All Hilton Honors Diamond members can now gift Gold or Diamond status

Hilton Honors’ Diamond and Lifetime Diamond members are now able to give the gift of Diamond or Gold status to any other Hilton Honors member under a special promotion which runs through to January 31, 2021.

The instant upgrade comes with all the perks you'd associate with top-tier status – including complimentary breakfast, room upgrades and lounge access – for a full year.

Hilton Honors Lifetime Diamond cardholders can give Diamond status to any other Honors member, while Diamond members can give the gift of Gold status.

Gold status is often considered the 'sweet spot' of the Hilton Honors program, including complimentary daily breakfast and space-available room upgrades among its suite of perks.

Diamond status goes one better, with guaranteed access to hotel Executive Lounges, including for evening drinks and canapés – a perk Gold members only receive if upgraded to an Executive-level room.

“Hilton Honors is extending a one-time special gift to its global Diamond and Lifetime Diamond members... through January 2021, these elite members will be able to gift status for one year to a family member or friend,” a spokesperson for the company advised Executive Traveller.

Although the initial plan was for all eligible Diamond and Gold members to receive an email from Hilton Honors explaining how the status gift can be activated, members who have not received this email are being asked to email Hilton directly.

The chain advises to "just email [email protected] with your name and Hilton Honors number, plus the name and Hilton Honors number of the lucky traveler who will receive Gold status."

Executive Lounge access is among the best perks of Hilton Honors Diamond status.

Hilton Honors usually allows Diamond members to gift Gold status after staying for 60 nights, which is upgraded to complimentary Diamond status if the original Diamond member hits 100 nights.

That offer remains in place, with the Christmas gift above being in addition to this, and open to all Diamond and Lifetime Diamond members: including those who haven’t stayed 60+ nights this year.

For those who did manage to travel in 2020 and had already unlocked that standard status gift, the Christmas offer is separate to this.

“This is an extra opportunity to gift to someone new,” the Hilton Honors spokesperson explains.

As an example, a Diamond member who has notched up 60 nights this membership year could already gift Gold status under the program’s normal policies.

In addition, via the Christmas offer, they’d be able to gift a second Gold card to another person of their choosing.

Hilton reduces status requirements in 2021

This week’s news from Hilton Honors follows on the chain’s plans to make elite status easier to achieve in 2021, as previously reported.

Next year, the number of nights required to unlock Hilton Honors Silver, Gold and Diamond status will be halved – and with any nights earned in 2020 rolling over into 2021 as well, to kick-start that progress and bring higher status even closer.

As well, the year-round status gift offer for Diamond members will also become easier to reach.

Diamond members who notch up 30 nights in 2021 can gift Hilton Honors Gold – and if the Diamond member earns a total of 60 nights in the same year, the giftee is upgraded to Diamond themselves.

Normally, those gifts are unlocked after 60 nights and 100 nights, respectively.

All Hilton Honors members with elite status will also find their tier valid until March 31 2022, including those who had been set to lose their status in early 2021.

Hilton Honors points will also remain valid until at least December 31 2021. Normally, points expire if a member fails to earn or spend points over a 15-month period.

Read more: Hilton status extensions now run through to March 2022

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.