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We're approaching the end of 2025, but it's not too late to achieve top-tier hotel elite status. Here are some last-minute strategies that you can use to qualify (or re-qualify) for hotel elite status with your favorite hotel loyalty programs.
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Accor Live Limitless
Top-tier Accor Live Limitless Diamond elite status can't be achieved through stays and requires a year-long spending commitment of 10,400 euros (~$12,090). However, you can earn Platinum status after 60 nights in a year. If you're within reach of that threshold, it might be worth taking an end-of-year vacation.
There's also a fast-track promotion available for corporate business travelers. There are two versions of the promotion, one offering up to 15 status nights and the other offering up to 20. If you're a Gold elite member, the promotion could push you over to Platinum status.
Best Western Rewards
The most straightforward path to Best Western Rewards elite status is to carry a co-branded credit card. The Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature® Card gives automatic Gold status, while the Best Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature® Card offers automatic Platinum status. The status is maintained as long as your account remains open. Additionally, Best Western also offers an instant status match from numerous programs.
If you want to earn Best Western status the old-fashioned way, Best Western lowered its status qualification requirements in 2022 and has kept them in place ever since. So, you need just 15 nights for Diamond or 25 nights for top-tier Diamond Select status.
Choice Privileges
For most travelers, the most straightforward path to Diamond status is having the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®. This card awards complimentary Platinum status and gives 20 elite night credits. Choice Privileges requires 40 nights per year to attain Diamond status, so holding the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard can put you halfway there for an annual fee of $95.
- 10x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties plus on Choice Privileges point purchases
- 5x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and on phone plan services
- 1x points on other purchases
If you have status with another hotel loyalty program, you may be able to match with Choice Privileges to get Platinum elite. Although you can't status match directly to top-tier Diamond elite, you can request a Diamond elite status jump if you have elite status with a competing hotel and you've stayed at a Cambria Hotel in the last 12 months.
Note that Choice Privileges offers elite rollover nights, so you may want to roll over as many nights as possible into 2026 for a jump start toward the following year's status. Gold members can roll over nine nights, 19 rollover nights for Platinum members, and Diamond members can roll over 39 nights.
Hilton Honors
The quickest path to top-tier Hilton Honors™ Diamond status is carrying the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and paying its $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees). This is one of the few credit cards offering top-tier hotel status as an automatic Card Member perk.
- Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/14/2026.
- Card Members can earn 14X Points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of Flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
- Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
- Enhance your hotel stay with complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status and enjoy a world of hotel privileges and benefits. Get exclusive perks at any of Hilton's 24 hotel brands, like a 100% Bonus on Base Points earned on every stay, Premium Wi-Fi and space-available room upgrades at select properties, and more.
- Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in your first year of Card Membership and every year upon Card renewal.
- $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
- $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline or through amextravel.com using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you can earn an additional Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend an additional $30,000 (for a total of $60,000) in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
- $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: You can receive up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you sign up and pay for a CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your eligible Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- $100 Property Credit: How it Works: To receive up to $100 in credits for qualifying hotel charges, book a 2-night minimum stay at participating Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts with your Card through hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page or call Hilton Honors at (855) 292-5757 with the proper booking reference. See Terms & Conditions for further details.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
- $550 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
You can also use a Hilton status match to get complimentary Gold elite status for 90 days if you have elite status with another hotel program. Then, you can move up to Diamond by completing the Hilton Honors elite status fast track option during your 90-day trial and staying 14 nights within 90 days. If you meet the requirements, you will earn Hilton elite benefits until March 31, 2027.
It's also possible to move up to Diamond status if you hold The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Both cards offer complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status and provide a path to Diamond status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: How To Receive Elite Hotel Benefits Without Elite Status
IHG One Rewards
Diamond Elite is the top elite status level with IHG One Rewards, and this status level typically requires 70 nights or earning 120,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. However, you can enroll in an IHG status match from other hotel programs. If you are targeted, you can stay 10 nights between now and the end of the year to have Diamond Elite status through 2026.
Also, both the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offer complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status. Spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year on either of these cards qualifies you for Diamond Elite status.
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn up to 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club
Leading Hotels of the World is a collection of luxury independent hotels. There are only two tiers in the Leaders Club elite program: the entry-level Club tier and the Sterling tier. To earn Sterling status, you'd need to spend $5,000 in a calendar year.
