Party (and stay) like it’s basically pre-pandemic times when it comes to Hilton’s road map to earning elite status next year.
This week, the hotel giant rolled out refreshed guidelines for earning Hilton Honors status, and it feels like a return to normal.
Reduced elite requirements? We hardly knew ye. It’s time to get back out there and get your head in a bed at any of Hilton’s wide array of brands, from Waldorf Astoria to Tru or the Hilton Cancun (pictured above).
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On the bright side, there is one big win for members regarding points-expiration timelines, but our big takeaway is that it’s probably easier to earn Hilton elite status by just opening a credit card. Let’s take a closer look.
Better points expiration policy
Hilton suspended points expiration earlier in the pandemic through the end of last year. Previously, Hilton Honor points expired if there wasn’t any account activity for 15 consecutive months. This means you had to earn or redeem points at least once during this time period to keep your points active.
But that’s just changed for the better. Now, Hilton points will expire after 24 months of no activity in a member’s account. This gives you nine extra months to keep your points active. The news was first reported by View From The Wing.
Related: How to keep your points and miles from expiring
A return to normal qualification limits
Here’s a look at how many nights or base points you’ll need for each Hilton status tier:
- Silver: 10 nights or four stays or 25,000 base points.
- Gold: 40 nights or 20 stays or 75,000 base points.
- Diamond: 60 nights or 30 stays or 120,000 base points.
That’s up from this year’s qualification levels, which had Silver at seven nights, Gold at 28 nights and Diamond at 42 nights.
Just a quick rundown: Silver is, as you might guess, the entry point for Hilton elite status. Silver members get things like free bottled water at check-in, 20% bonus points on stays and elite rollover nights to count toward status qualification the following calendar year.
Gold has added benefits like an 80% points bonus on stays, space-available room upgrades and daily food and beverage credit at U.S. hotels or continental breakfast at non-U.S. hotels. Meanwhile, Diamond status includes additional benefits like a 100% points-earning bonus on stays and executive lounge access.
Related: Hilton Honors program overview
Open a credit card
The return to pre-pandemic qualification thresholds for Hilton Honor puts even more value in just going the credit card route to attaining status.
The Hilton Honors FAQ page notes that points earned with a Hilton cobranded credit card will continue to count toward elite status qualification and Lifetime Diamond status, as it has since the pandemic began. This means that charging your Hilton stays to a cobranded credit card is a great way to inch closer to elite status since some cards earn up to 14 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties.
Additionally, many American Express-issued cards include automatic elite status, with one offering top-tier Diamond status. This means you’ll have Hilton status regardless of how many nights you stay so long as your credit card is open and in good standing.
Here’s a look at all the Amex cards that include Hilton elite status:
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you don’t think you’ll hit the stay or point requirements next year to count toward Hilton Honors status, going the credit card route may be the right fit for your Hilton loyalty strategy.
Related: 6 amazing benefits that make Hilton Diamond status worthwhile
Bottom line
Hilton is the latest travel company to bring pre-pandemic elite status requirements back for 2023. It joins Marriott, Hyatt, IHG and nearly all the major airlines that brought these back for the 2022 elite status year. But on the bright side, infrequent travelers now have 24 months of no account activity before their Hilton points expire, and credit card spending will count toward status qualification.
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