Is Hilton Launching a New Elite Tier Above Diamond? Here’s What We Know.

The Hilton Honors program currently offers 3 levels of elite status: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. However, it seems that may be changing soon, thanks to a leak that points to the introduction of a new top-tier elite status level: Diamond Reserve.

This tier would offer more perks but also come with a spending requirement, similar to what Marriott offers at the Ambassador Elite tier.

Let’s take a look at what we know so far and what it means for you.

Is a New Hilton Honors Elite Tier on the Way?

US Credit Card Guide published information leaked from Hilton’s internal systems, indicating a new status tier above the current highest level, Diamond.

The new tier, known as Diamond Reserve, will be earned through a combination of nights stayed and spend: specifically, 80 nights and $18,000 in qualifying spend.

So far, the only other concrete perk or benefit attached to the new Diamond Reserve tier is that these members will earn 22x points with Hilton (10x base points and another 12x as a Diamond Reserve member).

We’ll have to wait for more information from Hilton (which has not yet confirmed the existence of the Diamond Reserve tier, though we emailed asking for additional details) surrounding the tier’s other perks. However, we expect Diamond Reserve to be Hilton Honors‘ answer to Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite, which also requires a combination of nights stayed and spending to achieve.

Also of note is that the internal leaks revealed another tier, “Honor Society,” which is generally thought to be an invitation-only tier at this point.

If you look at the current state of the Hilton Honors program, it’s not hard to see why Hilton would add another tier to its status ranks. The current top-tier Diamond status is achievable simply by holding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, meaning anyone who pays the $550 annual fee has automatic top-tier elite status (rates & fees).

Understandably, this fact alone likely doesn’t make those who stay many nights and spend lots of money with Hilton annually too happy. It also means there are a lot of Diamond members, swelling the elite tiers with people who may not engage with Hilton all that often. As such, we imagine the new Diamond Reserve status will be quite a bit different than Diamond status.

Final Thoughts

While none of this is confirmed by Hilton, all signs point to the introduction of a new highest status tier: Diamond Reserve. There’s a lot more to learn, but it seems the chain recognizes that its current highest tier doesn’t offer a significant amount of value to dedicated Hilton guests — and that it may be bloated, due to how easy it is to reach the Diamond tier.

As soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to update this story with the latest information.