How to Get Hilton Gold Status (and Why You Want It)

Having Gold status with Hilton Honors means you’ll get extra perks when you stay at Hilton hotels and resorts.

This can amount to savings money on stays, earning more points and more free perks and amenities when you stay at Hilton properties.

Plus, who doesn’t like free breakfast and room upgrades?

In this guide, we’ll go over exactly how to get Hilton Honors Gold status—both by staying at Hilton hotels and through having a Hilton Honors credit card.

What Benefits Does Hilton Honors Gold Status Offer?

Before we jump into how to get Hilton Gold status, let’s quickly review the benefits of that come with it.

This way you’ll know if it’s worth earning status and just how much you can use each of the benefits.

With Hilton Honors Gold status you’ll get all the benefits included in the Member and Silver status levels. You’ll also get a few additional valuable perks.

Here’s a full list of benefits that you’ll get with Gold elite status:

• Discounted rates
• No resort fees on award stays
• Free standard Wi-Fi
• Late check-out
• Digital check-in with choose your room
• Second guest stays free
• Free points pooling and points transfers
• 5th night free on standard award stays
• 2 free bottles of water
• Elite tier rollover nights
• Earn 80% points bonus on paid stays
• Room upgrades based on availability (up to executive level room)
• Complimentary breakfast at all hotels
• Unlimited milestone bonuses

As you can see the most noteworthy perks of Hilton Honors gold status include free room upgrades, complimentary breakfast at all hotels, and accelerated points earning rates on paid stays.

But, let’s dive into the details of each of these benefits.

Free Room Upgrades

Room upgrades are based on space availability and the highest level room type you will be upgraded to is an executive room type.

What does this mean?

You can expect upgrades to rooms with better views on higher floors or larger size rooms.

The good news is that you will get room upgrades on both paid stays and when you redeem points for Hilton Honors award nights.

Unfortunately, you can’t count on upgrades to any suites. You’ll need Hilton Diamond status for that.

Free Breakfast at All Hilton Hotels

You will get free breakfast at all Hilton properties, however, the breakfast quality and type can vary greatly from brand-to-brand within the Hilton portfolio.

If you’re staying at a mid-tier property, such as a Hampton Inn, can expect a continental breakfast.

When staying at an upper-mid tier brand, such as Hilton Garden in or DoubleTree, you’ll get hot made-to-order breakfast.

However, when you stay the higher-end property such as Waldorf Astoria or Conrad you’ll be offered credit for breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant.

The bottom line is that free breakfast can mean huge savings when staying at Hilton hotels. This is especially true in Europe where breakfast can easily costs €30 per person.

Earning Bonus Points

When it comes to earning extra Hilton Honors points with Gold status, you’ll earn an 80% points bonus on paid stays.

This means that you will earn 18 Hilton points per $1 spent on stays at most Hilton properties. The only brands where you will earn less are Tru and Home2 hotel chains, which you will earn 9 points per $1 spent.

You also have access to unlimited Milestone bonuses. These can allow you to earn a ton of extra points if you frequently stay at Hilton hotels.

Hilton gold status is arguably one of the top hotel elite status levels to hold. In fact, it makes Marriott Bonvoy Gold status look quite unimpressive.

The bottom line is that the status level packs a ton of benefits and perks yet is still reachable for most average travelers.

How to Get Free Hilton Gold Status from Credit Cards

If you are looking for the easiest and quickest way of how to get Hilton Gold status, it’s by having a Hilton Honors American Express credit card.

These cards also frequenlty offer impressive welcome offers that will also help boost your Hilton Honors points balance.

You automatically receive Hilton Honors Gold elite status when you are approved for either of these credit cards:

• Current Bonus: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card offers 130,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 50,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months.
• Benefits: Its bonus spending categories make this card a powerful way to earn Hilton points. It earns 12x points on Hilton purchases, 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3x points on all other purchases. You can also earn a free weekend night at any Hilton hotel each calendar year you spend $15,000 on your card.
• Annual Fee: $95
• Learn More >

Plus you’ll maintain complimentary Gold elite status as long as you keep the card open and pay the annual fee.

And that’s often worth it. As the annual fee on both cards is modest. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card has a $95 annual fee and the has a annual fee.

Given the valuable benefits and perks that you’ll get when you stay at Hilton properties, paying the annual fee will make sense for many Hilton loyalists.

For example, it takes just one stay for a family of four to make the card pay for itself when they get free breakfast that would normally cost $25 per person.

Pro Tip: If you are wanting Hilton Diamond status, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with complimentary Diamond status.

Earning Hilton Gold Status from Stays

Of course, if you don’t have an American Express Hilton Honors credit card you can earn Hilton gold status the old-fashioned way.

To earn Hilton Gold status you will need to meet one of these requirements during a calendar year:

• Stay 40 nights
• Complete 20 stays
• Earn 75,000 Hilton points

Once you meet one of these requirements within a calendar year you’ll account will be upgraded to Gold level. You’ll hold that status level for the rest of that year and the following calendar year.

How to Get Hilton Gold Status With Status Match

From time-to-time Hilton Honors offers a status match against other hotel loyalty programs. This can be a great way to fast track getting Hilton Gold status.

This means if you have status with another competitor loyalty program, you can submit proof of your status with to Hilton to Gold or Diamond status.

You will need to provide the following information with your status match request:

• Name
• Email
• Hilton Honors account number
• Hotel loyalty program you want Hilton Honors to match
• Current status with competitor loyalty program
• Proof of status with competitor loyalty program (Screenshot of current account status or membership card)
• Proof of stay in the last 12 months with competitor loyalty program (Screenshot of reservation/hotel receipt)

Once confirmed, Hilton will upgrade your Hilton Honors status to the equivalent level within the program. You will then hold status for a 90-day trial period.

To maintain status you will need to stay a minimum number of nights within the same 90-period. To keep Gold status you need to stay 10 nights. For Diamond status you will need to stay 18 nights.

Here is a quick example of how this all works. Let’s say you have Marriott Bonvoy Gold status. You will submit your proof of status and be matched with Hilton Honors Gold. You will then have Gold status for 90 days, if you complete 10 stays within the 90 days you will keep status.

Wrap Up

Hilton Honors Gold status is one of the best deals when it comes to hotel loyalty program elite statuses.

The status level’s benefits and perks offer exceptional value and it’s incredibly attainable for even infrequent travelers.

However, if you are a Hilton loyalist or frequently stay at Hilton properties, having a co-branded Hilton credit card such as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or will pay dividends. You’ll earn extra bonus points on paid stays, plus you’ll get complimentary Hilton gold status as a cardholder.