jacked up my points total.I’m now Gold for life as is my wife.

Thanks @buzglyd for clarifying. Whew! With all of their emphasis on PQPs now equaling base flight dollars spent vs. miles flown. I thought million miler status also went that route. Will stick with United metal and send him on some long biz trips to get over that hurdle. Learn a new thing everyday from Tuggers.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

If there was a way to earn Diamond thru HGVC I'd like to know.

The highest of the three Elite levels gets you hHonors Diamond Elite, which isn’t even a descriptor that Hilton uses. Maybe they bow to you when you enter a Tru by Hilton. To get that you’re spending or trading up someone’s big spend on developer purchases.

 

[dvc_john]

The highest of the three Elite levels gets you hHonors Diamond Elite, which isn’t even a descriptor that Hilton uses. Maybe they bow to you when you enter a Tru by Hilton. To get that you’re spending or trading up someone’s big spend on developer purchases.

Thanks, I forgot about that. I'm the lowest level elite, so I guess I'm guaranteed gold. And I'll never go to a higher HGVC elite level.
But of course, that would never be lifetime anyway, only for as long as you are at that HGVC elite level.

 

[buzglyd]

Thanks @buzglyd for clarifying. Whew! With all of their emphasis on PQPs now equaling base flight dollars spent vs. miles flown. I thought million miler status also went that route. Will stick with United metal and send him on some long biz trips to get over that hurdle. Learn a new thing everyday from Tuggers.

The nice thing is I don’t even understand PQP and all that stuff. And I don’t have to! It worked out for me when United and Continental merged. I had about 650,000 miles on Continental and about 175,000 on Untied and boom. They merged and I was really close. Glad I did the last but when you could still earn real miles on cheap mileage runs. United is generous with MM status because you get to gift the status to a family member. I suppose some day when we’re older, I’ll switch it from my wife to my son.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I was a HH Diamond from my business travel for many years, and more recently have that from the Aspire card.

The value from Diamond status will vary with the hotel you stay in. It can really help if you stay in nice Hiltons and Conrad's internationally. I might hit lifetime Diamond, but that probably depend on how long travel remains restricted for work. It would be nice to lifetime diamond, but I probably wont focus too much on that.

I am a closing in on two million miles with United, but once again it achieving that will depend on how long business travel is restricted / undesirable...

 

[brp]

I am Diamond - no more free breakfast, we now get $10/day food credit.

Well, for the remainder of this year. At present it is not indicated as a permanent change.

Also, doesn't include international locations, where this is an actual valuable benefit

But Aspire is definitely the way to go as one gets Diamond and makes money in the process. What's not to like?

Cheers.

 

[linsj]

For those of you who don't know, status with hotels does not cross over to status with timeshare and vice versa. Two separate entities.

 

[kanerf]

I have been a Lifetime Diamond for a number of years now. The best thing about the status is you no longer have to stay any nights during the year to retain the status. So when you see a deal at a Hilton property you can book it and get the Diamond benefits. This may include an upgrade, often free breakfast and access to a lounge if there is one.

 

[DazedandConfused]

I did notice the perks in Japan were far superior than USA locations for Hilton as they dont see Diamonds that often.

Also, the guaranteed room available is a nice perk. I screwed up my plans a few weeks ago in Colorado and showed up at a Hilton thinking I had a reservation, when I actually forgot to book it, but they gave me a room at the cheapest rate as I was Diamond

 

[Tank]

Talk about bubble popping responses.
It’s kinda nice when little things still mean something to someone.
I enjoy every little perk I get from our system
Good luck on your goal, enjoy, may the goalpost stay where they are!

Dave

 

[Magus]

I am Diamond - no more free breakfast, we now get $10/day food credit. I like being able to choose my room 24 hours before and using the app for the room key. Not a lot of difference any more between Gold and Diamond, except points bump. And I get zilch at HGVC when staying as an owner.

1) that’s just for the rest of this year (at least in theory - we will see and 2) some are free still and the credit is $10-$25 depending on the hotel.

you are correct doesn’t do anything at hgvc normally