CMK10

Check your expectations at the door is my best suggestion to you. Two years at Diamond and I never saw an upgrade. The only "benefit" I ever got was an early check-in once. Still, points bonuses are nice, right?

jamesteroh

+1 Hilton gold is much more valuable than BW Diamond. I think even Hilton Silver is

jefi99

My expectations are low. OTOH, since I booked a BW anyway, I thought it would be stupid not to get the free status match...

513263337

Just did a status match. At first they replied that I was upgraded but my online account did not show any upgrade. Called in and have it correctly immediately. So far so good.

Matched from Carlson Gold to Best Western Diamond. In my initial email I "reminded" them that Carlson Gold takes 35 nights (while Best Western Diamond requires 30 nights).

O Sora

When should I request a status match to maximize the length of validity?

Voodoo Daddy

I'm not sure it matters. I got my diamond status match in January, 2011. I stayed 15 nights during 2011 (30 are required for diamond status), and three nights during 2012, but I am still diamond, and my account information online indicates that I have 0 additional nights required to maintain diamond status.

O Sora

Thanks, Voodoo Daddy. That's generous!

CMK10

Soft landings continue.

- January, 2010: Matched from HHonors Gold to BestWestern Diamond
- 2011: Kept Diamond
- 2012: Dropped to Platinum, had one stay
- 2013: Kept Platinum, had zero stays
- 2014: Now I'm apparently Gold

Guess next year I'll finally drop back to nothing

jamesteroh

I have had no stays in a couple years and noticed a couple weeks ago I am platinum but didn't bother status matching again since I have no stays planned.

I received a postcard within the past couple days offering me to allow me to keep my diamond status if I compelted 2 stays in something like 60 days.

Someone in myt office is going to Spain and staying at a couple best weswterns and decided she'd like to have the diamond status. She did a match to her Hilton diamond and they asked her for a statement of her activity with Hilton, they have never done that with me before.

I wonder if they are finally realizing how easy Hilton gold and diamond status is to get and want to make sure people are actually staying with them.

She stays at Hiltons a lot and received the upgraded status within two days of faxing over her account activity with Hilton

CMK10

Got the same offer to get my Platinum status back. No point in me doing it either.

jamesteroh

For the fun of it I did the status match again to see what would happen after submitting that post on Tuesday. Yesterday I received a request for a copy of my Hilton statement or some other proof of my account activity and sent it over and it looks like they already changed me back to diamond.

This is at least the third time I have done a status match and in the past they have never asked for my account activity. Someone else in my office that did a status match was asked for hers as well.

I wonder if they are doing it for Hyatt diamonds as well or just Hilton elites since Hilton status is so easy to obtain.

Not that the status does anything anyway. I get treated better at SPG's having no status with my Delta Diamond crossover benefits than I do as a BW diamond.

Firewind

A "moreover" kind of question: Was there much activity in your other program's statement -- e.g., does it appear that it's contingent on the activity, or do they just want to see the statement - even empty - to verify that you're an elite? Also, have you always used the same account in the other program? Thank you.

I always think that elite in any program is worthwhile, because you just never know when it might come up and yield - I don't know - a room with a view, the front desk person listening more closely if something goes wrong (bad wifi signal), little stuff.

jamesteroh

Yes there was a lot of activity in my Hilton account and I always status match to Hilton diamond.

This is at least my third time status matching to Hilton diamond, but for the girl in my office it was her first time ever doing a status match with BW and they also wanted her statement. Not sure what she sent them but I sent them a screenshot from Hilton.com this time that showed my status and had the past month's activity, but they wanted a statement showing the past six months.

You can get Hilton gold with just a credit card and can get diamond with only $40K a year in credit card spend, so maybe they want to make sure they are status matching someone that actually stays in their hotels and not someone that has status with just a credit card.

I use to only use one BW property and that was in Chicago and they told me I would get upgraded even as a blue over a diamond if space was available because I stayed there so much, but I haven't been there in a few years so I am sure it's new staff and no one would recognize me so the daimond status may help with at least a late checkout if I ever return (I go for airline miles so the bonus points with status won't help me).

Firewind

Thank you, jamesteroh. My hotel stays dropped off dramatically last year, except at Choice hotels, so I "bought" HHonors Gold plus the other miscellany in Randy Petersen's MilePoint premium upgrade offer for the $49. But it's definitely "lite". Meaning you can see through the statement - literally and possibly functionally... We'll see how far it stretches with the competition. (It worked for Carlson.) Actually, Best Western might be moved by receiving both the empty Hilton Gold and the full Choice Diamond statements, ticking the activity box. Thanks again.

jamesteroh

I would try doing a match with Choice instead if you are diamond. YOu are more likely to get diamond status with you choice status than Hilton (not sure what status they would give with Hilton gold but should give diamond with Choice diamond) and if they ask for a statement you will have activity on that account.

$49 is a great deal for Hilton gold. Just one stay at a full service hotel and the breakfast and wifi will pay for it