Hilton Honors offers one of the most versatile hotel loyalty programs in existence. As you accrue Hilton points, you can redeem them for stays at more than 5,500 Hilton properties around the world, transfer them to partner loyalty programs, or use them for shopping.
Of course, the best way to use Hilton Honors points is for Hilton stays. Here’s how you can maximize Hilton Honors points with the best redemption options available.
Quick Answer: How to Get Maximum Value from Hilton Honors Points
- You’ll get the best value for your Hilton points when redeeming them for free Hilton nights.
- For maximum value, use points for standard room rewards, not premium room rewards, and book a minimum 5-night stay to get the 5th night free as a Gold or Diamond Hilton member.
- Don’t forget to compare the cash cost to the point cost for your stay; if there’s a disparity, you may get a really good deal or you may be wasting your points!
How to Use Hilton Honors Points
Hilton Honors points are very versatile and can be used for hotel stays, transfers to partner programs, and more. Here’s an in-depth guide to the best ways to use Hilton points to get the best value.
Redeem Hilton Honors Points for Reward Stays
When your Hilton Honors points are used for Hilton reward stays, you can get a value of anywhere from 0.3 cents to more than 1 cent per point depending on the season, property, length of stay, and other factors. Here’s everything you need to know to redeem Hilton points for free Hilton nights.
Hilton Hotel Brands
You can redeem Hilton Honors points for free nights at any Hilton hotel brand ranging from luxury to budget-friendly. Hilton has 15 brands where you can use your points.
Luxury:
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
Upper upscale:
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Curio – A Collection by Hilton
- Embassy Suites by Hilton
- Signia
Upscale:
- Canopy by Hilton
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
Upper midscale:
- Hampton by Hilton
Midscale or limited service:
- Tru by Hilton
- Home2 Suites by Hilton
- Motto by Hilton
You can learn more about Hilton brands here.
Hilton Honors Award Chart (How Many Points Do You Need for a Free Night?)
Hilton no longer has an award chart thanks to their switch to dynamic pricing. The amount of Hilton points you need for a free stay will depend on the property and the season. Award rates are typically linked to the cash price for a room which also depends on demand — but you can sometimes find better-than-expected deals.
Hilton reward stays range from 5,000 to 95,000.
Admittedly, finding properties at the very low end of this scale can be difficult. On the other hand, the high end of the scale is reserved for Hilton’s luxury properties including resorts in some of the world’s most exotic destinations.
For most properties in the upper midscale to upper upscale range, you can expect an average range of 20,000 to 70,000 points per night.
Without a standard Hilton Honors award chart, the best way to predict how many Hilton points you will need is with the Points Explorer tool. This tool shows the minimum and maximum amount of points you need at each property.
When using the Points Explorer, remember that the published rates aren’t always accurate; they just reflect the lowest points-per-night rate other Hilton Honors members have locked into within a specific period of time. If someone gets a lower award rate, the Points Explorer app will update to reflect it but this takes time.
Free Night Rewards
When you book a Hilton free night with points, you have several options available. You may be interested in just a standard room or you may be willing to spend more points for more space. Maybe you don’t have enough points saved up and you’d like to pay the difference in cash. Here’s how Hilton free night awards work and the ways you can book a stay with points.
Standard Room Reward
This type of room reward usually offers the best value for your points. A standard room comes with the typical amenities plus an important benefit: you can get a 5th night free when you book a stay of at least five days.
If you want to take advantage of the 5th night free benefit, make sure you book a standard room award; this benefit doesn’t apply to premium awards.
Premium Room Reward
Want more space and better amenities? When searching for award stays, look for awards marked “Premium Room Awards.” These rewards usually come with quite a premium but in exchange you may get a larger suite instead of a room with upgraded amenities.
Note that you don’t get a 5th night free when you book premium room rewards.
Here’s an example of the premium cost you may pay to book a premium room reward at the Hilton Los Angeles/San Gabriel.
Points & Money Rewards
A nice perk of the Hilton Honors program is the ability to book reward nights with a combination of points and cash. Unlike some hotel loyalty programs, Hilton Honors doesn’t require a fixed amount of points and cash. You have the ability to choose how many points to apply to your stay with a slider.
