isdoo

Hi,

I am currently Gold - according to the Hilton site, I have a chance of making Diamond by the end of March - although this would mean me spending a bit of cash at a Hilton that I would not use.

If I leave it until after March then my task is that much harder.

I am UK based (if that makes a difference to your answer)

I am earning my levels via base points and not via stays or nights.

However the benefits for Diamond are not any better than Gold - so is it really worth it?

What do others think?

Thanks.

Uniter

In the UK, Diamond gets you much better access to the club floor than Gold. Some European Hiltons only allow Diamonds into their clubs. So I'd say yes.

isdoo

looks like $2000 will have to be spent LOL

travelman2129

I know we discussed this with others and the majority of instances it was worth it. I know I'm a couple of stays short, so am doing a couple Opprotnity reward stays to get to diamond again this year. I think it is beneficial, especially for reward redemption.

david7021

I'm sure others know more than me about it - but I've had access to the Executive lounge as a Gold member in both Prague and Rome recently. I do stay away from peak travel times and wonder if that makes a difference since the hotels are usually not full. I'd like to hear what others know.

LongingForORD

I have to agree with David 7021. I am gold and have always been upgraded to Exec level both domestically and over seas (even on award stays). But, I also travel off peak and am very flexible about room type. So I am sure there are many great advantages to being Diamond, as opposed to being Gold, but I am not sure how much money you would have to spend to make it worhwhile.

johnndor

It depends on how much disposable income you have... Personally I would not pay $2k for Diamond, but if it was less than $500, I might consider it, assuming my travel level was going to stay the same.

Akulashark

I just did one of these threads, I recently made diamond. the card is cool.

nollag

How far are you away from Diamond ?

Could a couple of award stays tip you over?

I've found that since going Diamond I ALWAYS get an upgrade, whereas it was a bit hit and miss as Gold

UNITED959

I've been happy with Gold. I was Diamond for a year...it was nice, but I'm content with Gold. YMMV.

SanDiego1K

Gold to Diamond - did you see a difference?

alect

In that thread I posted and am in the same position as you except $400 off Diamond. Given personal circumstances at the moment and the potential benefits, I have decided not to spend that money. I have all of my awards booked for the next 12 months and don't even know whether I will need an award after that since both my job and residence will change. YMMV.

pmcg

My Diamond will be out at the end of April and I'll make no effort to keep this.

I've seen no benefit over Gold and in some cases not even had lounge access or a room upgrade (Glasgow, Newcastle).

Guess it may depend on where you plan to stay though as clearly some European and US properties treat Golds & Diamonds better.

kuja

I am a gold member and about 11 nights away from the diamond status and have till July to get it, I know ill get it but am wondering if its even worth it...

kenjih

I'd say the main benefits are easier access to awards for Diamonds and better treatment at some hotels. In Europe and the US I haven't seen much difference but in Asia Diamonds are usually treated better (arguably Golds are sometimes getting shortchanged!). A minus for me is that HHonors is a lot less helpful at resolving issues with properties though than I've seen with Starwood or Hyatt - or even Marriott. Its the sense that Hilton is just "ok" but some of the other chains generally will do more for their higher-tier guests. I don't feel assured of Hilton's customer service when something goes wrong, and that hasn't improved as a Diamond - and I've been one a few years now. My advice is not to expect too much over Gold, but if you are close to Diamond it would be worth it for more points earning, easier access to awards and the chance of better treatment at some properties..that's it.
Diamond on Hyatt is noticeable, or Platinum on Starwood, and Platinum on Marriott seems to be noticeably better too - that's another reason why I'm ho-hum.