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I posted yesterday about the latest short cut to Hilton Gold, but with a bit of fancy status-matching footwork, I’ve now worked out a way for everyone to get free Hilton Diamond status with just one stay… at a Best Western.
It may sound a little bit odd, but it works, and actually isn’t as complicated as it might first look.
I’m listening…
Hilton HHonors has a brilliant status matching policy which means that if you have elite status with another major hotel group they will match it to their equivalent level. In order to be eligible, you also need to have at least one stay showing on the account you wish to match from.
Hilton is currently matching Best Western Diamond status to Hilton HHonors Diamond status.
Best Western also has a very generous status matching policy (although the benefits are nowhere near as good as with Hilton), and I have personally confirmed that they match Scandinavian chain Scandic Hotels ‘3rd Floor’ status to Best Western Diamond.
This is the crucial point, because you can get ‘3rd Floor’ status just for signing up to Scandic’s loyalty programme through this link here (it’s in Swedish, but Google translate does a great job).
Once you sign up, your status will be upgraded to 3rd Floor within 48 hours.
You can then match that to Best Western Diamond, stay one night (or potentially just book a flexible rate and use that as evidence for Hilton…) and then get matched to free Hilton Diamond status!
Say again?
Step 1: Sign up with Scandic Hotels loyalty programme ‘Scandic Friends’ through this link here.
Step 2: Within 48 hours you will be upgraded to ‘3rd Floor’ status (mine was upgraded overnight).
Step 3: Request a status match using your 3rd Floor status to Best Western Diamond here.
Step 4: Book a stay at your nearest/cheapest Best Western. They tend to be good value – £35.00-£50.00 seems to be the going rate for Sunday nights up here in Yorkshire.
Step 5: Request a status match from Best Western Diamond to Hilton HHonors Diamond using this link, or by emailing [email protected].
Notes:
- It’s possible you can just send a screenshot of a future reservation at a Best Western as the required proof to Hilton. I know it has worked for some people, but that doesn’t mean it will work every time.
- The Hilton status match page says it only runs up until 30th June, but as of this week it is is definitely still working. Hilton is of course, at perfect liberty to change or pull the offer at any time, but it has been running for about 6 months…
Is Hilton Diamond Status any good?
Yep! – if you stay at Hilton hotels (including Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Doubletree, Hampton etc) it’s great.
My colleague Tom wrote an excellent piece on why he loved Hilton Gold status. Diamond is like that, but better.
Don’t get me wrong, Hilton Gold is superb for a mid-level status but Diamond just pushes things a bit further. The most tangible additional benefit is guaranteed executive lounge access, regardless of whether you are upgraded to a Club room or not.
I was at the Conrad St James in London last week (great stay, review soon) and not only had access to the very good Lounge while I was staying, but was even granted access the following day after I had checked out, which was fantastic because I had a late train.
How long do you keep Hilton status for?
Hilton status lasts for the rest of the calendar year in which it is earned, for all of the subsequent calendar year, and until 31 March of the year following that full calendar year.
In other words, if you get Hilton Diamond status right now, it will last until 31st March 2018!
Conclusion
Free Hilton Diamond status after just one stay at a Best Western is an incredible deal. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them tightening up on this at some point, so I would aim to take advantage as soon as possible!
” I’ve now worked out a way for everyone to get free Hilton Diamond status”
This must have taken you a while to work out. Did you already know about Scandic Hotels? Personally I’ve never heard of them! 🙂
Haha, I had an equivalent of this post more or less planned a few weeks ago, matching from SLH ‘Loved’ status – but then that stopped working before I finished it. I knew about Scandic Hotels but only found out about the free status with them from Loyalty Lobby the other day. A quick check with Best Western to see what they matched Scandic 3rd Floor to, and then it was good to post!
Get in quick, HH team are researching in depth other hotel status tiers before applying Diamond or even Gold to accounts, this route may be shortlived.?
that’s going to really mess things up for me…
Why would it mess things up for you?
I was wondering that. Perhaps Bob is an existing Diamond member who worries about the possible diluting effect of Hilton giving out Diamond status too easily. A reasonable complaint I suppose, particularly for those who earned Diamond status “the hard way”.
Hilton have changed the status match offer. It now says “For the next 90 days, get a taste of the elite life with Hilton HHonors.
We’ll match your elite status with any other loyalty program.
You’ll also have the opportunity to extend your status match through March 31, 2018,
when you stay with us over the next 90 days. If you’re matched to Gold status,
you’ll just need to complete 4 stays. If you’re matched to Diamond, you’ll need 8 stays.*”
So this trick would only get you 90 days of diamond, unless you manage 8 stays in 90 days.
Thanks Kevin. I’d scheduled a post about this for later this week, but have launched it today in light of your comment. It’s a disappointment but I suppose looking at it objectively, a touch fairer on those who do earn status “properly”.
I tried to do this in February of 2017 and the Scandic Friends loyalty programme does NOT upgrade you to 3rd Floor status in 48 hours. Or ever.
Just an FYI… for those looking online and finding this article. Like me.
Sorry to hear that Luana. I have the 3rd floor status card from Scandic in my drawer so it certainly did work – but as with any offer, they come and go. Thanks for the recent data point!
Is this still available
Unfortunately the Scandic element is dead. There’s a decent Hilton fast-track still though (https://insideflyer.co.uk/2017/09/another-fully-usable-fast-track-hilton-gold-status/) or you should be able to match from other programmes if you already have status elsewhere.