Hilton Honors Diamond VIP Status: Is It Really Worth It?
Dec 6, 2018, 9:42 am
#46
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: Global Mercenary
Posts: 193
You might take a look at these:
Worth pushing for Diamond or is Gold enough?
Hilton Honors Diamond VIP Status: Is It Really Worth It?
Worth pushing for Diamond or is Gold enough?
Hilton Honors Diamond VIP Status: Is It Really Worth It?
Perfect links - thanks!
Basically sounds like bottom line is diamond not worth it over gold
Dec 6, 2018, 9:44 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EP, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 1,001
I've had diamond for 10 years now and to be honest to me it's not worth it. I primarily stay in smaller towns so I'm generally in Hampton Inns and Garden Inns and I'm not much of a breakfast person. The only time it's worth it is when I go on vacation overseas and get nice upgrades and lounge access.
Dec 6, 2018, 9:52 am
#48
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Chiang Mai
Programs: HH Diamond IHG Spire Amb MR PLAT
Posts: 228
I live in Thailand and travel SEA and i really like the Hilton brand in this part of the world im Diamond.. But if i lived in the USA or Europe no way would i bother with it.. I would get the Venture One Credit Card and go for the best deals and build points that way.
Dec 6, 2018, 10:18 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 304
Travelling for work into London regularly (with a not overly generous expense policy), it's worth it to me for increased bonus points and guaranteed lounge access without worrying about if I'll get an upgrade to an executive room. (It also got me a bottle of water and a Bounty at a Hampton this week. I think Golds get one or the other, not both).
Dec 6, 2018, 10:19 am
#50
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: Hilton credit card Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,653
The big difference for me between Diamond and Gold is the guaranteed lounge access, very nice to have in some non-U.S. hotels. I'd say this is worth $200 or so a year to me. I am a leisure-only traveler with maybe 15 nights a year at Hilton family hotels, usually Conrad or Hilton in Asia. My status is (and always has been) from credit cards. The Aspire card is great for me.
Dec 6, 2018, 10:49 am
#51
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
I have both Asprire and Ascend and as far as I am concerned "it" is $0 and that makes diamond worth it.
Dec 6, 2018, 1:38 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,057
You can also reach it with the new Aspire card without spending any $ other than the $450 fee which can pay for itself and then some in the form of an annual free night plus resort and airline credits.
I have both Asprire and Ascend and as far as I am concerned "it" is $0 and that makes diamond worth it.
I have both Asprire and Ascend and as far as I am concerned "it" is $0 and that makes diamond worth it.
If you can get past the $450 Aspire annual fee and see value in the benefits of the card outside of being Diamond (which I think is reasonable for many people), there is no reason not to be Diamond. I just had my first stay as a Diamond Tues night at an HGI and other than a letter on the floor when I opened the door, I was treated no differently than as a former Gold. I'll earn a few more points but I don't think I would go out of my way on stays or spend to get to Diamond.
This year I have 9 stays and 22 nights, so I would only be Silver without the card. I was happy with the Surpass/Ascend and the $95 fee that gave me Gold before I got and offer from AMEX to upgrade to the Aspire and looked under the hood.
Dec 6, 2018, 5:28 pm
#54
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 68
I've achieved Diamond status for most of the last 10 years and agree with other comments about its usefulness. Lounge access in European and Asian cities is s significant perk. Executive lounges in the US are becoming less common. For domestic travel, Diamond status is better than Gold (obviously), but only marginally in most circumstances.
Dec 6, 2018, 6:37 pm
#55
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
I respectfully disagree. Sometimes Diamond status delivers better treatment from the front desk, or manager. E.g., later checkout time, which is very valuable when one has an afternoon/evening flight.
Dec 6, 2018, 11:43 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
Posts: 1,662
Late checkout? In the USA? Hmm, LOL, that is IMHO one area that Hilton has not and continues to not do a very good job. If it is granted it is usually an hour past regular checkout if you are lucky and the FD makes you feel like you just asked for a trip to the moon.... Lounges are zoos and offer meager offerings including costly, crappy sub par alcoholic beverages at the few remaining lounge locations (at least in the US). The move to a minimum of a 48 hour cancellation policy is driving me crazy. On the flip side I can't recall the last time I tried to use the 48 hour room guarantee and it actually worked. Seriously, how many blackout days does Hilton think they need at the Hampton Inn in Ridgecrest?
Dec 7, 2018, 8:33 am
#58
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,193
Been Diamond for about 8 years, all thru Amex Hilton spend $40,000 a year
With the US, I find it really means nothing.
outside of the US, some of the upgrades (Japan, Korea, Vietnam , ...) have a well worth it.
Tokyo Hilton was the best in terms of Breakfast and evening cocktails
With the US, I find it really means nothing.
outside of the US, some of the upgrades (Japan, Korea, Vietnam , ...) have a well worth it.
Tokyo Hilton was the best in terms of Breakfast and evening cocktails
Apr 10, 2019, 8:54 am
#59
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Portland, OR.
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 606
I'm trying to decide on the Aspire card and diamond status to see if it worth it. I have travel to WAW, Berlin, Sydney and Adelaide between 1-3 nights at each property.
Would only take it for 1 year because this is an unusual year of travel. THanks for the advice and/or questions..
Would only take it for 1 year because this is an unusual year of travel. THanks for the advice and/or questions..