For years, earning the highest level of Hilton Honors status was easy—perhaps too easy. Diamond status, which offers perks such as space-available room upgrades and a dining credit, is attainable simply by signing up for the $550-per-year Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Now, the hotel giant with 25 portfolio brands, from Waldorf Astoria to Hampton Inn, is changing that by introducing a new top-tier status called Diamond Reserve. And it’s not something you can achieve simply by whipping out a card. Benefits include the ability to confirm a suite at booking and a guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout time—both are firsts for Hilton.
This is not the only loyalty change the company plans to roll out for 2026. Beginning next year, Hilton will also reduce the requirements to reach both Gold and Diamond status. Here’s everything travelers should know about the evolution of the Hilton Honors rewards program.
Hilton’s new Diamond Reserve status level—and how to earn it
The new top-end Diamond Reserve status won’t be easy to achieve, and it’s meant to be that way. This level of recognition will require travelers to stay 80 nights and spend $18,000 at Hilton hotels each year.
A defining benefit of the status, according to Brad Anderson, vice president of Hilton Honors, is what’s being called a Confirmable Upgrade Reward. “Members have asked me for something like this for a long time, and it will truly be one of the strongest upgrade awards in the industry,” Anderson told Afar.
This perk allows members to lock in an upgrade at the time of booking for stays of up to seven nights. Members will receive their first upgrade reward as soon as they hit Diamond Reserve status and will have the option to earn a second upgrade reward at the 120-night mark.
In practical terms, upgrades can be used on both paid and points stays across the Hilton portfolio, whether booking an entry-level hotel or a one-bedroom suite at a luxury property like a Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, or LXR luxury collection hotel. That even includes coveted rooms at esteemed properties such as the Waldorf Astoria New York and Hotel del Coronado.
“There are not many exclusions or exceptions on what rooms are available or rates as long as it’s up to a one-bedroom suite,” Anderson noted, indicating that any upgrades would cap at one-bedroom suites (meaning two-bedroom suites or larger residence-style accommodations are not available as part of this perk). The reward can be applied online or in the Hilton app.
Use Diamond Reserve status to upgrade to the Magistrates Suite at the NoMad London Hotel.
Photo by Benoit Linero/Courtesy of Hilton
Another valuable Diamond Reserve benefit is a 4 p.m. guaranteed late checkout on every stay. Unlike Marriott and Hyatt, Hilton does not currently offer a published late checkout perk for its most loyal guests. (It’s at the discretion of a hotel to honor one without charging a fee.)
In addition, guests at the highest tier can enjoy complimentary access to Hilton’s executive lounges and premium clubs, a collection of exclusive on-property areas that include elevated food and beverage service and quiet workspaces. Diamond Reserve members also have the top priority for space-available upgrades (in instances when they aren’t using an upgrade reward at the time of booking), a dedicated customer service phone line, and a 120 percent points bonus on paid stays.
It’s now easier to earn other Hilton Honors status levels
It’s not only Hilton’s highest spenders who are seeing changes. The company is also restructuring other status levels—without removing any benefits.
Members can earn midtier Gold status with only 25 nights per year, 15 nights fewer than the current requirement. Gold status provides a daily food and beverage credit or included continental breakfast (depending on the brand and region). Diamond status will be faster to earn as well, needing only 50 nights instead of the current 60 nights.
However, the easiest way to earn either Diamond or Gold is still through a credit card, such as the Platinum Card from American Express or Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That means you can hold status without any stay or spending requirement in a Hilton property. The only status where you can’t do this? Diamond Reserve.
“There aren’t really any shortcuts on this one, because we really want to recognize our most valuable members across the globe,” Anderson added.
Members can use Hilton points to book AutoCamp’s outdoor and national park-focused properties like this one near Sequoia National Park.
Courtesy of AutoCamp
Hilton Honors’ expanding portfolio
The updates to the Hilton Honors loyalty program come as the hotel company has been growing and diversifying its offerings in recent years, resulting in a much wider variety and style of hotels and resorts where members can earn and redeem their Hilton Honors points and obtain status perks.
Last year, Hilton acquired Graduate Hotels, properties located on or near college campuses, often decorated with campy, collegiate-themed decor. It also forged a partnership with outdoor glamping brand AutoCamp, where guests stay in custom-designed Airstreams, luxe canvas tents, and cabins in or near destinations such as Yosemite, Zion, the Catskills, and other national park and outdoor-focused locations.
Additionally, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), with hundreds of boutique accommodations ranging from European castles to tree houses in South America, entered the Hilton lineup late last year when Hilton managed to snatch SLH away from Hyatt.
And the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York rejoined the Hilton lineup when it recently reopened to much fanfare after an eight-year renovation.
