How To Earn Hilton Honors Diamond Elite Status (And Is It Worth It?)

Hilton is one of the world’s largest hotel chains globally and its loyalty program, Hilton Honors, is one of the most well-known in the world.

Within Hilton Honors, there are different tiers of status that allow you to enjoy benefits when staying at Hilton properties worldwide — the highest of these is called Diamond.

One of the biggest reasons to stick to Hilton Honors is that it’s much, much easier than other hotel chains to enjoy top-tier elite status.

In this post, we’ll walk you through how to get Hilton Diamond status easily, as well as the different perks you get with it.

Let’s get started!

How Do You Get Diamond Status With Hilton Honors?

In general, there are 2 main ways to get Hilton Honors Diamond status:

• Through credit cards
• Through hotel stays

As you’ll soon find out, one of these methods is far easier than the other.

Earning Hilton Honors Diamond Status With Credit Cards

Hilton partners exclusively with American Express to offer a collection of co-branded Hilton Honors credit cards that help you earn elite status.

If you have either the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card or The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you can earn Diamond status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year!

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

130,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$650

Annual Fee

$150

APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases
• 3x points per $1 on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
• No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)

Cons

• Annual fee of $150 (rates & fees)

Card Highlights

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club^® program is required. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• $150 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Hotel Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Rewards Center

Hilton Honors

More Reads

• Benefits of the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass Card
• How to Find the Hilton Surpass 150k (Or Even 130k + 1 Free Night) Welcome Bonus Offer
• Comparing American Express Hilton Credit Cards
• Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent option for business owners and business travelers who stay at Hilton properties often and want perks like Hilton Honors elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

An excellent option for business owners and business travelers who stay at Hilton properties often and want perks like Hilton Honors elite status.

Welcome Offer

Limited Time Offer: Earn 175,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 6/5.

175,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$875

Annual Fee

$195

APR

20.99% - 29.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

For frequent business travelers who regularly stay in Hilton hotels, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a great option.

Not only will the card help you earn more points on all of your Hilton stays, but you’ll also receive automatic elite status and travel protections.

Here’s a detailed look at all the benefits this card offers so that you can determine if it’s a good fit for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 on eligible Hilton purchases
• Enhanced: 5x points on other purchases made for the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
• Automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, and the ability to spend your way to Diamond status
• New: Enjoy up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.
• New: Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club^® program is required.
• No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

• $195 annual fee (rates and fees)

Card Highlights

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 6/5.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
• ENHANCED: Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
• NEW: Enjoy up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors Gold status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay getting you to free nights faster.
• You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
• NEW: Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club^® program is required. Terms apply.
• Terms apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Hotel Credit Cards

Rewards Center

Hilton Honors loyalty program

More Reads

• Comparing American Express Hilton Credit Cards
• Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access
• Best Credit Cards with Priority Access
• Best Business Credit Cards for Gas
• The 18 Best Business Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees [2024]

Hot Tip: The Hilton Surpass card and Hilton Business Amex card both confer mid-tier Hilton Honors Gold status without any spending requirements.

But if you have the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*, you will get Diamond status just for holding the card — no spending required!

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

Welcome Offer

Earn 180,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Aspire card from American Express after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership.

180,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$550

APR

20.74% - 29.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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Paying hundreds of dollars for an annual fee on a co-branded hotel card might seem ridiculous, but you should know that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is much more than your run-of-the-mill hotel credit card.

The Hilton Aspire card is not only a phenomenal card for Hilton Honors loyalists, but even those who visit Hilton hotels just a few times a year can still get excellent value out of all the benefits that are packed into this card.

So let’s have a look at what makes the card so valuable to travelers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 14x points per $1 on Hilton purchases
• 7x points per $1 on select travel and at U.S. restaurants
• 3x points per $1 on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Diamond status
• Up to $400 in annual statement credits on purchases with participating Hilton Resorts (up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually)
• Up to $200 back annually on eligible flight purchases (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter)
• 1 Free Weekend Night Award each cardmember anniversary
• $100 credit at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties

Cons

• High annual fee of $550

Card Highlights

• Earn 180,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Aspire card from American Express after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, enjoy a free Weekend Night Reward within your first year and every year after renewal.
• Earn 14x Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you make eligible purchases on your card at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for eligible purchases: on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants.
• Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
• Enjoy up to $400 in Hilton Resort Credits (up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually) on your card each anniversary year when you stay at participating resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• Enjoy complimentary Diamond status.
• $550 annual fee.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 29.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Hotel Credit Cards

More Reads

• Benefits of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Maximizing the Hilton Aspire Resort Credit
• Amex Platinum vs Hilton Aspire
• Comparing American Express Hilton Credit Cards
• Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

In addition, the Hilton Aspire card boasts an array of high-value benefits:

• Up to 14x points per $1 spent on purchases
• Up to $400 Hilton Resort statement credit
• Up to $200 airline fee credit
• 1 Free Night Reward for each cardmember anniversary

If you’re able to maximize the benefits of the Hilton Aspire card, you’ll have no problem getting back the annual fee and more in value every year.

