Over the past few weeks, the hotel world has been moving pretty quickly. Â First we had Marriott buying the Starwood hotel group. Â Then, (probably) in reaction to SPG elite members being unsatisfied with becoming Marriott rewards members, Hyatt started offering Diamond status to anyone who had any type of status
Hyatt turned off the Diamond faucet fairly quickly (I only got a match to be offered to Hyatt Platinum), but then Hilton got into the game – offering HILTON Diamond status
I know some people have already been matched to Hilton Diamond – personally I am still waiting to hear back anything from Hilton, but in the meantime I had some thoughts about taking the match to Hyatt Platinum (or Hilton Gold – anything but the top tier)
Should you take the Hyatt or Hilton status match?
Obviously if you got matched to Hyatt or Hilton Diamond, there’s not a huge downside to taking the status match, and I’m sure if you were matched to one of those top-tier statuses, you’ve already accepted and gotten the match.
I’m more talking about people that were matched to the mid-tier status (Hyatt Platinum or Hilton Gold).
Hotel companies change the rules all the time, and even more regarding things like status matches. Â It hasn’t been too long that Hyatt had a Diamond challenge, then didn’t, then did again.
Status matching often “once per lifetime”
CC via Flickr
So, given that we know hotel companies change the rules, it still can be instructive to look at some of the historical rules. Â There is plenty of precedent for hotel status matches to be limited to “once per lifetime”. Â See this Flyertalk thread for an example of the Hyatt status challenge being once per lifetime. Â Ben from One Mile at a Time mentions that Hilton status matches are also once in a lifetime in the comments of this post.
Again, I am not saying for sure that if you take this status match that you’ll be ineligible for future status matches, but it’s certainly possible, and something to think about. Â I replied back to Hyatt’s email offering me Platinum asking if this would preclude me from future status matches – but as expected, they have not responded.
Again, Diamond status would be one thing, but I personally am going to pass on Hyatt Platinum. Â If you really want Hyatt Platinum or Hilton Gold, there are plenty of credit cards that offer both of those statuses.
Do you have any experience with being denied a hotel status match because you had already done one previously?
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There have also been comments that the recent Hyatt Diamond status match did NOT preclude you from status matching in the future.
I had Hyatt Diamond in the past thru a status match and was matched to Diamond during this rush.
I also recall someone writing that the current Diamond status match offer — since curtailed to apparently only SPG Platinum elites — did not preclude a status match or challenge with Hyatt in the future.
Sad to say, but your post smacks slightly of sour grapes…..
I had a previous Hyatt status match and could not maintain it in the time needed to make it permanent. I received a diamond status match this time till February, there is a good chance I can keep it, if I am willing to abandon SPG. I will be if Marriott ruins it, we will see. In the US many of the Hyatt entry level hotels are nicer than the SPG entry hotels from what I have seen.
Horace, no. The post was imply informative. Whatever is written now, Hyatt may change the rules in the future and there will be no comeback. Whilst.Whilst Hyatt Diamond status is worth having, the lack thereof is certainly not worth losing any sleep over. My Spire IHG and Hilton Diamond have both got me superb suites and lounge access. Hyatt declined me and I certainly was not interested in taking their basically worthless Platinum offer just in case that would have blocked me from a different Diamond offer some time in the future.
Yes – that was exactly my point. Diamond is fine – most people will get good value out of that. To me at least, the risk of missing out on future status challenges / matches just to get Hyatt Platinum (a status my wife has and I could get if I signed up for the credit card) was not worth it. Your risk tolerance may vary
@Harry & Dan,
Don’t disagree with assessment that Hyatt Platinum is worthless — less valuable than HHonors Gold due to breakfast perk as an HHonors
Gold.
Also agree not need to status match or challenge for Hyatt Platinum, however, does a challenge or match to mid-level preclude one from seeking Diamond level in the future — unclear, but would not do in any event as status is worthless — so in agreement with both of you.
@Harry — Intrigued where you used Spire elite status to great benefit.
Partner is Spire elite having obtained credit card before IHG changed the rules on points earnings.
Please list places where Spire elite proved helpful and whether those were award or paid stays.
Thanks,
Horace
eatined cre
I got an Executive room on an annual free stay certificate in the IC Park Lane London and an upgrade to an Executive floor room with lounge access on a paid visit to the David IC in Tel Aviv Israel.
The suite upgrade I got [in May] was with my Hilton Diamond at the Hilton Canary Wharf London on a three day paid weekend stay.
I’m wondering if Marriott or SPG will do a status match? I had a plan to MR Hyatt earlier this year, ride Diamond status through next year (22 award nights so far) while building up SPG points through my business, then MR SPG early in 2017 for two years of Platinum status. This merger messed up my cunning plan, and now I’m wondering whether to MR Starwood early next year, to have status before it vanishes. I do very few paid nights normally, so the benefits would be a net gain, but a pain in the butt. Still waiting on Hilton to match to Diamond status for my Thursday inquiry.
I think Marriott should be status matching SPG to stem the flow of people looking at other programs. Or in the very least release some info on how the MR program will incorporate SPG members and their status along with points.
With Hyatt, the previous offerings were challenges, not matches, so no worries on that one (as far as this being once per lifetime). Also, that would be in the terms if it was a regular match case, which it isn’t. This is all in response to the Marriott/SPG situation so these hotels are making these exceptions to normal match/challenge policies to try and get some money their way.
Unless it is in the terms of these matches (which there really weren’t any terms), anyone matching should be fine. I would be surprised, though, if there are many people matching to Hilton that didn’t already have Gold since it is so easy to get! 🙂
Perhaps. I get wary of cases where there “aren’t really any terms”, like you said – because it means that they can just make up whatever they want 🙂
There are definitely some comments out there that mention that status MATCHES (not challenges) from various companies (some hotel, some airline) are limited to once per lifetime. I’ve seen reports of lifetime of account as well as lifetime of person. It may be that this “special one time” status match won’t have any affect on future challenges or matches, and if you were matched to Diamond then it’s a no-brainer. My caution would be if you were just matched to Platinum or Gold, two statuses that are easy to get for free and which provide no real value, there is at least a POSSIBLE downside to taking the match.
I applied for the status match in question with Hilton in June, and received an email earlier this month notifying me that my account was shut down due to a violation of terms and conditions, citing the fact that status matching is once per lifetime (I had Diamond membership from a prior status match). I’ll note that no where in the Hilton HHonors terms and conditions is it mentioned that status matching is once per lifetime, and that this was my first such dispute with HHonors. Very disappointed in the company’s actions. I cannot even call this an honest mistake, as I broke no clearly laid out condition and find it hard to believe that signing up for a publicly offered promotion counts as seeking to abuse the program. I’m leaving this here as a data point for anyone considering asking for an additional status match.