You can get Gold or Diamond status just by getting a credit card. That's it. If you have the Hilton Surpass, Hilton Business, Hilton Aspire, or Amex Platinum card, you're entitled to at least Gold status, regardless of the amount of your spend or stays. The Hilton credit cards also let you earn extremely valuable "free night certificates". Because a large percentage of travelers can benefit from this strategy, it is discussed in its own dedicated guide. Get Free Breakfast or Club Floor Access with the Right Credit Card.
If for some reason you unwilling or unable to get a Hilton or Amex Platinum Card, you can still get instant Hilton Gold status through Hilton's status match. You are only supposed to be able to do this once per lifetime, but many people have been approved multiple times. Plus, if there are multiple people in your household, a different person can take advantage each time it would be beneficial.
All you need to qualify is elite status, including the status that comes with many hotel credit cards, and a single stay with the other program in the past 12 months. About a week after you send Hilton the information, you'll be upgraded to Hilton Gold status for the next 90 days and will start receiving the benefits on any upcoming stays.
If you wind up staying 10 paid nights during the 90 day period, you'll earn Gold status for the rest of the year, the entire following year, and the first three months of the next year. If you wind up staying 18 nights, you'll get Diamond status instead. Hilton Status Match webpage.
