Not long ago, a Hilton Gold member posted a photo on social media of the hotel’s welcome fruit plate—small in portion and plain in presentation.
At any budget hotel in China, it would hardly have been considered discourteous. But when paired with the Hilton brand and the “Gold member” label, it quickly became the subject of online ridicule.
Mr. A, a lifetime Hilton Diamond member, said his overall experience has “steadily deteriorated” over the past two years.“Since Hilton began partnering more aggressively with third-party platforms, membership has become massively diluted. It started with Gold status becoming too common, and now even Diamond status is everywhere.”
In his view, the surge in Diamond members has turned once-reliable elite benefits—executive lounges, complimentary breakfast, room upgrades—into something that now requires negotiation.
Room upgrades have become the first casualty.
“Since early 2024, upgrades have become noticeably harder. The default is no upgrade at all. Even if you ask, you’re often brushed off with a perfunctory refusal—sometimes despite the app clearly showing available rooms.”
Executive lounges have suffered a similar fate. Once the most visible symbol of Diamond-level privilege, many Hilton lounges in China have either shut down altogether or become unbearably crowded.
Seats are hard to find, food offerings are perfunctory, and the crowds are so dense that one online commenter joked: “Going in isn’t about enjoying yourself anymore—it’s about fighting for a seat.”
Hilton itself is clearly aware of the experience erosion caused by Diamond status inflation.
In an effort to preserve a sense of exclusivity for its middle-class base, the company recently introduced a new, higher-tier status: Diamond Reserve.
The qualification threshold is steep—40 stays or 80 nights per year, with a minimum spend of USD 18,000.
According to Mr. R, a senior hotel industry insider, very few travelers in China can realistically reach that level.
“It’s not just about the threshold,” he said. “Hilton simply doesn’t have enough luxury properties in China to support the spending frequency of truly high-net-worth guests.”
In other words, even if you are willing to spend well into six figures annually to chase Diamond Reserve, there are only a handful of Hilton luxury hotels capable of matching that “premium identity.”
When a loyalty program can no longer reliably deliver its promised status premium, what remains is a cycle of ever-inflating benefits—and steadily eroding loyalty.
