The Guide to Hilton Gold Status
Hilton Gold status is worth the perks for loyalists — and it's not too difficult to earn.
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Contributing Editor Earning Hilton Honors Gold Status through frequent stays is an impressive achievement. But given how easy it is to earn Hilton Honors™ Gold Status through certain American Express credit cards, including Hilton-branded credit cards, many people will earn Gold Status with little trouble.
Unlike many other easy-to-earn elite status tiers that have mediocre benefits, Hilton Gold Status can be hugely lucrative. Hilton Honors Gold is two tiers above entry-level status in Hilton's elite status program and offers benefits including food and beverage credits, waived resort fees and big discounts on five-night stays booked on points.
Here’s what you need to know about Hilton’s mid-tier elite status, Gold.
Hilton Gold perks
There are several Hilton Gold Status benefits in store when you stay at an eligible property. The best Hilton Gold perks include:
- 80% bonus points: 10 base points on most Hilton purchases plus an 80% bonus, which equates to 18 points per dollar spent.
- Complimentary upgrades at check-in: Upgrade eligibility on all room types, even up to the executive floor.
- Fifth night free: When redeeming five nights using Hilton Honors points, you only pay the point equivalent of four nights.
- Food and beverage credits, club lounge access or complimentary breakfast: Daily food and beverage credits (varies based on brand) within the U.S. or complimentary continental breakfast in non-U.S. hotels.
- Waived resort fees: Resort fees are waived on free night awards for all Hilton Honors members.
These benefits are in addition to the benefits all Hilton Honors members get like free WiFi, late check-out when available and free bottled water.
» Learn more: The complete guide to Hilton Honors
Free breakfast (or other food) for Hilton Gold members
One standout perk that Gold members tend to love is the daily food and beverage credit, which replaced the former complimentary continental breakfast benefit. All members with Hilton Honors™ Gold Status or Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status automatically receive a credit for each night stayed at U.S. hotel brands.
Credits vary by hotel but tend to run between $12 and $25 per night (and you can get twice the credit if there are two people in a room).
The credit can be used toward eligible food and beverage purchases charged to your room at any time of day. You could use it toward the hotel breakfast buffet, dinner, a fancy coffee from the lobby cafe or snacks at the grab-and-go market. You can even use it in multiple places.
A few things to remember about the food and beverage benefit:
- You can use it on alcoholic beverages if state and local laws allow it.
- The credit applies to taxes and gratuities.
- You can’t combine it across multiple nights of a stay, so you can’t use multiple nights worth of credit for one pricey meal.
The daily credit is also a perk on rewards stays.
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How to earn Hilton Honors Gold
There are two primary ways that you might earn Hilton Honors Gold Status. One requires frequent travel and the other comes from having the right credit card.
1. Staying at Hilton properties
Make at least 15 stays, stay 25 nights or spend $6,000 within the calendar year at Hilton Honors-participating hotels to achieve Hilton Honors Gold Status.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Starting in 2026, Hilton is introducing changes to its loyalty program, which includes a new highest tier status, Diamond Reserve. Earring this status will require staying 80 nights or 40 stays and spending $18,000 annually. 2. Holding the right credit card
The easiest way to get Hilton Honors™ Gold Status could be by simply applying for any of these American Express credit cards that offer Hilton Honors™ Gold Status.
Annual fee
$150.
$195.
$895.
$895.
Learn more
One of the most popular cards with Hilton Honors™ Gold Status as a benefit is the American Express Platinum Card®. You will have to take the extra step to officially enroll with Hilton, but it's a quick process. Though, it's not exactly the cheapest way to get Hilton Gold Status. The card comes with an $895 annual fee, so only go this route if you can take advantage of the card's other benefits. Terms apply.
The cheaper way to "buy" your way to Hilton Honors™ Gold Status is to get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (annual fee: $150) or The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (annual fee: $195). You can also go for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which will grant you Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status (one tier above Gold) as well as a bunch of other perks for an annual fee of $550.
These cards offer a rapid way to achieve Hilton Honors Gold Status (or higher) without setting foot in a hotel. Terms apply.
» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now
What else you need to know
You can benefit from Hilton Honors promotions
Hilton Honors offers promotions throughout the year with bonus points that can edge you closer to a redemption night. Be sure to register for these promotions, even if you do not have stays planned. You never know when a last-minute trip might pop up, and if you are already registered, you can take advantage of it.
» Learn more: What is the best Hilton offer right now?
Status matches are available
If you hold mid-tier status with another loyalty program, Hilton Honors may offer a status match to its Hilton Honors Gold tier. This can be a good idea if you have an important stay coming up and want to take advantage of the potential room upgrade or food and beverage amenities that come with Gold Status at eligible properties.
To qualify, you’ll have to stay at least six nights within a 90-day window to keep Gold Status. If you stay at least 12 nights, you’ll climb all the way up to Diamond Status.
This offer is only available once per member.
How long does Hilton Honors status last?
Gold Status will remain in effect until Dec. 31 of the subsequent year in which you earned it. So if you achieve Hilton Honors status in the summer of 2026, it would be good through Dec. 31, 2027.
Milestone bonuses
If you stay with Hilton frequently, you can keep earning through its milestone bonuses offering. For every 10 nights you stay after achieving 40 nights in a calendar year, you will earn 10,000 points. Once you reach 60 nights in a calendar year, you’ll earn 30,000 more points.
Hilton lifetime status
Hilton Honors does not offer lifetime status for Silver or Gold tiers, but it does for Diamond status. If you enjoy Gold status enough to keep earning toward the Diamond tier, you could be well on your way.
If you keep Diamond Status for 10 years (they don’t have to be consecutive) and complete an additional milestone (like staying over 1,000 nights or spending at least $200,000), you can earn Diamond status for life.
Is Hilton Honors Gold Status worth it?
Yes, Hilton Honors Gold Status is absolutely worth it. In fact, no other major U.S. hotel chain offers as high a value of a mid-level status tier than what Hilton offers. For example, to get a free breakfast with Marriott Bonvoy, you need to stay at least 50 nights per year, and with Hyatt, it’s 60 nights.
And even if you don't stay at Hilton hotels often but are open to playing the points and miles game by applying for a new credit card, the annual fee on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card could easily pay for itself if you take advantage of perks like your fifth night free on points stays.
And don't overlook the high value of the daily food and beverage credits. If you stay at a hotel that offers $25 per night, that alone could put you at the card's annual fee after just three nights at a Hilton hotel, assuming two people per room.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
*More from American Express
American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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