However, as a cardholder of the American Express Platinum Card®, you can receive complimentary Leaders Club Sterling status. Make sure you enroll in the benefit if you are a cardholder — this is one of the easiest ways to achieve top-tier elite status. Although Leading Hotels of the World has one of the smallest footprints among the hotels on this list, the benefits of status are still quite valuable.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
- More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
- More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. 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.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Marriott Bonvoy®
The highest tier of Marriott Bonvoy elite status is Ambassador Elite. This level requires 100 nights and $23,000 in qualified spending each year. That's going to be a tall task for many award travelers. So, let's look at the two highest tiers you can earn through just nights: Marriott Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite.
The easiest way to earn Platinum Elite status is getting it as a built-in benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Earn up to 21X Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 50% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Platinum Elite status.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- A Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®, such as Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Paris. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,200 airport lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- Trip Cancelled or Interrupted? If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
If you're pursuing Titanium Elite status — which requires 75 Elite Night Credits per year — your best avenue is holding the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. You'll start with Platinum Elite status and 40 elite night credits. Then, you will need just 35 more nights for Titanium Elite. You can earn those night requirements on both paid and award stays.
If you're a few nights short, remember that you can earn Marriott Elite Night Credits without hotel stays. For example, consider spending on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, which awards one elite night for every $5,000 spent on the card.
There aren't any publicly available Marriott status matches at this time. However, you can try calling Marriott and requesting a status challenge. It is worth a try if you know you'll be staying at Marriott properties soon. Plus, if you have United MileagePlus Premier Gold status, you can match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold status through the joint RewardsPlus program.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy's Soft Landing Policy
Sonesta Travel Pass
The top elite status with the Sonesta Travel Pass program is Platinum. You need 40 nights or 40,000 points per year for Sonesta Platinum status. The Sonesta World Mastercard® will give you Gold status and the ability to earn points toward Platinum status. However, it's no longer open to new applicants.
You can also request a status match into the Sonesta Travel Pass program by emailing a screenshot of your status in a competing hotel program to travelpass@sonesta.com.
Related: Best Mid-Tier Hotel Elite Status And How To Earn It
World of Hyatt
Many travelers choose the World of Hyatt hotel loyalty program because of its excellent benefits. Top-tier Hyatt Globalist status requires 60 nights or 100,000 base points. As a cardholder of The World of Hyatt Credit Card, you receive automatic Hyatt Discoverist status, plus five qualifying night credits each year. You'll earn two more credits every time you spend $5,000 on your card. Similarly, the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card also provides Discoverist status and five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent on your card in a calendar year.
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
There aren't currently any publicly available Hyatt status matches or challenges. However, Hyatt occasionally runs promotions for corporate partners, including periodic status shortcuts for AAdvantage® elite members. Plus, if you earn a certain number of AAdvantage Loyalty Points, you can receive Hyatt Discoverist or Hyatt Explorist status as a Loyalty Point Reward.
If you need a last-minute hotel elite status strategy for more Hyatt nights, consider staying at Category 1 Hyatt hotels, which cost just 3,500 points per night on off-peak dates. These are an excellent choice for a low-cost staycation or vacation to pick up the final Hyatt nights you need before the end of the year.
Related: 5 Reasons to Get The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Wyndham Rewards
The most straightforward path to top-tier Wyndham Rewards status is the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card, which gives complimentary Diamond status.
The Wyndham Rewards status match program currently lets you match your status from many other programs. The matched status will be good for 90 days, and you can retain Diamond status if you stay ten qualifying nights within 90 days of starting the challenge.
However, the length of time you retain status depends on when you apply. For example, if you wait to register and complete your challenge in January 2026, you will receive status through December 31, 2027. In other words, you might not need to act by the end of this year to secure benefits for next year.
If you don't have the Wyndham Earner Business Card, Wyndham Diamond typically requires that you stay 40 nights per calendar year.
Bottom Line
As we approach the end of the year, you may need to activate one of the last-minute hotel elite status strategies discussed above to earn your desired status. If you're interested in earning elite status with one or more programs, now is the perfect time to examine your options and start planning before time runs out and qualification metrics reset.
Are you looking for options to reach other hotel status tiers? Check out our guide to all the current hotel status match opportunities.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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