Cheapest & easiest ways to get Hilton Gold status from Singapore (Feb 2020)

There has been some minor changes since the 2019 version of this guide.

I have always said that Hilton Honors is the best hotel loyalty program out there when it comes to value. There are generous points promotions all the time and you get to stay in a property for as little as 3,000 points.

What is so good about Hilton Honors Gold status?

The benefits that come with Gold status can save you money and give you a fair bit of extra comfort. This is most beneficial to people who have upcoming trips/vacations. You get a long list of benefits by being a Hilton Honors Gold member but here are the most valuable ones:

1. Complimentary breakfast

2. Room upgrade

3. Late check out

Why is now a good time?

According to the terms and conditions, once you have received Gold status, you will keep it until the end of the following year. As we are still in the front end of the year 2020, you will keep your status for a nice 22 months till 31 Dec 2021.

How to get it?

First, you will need to register for the Fast Track program through this link. Registration is free. As soon as you are enrolled, you will have 90 days to complete 4 stays to be automatically upgraded to Gold status.

Click here to register for Hilton Honors Gold Fast Track offer

What does “4 stays” mean?

The word “stay” tends to confuse people who are new to hotel loyalty programs. A “stay” is defined as consecutive nights spent in one hotel. For example:

Considered as 1 stay

• 2 consecutive nights in 1 hotel.

• 2 consecutive nights in 1 hotel booked separately with 2 reservation numbers.

• Checked out and checked in on the same day in the same hotel.

• 1 night booking of 2 rooms in the same hotel.

Considered as 2 stays

• First night in Hilton A, second night in Hilton B.

• First night in Hilton A, second night at home, third night in Hilton A.

Considered as 3 stays

• First night in Hilton A, second night in Hilton B, third night in Hilton A.

Cheapest method

There are two hotels in Kuala Lumpur that are very close (about 30 seconds walk) to each other. They are:

Hilton Garden Inn Kuala Lumpur Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman North (HGI KL North)
Lowest Single nightly rate including taxes: MYR 126 ($42)
Lowest Queen nightly rate including taxes: MYR 145 ($49)

Hilton Garden Inn Kuala Lumpur Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman South (HGI KL South)
Lowest Single nightly rate including taxes: MYR 131 ($44)
Lowest Queen nightly rate including taxes: MYR 151 ($51)

By alternating your stays between the two hotels for 4 nights, you would have clocked 4 stays and will be a Hilton Gold member. For example:

1st night: HGI KL North
2nd night: HGI KL South
3rd night: HGI KL North
4th night: HGI KL South

This will bring your total cost to $172 for single rooms. Remember to include your cost of travel to Kuala Lumpur.

More convenient methods

If you do not have the time luxury to spend 4 consecutive nights away from Singapore, there are more convenient options that will cost a little bit more. The two cheaper hotels near you are:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru
Lowest nightly rate including taxes: MYR 260 ($87)

Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon
Lowest nightly rate including taxes: $132

With these two hotels, you don’t have to commit 4 consecutive days of your time. You can stay in any of them whenever you are free within the 90-days period. This will bring your cost to a minimum of $348.

Once in a lifetime

Members are only allowed a Gold Fast Track once in their membership lifetime. However, I am not a big fan of waiting to jump on an opportunity to fully maximize its potential because I know that it will eventually not happen at all. I know too many people who waited and waited to redeem their Alaska miles for the Japan Airlines trick before it just disappeared without notice. Even if you have 10 stays coming up this year, I say go for it!

Conclusion

Being in Singapore gives you some nice options to achieve Hilton Honors Gold status. Remember to register for Hilton’s current promotion that gives you 2,000 points per stay. Upon completing the 4 stays for this Fast Track program, you will end up with around 10,000 points (worth $70).