A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us an interesting question about what to do after reaching lifetime Hilton Diamond status and whether they should try to reach another lifetime tier.
Readers are encouraged to send us questions, comments, or opinions by email, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We’ll cover them here several times a week.
You can access Hilton’s page for Lifetime Diamond here.
READ MORE: Hilton Honors Rate & Bonus Points Offers
Reader’s Question:
I reached Hilton Diamond Lifetime status recently. I wonder what strategy I should focus on in the future? I expect to do regular travel (100+ nights per year) for at least five more years, maybe even ten…
I could just continue booking Hilton Group, collect points, and also get the 10,000 extra points after some stays each year. I am happy with Hilton and this is fine for me.
However, as I have Diamond benefits anyway, I see two other strategies:
– Book whatever I want and focus more on hotel quality, location, etc. – and still use Hilton when it is the best fit.
– Focus on another hotel program (not a big Marriott fan, maybe something like Hyatt) to reach something similar to Diamond status and collect points and Hyatt and Hilton, choosing the hotel that best fits my needs.
This is an excellent problem to have, as you don’t have bad choices.
To remind our readers that you can reach lifetime Hilton Diamond status by:
- 10 years at Diamond completed (non-consecutive) and 1000 nights at a Hilton property (Paid or Reward)
OR
- 10 years at Diamond completed (non-consecutive) and have 2 million base points
I reached this last year and wrote about my Lifetime Diamond journey at the time:
My Hilton Honors Lifetime Diamond Kit Arrives!
My Journey To Lifetime Hilton Honors Diamond Status
So, the reader has few choices, as they point out:
1. See if they can reach the lifetime tier with another program, such as Hyatt
Or
2. Book whatever hotel best suites them while continuing to stay at Hilton properties
The reader emphasizes that they are not a big fan of Marriott but could consider Hyatt.
The Hyatt Lifetime Globalist is a relatively straightforward endeavor if your work or leisure trips take you to expensive locations and hotels, as the only requirement is $200,000 in base spend (before taxes/fees).
There is no requirement to have been a program member for several years or even anything in terms of consumed nights or stays. Hyatt only cares about the base points earned. You can earn the status by having one stay at a very expensive hotel.
The reader is unsure if their heavy travel period spans another 10 years or so (at least 5 for sure).
I would look at the Hyatt rates at cities/destinations they must travel to and then determine whether lifetime status is reachable within this period.
The only problem is that Hyatt has had this $200K requirement for as long as I can recall, and there has been considerable inflation since the tier was introduced.
Hyatt may change the lifetime spending requirement at some point, and remember that the lifetime status is for the lifetime of the member or Hyatt.
Conclusion
Many believe that Hilton Diamond status is not worth much, but I disagree. Overall, I have been satisfied with my stays and the elite recognition I have received at their international properties.
I was not a big fan of the program when I was living in the States (due to elite treatment at domestic properties).
Hyatt is also a good program, but it is currently partially overrun with fraudulent certificate transfers and credit card point conversions from Chase that inflate the number of points in the system and create difficulties for those who pay to stay at their hotels.
The Lifetime Globalist would likely be the best option, but only the reader can determine whether they can reach the required spending within the timeframe they have.
As a matter of fact, I am typing this piece at a Hyatt hotel, and the subsequent two stays after this are at Hiltons. I am roughly 73% done for the lifetime Globalist qualification.
What is your opinion on what the reader should do? Please comment below.
