sharklover

Please delete I found the thread.

travelexpert

It's amazing how the the largest hotel chains have not more clearly stratified top tier versus second tier elite status. I am most familiar with Hilton and Marriott--and both do a terrible job in this regard.

The airlines do a FAR better job at distinguishing first level first second level elites. After 9 consecutive years as United 1K, I lost my 1K status last year (dropping to Premier Executive as a Milllion Miler)--and what a shock to the system. My upgrade record plummeted from about 80% to about half of that. Never mind that I went from priority boarding to first of the "regulars". And no more SWUs! Fortunately, I restored my 1K this year....

At Hilton, giving Gold same privileges as Diamond is a significant part of the problem. For example, it overloads the lounges, and spoils the experience for everyone.

It's time for HHONORS to make a sharp distinction between Diamond and Gold, so that achieving Diamond will actually mean something. Not only does Hilton need to do a much better job of creating suite benefits (pun intended) for it's most valued customers--it also needs to do start a major effort enforcing standards across properties.

YES--I know that some Gold members will not be happy with my statements. But it's time for Hilton to start recognizing where the bulk of its dollars come from--and sorry to tell you--Diamonds by definition vastly outspend Golds in any given year.

zaf

I am a Gold VIP and I agree with you. I see no reason for me to pursue Diamond (if i could) other than the Diamond force booking (which is a huge benefit, especially on award stays).

But the key is not to make the Gold VIP less appealing but rather make the Diamond more impressive. For an example, SPG's Gold and Platinum both get space available upgrades BUT the SPG Platinum members can be upgraded to Suites (which is not the case in Hhonors), where as SPG gold's upgrades are limited to rooms only. Ofcourse the hotel may be generous enough to upgrade you to Suites whether you were HHonors or SPG Gold, but if it doesn't you wouldn't be so upset since its not in the benefits.

I think the Hilton HHonors Gold VIP is the best Mid Tier Hotel Status in the market. You do get the room upgrade and lounge access in addition free breakfast for 2. if you do get the executive room usually they include highspeed internet access for free and in many cases hotels can be generous enough to give you at least a 2 pm if not 3 pm late check out.

travelinfoo

Completely agree! Gold is so easy to make with all these fast tracks/airline comps. Ppl who don't even want to put the time in for fast-tracks are angling and sometimes even getting Gold! The ease of getting the status should reflect the benefits. Also limit fast-tracks to a one-time limit instead of ppl requalifying over & over via fast-track. Again, this does not reflect loyalty.

Also better enforcement of NO points/benefits of those using opaque sites. This is also a problem. If you can't be loyal to Hilton, why should they offer you any benefits?

Because Golds are so common, the best upgrades should ALWAYS go to Diamonds. They should always be upgraded prior to ANY Golds. If no ER available, give a Diamond a HIGHER level upgrade, include suites for Diamonds. This is controversial but I don't think a Gold should ever get a suite upgrade. The Gold should get an upgrade but not to the EL UNLESS there is availability after all Diamonds and paid EL customers are already accomodated.

Maybe allow the Diamonds to get 2 of the MyWay benefits. Maybe special awards available only to Diamonds similar to what airlines have.

I do like the Diamond Force and hope that stays around. This is one of the best features.

Give better benefits to those who put the time/money in to earn it! Nothing makes me madder than finding a GOLD got a suite upgrade while Diamond me gets "an upgrade" which was the same as a regular room but I got a bathrobe. Should NEVER happpen!

Have to agree about the big difference in airline level. I dropped to Blue on BA for 1 yr. What a rude awakening! I scrambled to make sure I remained Silver after. With better benefits, people would have more of an incentive to achieve the higher level.

Aldebaran

I am Diamond and I completely agree with the OPs. In my opinion Gold is the best mid tier level in the market, and when I was Gold I had 100% upgrade rate, with some very nice rooms. I think it should not change, but the problem is another: is extremely important not to make the Gold VIP less appealing but rather make the Diamond more impressive.
As a Diamond I was sometimes upgraded to suites and had a wonderful service, but this happened in Europe and in Asia, not in the US.
Another importand issue, expecially for an european HHonors member like me who earn the status the hard way, are the "fake" Gold and Diamonds who earn the status with Amex Surpass spending, and maybe they will not stay in any Hilton family hotel. I know this is marketing, and if they not stay in the hotel it should not be a problem, but the day these "Golds" or "Diamonds" decide to use any Hilton hotel they are entitled of the same upgrades like me. And if I have to check-in very late probably I will not reveice any upgrade because all of these are already tken by these guys.
Better to act like Hyatt: status only with nights or stays and not credit cards.

German Expat

Hyatt just announced an alliance with Chase to bring out a credit card. So lets see what they will throw in.

cordelli

Is that true? I tend to believe it's not, that there are way more golds out there then there are diamonds, and while on a per person basis Diamonds spend more, overall Golds spend more then diamonds because there are so many more of them.

