I've been Diamond for many years now. That has definitely changed this year. I think I'm only 4 stays in... I will make Diamond again this year, but it will be by Surpass spend. There are still a few favorite Hilton properties that I stay at annually (Conrad Tokyo, Hilton Niseko, Conrad Singapore, Hilton South Wharf Melbourne) that will be nice to redeem at or have Diamond benefits.

I'm still staying with SPG (Platinum) and have shifted most of my Hilton business to Hyatt (Diamond) where I am very happy. For me, Hyatt Diamond has been a breath of fresh air - void of a lot of the problems that even SPG Plat has (inconsistent breakfast benefits, inconsistent late checkout, etc)...

I will miss the plethora of HGI's (will still stay at those as a last resort if Hyatt or SPG don't have a property nearby), but I can't support Hilton's continuing failures to make Diamond an excellent program compared to their peers (or differentiate it from Gold).