Lifetime Hilton Diamond

(updated )
A loyalty card showing Hilton Lifetime Diamond status

Many hotel chains will grant different loyalty levels depending on how often you stay each year, with each level giving more hotel perks. Since I started traveling for work in 2009, I’ve mostly used Hilton’s loyalty program. Hilton Honors has three levels: Silver (10 nights in a year), Gold (40 nights in a year), and Diamond (60 nights in a year). Most years, I’ve traveled enough to earn Diamond.

Hilton Honors also offers a Lifetime Diamond status for reaching at least 10 years of Diamond and 1000 nights in Hilton properties. I earned my tenth year of Diamond in 2022. Last week, I stayed my 1000th night at Hilton properties, earning me Diamond status forever.

Collage of hotel photos.

My wife Amy and I at several hotels. Clockwise from left: Waldorf Astoria New York (New York, USA); Hilton Cleveland Downtown (Ohio, USA); El Conquistador Tucson Resort (Arizona, USA).

Where I Stayed

Location Map

Hilton Nights by Hotel Location. Each circle is a Hilton hotel I’ve stayed at, and its area is proportional to the number of nights I spent there as a member of Hilton’s loyalty program.

I earned 1000 nights across 382 stays at 205 different hotel properties.

My furthest Hilton from home was the West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton (New South Wales, Australia).

Collage of hotel photos.

Clockwise from left: Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Historic District (South Carolina, USA); Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix, Arizona, USA); penguins at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA); garden courtyard at the West Hotel Sydney (New South Wales, Australia); view of Lake Michigan from The Drake Hotel (Chicago, Illinois, USA); Rainbow Tower balcony at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA); Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix, Arizona, USA); El Conquistador Resort (Fajardo, Puerto Rico).

Brands

A number of hotel brands are part of the Hilton Honors program. I’ve stayed at twelve of them:

A bar chart of how many nights I spent at each Hilton brand, in descending order. Hampton Inn is the highest, with 254 nights. Homewood Suites has 246 nights. Embassy Suites has 149 nights. Hilton has 140 nights. Hilton Garden Inn has 103 nights. DoubleTree has 77 nights. Curio Collection, Home2 Suites, and Waldorf Astoria have 7 nights each. Tru has 6 nights. Conrad has 3 nights. Tapestry collection has 1 night.

Hampton Inn is Hilton’s standard economy hotel that seems to be located everywhere. Since I travel to a lot of small towns where higher-tier hotels may not be present or common, it’s my most frequent Hilton brand. When available, I prefer to stay at Homewood Suites, which is an extended stay brand that typically provides a kitchenette, a living room, and a separate bedroom. With a total of 500 nights between them, these two brands together made up exactly half of my first 1000 nights.

Embassy Suites also typically offer a separate bedroom and living room, although they don’t have the kitchenette. They do probably have the best free breakfast of all the Hilton brands (with a cooked-to-order omelet bar), and the evening receptions are nice to have as well.

Hilton is the namesake brand, and generally a good hotel when I can get it. They don’t tend to be in a lot of the smaller cities I visit, or if they are they’re often above my employer’s per diem lodging rates. Still, the opportunity to stay there still comes up often enough that about one in every seven of my hotel nights was spent at a Hilton proper.

Collage of hotel photos.

Clockwise from top: atrium at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile (Illinois, USA); mezzanine at The Skirvin Hilton (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA); map carpet at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown (Ohio, USA); spiral staircase at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica (Iceland).

Hilton Garden Inn falls into a weird spot for me; in theory, it’s a slightly nicer version of a Hampton Inn, but it’s close enough that how recently it was built or renovated matters more than the brand—a new Hampton Inn often feels nicer to me than a dated Hilton Garden Inn. HGI also doesn’t offer free breakfast, and even though I get a meal credit as a Diamond member, it’s generally just more of a hassle than staying at a Hampton Inn. HGI is still not a bad hotel, but it’s not my first choice in the Hilton portfolio.

DoubleTree hotels are probably the least predictable of my common Hilton brands; they’re often hotels that Hilton bought from someone else, so their design varies quite a bit. They’re known for giving you a warm cookie at check-in, which is certainly welcome at the end of a travel day.

The remaining brands didn’t get many nights because they were either new, expensive, or not located in cities I visit frequently.

Progress by Year

A chart of my active and earned Hilton Honors status by year

Hilton Honors Status by Year

I joined the Hilton Honors program (then Hilton HHonors) on 11 March 2009, after taking my first work trip that February. That year I was able to earn Silver (10 nights) and Gold (40 nights) status easily.

