PayItForward

Maybe I should have been clearer... I actually got your message but was in a way "congratulating" you (envious too) that this is no longer a concern for you. Even better since SPG and Marriott is getting into bed together. I certainly try not to think what you must have gone through to get these LT status. As you said, it ain't pretty but at least you will be getting some benefits down the road for stays made in the course of your work. I am very new in this loyalty thing and bulk of my stays are actually leisure / discretionary stays (80/20). Started with Hilton (due to foot print in Asia) but then started doubling with SPG due to easier and available LT status as well as partnership with Delta. Then Hilton launched their LT Diamond... That was a really a bitter-sweet moment. Now, finally the program I like has LT status but it requires 1,000 paid nights! I now have a goal now albeit impossibly high for a leisure stayer like myself. Asia properties are not cheap either. Silver lining is that it makes the club very exclusive and practically "hack-proof" should I one day ever step foot into this inner circle.

oranjemakker

I don't think I will ever qualify for LT diamond, so I haven't read the terms etc. but what stops Hilton in future devaluing the lifetime diamond status by for example implementing a new tier above it?

Also, what happens if hilton is bought by another company?

kenban

Before the devaluation I was 100% loyal to Hilton. I was Diamond for 5 or 6 years straight and the majority of that was out of my own pocket. I skipped good promotions with other brands to make sure that I spent enough nights with Hilton and I felt like I was being rewarded enough by being loyal.

For me the devaluation changed everything. I chase promotions, stay where I feel like I get the best bang for my buck. Earn and burn points as much as possible with all of the hotel programs. The first thing I did was get a club Carlson credit card and abuse the last night free on reward stays as long as possible.

It is interesting I am spending almost no nights in Hilton properties, not because I do not like them or do not want to spend time at them but because it feels like I will not get enough of a return on my investment. I still have a Hilton credit card but no longer spend any money on it. I keep planning on picking up the reserve card with the 2 free nights but have yet to do so.

Overall I spend less money on hotel rooms now. But I actually spend more nights on the road. I can travel more and spend more money on things other then hotel rooms.

Personally I think your priority should be what is best for you. Look at your priorities and if loyalty is worth it then continue what you are doing. If not make a change either to another chain, chase promotions, or just skip the whole game and try your hand at priceline.

PayItForward

Nothing is stopping any loyalty program from changing. The SPG / Marriott is a good example of mergers/death of a program.

What is usually consistent though is that most companies recognise that there are groups of customers they like and hope to attract/retain. They can have different metrics of measurement but they typically know what they are after. Just basing on the LT requirements, HHonors set the highest bar for "profitable" LT customers. In addition to the highest night requirements, only paid nights count.

HHonors may devalue the program, add a new tier or someone might buy them out but it does not change the fact that these are good customers who stuck with them at the current highest tier for at least 10 years, usually more.

Michael19887

Conrad has some of the finest hotels in the world, and those hotels treats elites wonderfully. It really is a gem of a brand that I hope they continue to expand. I also like HHonors promotions, especially now that all properties are required to participate. The promotions are more generous than Marriott, and I like that more often than not recent promotions are spending based so that incidental expenses count too. The footprint is also great for work travel. Diamond desk is normally very helpful and friendly and there is never a wait to connect to an agent. I've also found situations where the diamond room guarantee can be especially useful when hotels allow the rooms to be booked with points.

mspreh

Anti-Trust laws

Marriott acquiring Starwood is now going to tighten the screws for anyone else in regulatory approval in the US and EU.

Hyatt being acquired by Hilton would probably be the biggest thing that could happen in the current landscape. More realistically it will be more smaller chains like Lowes or a group like that we might see. In the past 7 or so years we have seen Marriott take over many smaller groups Gaylords here in the US, AC hotels in the the EU, I would think Hilton with the strong US dollar right now should be looking at Hotels in other areas of the world. An easy one to strengthen the business traveler market in Mexico would be the Lucerna Chain for example, only 5 hotels but nicer hotels where a lot of business travelers have to go.

mspreh

I wish you luck with your goal. Hitting that number on leisure trips primarily actually sounds like a very well lived life. Yes, I agree with you about the SPG/Marriott news. I very rarely stay in a SPG property, but have Gold status through a credit card, and I have been enjoying racking up the crossover points from my Delta flights.

mspreh

I don't know about you, but in my opinion the guaranteed Lounge access is the biggest benefit. At gold you only get that if you are upgraded to an executive floor level room. That benefit is given at the Gold Level for Marriott, and only needs half the nights total including reward stays for lifetime status that Hhonors requires for paid only nights at Diamond.

