Hilton HHonors announced increases to the stays, nights and base points elite qualification requirements for HHonors Gold and Diamond membership effective January 1, 2013.

HHonors Gold elite requirements as of January 1, 2013:

• 20 stays, up from 16 stays.
• 40 nights, up from 36 nights.
• 75,000 base points ($7,500 in hotel spend), up from 60,000 base points.

HHonors Diamond elite requirements as of January 1, 2013:

• 30 stays, up from 28 stays.
• 60 nights, no change.
• 120,000 base points ($12,000 in hotel spend), up from 100,000 base points ($10,000).

There are no changes to the credit card qualifications for Gold and Diamond elite with HHonors American Express and Visa cards available with membership and spend thresholds.

Analysis:

This really does not seem to be a major change for HHonors Diamond elite members who normally qualify on stays and nights. The fact that award stays count for elite status makes two additional stays for Diamond not that big a deal, especially with Points & Money awards and the opportunity to pick up cheap Hampton Inn stays in most places around the USA.

The increase to 20 stays from 16 stays for HHonors Gold is quite a bit more expense if you normally qualify for Gold elite on a minimum 16 stays. Hilton HHonors seems to be providing incentive for HHonors Citi Reserve credit card membership for $95 per year with the card benefit of HHonors Gold elite status as long as you are a cardmember.

The real penalty is imposed on HHonors elite members who qualify on hotel spend. Increasing Gold elite from $6,000 in spend to $7,500 to earn 75,000 base points seems unreasonable to me. That increases the average spend from $167 per night to $187.50 per night when comparing the $7,500 spend level to the 40 nights level for Gold qualification. Both stays and spend increased 25% and means an average spend of $375 per stay when comparing the cost of earning Gold elite by spend vs. stays.

Stays, nights and spend are three different ways to earn HHonors elite status. I already viewed the spend requirements as the least favorable way for most leisure travel members to earn status and now they raised that bar even higher. The change is probably not as big a deal for business travelers.

Diamond elite qualification is even more confusing when compared to the threshold for Gold. $12,000 in base spend for 120,000 points is equivalent to $300 per stay at 40 stays. This means a Diamond member averaging $300 per stay on 40 stays qualifies for Diamond by both standards, yet this is an average spend less than the $375 per stay for 20 stays and Gold elite. If HHonors had kept Gold elite at $6,000 spend or 20 stays then this would mean $300 per stay would reach $6,000 after 20 stays and be equivalent to the average spend rate for Diamond elite qualification at 40 stays or $12,000. 

Note that I am only comparing average spend and stays as an analytical exercise. You can qualify for HHonors on spend or stays or nights. I just find it interesting that the changes to Gold elite qualification seem tougher on members who qualify for Gold elite staying at Hilton properties compared to the changes to Diamond elite qualification in 2013.

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.

In Part 2 of the hotel mega-chain comparisons I look at elite membership in Hilton HHonors, IHG Priority Club and IC Ambassador, and Marriott Rewards.

Hilton HHonors, IHG Priority Club and Marriott Rewards were all rated by WebFlyer.com in 2007 and side-by-side ratings can be viewed here. The interesting statistic for me are the high ratings Marriott Rewards members give to their program. Marriott’s ratings far surpass member ratings for the other two programs with about 500 voting participants in each loyalty group. But two years is a long time in loyalty programs and changes have been made in each program since then.

Marriott Rewards restructured their strongest competitive advantage in 2009 with the change in reward tables from a per night discount for any multiple night stay  to a basic 5th night free redemption program.   

Hilton HHonors has the highly popular Points & Miles earning preference for members to accrue both hotel loyalty points and airline miles with a hotel stay.

Priority Club is the program for promotion junkies into amassing points. The ability to earn 30 points per $1 spent on hotel stays is likely and even 50 points per $1 is reported by some promotion savvy members.

