Dec 16, 2014, 2:26 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Lifetime Diamond Status with HHonors is now reality. ^
More recent information posted by Lauren (Hilton Honors Representative) reflects changes in the Honors Lifetime Diamond qualifying criteria:
Previous:
Details for the first inductees were announced on the 11th Feb. 2015. Erin (HHonors Rep here on FT) posted the announcement shortly before the emails were sent out to members on the same day.
[B]Initially, Lifetime Diamond Status will go to a select group of members who met all of the following criteria as of December 31, 2014:
All paid stays count — not just the paid stays during the years a member is a Hilton HHonors diamond.
As more information becomes available it will be added here. Should you have any updates please post them in the thread or in this wiki to keep the most pertinent info quickly available to those interested.
For those interested, the development unfolded as follows:
Erin, the HHonors rep on FT posted the following on 16/12/2014: (after some eagle eyed attention by adambrock from an email sent out by Hilton and which he thankfully posted here on FT: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...tus-email.html Kudos to adambrock for noticing and sharing it with the community. ^)
HHonorsRepresentative (Erin) wrote in that thread:
In 2015, HHonors will begin introducing Lifetime Diamond Status! As you may know, we’re always looking for new ways to reward you and we take into consideration your feedback on ways to recognize our most loyal members. Over the past several years, we’ve heard from you that Lifetime Diamond Status is important to you and I’m thrilled to announce that we will be inviting some of our most tenured Diamond members into this status.
I’ll have more details for you in early 2015 and I understand our first Lifetime Diamond members will receive their invitations in the early part of 2015. At this time, this is all the information I have on Lifetime Diamond Status, but I will do my best to keep you all updated as I hear more!
levman wrote in a post on Jan 24:
The best source of info I've found is the email address [email protected]. It seems to be staffed with people dedicated to the Lifetime Diamond program.
More recent information posted by Lauren (Hilton Honors Representative) reflects changes in the Honors Lifetime Diamond qualifying criteria:
Hi all,
A few months ago, we received some great feedback in the Q&A thread with our VP of Hilton HHonors, Aaron Glick. While the team explores a number of initiatives, one area that we could change quickly was our Lifetime Diamond qualifications. As of January 2017, we will grant Lifetime Diamond to all members who have met the following criteria:
• Members who have maintained Diamond status for at least 10 years (years do not need to be consecutive)
AND
• Have stayed at least 1,000 nights - either paid or reward (as you may know, only paid nights were eligible before)
OR
• Have accumulated 2 million Base Points since joining the Hilton HHonors program (this is a new feature to enable more members to enjoy Lifetime Diamond status; also as a reminder, only Base Points are eligible...Bonus Points earned via promotions, co-brand credit cards, or other means do not count towards status)
So now, there will be essentially two ways you can qualify for Lifetime Diamond:
1. 10 years at Diamond with Hilton HHonors + 1,000 nights (including paid and reward)
2. 10 years at Diamond + 2 million cumulative Base Points
An email notification will go out in February to members who have qualified for Lifetime Diamond as of December 31, 2016. If you want a sneak peek to find out if you will qualify, you can contact the Diamond Desk and the team will be happy to help.
Please reach out with any questions or comments, and I’ll be sure to share them directly with Aaron and team.
Thank you!
Lauren
A few months ago, we received some great feedback in the Q&A thread with our VP of Hilton HHonors, Aaron Glick. While the team explores a number of initiatives, one area that we could change quickly was our Lifetime Diamond qualifications. As of January 2017, we will grant Lifetime Diamond to all members who have met the following criteria:
• Members who have maintained Diamond status for at least 10 years (years do not need to be consecutive)
AND
• Have stayed at least 1,000 nights - either paid or reward (as you may know, only paid nights were eligible before)
OR
• Have accumulated 2 million Base Points since joining the Hilton HHonors program (this is a new feature to enable more members to enjoy Lifetime Diamond status; also as a reminder, only Base Points are eligible...Bonus Points earned via promotions, co-brand credit cards, or other means do not count towards status)
So now, there will be essentially two ways you can qualify for Lifetime Diamond:
1. 10 years at Diamond with Hilton HHonors + 1,000 nights (including paid and reward)
2. 10 years at Diamond + 2 million cumulative Base Points
An email notification will go out in February to members who have qualified for Lifetime Diamond as of December 31, 2016. If you want a sneak peek to find out if you will qualify, you can contact the Diamond Desk and the team will be happy to help.
