Dear Hilton,

First, congratulations on the bold changes for 2026. The introduction of Diamond Reserve and the exclusive The Honors Society makes it clear that you are serious about rewarding high-value travelers. It’s a smart business move to segment the top 1%.

But as we look at the new hierarchy, there is one group that feels like an afterthought: Your Lifetime Diamond members.

These are the members who have already spent a decade and roughly $200,000 with you. We aren’t asking for handouts, and we understand that “what have you done for me lately” is a valid business metric.

However, effectively demoting your most loyal evangelists to a mid-tier status risks pushing them to “free agent” status.

We believe there is a middle ground—one that honors our history while driving new revenue for you.

Here is some food for thought on how to bridge the gap.

1. Give Us a “Loyalty Discount” on Diamond Reserve

The Situation: Currently, a Lifetime Diamond member has to start from zero (80 nights / $18k spend) to reach Diamond Reserve, just like a brand new member.

The Fix: Offer Lifetime Diamonds a reduced threshold to unlock Reserve benefits—perhaps 50% of the requirements (40 nights or $9k spend).

How This Helps Hilton: It prevents “status apathy.” If the hurdle is $18k, many of us will just status match to Hyatt or Marriott for a change of scenery. If the hurdle is $9k, we will actively chase it.

You capture the spend that would have otherwise leaked to your competitors.

2. Solve the “Premium Club” Friction

The Situation: Being locked out of the new Premium Clubs feels like a penalty, especially when standard Executive Lounges are likely to be phased out or downgraded in favor of these paid clubs.

The Fix: Grant Lifetime Diamond members access to Premium Clubs for the member only (no free guests).

How This Helps Hilton: You protect the exclusivity of the club (no overcrowding with families), but you honor the individual.

More importantly, this creates an instant upsell mechanism: if we want to bring our spouse or business partner in, we will pay for them.

3. Protect the “Lounge” Baseline

The Situation: There is a fear that hotels will degrade their standard Executive Lounges to make the paid “Premium Club” look more attractive.

The Fix: Make it a strict Brand Standard: A hotel cannot open a Premium Club unless they maintain a fully functioning, high-quality Executive Lounge.

How This Helps Hilton: Brand integrity. If a Lifetime Diamond member walks into a stripped-down lounge, the premium feel of the brand evaporates. Protecting the baseline keeps the “Diamond” promise intact.

4. Give Us a New Mountain to Climb

The Situation: Once we hit Lifetime Diamond, we’ve “beaten the game.” There is no higher incentive to stay loyal exclusively to Hilton.

The Fix: Create a path to “Lifetime Diamond Reserve” or a fast-track to The Honors Society.

• Example Target: Existing Lifetime Status + Stay 200 nights & Spend $40k over the next 5 years.

How This Helps Hilton: It creates a massive “lock-in” effect. Instead of resting on our laurels, high-net-worth members will consolidate all their travel to Hilton for another 5 years to secure that top-tier status for life.

We want to stay. We want to spend. But loyalty is a two-way street. By making these small adjustments, you wouldn’t just be being “nice”—you’d be giving your most established customers a reason to choose Hilton all over again.

Sincerely,

MilesCop