Well we can always hope for a mistake, but I shan't be losing any sleep over it. Perhaps I just started too late, but I've never really been that into hotel programs. I rather like quirky or niche places to stay. But Hilton has been useful from time to time when traveling for work - a week in a Conrad somewhere gets me a free night at Gatwick for the family before an early flight out.

So I do see why it works... but unlike with airline programs, I'm always going to be a marginal player here (actually, as a BA Silver, I'm pretty marginal all round). God knows what you need to be a lifetime diamond, but it's probably more nights than I'd ever want to spend in a hotel. Mind you, I've heard that it gets you valet parking for your giraffe