Hilton made changes to its Honors guest loyalty program in 2018 .that also introduced the ability to gift Gold and Diamond tiers based on the number of nights consumed within the calendar year.
Hilton lowered the gifting requirements during the pandemic and slightly raised them for 2022, but they are still significantly less than usual.
You can access this offer on Hilton’s website here and page to gift Gold here and Diamond here.
The gifted Gold or Diamond status is valid for 365 days from the date the Honors members accept it.
A member who reaches 40 nights can gift Gold status and then Diamond at 70 nights (all nights count besides those that rollover from the previous year). You don’t need to gift these to the same member.
Hilton Honors Gold & Diamond gifting requirements in 2022:
- Gold: 40 nights (usually 60)
- Diamond: 70 nights (usually 100)
Hilton just sent me the email to gift Gold:
Conclusion
The frequently asked questions and T&Cs below deal with the ins and outs of status gifting under various scenarios.
If you reach 40 or 70 nights and don’t receive the code to gift status, you must contact Honors customer service, and they will forward it to you.
It is a great benefit that a member can gift Diamond status after reaching 70 nights and also a Gold at 40.
Terms and conditions of this offer:
Members who achieve 40 eligible nights within the 2022 calendar year will be able to gift Gold status to another member of their choice. If a member achieves 70 eligible nights within the 2022 calendar year then they will be able to gift Diamond status to a member of their choice.
Members who reach gifting qualifications by the end of the 2022 calendar year will be able to elect which member will receive that gift of status and must make that election by the following January. The member who is gifting the status must elect which other member will receive the gifted status by 11:59pm EST on January 31st of each calendar year.
The gifted status will start immediately after gifted and lasts 365 days from the date gifted. After 365 days, the gifted member’s status will change to the tier status that they would have earned without the gifted status in the previous calendar year.
Members who qualify to gift status the following year can gift to the same member. Members will have to re-elect that specific member to gift the status each year, as the gift will not automatically carry over. Once a status has been gifted to another member, no change can be made during the same year to remove or change that status.
The elite status gifting claim code has to be shared with a friend or family member.
The member who will be receiving the gifted status must be enrolled as a Hilton Honors member and this gift cannot be provided to someone who does not have a Hilton Honors account.
Qualifying nights for paid and reward stays (including Points & Money Rewards™ stays) count as full qualifying nights and are eligible toward achieving Gifting Status. Any elite qualifying nights earned through a promotional offer (i.e. double night credit) are also eligible and will be added to the total amount of eligible nights achieved to use Elite Gifting Status. Elite Rollover Nights do not count toward achieving Gifting Status.
Frequently asked questions by Hilton:
Elite Status Gifting
Will members still be able to give the gift of status to a friend or family member in 2022?
Yes – gifting status will remain an Elite member benefit. Once reaching 40 nights in 2022, a member will be able to gift Gold status; upgrading that status to Diamond will be achieved once they stay 70 nights in the year.
Do rollover nights count toward gifting status achievement?
No – only nights earned in 2022 count toward gifting status achievement.
Will these lowered gifting status qualifications be extended beyond 2022?
These program updates only apply to the 2022 calendar year.
How many gifts of Gold or Diamond status can I earn and provide within one calendar year?
A member can only earn one gift of Gold and one gift of Diamond within one calendar year. A member can gift Gold status to one member, and gift Diamond status to another member.
Example: Once you reach 40 nights in 2022, then you can gift Gold status to one other member.
Example: Once you reach 70+ nights in 2022, then you can gift Diamond status to the same member that received the gift of Gold, or the member can gift Diamond status to another member.
For one stay, how many rooms will count toward achieving eligible nights to unlock the ability to gift elite status?
Earning nights toward gifting status will follow the same rules as earning nights toward elite tier status — i.e. a member will only receive credit for the nights stayed for one room, not multiple rooms booked for the same duration by the same Hilton Honors Member.
Example: If you book two rooms at the same hotel for a one-night stay — you will earn Hilton Honors Points on both of the rooms, but you will only receive one night credit total toward achieving the ability to gift elite status.
Can I gift status to the same member every year?
Yes, if members qualify to gift status the following year then they can give it to the same member each year. Members will have to re-elect that specific member who is receiving the status each year, as the gift will not automatically carry over.
Can I gift status to myself?
No, customers can only have one Hilton Honors account, so you can only gift status to another Hilton Honors Member.
Does the member who received gifted Diamond status automatically get the ability to gift status to another member?
No, members with gifted Diamond status are not automatically eligible to gift status. The qualification to gift status is to reach 40 or 70 elite qualifying nights within the 2022 calendar year and only those who achieve that many nights are eligible.
How do I gift my status to another member and when can I begin gifting status?
Once members achieve the gifting status qualifications, they will receive an email notification with a claim code. The code needs to be shared with the recipient of the gift, who then has to claim the elite status by visiting the elite status gifting landing page. The instructions can be found in the dedicated email that each member receives who completes 40 nights and 70 nights.
Once the status was successfully gifted, a confirmation email will be sent to the recipient and the gifting member within 5 business days.
What information is required to gift status?
To gift status, the members has to share the Gold or Diamond claim code with a friend and family member. The friend must login to the elite status gifting landing page using their Honors account credentials and then enter the claim code. Once verified, the member will have elite status for the next 365 days.
Please note: the receiving member must use the claim code.
Is there a specified time period to gift status?
After earning a gift of Gold or Diamond status, members will have until January 31st of the following calendar year to use that gift of elite status. Members will be able to use the gift of status as soon as they reach the required amount of qualified nights in a calendar year.
Example: If you reach 30 nights in July 2022, then you will have until January 31, 2023 to elect which Member receives Gold status.
Can I switch my choice if I want to change who receives the gifted status?
Once a status has been gifted to another member, no change can be made during the same year to remove or change that status.
How long does a gifted status last for a Member who receives the gifted status?
The gifted status will last 365 days from the date the gift was applied to the recipient’s account. If a member receives Gold status and then is upgraded to Diamond status, the 365-day expiration period resets to the date the Diamond status was applied to the member’s account.
Example: If a member receives a gift of Gold status on June 1st, 2022, then the Gold status would expire on June 1st, 2023. If that same member was automatically upgraded to Diamond status on August 1st, 2022, then the Diamond status would expire on August 1st, 2023.
Can status be gifted to a current Gold or Diamond Member?
Status can be gifted to a current Gold or Diamond Member. If a member did not qualify to maintain their current Gold or Diamond status for the next calendar year, the gifted status will extend beyond the requalification period in April.
Example: If you are a current Gold member who achieved 10 nights in 2022 and you receive a gift of Gold status on August 1st, 2022, you would maintain Gold status until August 1st, 2023 instead of being downgraded to Silver status during the April requalification period.
What will happen once the gifted status period ends for the receiving Member?
After the gifted status expires, the recipient’s status will change to the tier status that they would have earned based on the member activity from the previous calendar year.
Example: If you were gifted Gold status on August 1st, 2022, and completed 7 qualifying nights in 2022, enough to qualify for Silver status in 2023, the downgrade to Silver status will be shown in your account on August 2nd, 2023.
To see tier qualification terms, please refer to Member Benefits terms.
Are the reductions in gifting status qualifications global?
Yes, the announced gifting status changes reach across all regions and countries for the 2022 calendar year.
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