Prior to our foray into the points game (see Budget Luxury Travel Doesn’t Have to Be An Oxymoron), we hadn’t really thought much about hotel loyalty status and membership. We simply didn’t travel enough to have loyalty to any brand or earn status on our own. However, when we started planning our five week trip to Europe, we realized we could really elevate our travel experience with hotel loyalty status.
We had already opened the AMEX Platinum card which confers Gold Status at Hilton and Marriott branded hotels. However, we soon realized there were more opportunities available for stays with elite status.
Normally, reaching Diamond Status with Hilton requires staying 60+ nights in a year. Something that seemed far out of reach for us in a years worth of travel and which wouldn’t help us for our upcoming trip. Fortunately, there was another option, a sort of skip to the front of the line via credit card. The co-branded Hilton AMEX Aspire card was our ticket to instant Hilton Diamond status.
Perks of the Hilton Aspire
Points bonus, annual free night, resort credit, $100 property credit, airline credit, Hilton Luxury status
Experience with Diamond Status
Our experience with Hilton Diamond Status includes stays in Europe and Asia. Although we considered using Hilton for some stays in America, we were able to find better offers through other channels. In one case, we considered using the 48 hour guarantee but since it wasn’t an emergency and we couldn’t use points, we ended up finding other options. Based on other user reviews, the Diamond experience is actually better in Europe and Asia as you are more likely to receive room upgrades and decent breakfasts.
While traveling through Europe we stayed with Hilton at six different properties for a total of fifteen nights. You can read detailed reviews of our stays in our post The Best and Worst Hilton Hotel Stays in Europe. Most of the properties gave us a minor room upgrade. To a better view and/or a larger bed. The breakfasts were ok, with only the Waldorf Astoria being a real stand out for quality. Lounge access at the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice was a very nice Diamond perk.
We have also stayed with Hilton at the Hotel Resonance in Taipei, Taiwan for a total of six nights. We used the fifth night free perk one of the stays and our annual free night for another. While we liked this hotel and they gave us a very minor room upgrade (higher floor), there were no significant Hilton Diamond benefits we felt were worth the status. Lounge access was available, but it was nothing special, especially since the free mini bar and water in the room were already provided. Breakfast was credit at the on property Starbucks. We were unable to get late checkout because we requested it too late.
Is It Really Luxury?
To be honest, despite the name Hilton Diamond status doesn’t feel very luxurious. More what a Hilton hotel ought to be offering all members. The easy accessibility due to the credit card may have devalued the status somewhat, though it’s hard to tell.
Since our AMEX Platinum already confers Hilton Gold Status, which includes most of the perks we found useful, we probably won’t keep our Hilton Diamond status forever. We are interested in exploring other hotel elite status offers for comparison. Look for an article coming soon comparing other hotel offerings!
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