You must use at least 5,000 points to book with the Points & Money option and use your points in 1,000-point increments. You will earn Hilton points on the cash portion of the stay.
When booking a Hilton stay, it’s worth it to compare the cash price and points price then check if you’ll get a better value with Points & Money. Sometimes this option has a low value, such as 0.2 cents each for your points, but sometimes you get a better value than you would when you book with points alone.
Room Upgrade Rewards
After booking a Hilton stay, you have the option of using points to upgrade your room. This can give you the same results as booking a premium room award but with fewer points. For example, rather than paying a premium of 75,000 points per night to get a premium suite at booing, you can make a cash booking then pay 25,000 to 50,000 points per night to upgrade to a suite. Upgrade options are displayed when you book a reservation and vary based on availability, season, and hotel. You can book a room upgrade with points when you make your reservation.
How To Book a Free Night Reward
There are two ways to book your free night reward with Hilton Honors: online or over the phone. Here’s what you need to do.
Online
After logging into your Hilton Honors account online or with the Hilton app, search for a hotel and click the box that says “Use Hilton Honors Points.” You’ll see a list of available properties with the ability to toggle the price per night by cash and points.
Make sure you note whether a room is designated as a “standard room reward” or a “premium room reward” prior to booking if you plan to use the 5th night free benefit. After selecting a room, you can complete your reservation and your points will be deducted right away.
By Phone
You can also book a reward stay by calling 1-800-4HONORS. Just let the reservations agent know you want to use points to book a stay. You will be able to review the reservation online through your Hilton Honors account.
Hilton Honors 5th Free Night Benefit
Once you reach Silver, Gold, or Diamond status in Hilton Honors, you can book reward stays and enjoy every 5th night free during your stay on stays up to 20 days. That’s good for up to 4 free nights when you stay 20 consecutive nights.
This benefit will only apply when you book a standard room reward through HiltonHonors.com, the Hilton Honors app, or by calling Hilton directly to make a reservation. The benefit won’t apply when you book a stay as part of any other promotion or offer through Hilton or a partner.
Note that the 5th free night will be calculated as an average of all nights of your stay. Hilton uses an “average award cost” system that averages the nightly value of your stay across all nights then deducts the cost of one night from your reward cost.
As an example, if you book a five-night stay that includes 3 peak nights at 40,000 points per night and 2 off-peak nights at 30,000 points per night, the average number of points per night is 36,000. This will be deducted from the total cost of the stay.
10 Incredible Hilton Honors Point Redemptions to Maximize Their Value
Whether you’re deciding what to do with the Hilton Honors points you got as a welcome bonus or you’ve been saving up points for months, you’ll find seemingly endless redemption options in the Hilton family. Here are 10 absolutely amazing Hilton properties to redeem your points for an unforgettable experience.
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Hilton has a decent presence on Hawaii across multiple islands. While the Grand Wailea Waldorf Astoria is Hilton’s most luxurious resort in Hawaii, it’s also the most expensive. If you really want to stretch your Hilton Honors points as far as possible, the oceanfront Hilton Waikoloa Village can be a great choice. Located on Kohala Coast on the big island, this resort offers a saltwater lagoon, dolphin encounters, and much more.
It’s pretty easy to book Hilton Waikoloa Village for about 60,000 points per night during the winter or spring. With a 5-night stay and the 5th night free benefit, you can spend just 240,000 for a five-night luxury stay in Hawaii.
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace (Hilton Disney Springs)
Planning a Walt Disney World vacation? Disney is expensive enough; why spend a fortune to stay in a Disney resort when you can use your Hilton points? Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista is the closest hotel to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and it often includes special Disney perks like Disney Extra Magic Hours and FastPast+ service.
Standard room award rates at Hilton Disney Springs usually ranges from 35,000 to 50,000 Hilton points per night but you can get the 5th night free with Gold or Diamond status. That means you can enjoy a 5-night stay at the Orlando Disney resort for as little as 140,000 points.
Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado is located on the beach of the popular resort city Coronado, a peninsula in San Diego Bay. The luxury Hotel del Coronado, opened in 1888, is Coronado’s crown jewel and one of the latest wooden Victorian beach resorts in existence. It was also the largest resort hotel in the world when it opened and has been voted as one of the world’s top ten resorts.
Prices are usually more than $400 per night for a standard room at Hotel del Coronado and the standard award rate is typically 95,000 Hilton points per night, the highest level of points necessary for a reward stay. Still, you can find weekend rates far below this threshold with a bit of searching.
Hilton Hurghada Resort
Who says exotic locations and fabulous resorts need to cost tens of thousands of points? The Hilton Hurghada Resort typically has reward nights for just 5,000 points a night — the lowest possible rate in the Hilton Honors program. While you may expect a budget motel with the bare minimum in amenities at this price, you’d be wrong.
The Hilton Hurghada Resort is an upscale beachfront resort in the resort town of Hurghada, Egypt with a private beach, its own large waterpark, and a complimentary children’s club and buffet breakfast. There’s also scuba diving, motor boating, snorkeling, windsurfing, and waterskiing — all on-site.
Conrad Bora Bora Nui
If you’ve always dreamed of a luxury vacation at an overwater villa property, it’s hard to beat the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, one of Hilton’s most sought-after properties. This upscale resort in French Polynesia is located on a private cove with powdery, white sand beaches and it’s seen its fair share of celebrities over the last few years. The property has almost everything you need for the perfect vacation, including a mini-golf course, water activities like kayaking, fine dining, and a world-class spa.
During the off season, you can enjoy the Conrad Bora Bora Nui resort for around 80,000 per night. Don’t forget about the 5th night free benefit and the free continental breakfast with Gold or Diamond status — a benefit that really pays off as the breakfast here goes above and beyond.
Waldorf Astoria Versailles
Dream of exploring the rich history of Versailles, France in style? The Waldorf Astoria Versailles is a short walk from the famous Château de Versailles and boasts opulent rooms with amenities like the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon restaurant, Spa Guerlain, and a large heated indoor pool that’s modeled after a Grecian bathhouse.
Even during the off season, at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles can go for more than $500 a night plus taxes. When you book a standard reward night, you can get weekend rooms for just 80,000 points, or a value of 0.6 cents per point without considering taxes. Book a 5-night stay to take advantage of the 5th night free in the historic district of Paris and the value of your points is nearly 0.8 or more.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur
The DoubleTree in Kuala Lumpur offers 5-star accommodations in an ideal location in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with amenities like its outdoor saltwater pool, rain showers, and 5-star restaurants.
Free Hilton nights at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur are typically just 10,000 to 20,000 points. With a Hilton Honors credit card welcome bonus and the 5th night free benefit, your points can go very far here.
Conrad Hong Kong
Located on Hong Kong Island with magnificent Victoria Harbor views, the Conrad Hong Kong offers luxurious and spacious rooms with high-tech amenities in the epicenter of the city. Conrad Hong Kong is close to most popular tourist destinations and towers 61 stories over Pacific Place in the business district.
Rooms at Conrad Hong Kong typically go for $300 to $400 per night. You can book reward stays starting at just 57,000 points with a maximum of 80,000 points per night.
The Waldorf Hilton, London
London is notorious for its expensive hotels. At the Waldorf Hilton, London, where rooms are frequently more than $300 to $500 per night, you can book reward stays starting at 62,000 per night.
The Waldorf Hilton, London boasts an ideal location next to the Royal Opera House and in the heart of a district filled with theatres, shops, restaurants, and museums. It’s also one of the most iconic hotels in London.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
If you’re looking for the ideal romantic getaway, the Maldives is calling. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is one of the best resorts in the Maldives and it’s been twice voted as the “Best Hotel in the World.” This peaceful resort is located in the South Ari Atoll close to dozens of dive sites and it was the first to offer undersea dining at the famous Ithaa restaurant.
Rates at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island are always high, sometimes reaching up to $800 per night. Even during peak season, however, you’ll never spend more than 95,000 points per night and may occasionally snag a room for a bit less. That can give you a value of more than 0.8 cents per point.