I didn’t earn Diamond until the next year, getting the 60th night required during a 29 November–3 December stay at the Hilton Orlando.

The Hampton Inn Abilene at night, and a greeting card reading 'Mr. Bogard, thank you for staying at our Hampton Inn. Congratulations on becoming a Diamond VIP!' The card has signatures from hotel staff.

My first stay as a Diamond member was the very next week at the Hampton Inn Abilene (Texas, USA), who gave me a card welcoming me to Diamond. (They also sent me a Christmas card one year!)

From then on, I was able to earn Diamond most years. My travel slowed a bit in 2012–2013 where I only earned Gold status, but picked back up in 2014. My travel in 2020–2021 was reduced due to COVID-19 (but since travel was down for everyone, most loyalty programs extended status expirations, so I never lost my Diamond).

I earned Diamond for the 10th time during a 19 June–1 July 2022 stay at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Jacksonville Baymeadows (Florida, USA). That 10th year of Diamond was one of the two requirements for lifetime status, but at the end of that stay I still only had 881 of the 1000 nights that were also required.

A diagram showing 1000 hotel icons in rows of 25. The icons are color coded by year, and the 1000th icon is highlighted.

Lifetime Hilton Diamond Progress by Year. Each icon represents one night spent at a hotel in the Hilton portfolio. Each row shows 25 nights.

I kept on earning nights for the next few years, and finally got my thousandth night on 18–19 March, 2024, at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa (Nevada, USA)—almost exactly fifteen years after I joined the loyalty program.1

Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa

Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa: the hotel where I spent my 1000th night

Photo from hilton.com

My Top 5 Most Visited Hotels

The five individual Hilton portfolio hotels I’ve spent the most nights at are as follows:

#5: Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center Pike Street

Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center Pike Street

Photo from hilton.com

Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center Pike Street

Seattle, Washington, United States

30 total nights across 8 stays

I attended PAX West a number of times, and usually stayed at one of two hotels by the convention center when I did: this Homewood Suites or the Hilton Seattle. It had a great location close to the entrance of what’s now known as the Arch building at the Seattle Convention Center. It was also reasonably close to a lot of Capitol Hill restaurants (if you don’t mind walking up the Pike Street hill).

I last stayed at this hotel in September 2022; unfortunately, it appears to have permanently closed since then.

#4: Embassy Suites by Hilton Tulsa I-44

Embassy Suites by Hilton Tulsa I-44

Photo from hilton.com

Embassy Suites by Hilton Tulsa I-44

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

41 total nights across 12 stays

Tulsa has been one of my most visited cities; I’ve spent 113 nights there, every single one of them at a Hilton property. So it’s not surprising that two of my top five hotels are in Tulsa.

I like Embassy Suites in general, with a good breakfast and reasonably large rooms. This one was in a good location by I-44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway, making it easy to get pretty much anywhere in the Tulsa metro area. I liked its general southwestern décor; though the hotel was a bit dated (as of my last stay in 2019), it felt dated in a comfortable way, if that makes any sense.

#3: Homewood Suites by Hilton Tulsa-South

Homewood Suites by Hilton Tulsa-South

Photo from hilton.com

Homewood Suites by Hilton Tulsa-South

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, United States

52 total nights across 11 stays

This particular Homewood Suites was my other main Tulsa hotel. As a Homewood Suites it also had large rooms, and it was across from a shopping center, so there were a lot of restaurant options nearby.

#2: Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Arlington

Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Arlington

Photo from hilton.com

Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Arlington

Arlington, Texas, United States

54 total nights across 14 stays

On my first work trip ever, from 9–13 February 2009, I stayed at this Homewood Suites. However, on this first stay, I had not yet signed up for Hilton’s loyalty program, so it didn’t count toward my 1000 nights.2

I signed up for Hilton Honors (then Hilton HHonors) when I got home. In April 2009, I had another trip to Arlington and stayed here again, making this the first Hilton I stayed at as a loyalty member—and thus the first of my 1000 nights.

#1: Hampton Inn & Suites Altus

Hampton Inn and Suites Altus, in front of a cotton field.

Hampton Inn & Suites Altus

Altus, Oklahoma, United States

60 total nights across 23 stays

Altus is not a large town, so there aren’t a lot of hotels to choose from. And though I’d often facetiously complain that this hotel was surrounded on three sides by cotton fields and the fourth side by an Applebee’s, I did grow to like this Hampton Inn as I stayed there over and over.

