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The answer to this question is actually extremely simple, but it’s a question I’m getting asked regularly now and so I thought the answer was worth flagging as a “resource post”.

The position starkly contrasts with the time period for which your achieved Honors status is valid, which rather swerves all over the place (albeit in a potentially very generous manner). We looked at when earned Hilton Honors status begins, and how long Hilton Honors status lasts here.

As you can see from that post, the key is to try and earn Hilton Honors status as early as you can in a year.

Cut the waffle, what’s the answer?

In Hilton’s own words (emphasis added):

Members can earn and maintain Elite tier status based on stays, nights, or Base Points earned in any calendar year. A “calendar year” is understood to mean January 1st through – December 31st of each year. Members must re-qualify for Elite status each calendar year. 

So there you have it. While your earned status will last i) for the rest of the year you earned it, ii) the year after that and then ii) until 31 March of the subsequent year, the time period for earning status is a simple calendar year.

How does that work in practice?

Let’s say I earned Hilton Gold status between 1 January and 31 December 2016.

I would then be Hilton Gold for the rest of 2016 (as applicable, so a huge advantage to earning your status as early as possible in the calendar year), all of 2017 and until 31 March 2018.

To be Hilton Gold beyond 31 March 2018 (i.e. through to 31 March 2019), I would have needed to meet the Gold qualification requirements in the calendar year 2017. To be clear, I would NOT have until 31 March 2018 to earn this additional Gold status.