I already contributed upstream to this very interesting discussion (mods please move this post if useful). After some days of reflection, I would like to share with you some thoughts on my personal approach to the news.

For context, I have been Diamond (on my money) for the last 10 years or so, with a number of hotel nights above 100 per year and spend above the USD 18k. I mostly travel within Europe, Asia and ex-US America.

I summarise very roughly my experience as Diamond so far falling in three different scenarios: 1) I get breakfast and lounge access (when it exists) and I am placed in the executive floor (which in practice means enjoying the same real state as in normal room, with possibly better views and refreshed furniture). 2) in the hotels where I spend more than 40 nights per year or so, I enjoy regal treatment and get a suite if it is available (if the hotel is full, I just get what I paid for). 3) In about 20% of my stays I do not get any special treatment. Worth noting that sometimes I find the breakfast service (i.e. masses of frantic people fighting for a boiled egg) and / or the lounge (appalling wine) not really worth using so I avoid them.

Long story short, I am not sure I am going to strive to get Diamond Reserve. Two main reasons: one, I don’t think it would change my experience so much and two, the way in which this is going to be implemented is not providing warmth to my heart, to be polite. Let me develop:

I do not care for the dedicated customer service. I doubt they will be able to provide a better service than the people sur place and, for the rest, I have chatGPT.

The premium club access is so far such limited to a very restrictive list of places that I do not frequent often. Yes, the list may be increased. More on this below.

Guaranteed Late Checkout. In my experience where I spend more money is on early checkins, booking nights on the previous night when my flight arrives before 11 am. It is simply the only way to be able to ensure a room to sleep after an inter-continental flight. If I need a late check out, it is more in the 6 pm and afterwards situation (those ridiculous flights in Asia departing at 2 am). For that, I just pay the night. I have wasted enough energy trying to negotiate a late checkout and ending up paying a similar amount, after a condescending conversation where I need to thank a hotel for taking my money. So, this 4 pm thing is not really something I value.

Points Bonus, from 100% to 120%. Yes, this is perhaps the most important thing for me but not sure it is worth the effort on its own.

Confirmable Upgrade Reward. If I understand it well, it is one upgrade to a suite (and another one after 120 nights), but with a number of limitations (length of the stay and others). Well, I sort of get that already several times a year in places I stay a lot, and I doubt those hotels will stop upgrading me because the computer says I am not Diamond Reserve.

So I am not convinced so far it is worth the effort…

Now, how this is done, it puzzles me.

First, even if I qualify for 2026 as Reserve, I will not get it. First, I will be demoted to lowly Diamond and, once I have behaved as expected, I will be finally rewarder. Is this how Hilton values my custom?

Second, the issue of the lounges that has been amply discussed here. They will be devalued or transformed in superior club access or whatever the new name they will invent. This is what Hilton is telling the hotels to do in between the lines and they will oblige. The lounges are already saturated in many places and their logic needs to be revisited. This means in practice that lounges, both for Diamonds and Diamonds Reserve, will be less important in their wallet decision on where to spend nights and build loyalty.

So (apologies for the length), what I am going to do? Well, no sudden moves. As I said, some of the hotels that I like to stay in, in particular for longer stays of weeks, belong to the HH loyalty system, so I will be using the app to book them as before. I also love the Conrad’s, specially in China where they are not that expensive, so I will continue using them. But I will start looking at other places and building other loyalties. And I doubt in 2026 I will go much over the 50 nights, so Hilton will lose a big chunk of my expenditure. C’est la vie!

Happy to continue reading you all here. Thanks!