I made a large number of short trips to Altus, so addition to having my highest number of nights, this hotel is by far the hotel I have the most stays at.

A view of a cotton field from the window of a room at the Hampton Inn Altus

The view from west-facing rooms at the Hampton Inn Altus.

The Hampton Inn Altus at night, with a knocked-over lamp pole in the parking lot, and Applebee's in the background

The Applebee’s next door may also have been one of my most visited restaurants away from home, with it being the only restaurant right next to my most-visited hotel.

I no longer have any reason to visit Altus, so my final stay at this hotel was 1–3 March, 2021. It may not be the best hotel I’ve stayed at, but I do miss it.

Collage of hotel photos.

Left to Right: Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace (France); Hilton Paris Opera (France); St. Louis Union Station Hotel (Missouri, USA); Amway Grand Plaza (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA); Frank Lloyd Wright’s Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers in stained glass at Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix, Arizona, USA).

Collage of hotel photos.

Our cat, Maxwell Pepperoni, at the Hilton Garden Inn Dayton Beavercreek (Ohio, USA) while we were having home renovations done.

Collage of hotel photos.

Clockwise from top left: pillow fort at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Dulles-North/Loudoun (Virginia, USA); extra pillows at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Westminster (UK); in-bedroom hot tub at the Hilton Garden Inn Palmdale (California, USA); Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Arlington (Texas, USA); topographic contour map wallpaper of the nearby Palo Duro Canyon at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Amarillo Downtown (Texas, USA); pillow fort door sign at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport (South Carolina, USA).

Collage of hotel photos.

We’ve done the traveling gnome photo concept on occasion, mostly with Rosie (the elephant mascot of my college), but sometimes with other animals. First row: three photos at the Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix, Arizona, USA). Second row: Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace (France); leather elevator seat at the Palmer House (Chicago, Illinois, USA); The Waldorf Hilton (London, UK).

Collage of hotel photos.

Left to right, top to bottom: Texas waffle inexplicably found at the Hampton Inn & Suites I‑35/Mulvane (Kansas, USA); bathroom phone at the Hilton Chicago (Illinois, USA); suite living room at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Tech Center (Centennial, Colorado, USA); Hampton Inn & Suites Ogden (Utah, USA); Amy’s hair at the Hilton Columbus at Easton (Ohio, USA); Homewood Suites by Hilton Dulles-North/Loudoun (Virginia, USA); The Skirvin Hilton (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA); Hilton Munich City (Germany); iron capsule at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Naha Shuri Castle (Okinawa, Japan).

Collage of hotel photos.

Three views of the Hilton Paris Opera (France), including a LEGO model of the hotel in the lobby of the hotel.

Collage of hotel photos.

Clockwise from left: chapel at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Naha Shuri Castle (Okinawa, Japan); poolside movies at the Beverley Hilton (Beverley Hills, California, USA); view from a Rainbow Tower balcony at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA).

Collage of hotel photos.

Left to right, top to bottom: railroad company hotel room doors at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel (Missouri, USA); waffle sign at the Hampton Inn Fort Worth Southwest Cityview (Texas, USA); diamond parking sign at the Hampton Inn & Suites Altus (Oklahoma, USA); pandemic-era room seal at the Hampton Inn Seattle/Southcenter (Tukwila, Washington, USA); warning sign at El Conquistador Tucson Resort (Arizona, USA); guest of the day sign at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tulsa I-44 (Oklahoma, USA); coffee sign at the Hampton Inn & Suites Altus (Oklahoma, USA).

Collage of hotel photos.

Left to right, top to bottom: partial skyline view from the Hilton Chicago (Illinois, USA); breakfast over a highway at the Hilton Stockholm Slussen (Sweden); view of the Cleveland Browns Stadium from the Hilton Cleveland Downtown (Ohio, USA); distant view of the Eiffel Tower from the Hilton Paris Opera (France); view of Naha from the 20th floor Sunset Lounge Bar at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Naha Shuri Castle (Okinawa, Japan); view of Reykjavik from the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica (Iceland).


  1. Hilton actually granted me the lifetime status early, after my first Hilton stay of 2024 in January, when I still was 14 nights shy of the one thousand needed. ↩︎

  2. It also didn’t count towards my 2009 status, in which I ended up only two nights short of Diamond. If I had signed up before this stay, my first year of Diamond would have been 2009 instead of 2010. ↩︎

Tags: