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Hilton is one of the largest global hotel brands, featuring more than 9,200 properties across roughly 140 countries and 27 brands. With that kind of footprint, the Hilton Honors loyalty program is one of the biggest in the industry.
If you're staying at a Hilton property, you'll want to earn as many points as possible. But just how many points can you earn on Hilton stays? The long answer is: it depends.
First Things First: Open a Hilton Honors Account
You can join Hilton Honors online through its website or mobile app. Once you've entered your information, you'll receive a membership number.
Be sure to track your Hilton account with AwardWallet to track booked trips, get updates on your account activity, and ensure your points don't expire.
Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.
For context, AwardWallet members typically redeem Hilton points at 0.62¢ each. However, you certainly can get more value from your points with the right redemption.
Related: Comprehensive Guide to Hilton Honors
Earning Rates for Qualifying Stays
Members earn 10 base points per dollar spent on room rates and eligible incidental charges at most Hilton properties. However, you'll earn 5 base points per dollar spent at Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Spark, and Tru properties. Stays at LivSmart Studios will earn 3 points per dollar spent.
For example, a $200 stay at most Hilton brands would earn 2,000 base points before elite bonuses, promotions, or credit card earnings. At brands earning 5 base points per dollar, that same $200 stay would earn 1,000 base points.
Qualifying stays must be booked through Hilton's official channels, including eligible travel advisors. Third-party bookings, including OTAs or some credit card travel portals like Amex Travel or Chase Travel, generally don't qualify.
When you book an award or Points & Money stay, you'll generally earn points on eligible incidental charges or the cash portion of your booking. Which incidental charges qualify varies by brand and charge type.
Elite tier bonuses
In addition to base points, elite members earn bonus points on eligible stays. For full-service brands, earning rates vary by status level:
- Member: 10 points per dollar spent
- Hilton Honors™ Silver status: 20% bonus for a total of 12 points per dollar spent
- Hilton Honors™ Gold status: 80% bonus for a total of 18 points per dollar spent
- Hilton Honors™ Diamond status: 100% bonus for a total of 20 points per dollar spent
- Hilton Honors™ Diamond Reserve status: 120% bonus for a total of 22 points per dollar spent
Using the same $200 stay example, here's what Hilton Honors members can expect to earn at most Hilton brands before promotions, MyWay benefits, or credit card earnings:
- General member: 2,000 base points
- Hilton Silver: 2,400 points
- Hilton Gold: 3,600 points
- Hilton Diamond: 4,000 points
- Diamond Reserve: 4,400 points
Remember that the earning rates above apply to brands earning 10 base points per dollar. At Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Spark, and Tru properties, members earn 5 base points per dollar, while LivSmart Studios stays earn 3 base points per dollar.
Bonus points through Hilton My Way
Gold, Diamond, Diamond Reserve, and Lifetime Diamond members can select additional points at check-in as part of the Hilton “My Way” benefit.
Many Hilton brands earn 1,000 bonus points per stay as a MyWay benefit, including Canopy by Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Graduate by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Motto by Hilton, NoMad, Signia by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.
Other brands offer the following MyWay bonus points:
- Apartment Collection by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations: 2,000 bonus points
- Hilton Garden Inn: 750 bonus points
- Tempo by Hilton: 500 bonus points
- Hampton by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Spark by Hilton, Tru by Hilton: 250 bonus points
- Home2 Suites by Hilton: 100 bonus points
Can You Earn Hilton Points on Multiple Rooms?
Yes, you can earn Hilton base points on up to 4 rooms per stay, as long as all eligible charges are paid together on a single folio. You’ll need to request this at check-in.
However, not every type of earning applies to every room. Base points can be earned on eligible charges for up to four rooms, and elite bonuses and quarterly promotions apply to the total eligible charges. But partner points and some other promotional bonuses apply to just one room.
You’ll also earn only one stay credit, one elite-night credit, and one mileage credit per stay.
More Ways To Earn Hilton Points on Your Stays
There are a few additional ways to earn even more points while you are enjoying your stay. Here are some examples to boost your point earnings.
Meetings and events with Hilton
Meeting and event planners can earn 2 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent on eligible charges, up to $100,000 in spending per event. You'll need to add Event Planner Points to your Hilton contract, and not all properties participate in the Hilton Honors Event Planner program.
Promotions can boost earnings even more
Hilton runs multiple promotions each year that can help you earn even more points from your stays. Typical offerings include bonus points per stay or per night, as well as bonus elite night credits.
AwardWallet also maintains a list of the best promotions across all loyalty programs.
Earning Rates Using Hilton Credit Cards
American Express offers multiple co-branded Hilton Honors cards. Each Hilton credit card also offers some level of complimentary elite status — further boosting your Hilton stay earnings:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Complimentary Silver elite status, plus the ability to earn Gold status after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Complimentary Gold elite status and the ability to earn Diamond status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Complimentary Gold elite status, and the ability to earn Diamond status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Complimentary Diamond elite status.
$0Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- Earn 7X Points per dollar on eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
$0 introductory annual fee, then $150Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
$550Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Cardmembers with the American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can enroll for complimentary Hilton Gold status. Since elite status boosts your overall points earnings on Hilton stays, this is a no-brainer.
$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 2X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Bonus earnings on Hilton spending
Hilton cards also earn the following rates for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly at a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio:
- Hilton Amex: 7 points per dollar
- Hilton Surpass: 12 points per dollar
- Hilton Business Card: 12 points per dollar
- Hilton Aspire: 14 points per dollar
Each Hilton card has different bonus categories, which could be useful for you depending on your spending habits. To figure out what would work best for you, check out our guide to choosing the best Hilton Honors card.
Combined earnings for Hilton cardholders
Paying for your stay with any of these cards can add a significant points return to your stay. For example, paying with a Hilton Aspire card earns 34 points per dollar at most Hilton properties when card earnings and elite bonuses are stacked together:
- 10x base earnings
- 10x elite bonus earnings from Hilton Diamond status
- 14x from charging the purchase to your Hilton Aspire card
Put another way, a $200 stay paid with the Hilton Aspire would earn 6,800 Hilton points at most Hilton properties: 2,000 base points, 2,000 Diamond bonus points, and 2,800 points from paying with the card.
Final Thoughts
Hilton Honors makes it easy to earn a sizable number of points on paid stays, especially when you stack base points, elite bonuses, promotions, and earnings from a co-branded Hilton credit card.
Your exact earning rate will depend on the brand, your elite status, how you book, and which card you use to pay. But with the right combination, Hilton stays can generate a sizable points haul toward your next redemption.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees), American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
