I first read on Miles to Memories about a new way to get Hilton Gold status. I am not someone that chases elite status, but there are a few hotel elite statuses that I have (mostly due to credit cards), and of those, Hilton Gold status is definitely the best one
Why is Hilton Gold status pretty awesome
I am not a road warrior – I travel for business pretty infrequently, and when I travel for leisure, I generally try to stay on points. So I don’t have a lot of opportunity to get elite status with hotels, and generally I’m okay with that.
Now that wi-fi is generally being included with most chain hotel statuses, Hilton Gold is a status that gives the one benefit I care most about – free breakfast! When I’m traveling with my whole family, being at a hotel that gives free breakfast is worth EIGHT meals, which is a pretty lucrative benefit for our family
(SEE ALSO: Which hotels give dinner for free?)
Getting Hilton Gold status with the American Express Platinum card
I signed up for The Platinum Card® from American Express in a recent credit card signup. The Platinum Card® from American Express normally comes with a $450 annual fee, but I signed up for the Ameriprise version, which has the annual fee waived the first year. Normally the Ameriprise version doesn’t have a signup bonus, but at the time it offered a signup bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards
It offers SPG gold status, and just recently announced that they will also offer Hilton Gold status for both primary cardholders as well as authorized users.
The primary cardholder can sign up for their complimentary Hilton Gold status through this link
After you log in, you just need to put in your Hilton HHonors number, and that’s it! You should have complimentary Hilton Gold status within 72 hours.
Authorized users still are eligible for Hilton Gold status, but you’ll need to call in to the number on the back of your card.
Wait… a card with a $450 annual fee?
It’s interesting – when I first started in the travel hacking world, I avoided annual fees like the plague. There was NO WAY I was going to pay an annual fee on ANY card! As I’ve continued on though, I can see at least the argument in favor of the card. Yes, travel can be “free”, but the returns on some of
Specifically looking at the Amex Platinum card, yes, the $450 annual fee is a lot. It does come with the following benefits though
- SPG Gold Status
- Now, Hilton Gold status (which I got by paying a $95 annual fee for the Amex Hilton Surpass card a few months ago)
- Free American Express Roadside Assistance (saved me paying for a jumpstart and a tow)
- Free Global Entry (for your authorized users too!)
- Access to Delta SkyClubs
- Access to the American Express Centurion lounges
- Priority Pass airport lounge access, which we used a ton on our recent trip to Europe
And that’s not to mention the $200 / year airfare credit (which can be worth $400 the first year of having the card). I don’t think I’ll be paying the annual fee on this card, but I definitely would consider signing up for this card again, especially if it came with another 100,000 Membership Rewards point bonus!
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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