The problem with all of these elite programs is that they provide minimal useful benefits. Hilton needs to find a way to incent people to stay beyond 60 nights. For example, if you are a lifetime diamond AND you achieve 60 nights, that should put you way above other diamonds and maybe always get you a suite.

I have 5 hilton stays this year and they have all been crap. In most cases I could not even get a room with a king size bed because I was checking in mid-week. I checked in to the Hilton Midtown on Thu and there were tons of suites available and they would not give me one. I had to pay extra to get a suite.

For me Hilton is the most convenient hotel chain to stay in. However, once I hit 60 nights I then will go for top level at the rest of the chains. Last year Hilton lost 175 nights of my travel which is approximately $35,000. If Diamond had any value I would have given those 175 nights to Hilton. Hilton isn't alone here - I think the same clueless MBA consultants are advising all of the hotel chains.

You average $200 per night. Wow, my company has a soft cap of $150 per night.

The incentive is all the points you earn that you can use on great vacations at Hilton properties. And I reserve the minimum type room that I want on an award which sometimes costs more points. But if I stay more than the minimum to maintain Diamond I get plenty of points to get those nice rooms. I never rely on free upgrades on award stays, that is just setting yourself up for disappointment.

And I don't see the big deal about suites, as long as I get a comfortable bed that is king or queen I am pretty happy. I most certainly would not spend extra money that I wouldn't get reimbursed for just to have a suite. The room is for sleeping. But I guess if you are entertaining in your room you would want something really nice. So far the Hilton chains are very good about getting me the things that are important to me. High floor, hate people above me, and a king bed most of the time. And when they can't get me the king I always get 2 queens which is also fine. And breakfast is important to me too.

Many of the Hiltons are around $150 but NYC, London, San Fran and other places are often around $300, depending on the time of the year.

I don't care about suites usually unless I need to entertain or I have family.

You're SFO-based? Good thing you don't have to travel there for work then!

In my experience, almost any Hilton (brand, not family) property in a US city center during a work night will push at least that $200 threshold.

Lifetime DIA status requirements... what a joke?!
 

Didn't see anyone post it here yet but I was reading about the new DIA lifetime requirements.

The most laughable part is the 1000 nights... given if you requalify with the minimum of 60 nights per year, that'll take about 16 years to reach if my math is correct. I'm sure HHonors will look a lot different (if even existing) then!

http://loyaltylobby.com/2015/02/11/h...nts-published/ for a good laugh.

I'm nowhere near lifetime Diamond on that criteria, but based upon a number of FTers who are real HH road warriors, with 100+ nights a year and a long history of loyalty, it will reward at this time, exactly the sort of people that Hilton want to reward. This is about rewarding those who have been loyal for years on this criteria.

It probably won't make those of us qualifying via stays or spend push on for lifetime status as it may be far out of reach to be motivating, but it may well be that HH are aiming to reward the real frequent stayers.

For those FTers who have qualified over the years and spent almost 3 years in a HH family hotel, I salute you and your lifetime status when you get it. You have earned it.

Never got my hopes up but this is crazy. I never qualify on nights, just base points as I tend to stay in Conrads mostly. Oh well.

Yeah in that respect... if people have lived the 3 years in Hiltons already... then they definitely deserve a reward (not just for the loyalty, but all the usual hotel troubles one encounters over the years!).

I know I won't be qualifying for this anytime soon. I requalify on stays... and usually need a stay or two by using mattress runs at the EOY.

Well, the 10 years is something that I expected, but the 1,000 (paid) nights is steep. waw.... I wonder what percentage will get this offer now...this might put to bed the discussion about Hilton creating a tier above Diamond; it seems they already have ;-)

The wording "is available for select members"- does this mean all will qualify if the requirements are met or Hilton will invite some and not others?

It would be interesting to see if they can do lifetime gold status, which I would probably hit at 600 or so nights - but lifetime diamond will be a stretch.

Still, lifetime status is meant to keep people loyal throughout their career, and perhaps into retirement, not for those who are bouncing from stay to stay.

Kind of what I expected. The 1000 nights is a little steep but for me it is doable. I stay around 90 nights a year. I have about 3 to 4 years to go to make this. No worries about it diluting the Diamond status by giving it to too many people.

While the 10 years Diamond seems fair, a thousand points is a bit steeper than I was thinking. I got a few more years before I get to 10 years of Diamond, but I was Gold for several years. What I don't understand is that my card says I am a member since 10/2002 but I know I had Hilton activity in the late 90s and I have never cared about that discrepancy before because it was irrelevant, just a number on a card. I really have no clue about my total nights and now I am really curious, so I guess I should contact the Diamond Desk.

I have zero chance of achieving this, but I am young and jobs change and so may travel needs and brand coverage in my targetted geographis.

I am pleased with 1000 paid nights nonetheless - it avoids diluting diamond status further. Theoretically, with about 25 paid stays a year, Lifetime Diamond would appear just as I retire :D (I guess the world will look very different then, so I will not aim for that at this stage :D )

I feel like I've just been punched in the gut. When I called to get my lifetime stats, I was told my account had already been looked at and I was a Legacy and would get lifetime - now I look at the requirements and it doesn't look good, I don't have 1,000 nights.
I wasn't complaining about being stiffed for the 100,000 points as I assumed something bigger was on the way. I told 2, 1 year Diamonds about it and they were rewarded but my 19 years as a Diamond isn't.
I'm going to wait for the rollout and if nothing happens, I'm done.