Please reach out with any questions or comments, and I’ll be sure to share them directly with Aaron and team.
Thank you!
Lauren
Details for the first inductees were announced on the 11th Feb. 2015. Erin (HHonors Rep here on FT) posted the announcement shortly before the emails were sent out to members on the same day.
Hi all,
Thanks for your patience as I gathered more details on our Lifetime Diamond rollout. As we’re in the New Year, I have some additional details to share with you.
Initially, Lifetime Diamond Status will go to a select group of members who met all of the following criteria as of December 31, 2014: Members that met this criteria as of December 31, 2014 will be notified via email and receive their Lifetime Diamond Status in the mail at the physical address on their account at the end of February. Members that meet Lifetime Diamond Status criteria in the middle of the year will receive Lifetime Diamond Status at the beginning of the following year.
Please note that we are in early stages of this benefit, which means that elements of this offering may evolve and may change over time. As I hear of any updates, I will be sure to share those here.
As always, your input is truly valued and we welcome your thoughts and feedback during this launch period. We’re here and listening!
Thanks,
Erin
Thanks for your patience as I gathered more details on our Lifetime Diamond rollout. As we’re in the New Year, I have some additional details to share with you.
Initially, Lifetime Diamond Status will go to a select group of members who met all of the following criteria as of December 31, 2014:
- Have maintained Diamond Status for at least 10 years (consecutive or concurrent) and
- Completed paid stays totaling at least 1,000 nights
Please note that we are in early stages of this benefit, which means that elements of this offering may evolve and may change over time. As I hear of any updates, I will be sure to share those here.
As always, your input is truly valued and we welcome your thoughts and feedback during this launch period. We’re here and listening!
Thanks,
Erin
All paid stays count — not just the paid stays during the years a member is a Hilton HHonors diamond.
As more information becomes available it will be added here. Should you have any updates please post them in the thread or in this wiki to keep the most pertinent info quickly available to those interested.
For those interested, the development unfolded as follows:
Erin, the HHonors rep on FT posted the following on 16/12/2014: (after some eagle eyed attention by adambrock from an email sent out by Hilton and which he thankfully posted here on FT: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...tus-email.html Kudos to adambrock for noticing and sharing it with the community. ^)
HHonorsRepresentative (Erin) wrote in that thread:
In 2015, HHonors will begin introducing Lifetime Diamond Status! As you may know, we’re always looking for new ways to reward you and we take into consideration your feedback on ways to recognize our most loyal members. Over the past several years, we’ve heard from you that Lifetime Diamond Status is important to you and I’m thrilled to announce that we will be inviting some of our most tenured Diamond members into this status.
I’ll have more details for you in early 2015 and I understand our first Lifetime Diamond members will receive their invitations in the early part of 2015. At this time, this is all the information I have on Lifetime Diamond Status, but I will do my best to keep you all updated as I hear more!
levman wrote in a post on Jan 24:
The best source of info I've found is the email address [email protected]. It seems to be staffed with people dedicated to the Lifetime Diamond program.
Consolidated "Lifetime Diamond - Experiences, Questions, Is It Worth It?" thread
Dec 18, 2014, 11:45 am
#61
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3 Million/ex-many year GS, AA PLT/2 Mil, AS MVPG, HH Dia, Starwood Life Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,401
If it is like the SPG program what would count would be the number of times you qualified for Diamond. I.e., if during year A you qualify for status in year A+1 that is one qualification even though you get Diamond status for the remainder of year A.