Here is a Loyalty Traveler blog post from February 2009 with a comparison of elite levels in Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Starwood, along with a list of reasons FlyerTalk members state they like Hilton HHonors or Marriott Rewards.

This post focuses more on published elite member benefits. Marriott Rewards has a table comparing the benefits of their different Rewards elite levels.

Marriott Rewards Silver Elite = 10 nights in a calendar year to qualify

• 20% elite bonus points

• 10% discount on Friday or Saturday nights at Courtyard and SpringHill Suites (AAA should be just as good or better rate)

• 10% discount at Marriott-operated gift shops

• Elite-only rewards and special offers

• Late check out 

 

 

Hilton HHonors Silver VIP = 10 nights or 4 stays in a calendar year to qualify

• 15% elite bonus points

• Benefits

• complimentary fitness center/health club access (Marriott makes no reference to this type of benefit)

• access to VIP reward multi-night stay discounts using points

 

IHG Priority Club Gold = $50 or 15 nights or earn 20,000 points in a calendar year or join Ambassador Club ($150)

• 10% Bonus Points

 

Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco Airport

 

 

 

 

 

Marriott Rewards Gold Elite = 50 nights in a calendar year to qualify

• 25% elite bonus points (10 base points per US$1 + 2.5 points elite bonus for 12.5 points per $1) 

• Room upgrade 

• Lounge access at Marriott, JW Marriott, and Renaissance hotels with lounges and complimentary breakfast.  

• Complimentary breakfast Mon-Fri at Marriott and Renaissance hotels without a lounge. 

• Free local phone and 15 pages FAX at Courtyard, SPringHill Suites, and Fairfield Inn 

• Room type guarantee in USA (Gold members are eligible to receive the Room Type Guarantee at any Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn or Suite, SpringHill Suite or TownePlace Suite property located in North America.)

 

 

 

 

Hilton Gold VIP = 16 stays, 36 nights, or 60,000 base points earned in calendar year.

 

5 published routes to Gold elite qualification. (Hilton has easier qualification than Marriott Rewards gold elite.)

1.       New first-year Surpass credit card member receives one year complimentary Gold elite)

2.       60,000 base points = $6,000 Hilton hotel stay spend which may be easier qualification bar than $20,000 in credit card spend for some members or stays and nights.

3.       16 Hilton brand hotel stays. HHonors counts award stays towards elite qualification.

4.       36 nights

5.       Hilton also runs periodic promotions for Gold elite typically with 4 stays in 90 days.

 

HHonors Gold VIP members earn 25% elite bonus points. A person selecting Points & Points earning preference receives 10 points per US$1 + 5 points (Points & Points bonus) + 2.5 points Gold elite bonus for 17.5 points per $1.

 

 

HHonors elite benefits vary with brands: Conrad, Hilton, Doubletree

 

• Room upgrade

• Complimentary continental breakfast for member and one guest, even if not provided lounge access for stay.

• Complimentary internet

• If upgraded to Executive Floor room, lounge access guaranteed [lounge access is not guaranteed for Gold member who does not get upgraded to Executive Floor; hotel’s discretion.]

• 1,000 bonus points

 

Embassy Suites Benefits:

500 bonus points or complimentary internet or choice of sodas, fruit, water

 

Hampton Inn Benefits: 250 points and two bottles of water

 

Hilton Garden Inn Benefits: 750 points and full American breakfast for member and one registered guest.

 

Hilton Grand Vacations benefits: two bottles of water per stay and 1,000 bonus points

 

Waldorf Astoria Collection benefits: one category room upgrade and either 1,000 bonus points or free movie. Two bottles of water per stay. Welcome beverage for member and guest. Late checkout.

 

 

IHG Platinum Elite = 50 nights per calendar year or earn 60,000 points

• 50% elite bonus points (10 base points per US$1 + 5 elite points for 15 points per $1.

• Complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability)

• Guaranteed room availability (72 hours in advance)

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Marriott Platinum = 75 nights

• 50% elite bonus points (10 base points + 5 elite points per US$1 = 15 points per $1)

• Platinum Arrival Gift bonus points = 500 points at Marriott, Renaissance, Marriott Vacation Clubs

• 250 points at Courtyard outside US

• 200 points in USA at Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites

• (Members earning miles will not earn platinum amenity points) 

• Room type guarantee worldwide

• “Platinum members are eligible to receive the Room Type Guarantee at any Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suite, SpringHill Suites or TownePlace Suites property worldwide.”

• 48 hour reservation guarantee

 

 

 

HHonors Diamond VIP = 60 nights or 28 stays or 100,000 base points or HHonors American Express Surpass $40,000 per year credit card spend.

 

• 50% bonus points (Points & Points 10 base points + 5 Points & Points bonus + 5 elite points = 20 points per $1. Points & Miles earns 15 points per $1 + variable or fixed miles.)

• Guaranteed reservation when made by midnight hotel local time 48 hours before day of arrival. (check Marriott)

• Complimentary continental breakfast for elite member and one guest each morning of stay.

• Lounge access is guaranteed for Diamond member even if not upgraded to Executive Floor.

 

 

Hilton HHonors Executive Lounge Access Policy

If you select a space-available room upgrade as your on-property VIP benefit, the following policy will apply effective August 15, 2008, at all Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts and Doubletree® hotels:

If you are a Gold VIP, you’ll be given access to the Executive Floor lounge when you receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor. If an Executive Floor room upgrade is unavailable, you’ll still receive daily complimentary Continental breakfast in lieu of lounge access.

If you are a Diamond VIP, you’ll enjoy access to the Executive Floor lounge, even if you don’t receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor, including daily complimentary Continental breakfast.

At hotels without Executive Floor lounges, Gold and Diamond VIPs will receive complimentary Continental breakfast for themselves and up to one additional registered hotel guest each day. If breakfast is included in the room rate, you’ll receive an alternate welcome amenity that varies by hotel.

Hilton Executive Lounge policy: http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/about/gold.do

 

 

InterContinental Ambassador $150 annual fee (also confers Priority Club Gold elite membership).

Benefits at InterContinental Hotel brand:

 

• Guaranteed room upgrade

• Fresh fruit and mineral water

• Certificate for complimentary weekend night on two-night stay

• 4pm late checkout

• Complimentary pay TV film per stay

• Earn 20,000 bonus points every 15 nights at InterContinental Hotels in calendar year.

 

InterContinental Royal Ambassador – by invitation only for top 1% of Ambassador members offers expanded benefits considered by many frequent guests to be the best hotel loyalty program elite status. FlyerTalk members state minimum criteria appears to be at least 50 IHG brand hotel nights and 3 different InterContinental Hotel stays per year.

 

 

Loyalty Traveler’s take on InterContinental Ambassador: Buy your way to elite recognition for a small fee that is rebated with a single certificate for a free weekend night. Most InterContinental Hotels are over $150 per night and the free night can be worth over $300 in many locations. This is a great deal for anyone planning any stays at an InterContinental Hotel.

 

 

This is simply an overview of elite membership and by no means a comprehensive or thorough analysis.  Please comment if there are other aspects, benefits, or limitations of elite membership with these programs. I will edit the post to include or clarify items I neglected to mention. The goal here is to have a quick one-post comparison for Loyalty travelers.

 

Bottom line for loyalty travelers is the program that best meets your needs will depend on your hotel preferences, travel spending pattern, and benefits most desired for your stays.

Starwood Preferred Guest

New Members Offer for Instant SPG Gold Elite through February 2011 (normally requires 10 hotel stays or 25 nights in a calendar year), plus 1,000 bonus points per night through March 31, 2010.

Details:  http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2009/11/20/my-midas-touch-gives-new-spg-members-starwood-preferred-guest-gold-elite/