The feeling you get when you check-in a hotel as an elite member that the front desk agent smiles, types a bit and says the words: "We've upgraded your room. Now, for those who have been loyal customers of Hilton, the moment has never been more real, but less predictable. You came, you waited and you knew what you'd gotten when you came.

Hilton Honors is doing just that in two significant ways, and both are really a step toward putting more control and transparency into the hands of the best customers before they even get to the hotel.

Upgrade at Digital Check-In: See Your Options Before the Front Desk

One of these changes is a feature known as Upgrade at Digital Check-In, which is being rolled out to Hilton's worldwide portfolio. Members of Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve are eligible to view the options of available upgrades in the Hilton Honors app during the digital check-in process.Available upgrade options both free and paid are available to see in the Hilton Honors app during the digital check-in process for eligible Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve members.

This is a useful upgrade to one of the more irritating things about being a hotel elite the lack of transparency in what is on offer until you're right in front of the front desk. In the old days, a Diamond member may have been upgraded to a Diamond member behind the scenes prior to arrival, but not know which room they'd be assigned to until check-in. Now, during the digital check-in, the app displays that information so that members can check out exactly what's available and maybe choose to upgrade for a fee if the free option isn't quite right.

It is an extension of Hilton's current automated pre-arrival upgrade system, which already works for complimentary upgrades for qualifying elites prior to their stay. Consider the additional functionality as a window rather than an alternative to that process. The upgrade might be ready for you already now you can check for it.

Lock In a Suite at Booking confirmable Upgrade Rewards

The second, more important change is that of the introduction of Confirmable Upgrade Rewards (CURs). A new, exclusive Hilton benefit category that renders the upgrade conversation a thing of the past, and moves it to the time of booking.

A Confirmable Upgrade Reward gives eligible members the opportunity to book an upgraded room (up to and including a 1 bedroom suite) up to 7 nights at the time of booking. The assurance that accompanies that is really different from what Hilton has provided previously. Don't just wish for a suite they can be booked months ahead for special anniversaries, milestone birthdays or any occasion when room is key.

On eligible paid stays and award stays, CURs are available through Hilton's direct channels, which include Hilton.com, the Hilton Honors app, WeChat and Hilton Reservations. The advantage comes at a few select properties that already provide free pre-arrival upgrades, and the brand mix is predominantly in Hilton's upscale and luxury properties. A brief overview on who can benefit and where it can be used:

• Diamond Reserve members, members who earn the reward after 120 nights, or members who are transferred or gifted the reward by another Hilton Honors member are eligible to earn CURs.
• Select participating properties: Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR, NoMad, Signia by Hilton hotels (those that have pre-arrival upgrades).

The coverage of the brand is impressive. The value proposition of a suite confirmation vs. crossing your fingers at check-in is a completely different story to the travelers who stay on these properties months in advance.

This What It Means section outlines what the Hilton Elite Member will gain from each of these new changes

An upgrade to hotel rooms has always been the greatest luxury they can give themselves and the least that they can count on at the same time. Points accumulate as usual, free certificates of night come as usual, but the upgrade? It's always been subject to availability, staffing and timing which is beyond a member's control.

The strategy that Hilton is following is to diminish the uncertainty and not the benefit. While digital check-in visibility does not mean the best room in the hotel, it does provide the member with information that they can use. Certainly not all stays, and not all properties, offer Confirmable Upgrade Rewards, but where they do, they turn an intangible into a promise with tangible rewards for the member when they stay in the property.

The CUR benefit is an additional, concrete book value for the Diamond Reserve members Hilton's most distinguished status level. It's also a nice feature that you can gift or transfer a CUR to another member, which can come in handy in cases such as an upgrade reward for a family member for a honeymoon vacation, or as a trip milestone for a family member.

A wider trend to note:

Hilton's shift comes as part of a broader trend among the hotel loyalty programs to emphasize certainty over generosity. A benefit that can be verified and can be planned for is more valuable to most travelers than an equivalent benefit that may or may not occur at the property's discretion. One of the biggest complaints about hotel elite programs has been the uncertainty of rewards, and both these changes have been a conscious effort by Hilton to solve that issue.

It will be interesting to see if other large programs adopt the same mechanisms of success that can be confirmed. For the time being, Hilton has taken a step forward with most of its rivals in this regard.

You should know the following points for this lesson:

• Upgrade at Digital Check-In is available to Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve members at Digital Check-In prior to check-in visible on Hilton Honors app.
• Both free and paid upgrades are offered, providing members with information and choice, not surprise.
• Upgrades such as one-bedroom suites and other upgrades can be confirmed when booking as part of Confirmable Upgrade Rewards (CURs).
• The stay is valid for up to 7 nights at certain properties that participate in the CURs programme, such as Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR, NoMad and Signia by Hilton.
• There are three ways to earn a CUR: when you hit Diamond Reserve status, complete the 120-night period, or get a transferred award from another member.

The Bottom Line

Hilton Honors has added two new features that make an impact on the upgrade experience for its top-tier members formerly, a digital check-in upgrade visibility tool for Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve members and a new Confirmable Upgrade Rewards feature, which lets elite guests guarantee a suite when booking for stays of seven or more nights. 

As a combination, they make upgrading more of a seamless experience instead of a pleasant surprise and more of a plan a traveler can make around which is a major plus for those who have previously arrived at a Hilton hotel with hopes for better and had to leave with just what they booked. The CUR benefit is particularly valuable for Diamond Reserve members, as it further enhances their status level with added real benefits and plans.