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What Is The World of Hilton Honors Rewards Program?
The Hilton Honors loyalty program is a great option for leisure or business travelers who tend to stay in major cities across the U.S and around the world. You’ll earn points for your stays and if you have an affiliated credit card, with everyday purchases.
As a Hilton Honors member, you can redeem your points at over 7,000 hotels and resorts in over 120 countries and territories, across 18 brands. Additionally, since Hilton has a partnership agreement with United MileagePlus, you can redeem your points as miles to use with United and 25 other airlines or rail partners.
What Can You Get With Hilton Honors Points?
While Hilton Honors is a hotel program, you can redeem your points in a number of different ways. These include:
- Hotel Nights
The best way to redeem your points is with free stays in Hilton locations. Hilton does not have a fixed scale for its hotels, so it has adopted a dynamic award calendar. Essentially, the number of points that you need for free nights is based on the hotel location, the room you want, the dates of your stay and the room you want.
Typically, family friendly properties, such as Embassy Suites tend to cost less, while you’ll pay more points for luxury properties such as the Waldorf Astoria.
You can search for award nights on the Hilton website, by signing in with your membership number and password. You can then search for available rooms in specific destinations to see how many points it will cost you.
- Points & Money Awards
Hilton also operates Points & Money awards. This allows you to choose how many points you want to use per night at hotels. There are no black out dates and the starting point amount is 5,000, increasing in 1,000 point increments.
Since Hilton Honors has a dynamic pricing structure, the prices for Points & Money awards may increase or decrease before you book. However, if you find a lower price before your stay, you can cancel and rebook to get a better price, providing your original reservation was refundable.
- Hilton Honors Experiences
This is an auction site offering regular guests opportunities for VIP tickets for concerts, sporting events, and other in demand shows.
This includes cocktails at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, a signature massage at Conrad Bangkok or even fine sushi accompanies with curated sake at the Hilton Osaka, KawaUme restaurant.
- Amazon Shopping
You can also use your Hilton Honors points when you’re shopping on Amazon. Rather than providing a merchandise mall, like most loyalty programs, Hilton has a partnership with Amazon. So, you can use your points with one of the largest retailers in the world.
To use your points, you’ll need to link your Hilton Honors account on Amazon.com. You can then shop as usual, but you’ll see Hilton Honors points as a payment option. You’ll need 500 points for every dollar on Amazon.
However, there are some limitations. You can’t use your points for some digital goods, AmazonFresh items, Subscribe and Save items or Kindle downloads. If you return an item purchased with points you’ll receive a credit in points.
- Airline Miles On Hilton Airline Partners
Hilton Honors has partnership arrangements with more than 40 airline programs. The transfer rates do vary according to the specific airline.
For example, 10,000 Hilton Honors points is worth 1,000 United MileagePlus miles or Delta SkyMiles. However, if you exchange your points for American Airlines AAdvantage Miles, you’ll get 1,500 for the same 10,000 points.
The number of partnerships are quite high. For example, if you would like to redeem Marriot points for airline partners, there are 37 partners available with Marriot in 2024, less than Hilton airline partners.
How Many Hotels in Hilton Honors Loyalty Program?
Since Hilton Hotels is one of the largest global hotel chains, with over one million rooms, you’ll be able to earn points in a variety of locations including:
- Hilton Hotels and Resorts
- Waldorf Astoria
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Hampton by Hilton
- Doubletree by Hilton
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- Embassy Suites by Hilton
- Canopy
- Conrad
- Hilton Grand Vacations
- Motto
- Home2 Suites
As a member, all your stays at participating locations will help you to build elite membership status. This will help you gain access to even greater perks, which we will explore in more detail below.
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How Can You Join the Hilton Honors Loyalty Program?
Hilton makes it very easy to join the Hilton Honors program and it should take less than five minutes to join and get set up. You can complete this process in a few simple steps:
- Visit the Hilton Site: You can sign up on the Hilton website, you should see an option on the top right hand corner of the homepage marked “Join.” When you click this link, it will open a new page.
- Complete the Form: You’ll need to complete all of the mandatory fields including your full name, email, address, phone number and a password. You can then click the “Join for Free” blue button at the bottom of this page. This will refresh and provide a welcome message with your name and your new Hilton Honors membership number.
- Log In: Your membership number will be your username to log in, so use this and the password you set to log into your account. You can do this by clicking the person icon at the top of the page and selecting “Sign In.”
