Hilton Honors Upcoming Changes
Hilton has announced some changes to their guest loyalty program, Hilton Honors. These changes are mostly positive and should be well received. This is the second year in a row that Hilton has made significant changes to the program. Higher level elites who stay at Hilton many nights a year are likely to get the most benefit from these new changes. It’s pretty easy to get Hilton Gold Status with the Amex Platinum Card, there is also a new Hilton Card coming out this year that will give holders automatic Diamond status. Let’s take a look at the aforementioned changes.
Free Breakfast
Gold and Diamond members staying at The Waldorf Astoria will receive free breakfast if they choose it as their My-Way benefit. Members choose between 1,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per stay or a daily complimentary continental breakfast in the hotel’s designated restaurant for them self and up to one additional guest registered to the same room each day of a stay.
This is an awesome benefit, especially at Waldorf’s where things aren’t exactly cheap. It’s also great that Gold members are eligible because as I mentioned earlier, Amex Platinum Cardholders get Gold status.
Changes to Point Earnings
Hilton is doing away with their unique earning style options, including the Points and Miles and Points and Points options currently available. These options allowed members to choose whether they earned 5 additional bonus points per dollar or 1 airline mile in addition to the 10 points each dollar spent earns. Now there will be no extra points, but the percentage of the bonus is going up so this doesn’t affect elite members much in terms of actual number of points earned.
- Silver is going from 15% Bonus to 20%
- Gold is going from 25% Bonus to 80%
- Diamond is going from 50% Bonus to 100%
Milestone Bonuses
Hilton Honors members will earn 10,000 Bonus Points on every 10th night, once you reach at least 40 nights in a calendar year. There is no cap on this benefit. Also if members hit 60 nights in a year, they will receive an additional 30,000 Bonus Points in addition to earning Diamond Status.
This is a nice little extra for those who stay more than 40 nights and makes up for the additional points lost with a “points and points” earning election. Also, what makes this better is that you do not have to opt-in to receive the bonus.
Elite Rollover Nights
Starting this year, Silver, Gold and Diamond members can rollover nights earned beyond their current elite tier requirements to count towards their elite tier status the following year. This helps people who earn their status through stays. It’s funny that Hilton is introducing this as Marriott is ending this same benefit.
Gifting Elite Status
Stay 60 or more nights in a calendar year and you can gift Gold status to someone. If you stay 100+ nights, the person you choose will get Diamond Status instead.
Conclusion
Hilton’s changes are mostly positive. Diamond members who earn status through their stays will definitely receive the greatest benefit from these changes thanks to the Milestone bonuses and ability to gift status. My favorite of the bunch is the addition of the free breakfast for Gold Members.
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[…] Hilton Honors Gold Status is great and comes with several perks, including free breakfast at most Hi…. It also includes room upgrades, late checkout and free internet at participating hotels, subject to availability as well as a bonus on points earned. Members have to submit their Hilton number FoundersCard to receive their complimentary status upgrade. […]
[…] Hilton Honors Announces Upcoming Changes Including Free Breakfast at Waldorf […]
I love the Waldorf Astoria and the breakfast benefit is nice, but isn’t the hotel closed for 3 years for renovation (with another 2 years to go)? We may have to wait awhile to use that breakfast benefit, assuming we can even afford to stay in the few hotel rooms they will have available, since most of the space will become condos.
Hey Tessa! There are many other Waldorf- Astoria’s around the globe, you’ll be able to use the breakfast benefit at the others :). You can see others here http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/index.html