Hilton Diamond Reserve: What It Means for Your Gold Status

Hilton’s New Top Tier Leaked–And I Have Questions

Recently leaked news reveals Hilton plans for a "Diamond Reserve" tier above their current Diamond status. Details are vague, but the pattern is predictable—every hotel program eventually does this. So is this new opportunities, or just another way to confuse us with more levels while quietly devaluing what we already have?

On a recent solo trip to Dublin, I stayed at the Conrad Dublin, and I was very appreciative of my Hilton Gold status. This status was courtesy of my Amex Business Platinum card, not 75 nights of business travel. Valuable perks that I enjoyed included early check-in (which as a lifesave after an overnight flight and the jet lag), late check-out (more time to wander through Dublin’s streets, free breakfast (which was a VERY good buffet at the Conrad Dublin even though I was not brave enough to try the black pudding. Had the best oatmeal of my life, though), bottled water and twice I came to my room to find a box of delicious chocolates and a kind and welcoming note. Those perks were great and I was "only" gold. Will this new tier devalue Gold status? So when I see Hilton adding a tier above Diamond, I'm not excited about aspirational luxury—I'm wondering about what happens to the Gold and Diamond benefits that actually make my solo-woman’s travel better (or my family travel when I bring them with me, lol). So when I see Hilton adding a tier above Diamond, I'm not excited about aspirational luxury—I have questions about what happens to the Gold and Diamond benefits that actually make my travel better.

We've Seen This Movie Before

Will Every Hotel Program Do This Eventually?

Hilton appears to be following Marriott’s playbook. Platinum status used to mean something, and now there’s Titanium and Ambassador. With my Amex Business Platinum I also receive Marriott Gold status, but I have not seen the same value that Hilton’s gold has offered. (I’m still waiting for my chocolates). That’s the play: Create new top tier → Move good benefits up → Previous tier becomes "meh.” As I said, details are still vague. (And obviously Hilton “leaked” the news so bloggers are talking about it; another part of the play. There's no point in obsessing over it yet, but I can't help asking:

• Will Gold status still include free breakfast at Conrad properties? (Is it because I didn’t eat the black pudding?)

• Will Diamond benefits get watered down?

• What actually moves to Diamond Reserve vs. stays at Diamond?

I loved my Gold status perks in Dublin. Will I still love them next year, or will Hilton have quietly downgraded them while everyone's distracted by the shiny new top tier?

The Credit Card Status "Cheat Code" Under Threat

When Your $895 Annual Fee Buys Less Status

Okay, yeah I get it. The gold status I valued came from my Amex business platinum (Moxieandmiles is a business yo!), so should leisure and family travelers really be upset if the perks are devalued? Do business travelers and corporate expense accounts “deserve” it more? Well, the personal AMEX Platinum also gives Hilton status, so that argument doesn’t hold. As a woman who writes and thinks about credit card points, hotel and airline perks and travel opportunities, I prioritize solo travel and travel with my family. Credit card status is valuable BECAUSE it gives leisure travelers access to perks designed for road warriors—but only if those perks remain meaningful.

Currently the AMEX platinum (business and personal) comes with a knee-buckling annual fee of $895. I’m currently still enjoying cards at the old fee of $695, but when a credit card’s annual fee starts to flirt with a four-digit annual fee, I will always (well annually) be calculating the worth. And with stays like I had at the Conrad Dublin, Hilton Gold Status offered me real, quantifiable benefit. If Gold becomes devalued with the new high tier, that will become part of my decision-making. For some people, constantly calculating perk values is exhausting—it uses brain space and time that could go to, you know, actually enjoying travel. For weirdos like me, I love updating my spreadsheets.

Here's what I'm watching: We don't yet know if Diamond Reserve will affect Gold perks. But IF Gold gets devalued AND the Amex Platinum stays at $895? That math changes fast. Status through credit cards is great, and using those perks can happen months after paying that steep annual fee. But it's important to remember the status wasn't free if it came from a card with a high fee. Always be calculating the value you get.

Stop Blaming the Players for Winning the Game

We're Playing By the Rules You Set

2025 will likely go down as the year of downgrades, increased fees and more coupons to track. I’m also noticing a growing tension where banks, hotels and airlines are trying to curtail "gamers" while simultaneously profiting from the game they created. Hotels and credit card companies SET UP these programs. I didn’t tell AMEX (or Chase or Citi or Capital One) to create a system that has them offering expensive and valuable perks that can only function if many of their users fail to leverage them. This business model depends on most users:

• Paying the annual fee

• Paying high interest

• NOT maximizing value

The problem is not those of us who win at playing by their rules. The problem is that they were banking (sorry not sorry) on most users paying more than what they get. That makes sense; they are a business. But don't hate on us for winning the game by the rules you set.

Hilton creating another tier is one way they are trying to "rebalance" the game. Is it about rewarding top customers? Or is it about making middle-tier status (that is gained from having a Credit Card) less valuable? Is the end goal to push people out of the credit card rewards game? Because here's the thing: I don't think the banks actually want that. They WANT people signing up for $895 cards.

I’m not mad at Hilton or Amex for trying to run a business (I am too!). Can't help but notice, though, that their playbook is to: 1. Create loyalty programs to attract customers 2. Offer status through credit cards to drive revenue, and then act like customers who actually use those benefits are the problem.

What This Means for YOU (Practical Action)

Stay Your Course (For Now)

So yeah, I just wrote 1500 words on something that doesn’t yet exist and the details are vague about it. But I notice a pattern. What should we do (travel hackers, solo travelers, family travelers)? For now:

DON'T:

• ❌ Chase Diamond status just because there's a higher tier now

• ❌ Panic and cancel your Hilton-status credit card or AMEX Platinum (but do assess the value when it’s time to renew at the higher Annual Fee)

• ❌ Assume your benefits are gone tomorrow

DO:

• ✅ Pay attention when official details drop

• ✅ Track your actual benefits on your next Hilton stays

• ✅ Keep calculating the value YOU get from status cards

• ✅ Remember: Status is only valuable if you use it

• ✅ If you're not staying at Hiltons regularly, question whether status matters at all

Status is a tool, not a goal. If your Amex Platinum's Hilton Gold gets you early check-in, free breakfast, and welcome chocolates on trips? That's valuable. If it gets you 'priority' on a waitlist for upgrades that never materialize? That's not."

Stay informed. Keep assessing. Don't get caught up in chasing tiers that don't improve your actual travel experience.

The Real Loyalty Question

Hilton (and every hotel chain and every airline) wants your loyalty. In my house, loyalty goes both ways. If they devalue benefits to "rebalance" their economics—whether for stockholders or to fix a plan that was never sustainable—that's their choice. You do you, boo.

But we get to make choices too—like where we stay and which credit cards justify their fees. I'll keep my Amex Business Platinum for now, and I'll keep enjoying my Gold status breakfasts (seriously, that oatmeal in Dublin). But I'm watching. And if Hilton decides Gold isn't worth much anymore? I've got other hotel chains with points to redeem and other credit cards that might offer more value.

What about you? Are you chasing hotel status, or are you focused on the benefits that actually matter for your travel? Let me know in the comments.

I don't have a picture of that amazing Irish oatmeal, so instead enjoy this very Irish picture.