*All information regarding this card was independently collected by Upgraded Points

Earning Hilton Honors Diamond Status With Stays

The other major way to earn Hilton Diamond status is by booking enough stays, spending enough nights, or earning a certain number of base points every year.

Typically, you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status if you:

• Stay at least 60 nights
• Have at least 30 stays
• Earn at least 120,000 base points

For 2022, however, Hilton Honors has reduced the requirements for earning Hilton Honors Diamond status:

• Stay at least 42 nights
• Have at least 21 stays
• Earn at least 84,000 base points

Stays booked with points or cash both count towards elite qualification, as long as you book directly through Hilton’s website.

The 14 Benefits of Hilton Diamond Status

Now, let’s take a deep dive into all the top benefits associated with Hilton Diamond status, starting with the most valuable perks (as generally accepted by travelers).

1. Complimentary Continental Breakfast or Daily Food and Beverage Credit

In general, Hilton Honors Diamond members are entitled to complimentary continental breakfast when staying at properties around the world.

U.S. hotels are temporarily offering daily food and beverage credits of around $10 to $25 per person per night. The dollar amount is dependent on the property — stays at a Hilton Garden Inn would get you up to $20 per day (for 2 guests), while stays at a Waldorf Astoria would get you up to $50 per day (for 2 guests).

The select markets listed above include Boston, Chicago, Hawaii (the entire state), Key Largo, Key West, Los Angeles County, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

However, if you’re visiting an international property, you’ll often find that you’re entitled to a full breakfast — this includes opulent resort properties like the Conrad Maldives and Conrad Bora Bora Nui.

2. Executive Lounge Access

A good number of Hilton properties have executive lounges. These are separate, exclusive spaces that certain elite members and those who book qualifying room rates have access to.

Even if you don’t get upgraded to an executive-level room, you would still have access to the property’s executive lounge if you have Diamond status.

Many executive lounges offer complimentary breakfast, evening canapés, a cocktail hour, all-day snacks, business centers, and a dedicated check-in area.

In general, though, executive lounges in the U.S. pale in comparison to those in international properties (especially in Asia).

3. Room Upgrades When Available, Including Standard Suites

One of the best benefits of Hilton Honors Diamond status is that members are entitled to room upgrades that include standard suites, though the final decision falls under the discretion of the hotel.

This policy is different from World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy, which state that upgrades are subject to availability.

However, upgrades at Hilton Honors properties are much more common than you might expect, whether it’s to a room with a better view, a junior suite, a standard suite, or a premium suite.

Anecdotally, we’ve heard of Diamond members getting upgrades to Presidential and multi-bedroom suites. In fact, in our experience with Hilton Honors Diamond status, we’ve been upgraded more often than not, so it never hurts to ask!

4. Earn 100% Bonus Points on Stays

Hilton Honors makes it incredibly easy to rack up tons of points, which is among the biggest praises of the loyalty program overall.

Sure, Hilton Honors points are worth less than Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt points on average, but if you’re racking up points much faster than the other programs, it’s worth earning Hilton Honors points.

Diamond members are entitled to a 100% points bonus on Hilton stays. Members earn 10 base points per dollar spent, which means Diamond members earn a total of 20 base points per dollar spent.

If you couple this with the ability to earn 14x points on purchases at Hilton with the Hilton Aspire card, you’ll rack up at least 34x points on every stay, which equates to about a 17% return according to our valuations.

And from time to time, Hilton Honors offers amazing promotions called Points Unlimited that allow you to earn triple base points, which means you’ll earn a whopping 54x points on your stays, equal to a return on spending of 27%!

That’s quite an incredible return that’s unparalleled by any other hotel loyalty program!

5. Late Checkout, Subject to Availability

As it turns out, late checkout is a complimentary benefit offered to all Hilton Honors members, including basic-level members with no status.

Late checkout is always subject to availability with Hilton Honors. By comparison, World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy generally offer guaranteed late checkout to their top-tier members.

Still, we’ve found that late checkout is offered to Hilton Honors Diamond members the vast majority of the time, and they generally receive priority over other elites with this benefit. It may be an hour here or there, and it might also be several additional hours.

6. Access to Premium Wi-Fi

At many Hilton properties around the world, both basic Wi-Fi and premium Wi-Fi are offered to guests. And if you’re traveling on business, you’ll understand first-hand the importance of having a speedy, reliable Wi-Fi connection.

Hilton Diamond members get access to premium in-room Wi-Fi and premium lobby Wi-Fi. This is a perk exclusive to Diamond members — Gold members aren’t entitled to this perk.

7. Get Your Fifth Night Free on Reward Redemptions

While this benefit is available to all Hilton Honors members, it’s certainly one that most of us covet. If you book 4 consecutive nights by redeeming Hilton Honors points, you can get the fifth night free, as long as there’s availability.

For example, if you book a consecutive 5-night stay at Conrad Bora Bora Nui, which charges 120,000 points per standard room night, you’d redeem 480,000 points instead of 600,000 points.

8. Gift Elite Status to Someone Else

Another neat perk of Hilton Honors Diamond status is that you can gift Hilton Honors elite status to someone of your choosing.

