Hilton has been trialing a new Honors Diamond perk, confirmed suite upgrades. If Hilton adds the perk to their program permanently, Honors would be the hotel loyalty program to beat and Diamond status the best in the business.
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The Missing Element
One glaring missing element in Hilton Honors is the lack of confirmable suites for top-tier guests. Diamond guests are given “Space Available Room Upgrades” up to one-bedroom suites, but without a guarantee in place and firm guidance, execution varies by property and staff.
Peer hotel chains have suite upgrades in some form with the exception of IHG, because they hate their elites. Starwood Preferred Guest had one of the best suite upgrade benefits before they sold their soul to Marriott. Suite Night Awards remain in the new “Bonvoy” program, though due to execution, many former SPG members have been saying “Bon Voyage” to Marriott, setting sail for Hilton and Hyatt.
Hilton shines at every other elite benefit but suite upgrades still lag behind, leaving Hyatt alone at the top. The Honors (formerly “Hhonors”) Diamond Status has an opportunity to close the gap.
For those interested in a short-cut to elite membership, credit cards offer an easy path. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card offers elite Gold membership (forgoing the requirement of staying 40 nights in a calendar year including free nights.) The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card grants members Diamond status in the Hilton Honors program.
Both Gold members and Diamond Hilton Honors members include complimentary breakfast, but just Diamond elite members receive executive lounge access. Both status levels receive bonus points per dollar spent, with Diamond members achieving up to 20 points per dollar spent at hotels before any promotional bonuses.
Confirmed Suite Trial Program
Reports this week stated that Hilton has offered some “high value” customers Diamond Suite Upgrades (so nice to be able to type that again) with rules that suggest a more formalized program feature is to come. Like Hyatt’s Globalist Suite Upgrades, each certificate is valid for up to seven nights. Improved over Hyatt, they expire up to one year later which can extend to reservations outside of the status year.
The Points Guy confirmed the program is currently in the trial phase and upon successful completion, it will be folded into Diamond member benefits before the end of 2019. I asked (then) Vice President for Hilton Honors, Aaron Glick, about enforcement for the benefit which he described as a work in progress at the time.
Why This Feature Makes Honors Diamond The Best Hotel Status
Hilton already meets or beats every other elite program amongst the major hotel chains. For example, with award stays, the fifth night is free, the stay counts toward status, and resort fees are waived. Hilton elites are entitled to late checkout, they earn milestone bonuses and rollover nights; something Hyatt and Marriott fail to deliver.
Hilton offers breakfast to mid-tier (Gold) elites at all of their properties unlike Marriott’s “some here, some there, sometimes” approach for their Platinum elites and up across their 31 brands. Diamonds can also gift Diamond status (not a lower tier) to a designee after 100 elite nights per year and pool points with their family and friends.
Marriott’s approach has been reluctant at former SPG properties with the old program “Best available suite” for Platinum members, and happenstance in what they offer top-tier guests at namesake properties. Hyatt has been effective in their new addition suite policy but reigns supreme with their four confirmed suite upgrades for Globalists, each good for up to seven nights each. That’s up to 28 in total compared to the best possible comparison with SPG’s Suite Night Awards, where ten individual nights was the cap.
If Hilton were to offer this benefit across the brand, guests could confirm suites in lavish Waldorf-Astoria properties several times annually. As a long time Diamond eelite Hilton Honors member, I have been fortunate to routinely receive upgrades even at this high-end chain based on availability. However, adding the benefit eliminattes the risk of not upgrading, allows travelers to plan for their trip better and adds value to the guest in a way that upgrades at check-in cannot.
What About The Rest?
Hilton still offers the ability to qualify on either 30 stays or 60 nights for Diamond or simply by holding their most expensive credit card. Comparing that to the rest of the industry which only offers qualification via nights, Marriott requires at least 75 for a majority but not all of the benefits (100 nights for the closest tier level). Hyatt requires 60 and IHG requires 75 for practically none of the benefits because they hate their elites.
