Hilton Honors Changes for 2026: New Diamond Reserve Tier and Lower Elite Requirements

Hilton has unveiled one of the biggest changes to its Hilton Honors loyalty program in quite some time. Technically, all the changes are positive, which is a surprise in a world full of program devaluations. Hilton is lowering the requirements for Silver, Gold and Diamond levels, and these new thresholds go into effect on 1 January 2026. While that’s great for new members, it does mean those who earned their status the hard way will now be competing with more “top tier elites”. From 2026 onwards everyone resets to the same level.

If everyone is special, no one is special.

Anyway, I digress. Here are the changes and the new tier Hilton has introduced.

• Members will earn Gold status with 25 nights, 15 stays or US$6,000 in spend per year. This is a reduction from the current 40 nights, 20 stays or higher spend.
• Gold members retain the same benefits, including early confirmation of space-available upgrades, the Daily Food and Beverage Credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand and region) and 80% more points.
• Members will earn Diamond faster too, needing 50 nights, 25 stays or US$11,500 in spend, down from the current 60 nights, 30 stays or higher spend. Diamond benefits remain the same, including early confirmation of upgrades, the Daily Food and Beverage Credit or continental breakfast, executive lounge access, the 48-hour room guarantee and 100% more points.
• Silver will continue to require 10 nights, 4 stays or US$2,500 in spend.

Diamond Reserve – A New Status Tier

The newest Hilton Honors tier is Diamond Reserve. To qualify, you’ll need at least 80 nights and US$18,000 in eligible spend (hotel stays, dining and other on-property charges). In return, you’ll get the following perks.

Confirmable Upgrade Rewards

• Lock in a premium room or a one-bedroom suite at booking for up to 7 nights.
• Get 1 upgrade when you reach Diamond Reserve.
• Earn a second upgrade after either 120 nights or earning 30,000 points.
• Upgrades are valid on paid or points stays, but only at hotels participating in Hilton’s pre-arrival upgrade program (mainly luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR and Signia).

Late Checkout

• Guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout on eligible stays.

Customer Support

• Access to a 24/7 priority support line staffed by agents trained to handle Diamond Reserve issues.

Premium Club Access

• Free access to Hilton’s Premium Clubs, which offer better food, drinks and workspaces, usually in luxury or full-service hotels.

Upgrade Priority

• You sit at the top of the list for space-available upgrades, which can be confirmed up to 3 days before arrival.

Points Bonus

• Earn 120% extra points on every stay.

Other Notable Changes

Hilton is also adjusting how members earn points at the budget end of the portfolio. Spark and Homewood Suites will drop from 10 base points per US$1 to 5 base points for new bookings made from 8 January 2026. Existing reservations will continue to earn at the current rate. You’ll still earn one elite night credit per night at Spark, counting towards your status goals.

Hilton is also removing rollover nights. At the moment, any nights beyond the threshold for your current tier carry into the next year. That perk disappears from 2026.

Those chasing Lifetime Diamond status also won't be impressed. From 2026 onwards, on top of being Hilton Diamond for 10 years+, there will also be a spend requirement attached instead of a stay requirement. Going forward, those seeking to achieve Lifetime Diamond will need to spend at least US$200,000 instead of the 1,000 stay requirement or 2,000,000 base points.

On top of that Lifetime Diamond will now be pushed down the priority ladder in second place after Diamond Reserve when it comes to upgrade.

My Thoughts

Hilton Honors has been consistently devaluing its points program over the years. Since moving to dynamic pricing, properties that once had a cap are now almost unattainable. Take Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi, which I booked in 2019 for 120,000 points per night. Today, if you can even find availability, the minimum is 250,000 points per night. That’s an average increase of around 13% per year.

While lowering status requirements looks good, this is clearly designed to bring more members into the ecosystem. Once you’re on the status hamster wheel, earning more points and spending more across the brand becomes a natural next step. It’s an easy win for Hilton.

I’m still a fan of Hilton Honors, but I find Marriott Bonvoy offers far better value, especially at higher levels of elite status. For example, Bonvoy Platinum Elite only requires 50 nights but does come with 4PM guaranteed checkout. Even the new Diamond Reserve tier feels very similar to Bonvoy Titanium Elite, which doesn’t require US$18,000 in spend.

Time will tell if these changes are positive or will only exacerbate lounge overcrowding and lack of upgrade availability.