However, in order to do this, you have to actually meet certain elite night qualifications. Holding the Hilton Aspire card won’t confer this benefit by itself.

If you earn 60 elite nights, you can gift Hilton Honors Gold status to someone else; and if you earn 100 elite nights, you can gift Hilton Honors Diamond status to someone else.

9. No Resort Fees on Award Stays

Hilton Honors waives resort fees on award stays to all members.

Resort fees are a menace to the traveler’s wallet — imagine paying $40 extra per night just so your in-room TV can use Google Chromecast.

These fees plague popular tourist destinations and are essentially just an extra way for hotels to artificially reduce room rates and make up the difference, giving the illusion of a “great deal” when travelers search for rates at these properties.

Luckily, if you book a Hilton room using points, you won’t be charged any resort fees.

10. Hilton Honors MyWay Benefits

Hilton Honors offers a concept of customizing your welcome amenity, which is called MyWay. In essence, every time you visit a property, you’ll get a small number of bonus points.

Here’s what MyWay benefits are by brand:

11. Complimentary Water

Hilton Diamond members (and all other Hilton Honors members) get 2 free bottles of water per stay.

12. Diamond Status Extension (and Earn Towards Lifetime Diamond Status)

If you find yourself in danger of losing your Diamond status the next year, you have 1 opportunity to use a Diamond status extension to qualify for the next year.

Keep in mind that you can’t leverage this perk if you received Diamond status through a credit card. It only applies if you earned it through elite nights, elite stays, or base points.

To access Diamond status extension, you need to have at least 3 total years of Diamond status (not necessarily consecutive years) and at least 250 lifetime elite nights or 500,000 lifetime base points.

13. Guaranteed Room Availability

Hilton Honors Diamond also offers a benefit known as guaranteed room availability. This applies exclusively to reservations paid for using cash (all reward redemptions are subject to availability and have inventory controls).

It sounds like a great benefit in theory, but in practice, it’s not as useful as you might think.

Simply put, Diamond members can access exclusive, guaranteed room availability (including standard rooms) when booking at least 48 hours in advance.

Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this, which begs the question: “Why offer a guarantee if there’s going to be all these exceptions?”

In any case, this guarantee isn’t valid during major events or conventions, like the Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl, and so on.

And finally, rooms may be guaranteed but will be priced at the highest flexible rate, which can nullify the value of this benefit.

14. Access to Exclusive Hilton Honors Experiences

Hilton Honors Experiences is a collection of bookable experiences offered at events and Hilton properties around the world using points.

You can bid for these experiences or just book them outright using points. Some experiences include the McLaren VIP Experience, Harry Styles concerts, gin tastings in Prague, Sunday brunches in Singapore, and much more.

Hilton Honors Diamond vs. Hilton Honors Gold

To figure out whether Hilton Honors Diamond is worth pursuing over Hilton Honors Gold (which is a step below), you need to look at the benefits that Diamond members are entitled to that Gold members are not (we have a great comparison table in our guide to the benefits and perks of Hilton Honors elite status).

To start, Diamond members can access upgrades that include standard suites, while Gold members can’t.

Also, Diamond members are entitled to executive lounge access even if they’re staying in the base-level room — Gold members can only access the executive lounge if they’re actually staying in an executive-level room.

Furthermore, Diamond members are entitled to premium Wi-Fi in-room and in the lobby.

On paper, these are the major benefits Diamond members get beyond what Gold members get.

However, the “soft” benefits can be much more meaningful — whether you’re requesting late checkout, early check-in, or other benefits, Diamond members generally enjoy higher priority than Gold members, which can go a long way.

Increasingly, Gold status is the de facto status that many Hilton Honors members have, so anything that sets you apart from the pack could mean a world of difference.

Bottom Line: The differences between Hilton Diamond and Hilton Gold are much smaller at U.S. properties — but when you stay at properties abroad, you’ll immediately notice a tremendous difference. 

Is Hilton Honors Diamond Elite Status Worth It?

So the big question is: Is Hilton Honors Diamond elite status worth it?

The answer is: it’s undoubtedly worth it if you get Diamond status just by having the Hilton Aspire card.

Hilton Honors Diamond status is probably not worth pursuing from scratch; but if you can get it with just 1 credit card, there’s very little downside, since the Hilton Aspire card offers up to $600 in statement credits, a free night certificate (which could be worth more than $2,000), and much more.

But if you’re going to be pursuing elite status from zero, both World of Hyatt Globalist and Marriott Bonvoy Titanium probably offer superior overall value.

Final Thoughts

Diamond is the highest tier in the Hilton Honors program. With benefits like free breakfast or a food and beverage credit, access to executive lounges, suite upgrades, a 100% points bonus, and premium Wi-Fi, there’s a lot to love about Hilton Diamond.

While some benefits aren’t guaranteed, you have so much more sway when asking for benefits like late checkout or early check-in if you’re a top-tier Diamond member.

Best of all, this status is one of the easiest to earn — you can get it just by holding the Hilton Aspire card!

Hilton Diamond status probably isn’t worth pursuing if you’re starting with no elite status (without the help of any credit cards), but if you can get it with a reasonably low amount of effort, it’s hard to beat!