bdemaria

The exact same response that I rec'd from them. I contemplated writing back and saying "I'm not asking why you didn't extend this offer to the the entire membership but rather why it was only extended to certain Diamond members."

lucho15

I wrote to the hilton desk and got the same scripted response with a new certificate to be issued that others have been getting.....

travelinfoo

I emailed [email protected] and got the response of "only selected members were chosen based on their level of commitment and longevity with the program". I was not considered good enough.

Well, I was irate. I have been a member of HHonors for 14 yrs, nearly all as Gold, last 3 yrs as Diamond. I earned status via stays. I called the Diamond line and gave them the scenario below. The CS opened a case file - I am not optimistic, given how others received their certificates immediately.

A friend joined HHonors this yr and got Diamond via the Surpass card - THIS YEAR! He has been a member of HHonors for less than ONE YEAR, been Diamond for 2 months! He is elite in SPG and stays EXCLUSIVELY in SPG hotels. Irony: he charges his SPG stays to his Surpass card. So, he is double-dipping in 2 programs - earning elite in SPG by stays ($$$ to SPG) and by only CC spending for Hilton. He will use his points for free award nights in Hiltons. Otherwise, he chooses not to stay in Hilton. He was delighted in finding a way to earn Diamond without spending $$ at Hilton hotels and w/o giving up his SPG hotels. What a loyal member of HHonors!
He received the free night certificate; I did not. As someone who has stayed ZERO nights with Hilton and been a Diamond for less than 1 yr (HHonors only 1 yr), he is considered more valuable than a 14 yr veteran, 3 as Diamond on stays!

How insulting! Thank you very much Hilton. I can see you do NOT value my business. Apparently actually patronizing the hotels means nothing. As such, It appears to me that HHonors is actively encouraging me to take my business elsewhere.

Andrea, the HHonors rep,
how do explain how a less than 1 yr Diamond and member of HHonors without staying a single night in Hilton is more valuable than someone who has spent thousands on stays and been a member for 14 yrs?! Since when is less than 1 year with the program greater longevity with HHonors than 14 yrs, 3 as Diamond?!

seoulmanjr

I got one.

HHonors Diamond VIP
592,598 TOTAL POINTS
Stays Completed: 4
Nights Completed: 10
Base Points: 75,928

$ spent was very high on those 4 stays if I recall correctly.

peace,
~Ben~

TTT103

What they should have done is offered the free night to Diamonds, those who have been loyal for more than a certain period of time, and for those who have accumulated a certain number of points.

I am only gold, but have almost 400K points. The new points structure is going to effect me more than a Diamond, such as your friend who never stay at Hilton.

Personally, I am going to wait and see where Hilton places the hotels in January before I jump back to SPG. Their new Cat 7 may only be the Maldives and alike. If all hotels jump up a category, I'm outta here.

WelshGirl

I guess that when there are different methods of qualifying for diamond, targetted promos are always going to cause upset for some members. I am sure that Hilton must get more revenue from someone spending $10 k to earn 100000 base points rather than 28 one night stays in a cheaper hotel chain at say $80 per night.
Even on this $10k spend, the current economic crisis and increasing costs mean less profits and so less opportunity to give away nights etc.
Currency fluctuations in an international market must play a part ( for example when the pound was worth 2 dollars a Brit only had to spend £5000 rather than the £6500 ish to reach diamond). Perhaps this has really increased the number of international diamonds ( who earn more bonus points) leading to many more Honors points to be encashed in the system.
At least we were told in advance of the points change.
For what it is worth I am a diamond of 4 years (earned on base points each year) with 75k base points and 335 k points and I received the free night.

Richelieu

I'd guess the number of people getting DIA status because the USD 10,000 threshold is passed more easily with a weak dollar, and thus more people are earning more points is certainly quite low compared to the points given with CC, which are only available to NA residents AFAIK.

travelinfoo

But why give the "most elite" status to those who don't stay at Hilton at all and get status via CC? If someone spends all 28+ stays at the Hilton chain, that money still stays within the corporation. Higher base points are definitely more valuable since they indicate higher spend.

I am one of the Diamonds who has received nothing (no free night, no consolation points). I have a regular Hilton Amex - I charge about 40K/yr and see no need to pay $75 for Diamond status via the Surpass card since I qualify on stays. I make plenty of points w/stays. My account up to this pt would have been about 500K if I had not used them for vacations earlier this year. In the lifetime of my membership, I have earned well over 2 million pts (prb more than 3 million).
I already have 26 stays for this yr, some with high $$$. I had another 6 already booked for the next 6 weeks. All have been canceled except the 2 needed to meet the 25K bonus and will be switched over to another hotel chain. After all, HHonors has told me I am not a valuable member.

I bring in more revenue to HHonors than someone who charges 50K on the Surpass card and doesn't stay at the hotels except on awards. So the criteria used to pick which members are worthy of the "most elite" and valuable are pretty shaky.

Why not give the "most elite" title to those of us who earned it thru actually staying in the hotels whether it is nights/stays/base points! That's what loyalty means!

WelshGirl

I think you misunderstood me. You can reach diamond in one of 3 ways;by reaching 28 stays, 60 nights or 100 k base points.
I was not talking about credit card revenue.Outside the USA the hilton credit cards are not worth having, and IIRC only give bonus points not base points. The UK card brings silver status only. Do you earn base points with the US Surpass card , or bonus points?
The $10k I referred to is the total spend needed at Hilton to reach 100 k base points ( regardless of whether it is cash or credit card used to pay) as the earning rate is 10 points per dollar spent. 28 one-night stays in a Hampton inn at $80 per night means that you could be diamond with a total spend of $2240 rather than the $10 000 you'd have to spend to earn 100 k base points. Someone bringing 4 x the revenue to Hilton may well be seen as more valuable by Hilton. Not saying that that is right but entirely possible.. perhaps revenue given to Hilton would be the fairest way to earn status.

Smart Shopper

HH offers CCs for residents of United Kingdom (3 HH points/GBP spent at Hilton brands) & Germany (3 HH points/€ spent at Hilton brands).


American Express Rewards Exchange Rates in various countries

acysb87

I guess that some DIA here will miss all those DIA headed for SPG/MR....
Damn,will have less competition for room u/gs.

Wonder what the current SPG and MR top tier members are thinking with all the newly comped DIA taking up some of their freebies?

travelinfoo

Yes and leaving the remaining Dia with their lovely NOR1 offers! Upgrades seem to be getting less and of lower quality.

I joined MR recently. I was not comped status. However, upon seeing my Dia card, I was upgraded to a small suite. Great customer service Marriott! Between them and SPG, I know where i will be steering my business.

sharklover

To me it seems most likely that your friend had a lot more points in his account than you. They only gave the free night to diamonds with several hundred thousand points.

mnredfox

Curious if any Diamonds via Surpass got any? Any new Diamonds (first time Diamond in past year)?

Let's all not forget folks, we aren't entitled to a cert. HH has the right to choose. So yes you have a right to get mad and leave, but let's not get an expectation mentality here...

sharklover

Yes several in this thread where new diamonds because of surpass card including me. I did not get he free night at first until after I sent an e-mail. I also have spent 30 nights at Hilton this year because they made me diamond in February. SPG got exactly 1.