... lots of lessons learning on my recent stays at the Capetown Doubletree and Hilton Durban.

1) Advance purchase disqualifies you from moving your stay from one account to another. (I had originally booked it under my husband's Gold account. By the time we stayed, I was Diamond. Both of us were staying in the same room.) Even the Diamond desk wouldn't let me transfer the stay over to my account.

2) I was denied an upgrade at the Capetown Doubletree because I had used mobile check in. They said I had "selected" my room and therefore they couldn't change it. I told them had I known that, I would have never used mobile check in. It was over my husband's birthday too, but they wouldn't budge.

3) I hate the policy of only getting elite night stays/credits for the first room. (We had two rooms at both hotels). SPG doesn't do this. It discourages me from picking Hilton when I'm staying with people without loyalty programs.

I can't speak to Diamond Suite upgrades either since the Hilton Durban was refurbishing their suites floor while we were there.

All in all, the only benefits of Diamond I have seen thus far is the points bonus, and the Executive Lounge access. Going forward, I'll probably just get the Gold that comes with the Amex Platinum or one of the Hilton cards for the free breakfast and move on.