Other Ways to Redeem Hilton Honors Points
In general, getting maximum value for Hilton Honors points requires using your points at Hilton to book award stays or upgrades. Still, Hilton Honors allows you to use your Hilton points in a variety of other ways. Want to know how to redeem Hilton Honors points without booking award stays? Here are your other options.
On Property Rewards
At some Hilton properties, you can use your Hilton points for on-property rewards like golf lessons or tee time, spa treatments, dining packages, and all-inclusive stays. These on-property rewards are limited to specific Hilton properties. For example, golf rewards are available at select properties in Puerto Rico, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, and South Carolina at properties like Waldorf Astoria Orlando or Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort.
Transfer Hilton Honors Points to Partners
Hilton Honors has a network credit card, air, and rail partners. You definitely won’t get a great value by transferring Hilton points but it is an option. It’s usually only a good idea to transfer your Hilton points when you are close to an award with a hard-to-earn program like Alaska Airlines or American Airlines.
Hilton Honors points transfer options include:
- Amtrak (10,000 Hilton points: 5,000 Amtrak points)
- Virgin Atlantic (15,000 Hilton points: 10,000 Flying Club miles)
- United (10,000 Hilton points: 1,000 MileagePlus miles)
- American Airlines (10,000 Hilton points: 1,500 AAdvantage miles)
- Icelandair (10,000 Hilton points: 1,000 Saga Club Award miles)
- Miles & More (5,000 Hilton points: 625 Miles & More miles)
You can also transfer Hilton points to American Express Membership Rewards and Diners Club International Club Rewards.
You can view the full list of transfer partners at Hilton.
Use Hilton Honors Points on Amazon
Amazon allows you to use loyalty points and cash back on several credit cards toward Amazon purchases. As a general rule, though, you’ll get a poor value of just 0.2 cents each for your Hilton points compared to their estimated value of around 0.5 cents each. That means $100 in spending on Amazon requires 50,000 Hilton points.
If you do decide to redeem Hilton points this way, here’s how to use Hilton points on Amazon:
- Link your Hilton Honors account with Amazon here. You will need to log into your Amazon account then provide your Hilton Honors login credentials.
- At checkout on Amazon, your Hilton Honors points will be added to your payment options.
Hilton Event Credits
You can use Hilton points to get a discount on a Hilton event like a wedding or corporate meeting. This redemption option gives you a voucher to use toward your event but you’ll get a poor value of 0.2 cents per point. A $100 voucher requires 50,000 Hilton points.
Hilton Honors Experiences
Looking for the best use of Hilton Honors points if you aren’t going to use them for hotel stays? Want a unique adventure or experience you can’t get anywhere else? Redeeming your points through Hilton Honors Experiences may be a good bet.
Your Hilton points can be redeemed for all types of experiences like concert tickets, sporting events, fine dining, spa treatments, and cultural experiences.
For example, 50,000 points can get you and a guest access to an private, exclusive performance by Brett Young in Nashville complete with craft brews, cocktails, and cuisine at the Pre-Party and After-Party.
For 265,000 points, you could get two nights in a deluxe room at Conrad Cairo with a guided tour of the city for two, airport transportation, and dinner.
How to Earn Hilton Honors Points
One of the biggest benefits of the Hilton Honors program is it offers many ways to earn Hilton points. In fact, Hilton points are among the easiest hotel loyalty points to earn which makes up for their relatively low value. Here’s a quick look at the many ways you can earn Hilton points.
American Express Hilton Honors Credit Cards
Co-branded Hilton Honors American Express cards offer one of the best ways to earn Hilton points — especially on Hilton stays. Depending on the card you choose, you can earn anywhere from 7x to 14x points on Hilton purchases; 5-7x points on bonus categories like gas stations, supermarkets, and restaurants; and 3x points on all other purchases.
Any points you earn with your Hilton Honors American Express card will be stacked with the points you earn through Hilton Honors for Hilton stays, promotions, and elite status bonuses.
These cards also typically offer a sizable welcome bonus that can range from 50,000 to 150,000 Hilton points worth up to $750 or more.
