Hilton HHonors - Details of Diamond Status Challenge Offered to Starwood Platinum

I've been a Starwood Platinum for the past three years and have gotten a bit tired of some of the antics Starwood pulls. I have been a Hilton Gold for a couple of years, but never really noticed much in the way of benefits. I contacted Hilton and asked for a status challenge to Diamond, figuring I could then get tired of the antics Hilton pulls.

I hate to sound ungrateful, but the status challenge I was offered is a bit much.

If I do 10 eligible stays or 20 eligible nights in the next 90 days, they will give me Diamond until April 30, 2006.

The normal path to Diamond requires 28 stays or 60 nights in a 12-month period. So Hilton is requiring me to do a third of a years stays at the average accrual rate in a quarter of the year. Even then, the status will only be good for five months. To keep the status, I would then have to do 8 months worth of stays in 5 months.

This doesn't exactly endear me to Hilton, particularly since I know that Starwood will just hand a Platinum card to a Hilton Diamond to get their business.

I could easily meet this challenge. The real question is, "Why would I want to?" This does not seem like the beginning of beautiful friendship.

I've been a Starwood Platinum for the past three years and have gotten a bit tired of some of the antics Starwood pulls. I have been a Hilton Gold for a couple of years, but never really noticed much in the way of benefits. I contacted Hilton and asked for a status challenge to Diamond, figuring I could then get tired of the antics Hilton pulls.

I hate to sound ungrateful, but the status challenge I was offered is a bit much.

If I do 10 eligible stays or 20 eligible nights in the next 90 days, they will give me Diamond until April 30, 2006.

The normal path to Diamond requires 28 stays or 60 nights in a 12-month period. So Hilton is requiring me to do a third of a years stays at the average accrual rate in a quarter of the year. Even then, the status will only be good for five months. To keep the status, I would then have to do 8 months worth of stays in 5 months.

This doesn't exactly endear me to Hilton, particularly since I know that Starwood will just hand a Platinum card to a Hilton Diamond to get their business.

I could easily meet this challenge. The real question is, "Why would I want to?" This does not seem like the beginning of beautiful friendship.

Didn't take long before you got tired of the antics Hilton pulls. :D

They must mean april 2007, I would try calling back and getting another rep. My buddy just did the same and it was 2007. the Diamond desk is notoriously bad.

Why not Marriott Platinum, I am both Diamond and Plat and I find Marriott status to be much more satisfying.

JK

I was offered the same challenge as a *wood Plat. The challenge started on May 31st and my new Diamond status (after my 20 nights) will be good until May 31st '06. I thought it was a little weak but am still happy with the outcome.

They must mean april 2007, I would try calling back and getting another rep. My buddy just did the same and it was 2007. the Diamond desk is notoriously bad.

Why not Marriott Platinum, I am both Diamond and Plat and I find Marriott status to be much more satisfying.

JK

I was told 2006 not 2007. I'm on the fast track and should have it done within the next two weeks. We'll see how well they treat me... so far being Hilton Gold hasn't been that spectacular, not compared to Starwood.

This doesn't exactly endear me to Hilton, particularly since I know that Starwood will just hand a Platinum card to a Hilton Diamond to get their business.

Is that really the case? I'm getting tired of Hilton and am thinking of switching ... I wonder why kind of challenge they'd offer me?

if you have a hilton gold card , sent an email to Amanda.

tell her your SPG plat. number, and mention that a friend of you did a 7 stay fasttrack. as you are often travel together, you too want to switch to hilton (blabla)

i think you will get the 7 stays in 2 month, which is easier to do.

i did a challange and got 7 stays in 2 month.
i have now only 4 more to go for normal qualification for diamond .

dp

BTW, they aren't trying to give away Diamond. They want you to prove you are actually "switching" your loyalty.
Also, you do have the rolling tier working in your favor since you won't be set to zero stays on jan 1 as you would in the past.

They must mean april 2007, I would try calling back and getting another rep. My buddy just did the same and it was 2007. the Diamond desk is notoriously bad.

Why not Marriott Platinum, I am both Diamond and Plat and I find Marriott status to be much more satisfying.

JK

While they could possibly mean 2006, MOST of the Diamond challenges when HH started these a few years ago went only to the end of the year calender that is.
Then the next set gave it till April of the subsequent year.

What exactly did you find "notoriously bad" about the Diamond desk?

a) While it may seem a bit unfair to SPG members ( on the face of it) requiring the completion of a challenge, whereas HH are comped to Plat in the SPG program there is a singular difference in that one can do the HH challenge multiple times the SPG is a one time only comp.
b) As another poster mentioned with the rolling tier you will have those stays and till this time next year to requalify.
c) Completing a challenge in the HH sytem is much easier than with SPG with the large number of often lower cost Hampton across the nation available and you will get stay credit by switching with the property across the street.

mike