How to Earn and Redeem Hilton Honors Points
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Welcome to Hilton Honors, the best loyalty program from Hilton Hotels, to reward and recognize their most valued guests. Whether you are a road warrior or simply out on holiday once in a while, you will be surprised at how beneficial any knowledge on maximizing the earning and redeeming of Hilton Honors points can be toward making your travels more delightful. These points could be redeemed in the future for free stays at the hotel, upgrades, and lots of delightful experiences to take your travel to the next level.
Here’s every conceivable way you can earn Hilton Honors points and how you can get the most value from their points through smart redemption strategies.
What is the Value of Hilton Honors Points
Hilton Honors points are the currency of Hilton’s loyalty program, enabling members to access a wide range of rewards — from hotel stays to experiences. Membership is in four different categories: Member, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Each level has its package of benefits, and points will be added according to the level towards gaining more of them.
Hilton is a group of 22 outstanding hotel brands worldwide at over 7,500 locations. Members at the hotel get to earn and have the opportunity to redeem points for every dollar spent while staying at the hotels within the Hilton Portfolio.
The number of points earned per dollar increases with each tier level, with Diamond members earning the highest rate. What’s more, Hilton Honors members receive other benefits, such as late checkout, free internet, and express reservations, which further improve their travel experience and, at the same time, add more ways for them to earn points.
How to Earn Hilton Honors Points
Earning Hilton Honors points can be surprisingly diverse, extending beyond just hotel stays to include credit card usage, partner engagements, and special event participation.
Staying at Hilton Hotels
The most direct method to earn Hilton Honors points is by booking and staying at Hilton properties. Points are awarded based on the amount spent on your room and other eligible charges, which can include dining, spa services, and more within the hotel:
- Base Points: Members earn 10 points per dollar spent on most Hilton stays, with a few exceptions at brands like Tru & Home2 stay, where members earn 5 points per dollar.
- Elite Status Bonuses: Silver, Gold, and Diamond members earn a bonus on top of the base points — 20%, 80%, and 100% respectively, enhancing the points earning potential significantly as you climb the tiers.
| Base Points | Bonus Points issued on Base Points | |||
| Membership Tiers | Member 0-10 nights | Silver 10+ nights | Gold 40+ nights | Diamond 40+ nights |
| Points for stays at Hilton hotels | 10 points per dollar spent | 20% | 80% | 100% |
Using Hilton Honors Credit Cards
Hilton offers personal co-branded credit cards that can accelerate your points earning:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: This card offers 7 points per dollar on Hilton purchases, 5 points on certain travel and dining purchases, and 3 points on all other eligible purchases.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: Earn 12 points per dollar on Hilton purchases, 6 points per dollar on at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets, 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points per dollar on all other purchases
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 14 points per dollar on Hilton purchases, 7 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select companies, and at U.S. restaurants and 3 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Hilton also offers a business card that earns points:
- Hilton Honors Business: Earn 12 points per dollar on purchases made directly at Hilton hotels and resorts and 5 points per dollar on other purchases made with your card for the first $100,000 of purchases during the calendar year, after that – 3 points per dollar
Each card often comes with substantial introductory offers that can award tens of thousands of points on meeting initial spending requirements.
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors Surpass | Hilton Honors Aspire | Hilton Honors Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | No | $150 | $550 | $195 |
| Sign up bonus | Earn 80,000 Points after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months | Earn 130,000 Points after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months | Earn 150,000 Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months | Limit time offer (Offer expires 06/05/24): Earn |
| Earn Hilton Honors Points | 7X Points on eligible Hilton purchases; 5X Points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets; 3X Points on all other eligible purchases; | 12X Points on eligible Hilton purchases; 6X Pointsat U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets; 4X Points on U.S. online retail purchases; 3X Points on all other eligible purchases; | 14X Points on eligible Hilton purchases; 7X Points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select companies, and at U.S. restaurants; 3X Points on all other eligible purchases; | 12X Points on eligible Hilton purchases; 5X Points on other purchases made using your Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year; 3X Points thereafter; |
Promotional Offers
Regularly check Hilton’s website and your email for targeted promotions that can offer additional points or multipliers on stays.
Partner Offers
Hilton Honors members can earn additional points through various partner offers.
Earn points by flying with partner airlines and converting their miles to Hilton Honors points.
Hilton partner airlines
You can transfer miles or points from three travel program partners into Hilton Honors points.
- Hawaiian Airlines: 10,000 HawaiianMiles = 15,000 Hilton points.
- Virgin Atlantic: 10,000 Virgin points = 15,000 Hilton points.
- Amtrak: 5,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points = 10,000 Hilton Points.
Lyft
In the U.S. and Canada, you can earn and use Hilton points with Lyft. To collect Hilton points, link your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts. To collect Hilton points, link your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts. You’ll accumulate 3 points per dollar on standard, luxury, and extra seat Lyft rides, and two points per dollar on shared rides, up to a maximum of $10,000 in Lyft expenses annually.
Car Rentals
By booking with Alamo, National, or Enterprise through the Hilton website, you can earn as many as 5,000 Hilton Honors points on car rentals.
Dining Rewards
You can earn up to 8 Hilton Honors points for every $1 spent at eligible restaurants by dining at participating restaurants and opting into the Hilton Honors Dining Program, you can earn points every time you eat out.
American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards points are exchanged for Hilton Honors points in a ratio of 1:2.