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
Do you have an American Express card in the Membership Rewards program? You can transfer your Membership Rewards points into Hilton points with a 1:2 ratio. Just keep in mind this isn’t the best value as Membership Rewards points are worth around 1.8 cents each. Even getting a 1:2 ratio can be a waste unless you take advantage of a targeted American Express transfer bonus or you’re using the points for a valuable reward stay with a 5th night free.
To transfer Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors, log on to your American Express account and select “Use Points/Travel.” Select “Get Started” to see transfer partners then select Hilton Honors. You will need to link your Hilton Honors account then choose how many points you want to transfer in increments of 1,000.
Pool Points with Family and Friends
Hilton Honors allows you to pool Hilton points with up to 10 other people with no fees. Points Pooling is a free feature that allows you to share up to 500,000 points per year to save up for a group trip.
Other Ways to Earn Hilton Points
You can earn Hilton Honors points in many other ways. One of the latest and most lucrative offers is through the Hilton-Lyft partnership. By linking your Lyft and Hilton accounts, you can earn 3x points on Lyft rides and 2x points on Shared Lyft rides.
Here are some other ways to earn Hilton points:
- Refer friends to Hilton Honors cards and other American Express cards.
- Rent a car with a partner like Enterprise or Alamo
- Book a cruise through Hilton’s partner
- Dine through the Hilton Honors Dining program
You can learn more about earning maximum Hilton Honors points here.
FAQ
What is the best way to maximize Hilton Honors points redemptions?
Hilton points used to book Hilton free nights typically offer the best value. Still, you should calculate the value of your points when making a booking as the value can range from 0.3 to 0.4 cents per point to more than 1 cent per point. You can maximize Hilton Honors points by booking standard reward rooms with stays of at least 5 days to get the 5th night free. You can also compare the cash and points value and save your points for bookings that will get you more than 0.5 cents per point.
Can I redeem Hilton Honors points at any Hilton hotel?
Yes, Hilton points can be redeemed at any Hilton brand. There are 16 Hilton brands ranging from budget or select service properties like Tru by Hilton to luxury properties like the Waldorf Astoria. You can see a full overview of Hilton brands here.
How much does it cost for a free night with Hilton Honors?
The amount of points you need for a free Hilton Honors night depend on the property and whether it’s peak season or off-season. Hilton Honors does not have an award chart and instead uses dynamic pricing. Free nights through Hilton Honors range from 5,000 to 95,000 points per night. You can use the Points Explorer tool from Hilton to see the predicted minimum and maximum number of points needed by property.
Can I transfer Hilton Honors points?
Hilton Honors points are transferrable to several loyalty programs (usually at a poor rate) or to another Hilton Honors member. There is no fee to transfer points to friends or family. You can also pool Hilton Honors points with up to 10 other people.
When do Hilton Honors points expire?
Hilton Honors points expire after 12 months of inactivity. To keep your Hilton points from expiring, you will need to book a Hilton stay, earn Hilton points in some other way, or redeem Hilton points.
What credit cards earn Hilton Honors points?
Four Hilton Honors American Express cards earn Hilton points. These cards include:
- Hilton Honors American Express card
- Hilton Honors American Express Ascend card
- Hilton Honors American Express Business card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card
You can view all four Hilton Honors credit cards here.
Can I cancel or change a reward stay?
Reward stays with Hilton can be changed or canceled as long as you meet the policy guidelines. You must cancel your reward stay at least 48 hours in advance or up to 72 hours at some locations to get your points back. You can also make changes to your reward stay with the same deadline.
Will Gold and Diamond members get upgraded when they redeem points for a reward night?
Gold and Diamond status Hilton Honors members can receive room upgrades on cash bookings and reward nights. Room upgrades aren’t guaranteed; they are on a room-available basis and you typically need to ask for an upgrade. Some people have great luck getting upgrades, others do not. It may depend on the length of your stay but whether it’s a cash or reward night won’t affect your ability to get a free upgrade.
Wrap Up
The Hilton Honors program remains one of the most valuable in the industry thanks to its elite status benefits and how easy it is to earn and use Hilton points.
With one of the world’s largest hotel footprints and a range of properties around the world, you should have no trouble finding ways to use your Hilton Honors points for everything from luxury getaways at the world’s top-rated resorts to affordable stays during road trips and family vacations.