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Bilt Rewards' consistent addition of transfer partners means a seemingly ever-growing number of ways to redeem your Bilt points. That's a big deal, and more so considering Bilt has added its 18th transfer partner. Starting today, May 8, 2024, you can convert Bilt points to Hilton Honors points at a 1:1 ratio.
Here's what you need to know about Bilt's newest transfer partner.
Transfer Bilt Points to Hilton Honors
Bilt's 18th transfer partner should come as no surprise. Hilton Honors is the fourth hotel loyalty program to which you can transfer Bilt Rewards points.
You can initiate transfers to Hilton Honors starting today, May 8. Like with other partners, points must be transferred in 1,000-point increments. And for every 1,000 points you convert, you'll receive 1,000 Hilton Honors Points. If this new partnership is anything like what we've come to know with other programs, points should appear in your Hilton Honors account immediately.
Related: Best Use of Hilton Points: 15 Top-Value Luxury Hilton Hotels
Hilton Isn’t Bilt’s Most Valuable Transfer Partner
General excitement aside, the value proposition of transferring Bilt points to Hilton disappears when you dive deeper into the transfer ratio. The 1:1 ratio is subpar to what you'll find with Hilton's other transfer partner, American Express, which transfers to Hilton at 1:2.
Moreover, transferring Amex points to Hilton isn't something we regularly recommend. It's hard to get outsized value from Hilton points, and Amex points — and, by extension, Bilt points — could be better spent elsewhere.
On average, AwardWallet users extract 0.59¢ apiece from Hilton Honors points, which is far less than the average 2.01¢ apiece redemption value of one Bilt point. In other words, transferring Bilt points to Hilton won't preserve the value of your points — generally speaking.
In fact, you'll lose nearly 75% of the value of your Bilt points on transfers to Hilton based on redemption averages. That's pretty poor.
Related: Bilt Rewards Transfer Partners: Which Redemptions Offer the Most Value?
Get better value through the Bilt Travel Portal
A more valuable way to book Hilton properties with Bilt points is to reserve rooms through the Bilt Travel Portal. Your points are worth a flat 1.25¢ on portal redemptions. With rare exceptions, booking Hilton stays through the portal will require fewer Bilt points than transferring points and booking through Hilton.
For example, let's look at the Conrad Punta de Mita. On a one-night stay in August, Hilton requires 95,000 points for a free night. Booking through Hilton requires transferring 95,000 Bilt points to Hilton Honors.
Alternatively, the Bilt Travel Portal requires 38,514 points for the same room on the same night. You'll save 56,486 Bilt points by booking through the portal.
As a general rule, you should, at the very least, compare the Bilt Travel Portal Rate to the Hilton Honors rate. On Bilt redemptions for Hilton stays, you can likely save a boatload of points by skipping the transfer and booking through Bilt's portal.
And if you happen to be a few points short of a Hilton redemption, you might be better off buying points outright than initiating a transfer. You can routinely buy Hilton points for as little as 0.5¢ each, which allows you to save your Bilt points for more valuable redemptions later on.
Final Thoughts
It's always a good day when there's a new option to redeem your points. And today, that comes courtesy of Bilt's newest transfer partner: Hilton Honors. Unfortunately, the 1:1 transfer ratio leaves much to be desired, and there are other ways to use Bilt points for Hilton stays that provide better value than initiating a transfer.
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