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Hilton Honors confirmed that it is making one of its biggest loyalty program changes in years with the introduction of a new Diamond Reserve elite tier. I had shared the rumors on Friday. Currently, the program offers four levels: Member, Silver, Gold, and Diamond, but new details uncovered from Hilton’s website source code (and confirmed via social media) show that a fifth, more exclusive tier is on the way.
The proposed Hilton Honors Diamond Reserve status would reportedly require $18,000 in annual qualifying spend and 80 nights per year. The new tier is expected to introduce confirmable upgrade rewards to give members the ability to secure premium rooms or suites before arrival. This benefit has long been offered by competitors like Marriott Bonvoy® and World of Hyatt®, but largely absent from Hilton’s current structure. Having a spend and night requirement aligns with the way that Marriott requires its top elites to qualify.
In North America, Diamond status is easily obtainable through credit cards such as the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. This means many travelers earn it without frequent hotel stays. The result has been crowded elite ranks, limited room upgrades, and inconsistent benefit delivery at the property level. The Diamond Reserve level will serve to better distinguish Hilton’s most loyal, high-spending guests and offer perks that align more closely with Marriott Ambassador or Hyatt Globalist benefits. No other details have been released at this point and we’ll need to wait for the official rollout and the site to be updated for everything.
Anthony’s Take: The rumors were true and I think it’s great that Hilton will add a differentiated top tier to its program. I also love that they highlighted this site in the social media post (it’s fun to be acknowledged).
(Featured Image Credit: Hilton.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