Hyatt is a close second if this policy comes into play, even if they offer fewer suite upgrades than Hilton. Why? Because Hyatt’s footprint is so small. By comparison, you have a 900% better chance of finding a Hilton than you do a Hyatt. With Hilton, you can still qualify for status with more benefits for just 30 stays instead of 60 nights. That makes the process 18x easier for me.
Marriott and SPG have more top-end properties, and by ratio, Hyatt does better at the top-end than Hilton too. However, in smaller communities, I still struggle to find a Hyatt from time-to-time. Yes, Marriott is bigger, but I rarely find a market where Marriott (7,000+ hotels) is the only show in town and Hilton (5,000+) doesn’t even offer a Hampton Inn. That’s important because, in order to enjoy the status, it should be attainable without serious strain.
If Hilton formalizes their Diamond Suite Upgrade program, any traveler would be a fool not to make it the top of their list.
Read More: Hypocrisy: Why I am Doubling Down on Hyatt
Read More: Interview: Aaron Glick – VP Hilton Honors
What do you think? Is there a better top-tier hotel status than Hilton? Do you think this is just a prelude to an increase in the number of required nights/stays?
Another clickbait title. Who knows if Hilton will actually do this, nothing like Hyatt.
And Hilton has good elite status benefits? Ever trying asking for late checkout?
James:
I am going to have to take exception to your entire comment. How is this clickbait? The trial is active, the company has said that if feedback is good, they will roll it out in 2019, it reflects previous conversations I have already published from their team, and it would, in fact, make Diamond status the elite tier to beat.
I am curious how (assuming you are not part of the trial) you could say it’s nothing like Hyatt. It’s reported to be limited in number, valid for an extended period of time (longer than Hyatt), and good for up to seven nights. How is that “nothing like Hyatt?”
Lastly, receiving the Fifth night free on award stays and gifting Diamond status are just two of the benefits that are better than World of Hyatt, the clear leader right now. I have asked for a late checkout many times and have yet to be turned down. I may only get 2pm instead of 4pm but that’s not the same as never getting the benefit either.
It is hard to get even 0.5 cents per Hilton point, and they don’t even have an award chart.
I asked for late checkout at a Hampton Inn. Got noon. Then asked, and if I really needed it got 1230pm. Same prior experience at an Embassy Suite.
What about Hilton’s breakfast? Top tier? Like Hyatt? Not quite. A few bucks which is not enough to get a breakfast, yes, that’s good.
And saying you always get late checkout-are you the same person who says they always get a suite at Hilton?
Fifth night free on award stays-same as Marriott.
Gifting mostly worthless diamond status-well, Hyatt has guest of honor. But yes, if diamond status is valuable, something you cannot get simply with a credit card …
And lastly, the company said … How many times have we heard a company say something only to change it later? Would you bet a million dollars that Hilton will roll this out later this year?
James:
There’s a lot to unload there but let’s get into it. The valuation of their points is relative to the ability to earn. For example, if you earn 5 points per dollar at Hyatt (plus a 30% bonus for Globalists) and scantly run promotions, but you earn 10 points per dollar plus 10 point bonus for Diamonds and they do run promotions often, then you actually come out ahead with Hilton over Hyatt. You earn a lot but you burn a lot.
They do, in fact, have an award chart and they also allow dynamic pricing. For example, we booked the Conrad Hong Kong for 70,000 points (standard), 67,000 points when occupancy was lower and 73,000 when they were very full. With Hyatt, they will simply shut off bookings if they are too full, which takes away from customers who may not care about spending a little more when they are flush with points.
I have never been told, as a Diamond, that my late checkout only allowed 12:30 even at select-service hotels like Hampton. Again, I would really push back if they denied you as a Diamond the late checkout of at least 2 pm, if not 4 pm. I suspect, however, that you were not a Diamond which is not apples-to-apples with Hyatt Globalist. It wouldn’t be fair to compare top-tier elite to middle tier or no status.
Again, it seems like you are not making an apples-to-apples comparison with breakfast. If you are stating that the breakfast from a Hampton or Homewood is inferior to a Hyatt Place or Hyatt House, I think it’s down to preference not quality, quantity, nor cost. But I also think you are confusing Hilton with Marriott. Hilton doesn’t place a limitation on breakfast for the most part unless there is a continental option independent of full breakfast. Mariott, however, just gives $10 and not even at all properties. Hyatt, of course, offers full, free breakfast at any of the locations in which it is possible.
