Hotel elite status offers many valuable perks. For example, you might enjoy complimentary breakfast, upgrades and even 4 p.m. late checkout with some hotel elite statuses.
But which hotel elite status tier is best? The best hotel elite status tier — and even the best hotel loyalty program — depends on your travel habits, likes and needs. So, in this story, I’ll describe four of the best hotel elite statuses for U.S.-based travelers and how to earn each status in 2024.
You’ll notice that the status levels I discuss aren’t the absolute top tier in some programs. After all, you don’t always need top-tier status to reap valuable perks.
Best hotel elite status levels to earn in 2024
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite: Best worldwide perks
- World of Hyatt Globalist: Best for waived fees and predictable award pricing
- Hilton Honors Diamond: Best easy-to-maintain top-tier status
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite: Best for value-conscious travelers
Comparing the best hotel elite status levels
| Status | Free breakfast | Lounge access | Advance suite upgrades | Best options for earning in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite | Yes, usually | Yes, usually | Yes, through Nightly Upgrade Awards | Stay 50 nights (elite night credits from select Marriott Bonvoy cards count)
Be a basic cardmember of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Earn double elite nights on stays between Feb. 13 and April 29 (requires registration) |
| World of Hyatt Globalist | Yes | Yes | Yes, through suite upgrade awards | Stay 60 tier-qualifying nights or earn 100,000 base points (tier-qualifying nights earned through promotions and Hyatt credit cards count) |
| Hilton Honors Diamond | Sometimes | Yes | No | Complete 30 stays, stay 60 nights or earn 120,000 base points
Be a basic cardmember of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
| IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite | No | Yes, if you have an annual lounge membership | Yes, through confirmable suite upgrades | Stay 40 qualifying nights or earn 60,000 qualifying points
Be a cardmember of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card or United Club Infinite Card |
The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Now, let’s take a closer look at these hotel elite statuses.
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Marriott Platinum Elite status is widely regarded as a sweet spot in the Bonvoy program, thanks to its roster of perks and the relative ease of earning it.
As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, you’ll get perks including 4 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability at Design Hotels and resort and convention hotels), room upgrades (based on availability) and breakfast or lounge access at many brands. Plus, if you reach 50 elite night credits in a calendar year, you’ll get access to Marriott Choice Benefits (including Nightly Upgrade Awards).
There are specific brands and types of hotels where some of these benefits don’t apply. I find myself frequently checking our guide to Marriott elite breakfast benefits before check-in since the breakfast benefits vary greatly across Marriott brands. But overall, Platinum Elite status is very useful at most Marriott properties.
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How to earn Marriott Platinum Elite status in 2024
You can earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status by accumulating elite qualifying nights each calendar year. To earn Marriott Platinum Elite status in 2024, you’ll need 50 elite qualifying nights — but this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to stay in Marriott hotels for 50 nights this year.
Some Marriott brands require guests to stay multiple nights per elite qualifying night, so you may need to stay with Marriott for more than 50 nights in a calendar year to earn Platinum Elite status. But you can earn double Marriott elite nights on qualifying paid stays between Feb. 13 and April 29 (registration required). And select cobranded Marriott cards provide elite night credits as a perk of holding the card.
There are many pathways to earning Marriott Platinum Elite status. For example, if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you’ll get 30 elite night credits (15 elite night credits per card) each year just for holding these cards. As such, you’d only need to earn 20 elite qualifying nights via stays this year to earn Platinum Elite status.
But, if you don’t want to worry about elite qualifying nights, getting the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, which provides Platinum Elite status to basic cardmembers as an ongoing perk, is also an option.
Related: The complete guide to earning Marriott elite status with credit cards
World of Hyatt Globalist
World of Hyatt Globalist is a favorite hotel elite status for many TPG staffers and readers because of its consistently delivered perks.
Some of the best World of Hyatt Globalist perks are waived resort fees, room upgrades (based on availability), 4 p.m. late checkout (upon request at most properties) and club lounge access (or breakfast at properties without a lounge). Plus, I appreciate that the World of Hyatt award charts offer predictable award pricing and let you book some excellent Hyatt Category 1 hotels for as little as 3,500 points per night.
How to earn Hyatt Globalist status in 2024
You can earn World of Hyatt elite status via tier-qualifying nights or base points. For top-tier Hyatt Globalist status, you’ll need 60 tier-qualifying nights or 100,000 base points each calendar year. But you can stay fewer nights and still earn Globalist status if you have a cobranded World of Hyatt credit card.
Specifically, if you have the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you’ll automatically get five qualifying night credits each year. Plus, you’ll earn two tier-qualifying night credits for every $5,000 spent on your card each calendar year. Meanwhile, if you have the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, you’ll earn five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent on your card each calendar year.
You could theoretically spend your way to Globalist status without ever stepping into a Hyatt hotel. But, especially since you’ll need to stay with Hyatt to get value from Globalist status, it’s best to use a combination of stays and credit card spending to earn Hyatt Globalist status.
Related: Why I aim to spend $15K on my World of Hyatt Credit Card each year
Hilton Honors Diamond
Hilton Honors Diamond status affords valuable perks, including space-available room upgrades and lounge access. Plus, Hilton Gold and Diamond members get either daily food and beverage credits or daily continental Hilton breakfast, depending on the brand and region of their stay.
I’ve had some impressive stays as a Hilton Diamond member outside the U.S.. But I wouldn’t maintain Hilton Diamond status if it weren’t easy since I struggle to get good value when redeeming Hilton Honors points, and Hilton’s late-checkout benefits aren’t as generous as other programs for top-tier elite members.
How to earn Hilton Diamond status in 2024
You can earn Hilton Honors elite status via nights, stays or base points. For Hilton Diamond status, you need 30 stays, 60 nights or 120,000 base points each calendar year. But it’s also possible to earn Diamond status without ever setting foot in a Hilton property. That’s because you can get Hilton Diamond status as a cardmember perk of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card for as long as your card account is open.
The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: How much value does Hilton Honors status provide when you book directly?
IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite
IHG improved its elite benefits when it launched the revamped IHG One Rewards program in 2022. Now, IHG Platinum Elite status offers perks like reward night discounts, complimentary upgrades (subject to availability) and late checkout (subject to availability).
Plus, you can earn extra rewards — including food and beverage rewards, bonus points, confirmable suite upgrades and an annual lounge membership — through the IHG Milestone Rewards program.
How to earn IHG Platinum Elite status in 2024
You can earn most IHG elite status tiers via qualifying nights or qualifying points. IHG Platinum Elite status requires you to earn 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
However, you can also obtain Platinum Elite status as a cardmember perk of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. Likewise, United Club Infinite Card members can also register for complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status.
IHG One Rewards properties often provide reasonable quality at a modest price. Especially since you can earn Platinum Elite status just by holding a card with a $99 annual fee, this status is a good option for value-conscious travelers.
Related: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Bottom line
Hotel elite status, especially at the higher tiers, can provide significant perks and enhance your travels. But there isn’t one best hotel elite status for everyone. Instead, the best elite status for you depends on your travel style, the perks you value most and where you like to travel. For example, I truly appreciate the 4 p.m. late checkout I can get as a World of Hyatt Globalist or Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member at most Hyatt and Marriott properties.
Once you decide which hotel elite status is best for you, use the information above to find the best path to earn this status in 2024.