Dec 18, 2014, 12:13 pm
#62
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: Hilton Plat, National Car Exc Elite, Delta Gold
Posts: 34
I called the Diamond Desk back in October when I 1st heard rumors of this coming. At that time 1137 Nights/261 Stays since 2005. Closing in on 4 Million HH points, I did get the email, but deleted it. When I spoke to the Diamond Desk back in October, the lady essentially implied Lifetime Status would be coming soon, but did not have any details on qualficiations.
Dec 18, 2014, 1:09 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: HH D
Posts: 1,639
SPG's lifetime status (the other major one to compare) is much simpler, based on nights and years (no points). However, there are very few midscale properties in the SPG family, and that may be why they don't need a points factor.
Hilton is more smiilar to Marriott than to SPG in the mix of brand levels they have, and so it's possible they may want to go more like Marriott just to avoid cheap stays at Hamptons only giving the same lifetime status as the same number of stays at Conrads only.
Hilton is more smiilar to Marriott than to SPG in the mix of brand levels they have, and so it's possible they may want to go more like Marriott just to avoid cheap stays at Hamptons only giving the same lifetime status as the same number of stays at Conrads only.
So I'm expecting Lifetime Status will not have a hurdle of a minimal lifetime spend. However, if I became a lifetime diamond I would focus more on longer stays instead of shorter ones.
Last edited by Sisosig; Dec 18, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Dec 18, 2014, 1:36 pm
#65
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 1,012
I know what you mean. Its often much easier to find a Hilton or DT going for $69-$89 on a weekend or slow week than a Hampton or HGI. Maybe the full service hotels expect to make up the revenue on internet, restaurant, parking, etc that usually isn't charged at Hamptons.
Dec 18, 2014, 3:09 pm
#66
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: EXT, LHR & ORD
Programs: AA EXP MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,613
same here - for the last 10 years I have only ever received booking confirmations, never any other emails (I find the quarterly "offers" from FT).
Dec 18, 2014, 4:23 pm
#67
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Dec 18, 2014, 5:57 pm
#68
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 981
i believe it's "all" points, not "virtually" all.
please tell us the requirements soon! as a lowly silver (but former diamond who moved because of no lifetime program), i might want to go back to hilton. unforutnately, i already have about 50 nights booked for next year at SPG.
please tell us the requirements soon! as a lowly silver (but former diamond who moved because of no lifetime program), i might want to go back to hilton. unforutnately, i already have about 50 nights booked for next year at SPG.
Dec 18, 2014, 7:27 pm
#69
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Wisconsin and Southern France
Programs: Delta Platinum, Delta MM; HH Diamond, Starwood Platinum, ICH Platinum Ambassador, Hertz Gold
Posts: 745
As I have stated previously, I also have the problem of no emails. But thanks are in order to Erin for her responsiveness to me on this issue! Happy holidays.
Dec 19, 2014, 5:14 am
#70
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
I say virtually as I know that Marriott treats points received by trading in your MVCI ownership a bit differently (i.e. those points cannot be used to order an MVCI award cert.) When you "combine" your points with someone for an award, if you cancel that award, all points are deposited back into your account. And I'm not completely sure those points will count in your LT total.
But back to the Hilton LT topic.
It will definitely be interesting to see what the full requirements will be (and if they only include LT Diamond level or if there is also an LT Gold level.) Note that SPG has LT for both Gold and Plat. And Marriott has LT for Silver, Gold and Plat. So if Hilton is moving to match the other programs, they may well come out with a Gold LT level as well.
But back to the Hilton LT topic.
It will definitely be interesting to see what the full requirements will be (and if they only include LT Diamond level or if there is also an LT Gold level.) Note that SPG has LT for both Gold and Plat. And Marriott has LT for Silver, Gold and Plat. So if Hilton is moving to match the other programs, they may well come out with a Gold LT level as well.
Dec 19, 2014, 5:29 am
#71
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol, UK
Programs: HH D, Rad VIP, Marriott G
Posts: 5,357
I'm curious to see if the requirements are going to be known at all, Hilton may decide to simply keep that 'hidden' at least for the beginning as they are invite only.
