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Anyone care to share his/her experiences over the last year or two as to how the Hilton Aspire card has worked for you and/or your feelings on if it was worth the card investment for Diamond status? I've seen plenty of approvals this year but not much in regards to a follow-up on them. *Asking for a friend..
Curious on this as well. I had the Ascend card and just upgraded to the Aspire for 150,000 points. I figured this was a no brainer. I am hoping I am right.
@VIPERLTDMYFICO this definetly helps thank you. I'm a primarily Hilton loyalist, not because of a cult but they just happen to be everywhere and everywhere that my business takes me. I've been treated very well as 'Gold' since August having the Amex Platinum, however as time has ticked and stays have slowly increased, I continue pondering the Aspire.
Where I get hung up and torn is merely that any search of reviews as to "Diamond Status" online for Hilton lead to a plethora of horrendous reviews. Many state Gold is the best option as it includes the breakfast (Which I've enjoyed) and doesn't require the stays for Diamond. That being said, I also recognize the usefullness of acquiring 150,000 Hilton points with the Aspire SUB and like how in a last ditch effort if all hotels are booked, they 'should' still have a room for a Diamond.
I'm happy to hear the Diamond status and card are working for you, and that Diamond is still reviewed by those who use it as being useful. Have you primarily been in the US or Overseas if I may ask?
Only question(s) left to ponder is if app'ing for the Aspire would cause a jealousy w/ Chase. (CSR and Platinum acquired in August 18', Discover IT in October) and if I want to deal with a 3rd hefty annual fee. Amex takes 2 months to report the new card so that would technically be 6 months since the Chase card was approved. Ahhhh, these moments do try me. I can already hear voices from other Garden members coming into range..
I can't comment on the Diamond status effect yet because i haven't booked a room yet i can say i have already took advantage of the $250 airline credit also recieved my priority pass select membership kit. Also with Diamond u should get free breakfast i took the upgrade offer for the $150K points they should post later this month.
@Cred4All wrote:@VIPERLTDMYFICO this definetly helps thank you. I'm a primarily Hilton loyalist, not because of a cult but they just happen to be everywhere and everywhere that my business takes me. I've been treated very well as 'Gold' since August having the Amex Platinum, however as time has ticked and stays have slowly increased, I continue pondering the Aspire.
Where I get hung up and torn is merely that any search of reviews as to "Diamond Status" online for Hilton lead to a plethora of horrendous reviews. Many state Gold is the best option as it includes the breakfast (Which I've enjoyed) and doesn't require the stays for Diamond. That being said, I also recognize the usefullness of acquiring 150,000 Hilton points with the Aspire SUB and like how in a last ditch effort if all hotels are booked, they 'should' still have a room for a Diamond.
I'm happy to hear the Diamond status and card are working for you, and that Diamond is still reviewed by those who use it as being useful. Have you primarily been in the US or Overseas if I may ask?
Only question(s) left to ponder is if app'ing for the Aspire would cause a jealousy w/ Chase. (CSR and Platinum acquired in August 18', Discover IT in October) and if I want to deal with a 3rd hefty annual fee. Amex takes 2 months to report the new card so that would technically be 6 months since the Chase card was approved. Ahhhh, these moments do try me. I can already hear voices from other Garden members coming into range..
I am going try my best to keep it short ...i tend to tell stories...
@Anonymous reason why there is a Diamond is because DIAMOND is different, there is a SEPARATE line for a DIAMOND DESK which I have used many times, but most recently for my Disney vacations with my family. I was short about 32,152 ( Some odd number of points ) points and I called to simply ask Diamond how I can book it since I am short and I didn't want to my extra points for extra points to be left over, the gentleman was very nice and ask me how old my kids were and small talk, not the normal reading off a screen, long story short - he comes back and he states "I found a few things for you in my Diamond Hat" - 1. Free upgrade to a 2 room 2 bath living suite @ the NORMAL room Points value ( I planned on asking for this but he beat me to the punch ) 2. The dally resort fee of $50.00 - Bwam GONE ! ...at this point I was excited and was ready to pay for the points ! why ? with Hilton you can Use your points like CASH and stay at a Normal Room for XX,XXX points per night and stay in a Suite for XXX,XXX points per night. Lastly he GAVE ME THE EXTRA POINTS FOR FREE and booked my room and all !