I am the same person that often gets upgrades at Hilton, but I am not sure “always” is true.
Gifting Diamond status is equitable to Guest of Honor? I don’t think so. For Guest of Honor I have to spend full points out of my account for that person to receive the same status. If I gift full Diamond status to someone else, my mother-in-law for example, she earns her own points and can choose revenue, points plus cash or award stays irrespective to my account and point accumulation. It’s not even close to comparable.
I think you’re drawing a comparison between Hilton Silver status (based on what you have said, though not explicitly stated) and comparing it to Hyatt Globalist. There’s not a place where the breakfast benefit on a like-for-like hotel (even from Hilton Gold) would differ in cost or service. That would not be the same thing at all. Hilton Diamond with this perk is greater than Hyatt Globalist (barely) but Globalist beats all others statuses especially at inferior levels.
No, I have diamond status with Hilton. Maybe I have it wrong. Do I need to begin with “do you know that I have diamond status?”
In terms of most valuable in terms of earn, I think Marriott beats both. Hilton you earn basically the same as Marriott, but the points are just so much less valuable (having diamond status in Hilton and Marriott platinum premier).
In terms of award chart, you are talking about top tier properties. These are often the ones bloggers talk about, saying you should buy points on the sale because it is such good value! If you just look at generic big cities in the US, let’s say, Hilton falls way off. Seattle? Good luck. Nothing worthwhile, nothing even reaching 0.5 cents per point.
In terms of breakfast I am talking about how at some full-service properties they give you a cash value towards a meal, rather than a full meal. Just look at the flyertalk list of diamond breakfast. Often you need to pay more to actually get a breakfast. I got $12. I doubt that covers breakfast. Marriott also has this issue with Courtyard and AC, only giving you $10. But I got $12 at a Curio Collection, not a lower-class hotel.
But about your point of Hampton vs Hyatt Place or Hyatt House? I don’t think anybody doesn’t think it is inferior. Hampton is like a Choice Hotel.
And so for your final point, no point where there is a difference in breakfast for a Hilton Diamond vs a Hyatt Globalist: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hilton-honors/1243361-gold-diamond-breakfast-hilton-family-properties-master-thread.html
Lists all the places you have to pay for a full breakfast. Contrast that to Park Hyatt’s giving free breakfast, which may be a $50 value per person. Or being told you can have anything on the menu, however many entrees you want. I bet that never happens at a Hilton.
So where in the Hilton T and Cs does it guarantee a lake checkout? Pretty sure it doesn’t.
It’s not guaranteed, but I haven’t had any trouble. I even got 4pm at Hilton Waikoloa where they often charge guests (not Diamonds) due to the many late departing flights back to the mainland.
https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/explore/benefits/index.html
Hilton does not guarantee late checkout; it’s on an “as available” basis, which I’ve heard hotels tend to not want to honor. I also don’t know that I agree that Honors offers the “great” top-tier benefits. I grudgingly accept that you WOH fanboys are correct and that Hyatt leads the way there.
Nevertheless, I agree that confirmable suite upgrades would be a game changer, IF Hilton can enforce standards and prevent individual properties from playing games with availability. Let’s just say I’m not terribly confident that will be the case. I also have to imagine there will be restrictions on confirmed suite upgrades on members that have Diamond status solely through holding the Ascend credit card. I’d guess they’ll either put in a minimum nights requirement, or a tiered system where additional upgrades are awarded based on stays/nights. For example, one confirmed upgrade certificate for all Diamonds, regardless of how you have it, but a minimum 40 nights to earn additional ones. Or something like that. Otherwise I’d imagine you’d have a full-fledged revolt among those who earn Diamond status the hard way.
Hilton late checkout is not comparable to
Marriott late checkout, which is nearly always available to 4pm upon asking
Hyatt has free parking. Huge for those that stay in large cities (like Chicago) saving up to $70/night!!!
Is there any update on how the trial went. Would be nice to know you had the suite upgrade in advance.
No update yet, so whether they will add the feature remains to be seen.