- Complete Your Profile: After you sign in, you should click “View and Edit Your Profile.” This will allow you to adjust your personal information, provide additional details, including adding a payment method or change your security settings.
- Start Booking Stays: Now you’re all set up and ready to book stays via the Hilton website. When you book when logged in, your membership number will attach automatically to any future reservations.
Limitations and Restrictions to Consider
As with most loyalty programs, there are some limitations and restrictions that you’ll need to consider. These include:
- Points expire after two years of inactivity on your account.
- Hilton Honors rewards are valid for one year from date of issue and will not cover other fees or taxes.
- You’ll need to book directly through the brand websites, reservation call centers, Hilton Honors mobile app or preferred corporate travel partners to have qualifying stays.
How to Earn Hilton Honors Points
You can earn Hilton Honors points in a number of ways. These include:
1. Hotel Stays
There are two types of points with this program; base and bonus points. You’ll earn 10 base points for every dollar you spend at most Hilton locations regardless of your honor status. However, some locations offer 5 base points per dollar, and Hampton by Hilton locations in China do not earn any points.
The key difference between base points and the bonus points is when you’re qualifying for elite or lifetime status. While you can qualify for Gold and Diamond elite status with base points, you can’t use bonus points. However, all points can be used for free stays.
The number of bonus points on offer will be determined by any promotions used when booking, whether you used a Hilton co-branded credit card and your current elite status.
2. Hilton Co-Branded Credit Cards
One of the simplest ways to earn more bonus points is via a co-branded Hilton Honors credit cards. American Express has three personal cards and one business Hilton Honors credit card offering a variety of perks and bonuses. These include:
Card | Rewards | Bonus | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors Card from American Express | 3X – 7X
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) U.S.supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and 3x points for each dollar on other eligible purchases
| 70,000 points
70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
| $0 (Rates & Fees) |
| Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
| 3X – 12X
Earn 12x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6x Points on dining at U.S. restaurants , and for takeout and delivery in the U.S, on groceries at U.S. supermarkets and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases and 3X Points on all other purchases
| 130,000 points
130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
| $150 (Rates & Fees) |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
| 3x – 14x
14X Hilton Honors bonus points when you make eligible purchases on your card at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio, 7X Hilton Honors bonus points on eligible purchases on your card for: Flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants, 3X Hilton Honors bonus points on other eligible purchases
| 150,000 points
150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 Months of Card Membership
| $550 |
Editorial Note: Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollments may be required for select benefits. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more
- The Hilton Honors Card From American Express
This card has no annual fee, but you can earn welcome bonus with a modest spending requirement in the first three months.
The card automatically offers Hilton Honors Silver Status, with a potential upgrade to Gold status if you meet the annual spending requirement.
Additionally, the card has a tiered reward structure weighted towards Hilton purchases, but you can earn bonus points on practically all your spending.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
This card has a modest annual fee, but the welcome bonus is far more generous with a reasonable minimum spend in three months.
The tiered reward structure is also more generous. The card offers Gold status automatically, and if you meet the annual spend threshold, you can upgrade to Diamond status for the remainder of the year and the entire following year.
Other perks include a complimentary Priority Pass and a weekend night reward if you meet the spending requirement.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
This is a premium card with a premium annual fee and premium rewards.
There is a massive welcome bonus and very generous reward structure. You’ll get Diamond status automatically and a free annual weekend night award every year on card renewal. You’ll also get an additional reward if you meet the spend requirement.
There are also statement credits for eligible Hilton resort purchases, incidentals fees, and for qualifying purchases of qualifying charges at Conrad and Waldorf Astoria locations. There is also a complimentary unlimited Priority Pass.
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
This card has a low annual fee, but offers a generous welcome bonus and reward structure.
The perks include Gold Status automatically and potential to upgrade to Diamond Status, complimentary Priority Pass Select and free reward nights.
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Which Credit Card Programs Allow Transferring Points to Hilton Honors?
There are a number of programs which allow you to transfer points to the Hilton Honors program. This works in slightly different ways depending on the specific program. For example:
- Amex Membership Club: American Express is a transfer partner of Hilton, so transferring points from the Membership Club to Hilton Honors is easy. You simply need to log into your Amex account and transfer the desired number of points. The minimum transfer is 200 points and you’ll get 2 Hilton Honors points for every 1 Amex point.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: There is no direct transfer route between Chase and Hilton. This means that you would need to use a third party, such as Virgin Atlantic. You’ll get a 1:1 transfer ratio and then once your points are with Virgin Atlantic, you can transfer them to Hilton Honors.