Granted all of this could change before I retire in the next 10-15 years, or while I am in retirement, and it will probably just make me a grumpy old man when it does.

StayingHomeIsBetter

I made Diamond again for this year, but I am concerned that Hilton quality is deteriorating. In my last three stays:

• One hotel that disables its H&V system between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM... no way to control room temperature
• Housekeeping that apparently started making up the room, left, and never returned
• Multiple instances of failure to replenish shampoo and coffee service
• Unusable internet service (inability to connect)

Actually, the coffee, shampoo, and internet issues have become a predictable expectation.

Chang11

You need to break up your stays in areas that have multiple Hilton properties and stay at each one (or rotate). You should easily reach the 32 stays per year to attain Diamond status.

This approach also manufactures additional airline/car mileage too. Years ago, when Hilton had triple airline/car mileage and Southwest flight award tickets were based on segments, I'd change hotels every night and earn a half award flight a week. Friends and family called me the travel agent then.

CMK10

The last few years I would have had a ready made answer for you, but now I don't. I'm in my third year as Diamond with many years at Gold before and these are my stays so far:

- Hilton: 2
- Starwood: 2
- Hyatt: 1
- Marriott: 2
- IHG: 2

Hilton does still have some great things going for it, mainly its domestic footprint and its reliable lower end properties compared to other chains. But, I find Hyatt Diamond to be a better status and when the other chains are cost competitive, I'm happy to stay at say a Westin over a Hilton.

submonte

IMHO

As I said before one of the reasons to stay loyal to Hilton is that the company makes profit and is able to invest in organic and anorganic growth.

Midscale:
I think Hilton can do it by organic growth best (Hampton, Tru, etc.)

Full Service/Upscale:
Should be core competence, and Hilton should be able to do it the best way also by own efforts. That segment needs to be strengthened in countries like Germany and France, if not organic, than by acquistion. I always thought e.g. Sheraton would fit well, maybe some fruits unhappy with the sudden growth will fall down from the Marriott/Starwood sequoia tree and Hilton can pick them up.

Premium/Luxury:
An extension of the Curio collection with existing independent hotels with good reputation could be the quickest solution. I can´t see that Hilton has a major expansion of Conrad (I fully agree with @Michael19887 that it is a gem of a brand) and W-A hotels and resorts on the agenda (in the old world for sure not). Hyatt would be an option, but Park Hyatt would be ambitious to add or implement, their luxury standards (at least of the properties I´ve been to such as Vendome) are very high. Maybe also some Westin, Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection (Blackstone made an offer to Bocolo, that could be an option) branded properties could be converted into Conrads, W-As or Curios.

arlflyer

They could also have properties in their home base of the US be half as decent as their properties literally anywhere else in the world...

ITravelElite

I am Platinum for years, but I will go to Gold next year.

As European guest who visit the USA for holidays I am done with the continental breakfast at the Hilton, Doubletree and Conrad hotels.

I now stay in the HGI hotels at the USA, guaranteed hot breakfast with eggs as Gold Member, got WIFi and often free parking.

username

I am Lifetime Platinum with Marriott and Lifetime Gold (presently Platinum 75) with SPG. In 2014, after I got my lifetimes status with Marriott, I got matched over to HH and easily achieved Diamond in 2015. Hilton is our corporate preferred chain anyway.

I stay at mid-tiered hotels (HGI/HI and maybe once a while DoubleTree). I have not seen anything special "wow" treatment except occasionally an extra cookie at the DoubleTree That is fine and not really too different from Marriott.

My biggest problem is really the number of points required to redeem free nights. Since I am still relatively new to HH, I don't understand why sometimes I get these huge point requirements on redemption. So, it is hard to attach value to what I work so hard to earn and dream about a "trip of a life time" with these seemly random crazy point requirements.

So, I am very unsure about what to do this year. For now, I am going for the IHG 1Q promotion and SPG (since I get 100% bonus) whenever I can. When I use points, I use HH points first (when there is no crazy point requirement) as I don't have a vision of using them for something great down the road (like the Marriott Travel Package or even the IHG Pointbreak). Maybe someone can set me straight here.