Obviously would be good to know what the requirements are but that doesn't mean we will know.
Does anyone know the amount of members (total members) in the other programs that offer Lifetime status? Just curious as I believe Hilton has 55 million members and I'm wondering how this compares (and then obviously if the Diamond and Gold will be eventually included or just diamond.)
If the other programs have significantly fewer members then I imagine it will only be Diamond but if they are similar or even bigger in size then maybe there is a chance for Gold lifetime status as well.
Certainly Diamonds would be 2.5% or less of the membership (one would guess) so numbers matter. Gold must be significantly higher numbers, I'm guessing somewhere between 10 and 25% of the membership so if the other programs are half the size, we likely won't be seeing the Gold level anytime soon...
I do wonder if 'activity' on TA / social media / blogs / FT will be part of the formula (obviously some stays/nights/points criteria but maybe also an 'influencer' factor as well?)
Obviously would be good to know what the requirements are but that doesn't mean we will know.
Does anyone know the amount of members (total members) in the other programs that offer Lifetime status? Just curious as I believe Hilton has 55 million members and I'm wondering how this compares (and then obviously if the Diamond and Gold will be eventually included or just diamond.)
If the other programs have significantly fewer members then I imagine it will only be Diamond but if they are similar or even bigger in size then maybe there is a chance for Gold lifetime status as well.
Certainly Diamonds would be 2.5% or less of the membership (one would guess) so numbers matter. Gold must be significantly higher numbers, I'm guessing somewhere between 10 and 25% of the membership so if the other programs are half the size, we likely won't be seeing the Gold level anytime soon...
I do wonder if 'activity' on TA / social media / blogs / FT will be part of the formula (obviously some stays/nights/points criteria but maybe also an 'influencer' factor as well?)
Dec 19, 2014, 6:16 am
#72
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
They'll announce next year, we'll be celebrating or gnashing our teeth, rending our clothes and ranting about the unfairness of it all.
I do find it interesting HH has no way of counting lifetime points, though I'd imagine lifetime base points could easily be a selection criterion (lifetime points less so - some of us have accumulated millions of those with credit cards, various bonuses, etc.)
Australian Business Traveller speculates
Hilton hasn't revealed how many single nights or consecutive-night stays will be required for that cherished Lifetime Diamond card – but with annual Diamond status requiring 30 stays, 60 nights or 120,000 'base points' (earned at a rate of 10 points per US dollar spent on hotel room rates and folio charges), it's certain to be a lofty goal.
Last edited by JDiver; Dec 19, 2014 at 6:26 am
Dec 19, 2014, 10:10 am
#73
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Australian Business Traveller speculates
And while SPG LT Plat takes a minimum of 10 years, LT Gold can be had in only 5 years (and not have to spend every one of those nights in a Starwood hotel either.)
Dec 19, 2014, 10:35 am
#74
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: USA FL
Programs: Hilton Honors LT Diamond, Marriott Gold Delta Gold, Avis Preferred Plus,
Posts: 190
I hope when they launch this they add a spot in our accounts telling us lifetime nights, stays and points earned. Years as diamond and gold would be a bonus but not as easy to make happen. I don't think I got the email but I am trigger happy to delete emails sometimes. One time I deleted an email from Hilton giving me a free weekend and golf tournament. By the time I realized it they had the tournament booked up.
Dec 19, 2014, 11:18 am
#75
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
It might not be as "lofty" as some think. I was surprised by Marriott a few years ago when they reduced their LT status requirements. They used to require 12 years in the program plus more nights and points for each LT level.
And while SPG LT Plat takes a minimum of 10 years, LT Gold can be had in only 5 years (and not have to spend every one of those nights in a Starwood hotel either.)
And while SPG LT Plat takes a minimum of 10 years, LT Gold can be had in only 5 years (and not have to spend every one of those nights in a Starwood hotel either.)