- Citi ThankYou: You can transfer your Citi ThankYou points to the Hilton Honors program at a 2:3 ratio. This means that if you have 5,000 Citi ThankYou points, you’ll receive 7,500 Hilton points.
- Capital One Travel: As with Chase, there is no direct transfer option between Capital One and Hilton, so you would need to use a third party program.
Car Rentals, Cruises, Dining, OneSimCard And Promo Offers
You can earn Hilton Honors points if you book car rentals, cruises or when spending at participating restaurants:
- Car Rentals: Hilton Honors members can earn points when they book rental cars with Enterprise, National or Alamo. Depending on how long you rent the vehicle, you can earn up to 5,000 bonus points.
- Cruises: Hilton operates the Cruises for Hilton Honors platform which is powered by CruisesOnly. This allows you to earn 6,000 to 50,000 bonus points, depending on the length of your cruise
- Dining: The Hilton Honors Dining program allows you to earn up to eight bonus points for every dollar you spend at participating restaurants. There are more than 10,000 restaurants that are in the program, but to take advantage of this, you’ll need to sign up via the Hilton Honors Dining Website.
- OneSimCard: If you frequently travel internationally, you can accumulate more Hilton Honors points when you purchase a OneSimCard. You’ll earn 100 bonus points when you sign up and then one bonus point per minute for outgoing and incoming calls on the OneSimCard outside the U.S.
- Promo Offers: Hilton Honors has promotional offers regularly to encourage stays at its locations. This can include promotions such as double or triple bonus points, free breakfasts or on property credits.
Hilton Honors Elite Status
We’ve already touched on Elite Status levels with the Hilton Honors program, but it is important to understand how this feature works. There are four status levels with the higher status levels offering more benefits:
Hilton Elite Status 2024 | How To Earn? |
|---|---|
Member | / |
Silver | 10 nights, 4 stays or 25,000 Base Points
|
Gold | 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 Base Points |
Diamond | 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 Base Points |
- Member: This is the base program level, which is automatic for anyone signing up. As a member, you’ll have no resort fees on your award stays, access to discounted rates, free WiFi and more. Another perk of being a member is that you’ll earn 10 base points for every dollar that you spend on your room including any room charges. Members can also pool points with as many as 11 other members, so family and friends can more easily get free nights.
- Silver: If you earn 25,000 base points or stay 4 times, 10 nights, you’ll earn silver status. In addition to the member level perks, you’ll receive a 20% bonus on your points, fifth night free when you redeem points, complimentary bottles of water per stay and elite rollover nights.
- Gold: With 75,000 base points or 20 stays, 40 nights, you’ll receive Gold status. In addition to the perks of previous tiers, you’ll get an 80% bonus on your earned points, milestone bonuses, space available upgrades, complimentary continental breakfast at applicable Hilton locations.
- Diamond: This is the top program tier and you can qualify with 120,000 base points or 30 stays, 60 nights. In addition to the perks from lower levels, you'll get 100% point bonus, 48 hour room guarantee on last minute bookings, ability to extend status, 24 hour access to member services, premium WiFi, elite status gifting and access to elite floor lounges at select locations.
Bear in mind that if your credit card grants you elite status automatically, you will need to qualify every calendar year with a stay at Hilton portfolio hotels.
Buying, Giving or Transferring Hilton Honors Points
Hilton allows members to purchase additional bonus points if you need some extras to qualify for a free night. You can purchase your points from Hilton directly. They cost one cent each and the minimum purchase is 1,000.
If you have Elite status, you can give or transfer your Hilton Honors points to family members or friends. You can share points with up to 11 members, making it simple to pool points.
If you don’t think you’ll use your points with Hilton, you can also transfer them to partnership programs. There are a number of Hilton transfer partners including Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and Delta airlines, with transfer ratios varying from 10:1 to 25:5.6. This means that typically if you have 10,000 Hilton Honors points, you’ll receive 1,000 miles in the partner program.
FAQs
How much is 10,000 Hilton points worth?
Although you can get great deals, which gives you a higher redemption value, the typical average value of Hilton points is 0.6 cents each. So, with 10,000 points, you would have a typical value of $60. This is less compared other hotel loyalty programs – Marriot Bonvoy's points value is about 0.7 cents, and World of Hyatt points has an average value of approximately 1.8 cents each.
How many Hilton points do you need for a free night?
There is no set amount for the number of points you’ll need for a free night, as the number of points depends on the location, stay dates and room choice. However, the minimum you’ll need is 5,000 points.
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