Hotel elite status can greatly enhance your vacation experience. From room upgrades to bonus points and even complimentary breakfast, having the right status can save you money and add more luxury to your trips.
If you haven’t accumulated enough points to earn (or retain) your elite status this year, here are some last-minute tips to help you secure your benefits for another year.
Related: So, what exactly is elite status in travel — and how can I get it?
How to earn hotel elite status
To earn hotel elite status, you can follow these common methods:
- Elite night credits: You generally receive one credit for each eligible paid night at a participating property in a major hotel loyalty program. Award nights, “points and cash” stays, and certain credit cards may also earn you elite night credits.
- Stays: Some programs allow you to qualify based on stays — which can be any number of nights.
- Points earned: You earn points based on your spending at participating hotels. Usually, only “base points” count toward elite status, excluding bonus points from status, promotions and other offers. Some programs may also consider spending with partner companies.
- Credit card elite status: Many hotel and travel credit cards provide automatic elite status as a benefit.
- Spending on credit card: Certain hotel credit cards allow you to earn elite status or progress toward it based on your annual spending.
Of course, whether it’s worth going out of your way to earn status is a question only you can answer.
Related: Is hotel elite status worth it anymore?
Here’s a quick overview of how to close the gap and lock in status with the major hotel programs before the end of the year.
Hilton Honors
| Qualification method | Silver | Gold | Diamond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | 10 | 40 | 60 |
| Stays | 4 | 20 | 30 |
| Base points | 25,000 | 75,000 | 120,000 |
End of the elite year: Dec. 31.
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Hilton is one hotel loyalty program that counts award stays toward elite status qualifications. If you have Hilton Honors points or free night certificates, redeeming them for free nights gets you closer to elite status.
For travelers who want Hilton elite status benefits immediately, getting one of Hilton’s many cobranded credit cards is the quickest path. Even the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (see rates and fees) includes complimentary Silver elite status, with the ability to earn Gold when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card includes complimentary Gold elite status. You’ll be upgraded to Diamond status when you spend $40,000 in a calendar year. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card gives small-business owners the same elite status benefits.
For members who don’t want to deal with the high spending hurdle, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card includes automatic Diamond elite status. While this card has a premium annual fee of $550 for those who apply on or after Oct. 19, 2023 (see rates and fees), it also includes a ton of perks beyond status — including an annual free night at your cardmember anniversary, high earning power and the potential to receive nearly $800 in new annual credits.
The information for the Amex Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Alternatively, you could open The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to enjoy automatic Hilton Gold status as long as your card remains open
Read more: Guide to hotel elite status with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum
IHG One Rewards
| Qualification method | Silver Elite | Gold Elite | Platinum Elite | Diamond Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified nights | 10 | 20 | 40 | 70 |
| Qualified points | N/A | 40,000 | 60,000 | 120,000 |
End of the elite year: Dec. 31.
IHG offers several ways to earn elite status, including booking award stays using points or free night certificates. However, IHG One Rewards points you earn from credit card spending no longer count toward elite status points qualification.
IHG offers three credit cards featuring complimentary elite status, including one with no annual fee. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card automatically comes with Silver Elite status and an upgrade to Gold Elite when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card include automatic Platinum Elite status. Although IHG credit card spending no longer earns qualified points, you can earn Diamond Elite status by spending $40,000 on either of these cards in a calendar year.
Another option for earning IHG One Rewards elite status is to buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership. For $200 or 40,000 points, you’ll enjoy Ambassador benefits for 12 months from purchase. This membership features numerous benefits, including automatic Platinum Elite status.
Marriott Bonvoy
| Qualification method | Silver Elite | Gold Elite | Platinum Elite | Titanium Elite | Ambassador Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | 10 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100, and $23,000 in spending |
End of the elite year: Dec. 31.
Marriott makes earning elite status simple. You must spend nights in its hotels, have a credit card that offers elite status or earn elite night credits from its credit cards.
Nights from redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points and free night certificates also count toward elite status qualification. Its top-tier status is Ambassador Elite, which requires you to stay 100 nights and spend $23,000 at Marriott properties each year.
Chase and American Express offer various Marriott personal and business credit cards with complimentary elite status. For example, you can enjoy automatic Gold Elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card includes automatic Platinum status after last year’s overhaul of the card.
In addition, all Marriott cobranded cards include at least 15 elite night credits toward your desired status level each year, including the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card. However, the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex now includes 25 elite night credits. Moreover, members can stack elite night credits from any business and personal card to earn 30 elite night credits each year (or 40 if you have a Brilliant card), putting higher elite tiers easily within reach.
No Marriott card includes Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status. However, you’ll earn one elite night credit for every $5,000 you spend on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card each year.
And finally, like Hilton, the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum both include Marriott Gold status.
Related: 6 reasons to strive for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status
World of Hyatt
| Qualification method | Discoverist | Explorist | Globalist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | 10 | 30 | 60 |
| Base Points | 25,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Meetings and events | 3 | 10 | 20 |
End of the elite year: Dec. 31.
With Hyatt, you can achieve elite status based on nights stayed or base points earned at properties. Calculating elite night credits also includes nights booked with World of Hyatt points or free night certificates.
Two Hyatt credit cards are available — one for consumers and one for business owners. Both cards have unique features that can help you earn Hyatt elite status quickly.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card includes entry-level Discoverist elite status. While this status may not offer many standout benefits, you can spend your way to a higher status. You start with five qualifying night credits every year, and you’ll earn an additional two credits for every $5,000 you spend on the card.
Business owners also receive Discoverist status with the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. However, this business card is unique on this list because it allows the cardholder to give the gift of Discoverist status to up to five employees. Additionally, you’ll receive five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year. This rate is 25% higher than what’s offered by the personal version of the Hyatt card.
Related: Here’s how to quickly stock up on Hyatt points for your next vacation
Other ways to earn hotel elite status
You can earn hotel elite status — or at least receive similar benefits — in other ways than having a hotel cobranded credit card. Use these strategies if you don’t want to be tied to one hotel’s credit card.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: As noted previously, this luxury travel card includes complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status. To receive these benefits, you must contact American Express customer service to activate them. You also receive these statuses with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
- Fine Hotels + Resorts: This is an exclusive hotel booking program for Amex Platinum cardholders, offering elite-level benefits and promotions at premium properties worldwide. This includes an on-property spending credit, room upgrade and late checkout. Personal Platinum cardmembers can even receive up to $200 in statement credits every year for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts stays charged to the card. Enrollment is required.
- The Hotel Collection: This program offers benefits at participating properties on stays of at least two nights, and it’s available to those with an Amex Platinum or American Express® Gold Card.
- Capital One’s Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection: These two boutique hotel programs are available to select cardholders and offer benefits like free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast and bonus miles.
- Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: This program offers elite benefits to select Chase cardholders at over 1,000 highly rated properties worldwide, including daily breakfast for two, a unique benefit worth up to $100, complimentary Wi-Fi, room upgrades and early check-in/late checkout at select properties. It even added Four Seasons properties earlier this year.
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: When you have a Visa Signature card and book through this website, you’ll receive exclusive perks at participating properties.
- Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services: You can book a room at more than 4,000 participating properties with your eligible Mastercard to receive elite-level perks.
Related: Complete guide to current hotel elite status match and challenge offers
Bottom line
Options are available if you haven’t locked in your hotel status this year.
Many popular hotel loyalty programs offer alternative ways to achieve elite status without going on an expensive hotel stay. Holding the hotel’s credit card can often grant you elite status. Additionally, if you spend on your card, you might be able to reach an even higher status.
If these options don’t work for you, consider looking into hotel booking programs affiliated with Visa, Mastercard and American Express. These programs offer on-property benefits without requiring loyalty to any specific hotel program.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, click here
