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Long before I took a deep dive into the world of points, I was a road runner, staying in hotels for a few days each week for four months of the year for work. Hilton was the first hotel brand I stumbled into, and I stuck with it, realizing that the more I stayed, the more perks I received.
But as I’d walk from my car to the lobby with each stay, I’d glance at the Diamond member parking spot, angered that I was limited to every other space besides that one. My nights tally fell short for two years, never quite getting past Gold.
Traveling Hard
Eventually, I realized that stays are easier to attain than nights. Back then, it took 60 nights or 30 stays to achieve Diamond. I regularly came in at around 48 nights and about 20 stays. So, in the last few weeks of travel, I would find two Hilton properties nearby – maybe a Garden Inn and Hampton Inn. Instead of staying in one for five days, I would book each hotel on alternate days from Monday through Friday. Each counted as an individual stay, so I could rack up eight or nine stays in two weeks, taking me over the threshold.
Sure, I couldn’t unpack, and I looked super stupid walking into the same hotel three times a week. But I’ve managed to cling onto Diamond for the last five years, saving me hundreds, gifting me upgrades, and, of course, the pretentious joy of parking terribly in that reserved spot.
Traveling Smart
Of course, now I know I could just open the Hilton Aspire Amex Card, keep diamond status, and balance out the high yearly fee after just three stays.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