Special Events and Meetings
Hosting meetings or events at Hilton properties can also be a lucrative way to accumulate points:
- Events Bonus: Earn points for every dollar spent on qualifying events like conferences, weddings, and other large gatherings at Hilton hotels.
Pool Points
Hilton allows you to pool points with family or friends, which can make it easier to accumulate enough points for larger redemptions (up to 10 people).
Hilton limits the number of Hilton points that can be earned per year (through combining and transferring together) to two million points. You can also combine points no more than six times per calendar year.
Buy Hilton points
Another way to get Hilton Honors points is to buy them. In general, buying points or miles is not a good deal because you usually have to pay an excessive amount. However, it can make sense in the case of special offers for buying points, here’s an example of one of the latest such Hilton Honors Buy Points Promotion.
How to Redeem Hilton Honors Points
Once you’ve accumulated a significant number of Hilton Honors points, you can redeem them for a wide range of rewards.
Room Bookings
Points can be used to book free nights at over 6,000 hotels across the globe, with no blackout dates. The number of points required varies by hotel, room type, and booking time:
Points & Money
This option allows you to pay for a stay using a combination of points and cash, which can be a great way to stretch your points further.
Room Upgrades
Use points to upgrade to a preferred room or suite, enhancing your stay experience.
Fifth Night Free
Hilton Honors extends its fifth-night-free benefit on award stays to all elite members, not just those at higher tiers. This includes Silver, Gold, and Diamond members. It’s worth noting that achieving Silver status can be as straightforward as holding the Hilton Honors American Express Card, which has no annual fee.
Experiences and Shopping
Hilton Honors points can also be redeemed for unique experiences and products:
- Hilton Honors Experiences: These include concert tickets, culinary tours, and other unique activities that can be booked directly through the Hilton Honors Experiences platform.
- Shopping Mall: Redeem points for a variety of goods ranging from electronics to luxury items in the Hilton Honors shopping mall.
Point Transfers and Pooling
Pooling Points
Hilton allows you to pool points with family or friends, which can make it easier to accumulate enough points for larger redemptions.
Transfer Hilton Points to Airlines
Convert your Hilton points to airline miles with over 40 airline partners, though the conversion rate varies.
| Hilton Honors Airline Transfer Partner | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier (minimum 25,000 Points Transfer) | 25:6.5 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 10:1 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue (minimum 20,000 Points Transfer) | 10:1 |
| AirAsia BIG | 10:2 |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club | 10:1 |
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 10:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 10:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10:1 |
| China Eastern Eastern Miles | 10:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 10:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 10:1 |
| Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles | 10:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 10:1 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 10:1 |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club (minimum 25,000 Points Transfer) | 2.5:1 |
| InterMiles | 10:1 |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | 10:1 |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 10:1.2 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 10:1.5 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 10:1 |
| Saudia Alfursan | 10:1 |
| Singapore KrisFlyer (minimum 4,000 Points Transfer) | 8:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 10:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 10:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 10:1.5 |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 10:1.5 |
Redeem Hilton Points for Lyft
For redeeming Hilton points for Lyft credits, visit the Hilton Honors Lyft website. You can convert your points into Lyft credits directly in your Lyft account, with various options ranging from $10 to $100 Lyft credits for 4,500 to 45,000 Hilton points, respectively. The redemption value of these points is 0.22 cents each, which is significantly lower than the typical valuation of Hilton points. Thus, it’s generally advisable to consider other redemption options for better value.
Donations
For those interested in philanthropy, points can be donated to various charitable organizations through the Hilton Honors platform, turning points into a force for good.
Case Studies and Examples
To illustrate, consider a member who strategically uses their Hilton Honors points to book a five-night stay at the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa.
By taking advantage of a fifth night free offer for elite members, they effectively increase the value of their points, ensuring an unforgettable vacation for fewer points.
Calculation
The average value of Hilton Honors points is about 0.5 cents per point.
110,000 points per night * 4 nights = 440,000 points, which is approximately $2,200.
The cash value would be $1,102 per night * 5 nights = $5,510.
The savings on a 5-night stay when paying points at this hotel would be $3,310.
Strategic Redemption Tips
To maximize the value of your Hilton Honors points:
- Book in Advance: Availability for reward stays can be limited, especially at popular destinations or during peak seasons. Booking early increases your chances of finding availability and locking in lower point rates.
- Look for Promotions: Hilton often runs promotions that reduce the point cost of bookings or offer enhanced value for points when redeemed for certain rewards or during specific periods.
- Use Elite Status Benefits: If you have elite status, make sure to leverage benefits such as the fifth night free on reward stays, which can significantly stretch the value of your points.
By staying informed about the program changes, promotional offers, and the best redemption opportunities, you can ensure that you are always getting the most out of your Hilton Honors points.
Conclusion
The Hilton Honors program gives an excellent base to reap many benefits that enhance the traveling experience. This includes free hotel nights, room upgrades, and exclusive experience purchases, which can be found only in the Hilton Honors Experiences platform. Enjoy the significant benefits of earning and redeeming points efficiently and strategically on your next trip.
That’s because when you participate in every dimension of the program—hotel stays, using your credit card, shopping, and dining—points add up for you, and you reap the rewards of a worldwide hotel loyalty program.
Take advantage of these strategies and start planning your next Hilton Honors adventure today!
