Your Hilton HHonors Lifetime Diamond Status Questions Answered

After writing about Hilton’s new HHonors Lifetime Diamond offering, I received a flurry of emailed questions from readers. Example: Are the 1,000 paid nights from the time joining the program, or as a Diamond? I reached out to the HHonors team to get answers, and they responded quickly.

Here are answers to many questions about the new Lifetime Diamond Status, as provided by Hilton HHonors –

How do I achieve Lifetime Diamond Status?
To achieve Lifetime Diamond Status, you must have maintained Diamond Status for at least 10 years (non-consecutive) and completed 1,000 paid nights. The 1,000 paid nights are over the life of the HHonors account, not only the years the Member achieved Diamond status.

Who is eligible for Lifetime Diamond Status?
At this time, HHonors Members that achieved the criteria for Lifetime Diamond Status as of December 31, 2014, are eligible for this initial offering and have been notified by Hilton HHonors.

When I meet the requirements for Lifetime Diamond Status in 2015, when will I receive my Lifetime Diamond Status?
If you meet the criteria for Lifetime Diamond Status in 2015, you will be awarded status during requalification in early 2016.

By what date will I have had to obtain the criteria to be considered for the Lifetime Diamond Status offering for this initial offering?
You would have needed to meet the criteria by December 31, 2014.

When will the Lifetime Diamond Status Program and its benefits take effect?
The Lifetime Diamond Status program offering will take effect on February 11th, 2015. Beginning on that date, Members will be notified they are receiving Lifetime Diamond Status and will be able to enjoy all Diamond Member benefits that will not expire.

How will I know if I qualify for Lifetime Diamond Status in the future?
If you meet the criteria for Lifetime Diamond Status in the middle of the year, you will be upgraded to Diamond status right away (if you aren’t already a Diamond Member) and you will be awarded Lifetime status during requalification early the following year.

How will a Lifetime Diamond Status Member be acknowledged in comparison to a general Diamond Member?
Members that are receiving Lifetime Diamond Status will receive a new HHonors card, identifying them as a Lifetime Diamond Member.
On property, hotels will receive notification of this Member’s status.

Is Lifetime Diamond an ongoing offering of the HHonors program?
Lifetime Diamond Status has been initially extended to a group of Members that met our criteria. The program may evolve after this launch period as we diligently collecting feedback to potentially implement new concepts in the future. We want to ensure that we are serving the needs of our guests before introducing a new permanent tier within the HHonors program.

Why is the criteria so high for Lifetime Diamond Members?
We want to reward our most loyal and frequent Members, and this criterion identifies guests who have passed significant thresholds throughout their time with us for at least a decade. This offering helps to recognize their loyalty and commitment through a unique and special opportunity.

Is my Lifetime Diamond Status transferrable to a surviving spouse or designated beneficiary similar to my points?
Elite status cannot be transferred and points received by a Member through such a transfer will not count toward Elite status.

I am not eligible for Diamond Status currently but I am a long-term Diamond Member that has stayed with Hilton many nights a year and I think I should have this status. What can you do to help me? Why am I not getting this status?
We do appreciate your loyalty to Hilton and recognize that you are a long-term Diamond Member that we greatly value. At this time, we’re offering Lifetime Diamond Status to those that have met the criteria we’ve outlined, please hang in there! When you meet the criteria for Lifetime Diamond Status, you will be awarded status at the beginning of the following year.

I received notice that I am eligible for Lifetime Diamond Status. I live outside of the U.S. and was given a set amount of points versus the option to select a gift from the gift portal. Why is this?
Because our gift portal is only able to fulfill gifts within the U.S., we’ve provided you with 60,000 HHonors points. You can use these points in the online shopping mall to redeem gifts of your choice.

What is defined as a paid night?
A paid night is one that is fully paid for and is booked through one of our own Hilton booking channels.

Does attaining Diamond Status through a co-brand given through a partner gift, or status match/fast track, etc. count towards the 10 year Diamond status requirement?
Any method of attaining Diamond Status will count; no restrictions.

A Member says they have two separate accounts that if merged, would have them meet the criteria.
If it is proven that the Member did meet the criteria, it will be honored.

Why does the HHonors app still show my old Diamond/Gold card and not my Lifetime Diamond card?
This is being worked on but we do not have a date yet for when the virtual Lifetime Diamond card will roll out.

Hopefully you found this Q&A helpful. I applaud Hilton for being forthcoming about the requirements needed for reaching Lifetime Diamond, and congratulate all who have reached this milestone!