This will not happen with a GOLD status, TRUST ME. I also had a situation in Daytona Beach Florida Hilton, Hilton Daytona, when I arrived they gave me a nice room with a ocean view, no issues.... after dinner I come back to the hotel and the whole floor for some reason had a bunch of yougn kids goign wild, again, long story short here, when I called the front desk, I ask nicely if there were any more rooms in a different floor, she just clocked in and just did a quick glance and it was at 100% capacity, I forgot to ask her about the Diamond floor and also i was checking my app and my app told me it was sold out too, so she offered me some points for the "loud floor". After I hang up, 3 minutes later the front desk manager calls me and says "Mr.Shin, I was just over hearing your conversation and I apologize for the loud noise and apologize for "Jane Doe" not checking the Diamond floor as she just clocked in, I am sending a gentleman up there with your new room keys on the Diamond Floor. The Diamond floor was SOOOO quite and nice.....
So, with all that being said, the $450 fee will take care of it self with the other "credits" from American Express, but the Diamond Status in my opinion.....is Price Less. Ask yourself this, Can you put a price on time or experience ?
I can also tell you a story about our Hawaii Hilton stay but....it be toooo long but I can share a picture of the view from the "Diamond Upgrade"
@PointsBonus wrote:
@Cred4All wrote:@VIPERLTDMYFICO this definetly helps thank you. I'm a primarily Hilton loyalist, not because of a cult but they just happen to be everywhere and everywhere that my business takes me. I've been treated very well as 'Gold' since August having the Amex Platinum, however as time has ticked and stays have slowly increased, I continue pondering the Aspire.
Where I get hung up and torn is merely that any search of reviews as to "Diamond Status" online for Hilton lead to a plethora of horrendous reviews. Many state Gold is the best option as it includes the breakfast (Which I've enjoyed) and doesn't require the stays for Diamond. That being said, I also recognize the usefullness of acquiring 150,000 Hilton points with the Aspire SUB and like how in a last ditch effort if all hotels are booked, they 'should' still have a room for a Diamond.
I'm happy to hear the Diamond status and card are working for you, and that Diamond is still reviewed by those who use it as being useful. Have you primarily been in the US or Overseas if I may ask?
Only question(s) left to ponder is if app'ing for the Aspire would cause a jealousy w/ Chase. (CSR and Platinum acquired in August 18', Discover IT in October) and if I want to deal with a 3rd hefty annual fee. Amex takes 2 months to report the new card so that would technically be 6 months since the Chase card was approved. Ahhhh, these moments do try me. I can already hear voices from other Garden members coming into range..
I am going try my best to keep it short ...i tend to tell stories...
@Anonymous reason why there is a Diamond is because DIAMOND is different, there is a SEPARATE line for a DIAMOND DESK which I have used many times, but most recently for my Disney vacations with my family. I was short about 32,152 ( Some odd number of points ) points and I called to simply ask Diamond how I can book it since I am short and I didn't want to my extra points for extra points to be left over, the gentleman was very nice and ask me how old my kids were and small talk, not the normal reading off a screen, long story short - he comes back and he states "I found a few things for you in my Diamond Hat" - 1. Free upgrade to a 2 room 2 bath living suite @ the NORMAL room Points value ( I planned on asking for this but he beat me to the punch ) 2. The dally resort fee of $50.00 - Bwam GONE ! ...at this point I was excited and was ready to pay for the points ! why ? with Hilton you can Use your points like CASH and stay at a Normal Room for XX,XXX points per night and stay in a Suite for XXX,XXX points per night. Lastly he GAVE ME THE EXTRA POINTS FOR FREE and booked my room and all !
