The Hilton Honors loyalty program just announced some major changes that take effect in January 2026. The updates, which include a new elite status tier and easier qualification for certain existing tiers, are generally positive. Still, there are some potential downsides worth noting.
Here’s an overview of the updates and what they mean for Hilton guests.
A new, higher elite status tier: Hilton Diamond Reserve
Soon, Diamond will no longer be the highest tier of Hilton elite status. In January 2026, that title will go to the new Diamond Reserve tier. To qualify, members will need to stay 80 nights and spend $18,000 annually on eligible Hilton purchases.
That’s different from other elite status tiers, which you can hit either by staying enough times with Hilton or by earning points (which is largely a proxy for how much money you’ve spent), but not necessarily both. In that model, you might be able to earn elite status by frequent stays at low-cost hotels, or just a few big splurge stays.
Diamond Reserve, meanwhile, rewards loyal customers who are also big spenders. You’d need to spend nearly a quarter of your year in a Hilton hotel, and you’d need to spend an average of $225 per night (assuming 80 nights). That means an extended stay at a budget Hilton property likely wouldn’t cut it.
Benefits of Hilton Diamond Reserve
The tier’s standout perks include:
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Confirmable Upgrade Reward: With this benefit, you can lock in premium rooms or one-bedroom suites (for stays up to seven nights) at the time of booking — not just at check-in. That’s a step up from the space-available room upgrades available to Gold and Diamond members. You’ll earn one of these rewards upon reaching Diamond Reserve status, and another after staying 120 nights or earning 30,000 Base Points.
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Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout (as opposed to the when-available checkout option afforded to other Hilton Honors members).
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A 120% points bonus on every stay, up from the 100% earnings rate for Diamond members.
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Access to Premium Clubs, which are on-property lounges at certain luxury Hilton properties that serve food and drinks and offer quiet workspaces. This is in addition to Hilton Executive Lounge access, which is available to guests staying in executive rooms or those with Diamond status who are staying at a hotel offering such a lounge.
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24/7 dedicated support line with specially trained Hilton Honors team members.
Hilton wouldn’t say exactly how many people they anticipate will qualify for this top tier of elite status, but did confirm that it’ll be an exclusive group of people.
“I can assure you that this is a curated tier,” says Hilton’s Chief Marketing Officer Mark Weinstein in an interview with NerdWallet.
So how many people will qualify? “It’ll be in the thousands, not millions,” he says.
A faster path to elite status
On the other end of the elite status spectrum, Hilton is lowering the requirements to reach certain tiers of elite status. Starting in 2026:
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Gold status will require guests to stay just 25 nights per year, down from 40. (You can also earn it by making 20 separate stays or earning 75,000 Base Points, as was previously the case, as well as through holding certain credit cards.)
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Diamond status will require guests to stay just 50 nights per year, down from 60. (You can also earn it by making 30 separate stays or earning 120,000 Base Points, as was previously the case, as well as through holding certain credit cards.)
That’s an improvement. But spending 25 or 50 nights at a Hilton is an expensive way to reach these elite tiers. With the right Hilton-branded card, you can get these statuses automatically for the cost of an annual fee. That makes these cards the easiest and cheapest way to achieve status, even with these loyalty program updates.
Here are some of the benefits of holding Hilton elite status:
Bottles of water at check-in
Up to executive rooms, when available.
Up to one bedroom suites, when available.
Daily Food & Beverage Credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand and region)
Weinstein says the decision to lower the requirements was aimed at making the tiers more accessible to a wider range of travelers.
“With the old requirements to go from Silver to Gold, maybe the hurdle was a little too hard,” Weinstein says.
While an easier path to elite status benefits travelers, it could also benefit Hilton.
“We know that travelers have a choice with every stay, and we believe we’ll get more stays,” he says. “It gives them a reason to stay with us.”
(Image courtesy of Hilton)
What Hilton Honors benefits are staying the same
Even with these changes, many of the benefits that make Hilton Honors one of the best hotel loyalty programs are staying the same, including:
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No blackout dates on reward stays (though finding availability can still be tricky at certain properties).
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Fifth Night Free for reward stays booked entirely with points.
What’s the catch?
Award stays are getting pricier
Hilton has the least valuable points currency reviewed by NerdWallet, with points valued at just 0.4 cent apiece. In recent months, the hotel company has also increased the number of points required for free nights at many of its properties.
Weinstein acknowledged that award prices are rising at certain hotels, but he also pointed to record levels of points earning through increased hotel room rates, big sign-up bonuses on Hilton credit cards and other promotions.
It’s true that Hilton points are easy to earn, but they don’t stretch as far as they used to.
Easier status could mean more competition
If everybody’s special, then nobody’s special. The qualification requirements for Gold and Diamond status are easing, and it’s always been relatively easy to earn either tier of status through certain credit cards.
As more people qualify for Gold and Diamond elite status, it could create more competition for benefits like space-available late checkout or space-available room upgrades.
But Weinstein says this won’t be an issue, pointing to Hilton’s enormous growth. The company has added about 1,000 hotels over the past year, which translates to about three new hotel openings per day.
“We don’t feel constrained on space,” he says. “With so many hotels, there is room for more demand.”
