Final opportunity: Share complimentary Hilton elite status with your loved ones for a limited time

Hilton Honors permits anyone who spends 60 nights or more at the hotel chain in a calendar year to bestow elite status on another Honors member. Now, Hilton has temporarily broadened this offer to all its top-tier elites, regardless of how they achieved their status. But hurry, time is running out!

Until Jan. 31, 2021, Hilton Diamond and Lifetime Diamond members can provide elite status for one year to a family member or friend. Diamond members can offer mid-tier Gold status, while Lifetime Diamond members can grant the highest Diamond status.

Bestowing Hilton Honors elite status

In December, Hilton Honors surprised its Diamond members with a unique gift. Until Jan. 31, 2021, Diamond members can gift Hilton Honors Gold status to someone special, while Lifetime Diamond members can give Diamond status.

This exclusive benefit is accessible to all Diamond members, no matter how many nights you stayed this year. So, you can still enjoy this offer even if your status came complimentary as a Hilton credit cardholder, which is quite generous. Additionally, this promotion complements Hilton's regular elite status gifting program. Members who have completed 60 or 100 qualifying nights this year can still gift Gold or Diamond status to someone else, respectively.

Details on how to claim this gift have been dispatched via email. Recipients should visit this link to claim their gifted Gold status or this link for Diamond status, then enter their unique claim code.

If you haven't received the status gift email, it may be due to opting out of Hilton's marketing emails. In such a case, you can obtain your personalized gift code by calling Hilton or emailing [email protected].

The gifted status is valid for 365 days from the date of gifting — it does not align with the program year. Once the status is assigned, you can't change the recipient, so choose carefully.

What is the value of Hilton elite status?

If you travel enough to fully utilize them, Gold and Diamond statuses are valued at $1,255 and $3,025, respectively. Yet, even if your travels are limited lately, you can still derive significant benefits from them.

Mid-tier Gold status is generally achieved after 20 stays or 40 nights, or by accumulating 75,000 base points in a calendar year (which equals $7,500 in spending). However, for the 2021 qualification year, Hilton has halved those requirements. It's considered one of the best mid-tier hotel statuses available, providing perks like an 80% points bonus, a fifth night free on award stays, space-available upgrades, late check-out, and even complimentary breakfast.

Top-tier Diamond status necessitates 30 stays, 60 nights, or 120,000 base points ($12,000 in spending) — or half that for 2021. This status elevates your experience further with suite upgrades, guaranteed lounge access, and a 100% points bonus.

It's worth noting that there are various ways to accelerate your path to Hilton elite status. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card grant Gold status and offer the chance to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases within a calendar year. Additionally, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card provides automatic Diamond status. You can also attain complimentary Hilton Gold status with The Platinum Card® from American Express.

The information regarding the Hilton Aspire card has been gathered independently by Dinogo. The details on this page have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Conclusion

Hilton Honors has effectively kept its members engaged throughout the pandemic, and this new benefit for Diamond members adds an extra incentive. Initiatives such as being the first hotel chain to extend elite status and significantly lower qualification requirements for 2021 have helped Hilton secure the title of Best Hotel Loyalty Program in this year's TPG Awards. However, it remains to be seen whether making status more accessible will eventually diminish the program's value.