Hilton has offered various matches and fast tracks to its Gold and Diamond tiers for years, with a reduced number of nights requirements still in place for 2022.
Hilton continues to match Gold status upfront for 90 days, during which the member can retain it or advance to Diamond through March 31, 2024, by consuming 7 or 12 nights.
You can access Hilton’s page for the status match here and status-related benefits here.
Here’s the latest change:
- The number of nights to retain Gold has changed from 5 to 7, advancing to Diamond from 9 to 12.
Match Requirements:
You get Gold trial status for 90 days. You then need to consume during that period:
- 7 nights to retain Gold
- 12 nights to get Diamond
Note that all qualifying nights have traditionally counted towards the match, including award nights. The T&Cs state, however, that rewards nights are not eligible for this match.
Most nights booked through third-party platforms (read OTAs) are not valid to earn points or nights with Honors and won’t qualify for this matching program either.
Matched Programs:
Hilton lists “other” but then states that they would only match programs listed on the drop-down menu.
Only elite statuses from another hotel loyalty program that are listed in the status dropdown menu are eligible for status matching.
You must send a copy of your membership card (can be a screenshot) or your most recent account activity (screenshot) and proof of a stay at a hotel.
3 Acceptable forms of status validation include a screenshot of your current and active account status. Acceptable forms of stay validation include a screenshot of your recent reservations or hotel receipt, redacting any personal information other than your name and membership number. We accept .jpg files only. Please do NOT send us any personal information (including your phone number, address, social security number, date of birth, user name, passwords, or credit card information). Only elite statuses from another hotel loyalty program that are listed in the status dropdown menu are eligible for status matching.
You should black out any other information than your name and the account number. Note that you must send this information in JPG or PNG format. PDFs are not accepted.
Once you have uploaded the info, you should hear back from Hilton within a week. The Gold status is valid for 90 days, and the expiry date is shown on the email. After that, you need to do the 7 or 12 nights (note NIGHTS, not STAYS) to keep it or be upgraded to Diamond.
Hilton Honors Gold & Diamond benefits grid (access here):
Hilton qualification requirements in 2022:
Hilton hotels now offer prearrival updates worldwide:
Breakfast changes in the US through the end of 2022:
Conclusion
Hilton has offered relatively easy trial matches for Gold that comes with a fast track to Diamond for a while. They used to provide matches without a fast track, but those have been discontinued already for a while
Hilton offers a compelling loyalty program with bonus Honors offers continuously. Also, the upgrades to Diamond members do exist, mainly on properties outside of the US.
Here are the terms and conditions
By providing your information and participating in this promotion, you acknowledge and agree to our Global Privacy Statement (available upon request at any Hilton Front Desk). You also acknowledge and agree that the personal information you provide will be used for the purposes detailed in our Global Privacy Statement, and this may include: providing services and transactions, better understanding customer needs, and sending special offers, promotions, surveys and other marketing information be email, post or telesales. In addition, you acknowledge that your information will be entered into our database controlled by Hilton at its headquarters in the U.S. You further agree that all Hilton companies, owners and operators of our franchised and managed hotels, and service providers, may receive and use this data for any of the purposes listed above and access it globally, including from countries where data protection laws may differ from those of your home country. For your security, the data protections provisions of the Global Privacy Statement shall apply to all data processing, and you may request rights of access, correction, and objection as described therein. Once enrolled in Hilton Honors, you can manage your communications preferences online by going to the Email Subscriptions section of your Hilton Honors Profile. If you do not wish to receive marketing information from Hilton you may unsubscribe at any time.
California consumers, click here to learn about Hilton’s collection and use of your personal information.
Frequently asked questions by Hilton (these have not been updated for 2022 – incorrect requirements):
1. What is the Hilton Honors Status Match benefit?
This is an exclusive benefit for Hilton Honors members who would like to experience elite status and get the chance to accelerate their tier progression.
2. What do I have to do to receive a Hilton Honors Status Match?
- Submit your program and stay proof of another competitor loyalty program. Proof of a stay must be from within the last 24 months
- Once approved for Status Match, we will upgrade your status to Gold for 90 days
- Stay a minimum of 5 nights within your 90 day trial period, and we’ll upgrade your status to Gold
- Even better: if you complete an additional 4 nights (9 nights total) within your 90 day trial period, we’ll upgrade your status to Diamond
3. Who is eligible for Status Match?
Members who are currently at Base or Silver tier and have not previously enrolled in Status Match.
4. Why are Gold and Diamond members restricted from Status Match?
Gold and Diamond Members are already experiencing the benefits that come with elite Hilton Honors status; we will therefore not process these requests.
5. How many times can I use this benefit?
Qualifying members may enact this exclusive benefit once throughout the lifetime of their membership.
6. What are acceptable forms of “proof of status” and “proof of stay”?
Acceptable forms of status validation include a screenshot of your current membership from your existing loyalty program and a screenshot of your account summary page from the same program. We accept jpg files only.
Please do NOT send us any personal information, including your phone number, address, social security number, date of birth, username, passwords or credit card information.7. Do Reward Stays count toward achieving the night requirements?
No, Reward Stays do not count toward achieving the Status Match requirements.
8. How long does it take for Status Match to be granted?
Due to the large volume of requests, please allow for 7 – 12 business days to review your application. Hilton may require additional validation, at our discretion. In this case, please allow for an additional 7 – 12 business days.
9. I have requested Status Match but it wasn’t approved until after I completed a stay. Can you retroactively add the stay to the challenge?
No, we are unable to add any stays to the challenge that have occurred prior to being approved for Status Match. Please be sure to submit your Status Match request well in advance of an upcoming stay.
10. What if I decide that I want to save this benefit for a later time, but I have already submitted my Status Match request?
Once a member elects to use this benefit and the Status Match is successfully applied to their account, this action is considered final and is not reversible. Please determine the best time to use this benefit according to your personal travel situation before submitting your request through the online form.
Remember, you can only use Status Match once, so use it when you really need it.
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