Hilton has little more to offer Diamonds. They double the bonus points from Gold, and allow the Diamond Force. There is a perception that upgrades are more frequent as Diamond, and I know as a gold there was never a bottle of wine or a fruit basket in my room, sometimes as Diamond there is.

Premier Exec boards before zone one, so you are still boarding before the regulars, who are in zones 2 to 4 usually.

travelinfoo

Several poster are saying not to make Gold less appealing. But making some aspects of Diamonds better will directly negatively impact Golds.

A big issue is the upgrades. Diamonds should ALWAYS get better upgrades than Golds. Diamonds should have the possibility of suites while Gold not. If you want to distinguish between the 2 levels, you CANNOT give them the same upgrade chances or types of upgrades. As the mid-level tier, Gold should NOT have access to the best upgrades. They are, after all, only mid-tier.
I have run into several instances where this was NOT true. By giving Diamonds the best upgrades, Golds will have a decrease in the amount and quality of upgrades, AS IT SHOULD BE. There are only so many nice upgrades and they should always go to those at the highest status level (and those who pay for those rooms of course).

To preserve the integrity of Gold and decrease competition, HHonors should cut back on the number of easy Golds. I think people should work to obtain the levels. A one-time only match of Gold, like other programs, may be granted. Same with fast track. If people want to keep that level, then they should have the re qualify the usual way from then on out. That'll cut the ranks of the Golds and thus decrease competition for limited hotel resources. After all, this is a LOYALTY program. How loyal is someone who is willing only to do 4 stays each year to get Gold?

travelinfoo

The amount spent by an individual Diamond is higher than an individual Gold. Diamonds are much more valuable as a whole. Wouldn't you rather have a group of 200 where each person spends $8000 per vs 1000 where they spend just $800 per? It would really be good business sense for Hilton to try to do more for these valuable people. This is esp true in light of many Golds being "fool's Gold" - they weren't actually earned but were obtained by many repeat fast-tracks, airline comps, etc. These are the people who have little loyalty to Hilton but just want to enjoy the bennies for essentially nothing and are competing for those few perks. More # ppl means less perks overall. HHonors needs to do a shake-down of their membership and eliminate those who obtain Gold via repeat fast-tracks or repeat comps. If they like HHonors Gold so much, make them earn it! Why can't they limit their comps/fast tracks to a one-time deal like other programs? They do so well of keeping records, this wouldn't be a big deal.

I think the decreasing # perks/upgrades we Diamonds are seeing is because of the larger and larger # Gold/Diamonds out there now. Gold, esp, seem to be a dime a dozen.

NWA747SNN

I agree, especially in Europe there is little difference between Gold and Diamond. Did not re-qualify for Gold last year, so I upgraded my HH Amex to the Surpass card and am now Gold until Feb 2012. This was supposed to be for one calendar year, but the card arrived in the mail and has an exp. date of 2/12. Gary Leff reports that he spent $40k on the card to get Diamond and when his card arrived, it was good through 2/12 also.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...t-card-coming/

jabez

As a long time Diamond (usually have my 28 stays in the first 3 or 4 months each year) I feel HH really is "ignoring" its very best customers. Not only should diamonds get more, but they should consider an even higher level.
Having said this, the idea that HH would read these posts and then act on them concerns me more than pleases me.

Nothing in the current ownership/buisness plan leads me to believe that HH would add more benefits rather than subtract them. From the recent point devaluations to NOR1 upgrades, and then to the new seemingly intensive scrutiny of the "MY WAY" benefits at check-in, I am convinced that HH would use this to further minimize its program.

If they added a higher level, odds are all others would be devalued. If they made a larger gap in services between Diamond and Gold, the Gold members would suffer.

While I am in agreement with the sentiments here, I shudder to think what would happen if the current Hilton management team got ahold of them.

With a simple consolation prize of a free night coupon,woosh no more exec. floors for Golds, breakfasts only for Diamonds, etc.

Sunday

I completely agree. All of the fast track and credit card promotions are a mistake. Dilutes the core purpose of the program.

TuxTraveller

Agreed

Don't agree @:-)

I know a lot of Europe based HH Golds that far outspend a lot of HH Diamonds. The reason is that it's easy to jump around cheapo US HH chains in the US and earn lots of stays without much spend, but rather more expensive to do so on the high end Hilton or Conrad hotels in Europe!

Now I realise this will be unpopular, particularly here on FT, but the chains need to adjust to reward those customers that spend the most, rather than just those that stay the most!!

My suggestion is therefore that Diamond unlike Silver and Gold should become purely spend-based and then adjust the Diamond benefits appropriately. This would benefit the truly best customers and it would be good for the hotel chains!

zedthedeadpoet

+1 OP

kevin80

Diamonds get 25% more bonus points which is faster accrural of award stays... even if they require more points.