This will not happen with a GOLD status, TRUST ME. I also had a situation in Daytona Beach Florida Hilton, Hilton Daytona, when I arrived they gave me a nice room with a ocean view, no issues.... after dinner I come back to the hotel and the whole floor for some reason had a bunch of yougn kids goign wild, again, long story short here, when I called the front desk, I ask nicely if there were any more rooms in a different floor, she just clocked in and just did a quick glance and it was at 100% capacity, I forgot to ask her about the Diamond floor and also i was checking my app and my app told me it was sold out too, so she offered me some points for the "loud floor". After I hang up, 3 minutes later the front desk manager calls me and says "Mr.Shin, I was just over hearing your conversation and I apologize for the loud noise and apologize for "Jane Doe" not checking the Diamond floor as she just clocked in, I am sending a gentleman up there with your new room keys on the Diamond Floor. The Diamond floor was SOOOO quite and nice.....
So, with all that being said, the $450 fee will take care of it self with the other "credits" from American Express, but the Diamond Status in my opinion.....is Price Less. Ask yourself this, Can you put a price on time or experience ?
I can also tell you a story about our Hawaii Hilton stay but....it be toooo long but I can share a picture of the view from the "Diamond Upgrade"
Nice read. Thanks Viper🥓
@PointsBonus wrote:
I am a Diamond member with Hitlon Pripor to the card and also Lifetime Platinum with Marriott. I have both of their high end cards.
I can list many many benefits of both cards and how the credits itself off set the the fee and you can read post on those as well.
I will like to share something else, the Diamond status.
In my humble opinion the Diamond status alone is worth more than the annual fee, the reason why there are different tiers is because, believe it or not, a Silver/Gold member will be given different “treatment” as in perks, than a Diamond.
They have designated floors just for Diamond members (which is really nice) if your ever stuck someone where your Diamond status alone will get you a room.
So again, in my humble opinion have a Diamond status alone is worth it, with out that or if the status does not matter to you, get the Ascend card.
Hope this helps.
To add a second opinion, this is either a recent change for the better on Hilton's part or Diamond is very much YMMV. To be fair, the last year I was Hilton Diamond was 2014, but the reason I'm now a Marriott loyalist is largely due to just how underwhelming Diamond status was.
The reservations guarantee aside, I found upgrades as a Diamond nearly non-existant and the upgrades I was given were to the "executive" floors, which were not Diamond-only. You did earn more HHonors points, but those are also pretty devalued - I still have 500,000 or so I can't find a meaningful redemption for.
One interesting anecdote to cap off my Hilton days was that in 2015, the first time I stayed at a Hilton after I fell to Silver (Hilton Hawaiian Village, actually) - they upgraded me to the corner room on the 29th floor of the Rainbow Tower. When I went a few years earlier as a Diamond, my upgrade was only to a high floor with a partial ocean view. Yes, I got a better upgrade as a Silver than I did as a Diamond, and Silvers aren't even supposed to get upgrades!
It might have been the properties I chose (I was about half international and half mid-grade domestic such as Garden Inns, Embassy Suites, and regular Hiltons, but rarely Waldorfs or Conrads or the like), or maybe they fixed the program since then, but if I were giving advice from my experience I would say Diamond is a marginal upgrade at best over Gold, and that marginal is only because of the added point accrual.
I did receive gifts for being Diamond, but they were worthless trinkets such as a deck of playing cards. Marriott does not ship me gifts for being Platinum (or Platinum Premier), though.
@Cred4All wrote:Anyone care to share his/her experiences over the last year or two as to how the Hilton Aspire card has worked for you and/or your feelings on if it was worth the card investment for Diamond status? I've seen plenty of approvals this year but not much in regards to a follow-up on them. *Asking for a friend..
My experiences as a Diamond is somewhat opposite... Upgrade - dont even expect unless it is Conrad / WA and without asking. Diamond Desk - not much help, a couple of times disconnected calls and they never called back. Breakfast - not much impressed.
But I am happy with other Aspire perks like $250 airline credit and points reward. In less than a year, I have accumulated about 500k points unintentionally.... I am saying uninternally, because Hilton portfolio is not impressive or off the locatoin for the places I travel most in Central / Northern Europe.