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Hilton increases status qualification levels for 2013

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Hilton HHonors has quietly updated its terms and conditions.  These show that the qualification requirements for status will be changing (ie getting worse) for 2013.

  • Silver status remains at 4 stays or 10 nights.
  • Gold status (and Hilton has the best mid-tier of any hotel scheme, as I will explain in a week or so) goes up from 16 stays, 36 nights, or 60,000 base points to 20 stays, 40 nights, or 75,000 base points
  • Diamond status (which isn’t worth much more than Gold) goes from 28 stays, 60 nights, or 100,000 base point to 30 stays, 60 nights, or 120,000 base points

Gary’s theory, over at View from the Wing, is that there are too many Gold members.  This is, of course, Hilton’s fault because it has started giving Gold status away as a free benefit with its US credit card!

Truly, the tail is wagging the dog when people who actually stay in the hotels get shafted in favour of people who take out a co-branded credit card!

The UK Hilton card does not come with automatic Hilton Gold – you need to spend £10,000 per year first.  You do get free Silver status just for getting the card, though.  American Express Platinum cardholders in the UK are given a one-off 1 year of Hilton Gold.


How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

and for small business owners:

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

Comments (6)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Wozza2404 says:

    If they want to cut down their Gold members they need to address the issues in the US. Handing out Gold cards like sweeties to anyone who shows the remotest interest in their chain is not a sustainable business model.
    Couple this with the fact you can stay at the lower-end chains in their brand for $40/$50 a night during their promo, and their 4night “challenges” seem a very easy path to Gold as well.
    This is why Gold status means very little when you check into a US Hilton, but in somewhere like Abu Dhabi you’re treated like royalty.
    Hilton needs to create a “US Gold” status to hand out with it’s credit cards; something which is still appealing, but doesn’t alienate those of us who don’t live in the US and have to retain our status the hard way.

    • Raffles says:

      I actually got my HH Gold from a 4 night challenge! Got a Gold card at random in the post a year ago, valid for 4 months. Told I could extend it to 18 months by doing 4 stays, which would also get me 25,000 bonus points. As Hilton was also doing a ‘stay 4, get a free night’ promo last Autumn, it was worth doing a couple of mattress run nights plus two nights I actually needed.

  • Wozza2404 says:

    Oh I’m aware that’s how most people do it, and my first Gold Hhonors card came courtesy of the UK Plat.
    My point is that I’m expected to complete all 16 (now 20) stays, and as I mainly stay at properties in Australia and The Middle East, that usually means an annual requalification spend of £2000+.
    Just venting, really. Annoys me that people like myself are expected to pay more to retain status, when Hilton will almost certainly not be stopping these “Gold for all” promos they’re so fond of.
    It’s almost enough to send me back to Starwoods…*

    *Empty threat.

  • PanGalactic says:

    I don’t see them improving Diamond benefits as they are already pretty good. As you say Raffles, Gold is almost as good as diamond, I’m slightly worried that maybe they are going to “enhance” Gold status 😮

  • KimJ says:

    Hi Raffles, would like to seek your advice …

    Amex’s MR points exchange for Hilton’s HHonors, are they counted towards the base points (60,000 for elite Gold status)? Thanks.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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