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With 23 brands and more than 7,600 properties spanning 126 countries, Hilton is one of the largest hotel companies in the world. Plus, Hilton points are fairly easy to accumulate through stays, spending on a Hilton credit card, and partners.
If you've racked up six figures in points and are wondering what type of redemptions you can expect to make, let’s look at different ways you can use them realistically to maximize their value.
Page Contents
- How to Earn 100,000 Hilton Points (or More)
- Understanding the Hilton Honors Program
- How Much Are 100,000 Hilton Points Worth?
- How To Maximize 100,000 Points With Reward Nights
- Redeem Points for Room Upgrades and On-Property Experiences
- Redeem Points With Hilton's Travel Partners
- A Bit About Hilton Honors Elite Status
- Our Take
How to Earn 100,000 Hilton Points (or More)
If you don't already have a stash of Hilton Honors points, you're in luck. There's no shortage of ways to earn Hilton Honors points. Members can earn up to 20x points on Hilton stays — or even more if there's a Hilton bonus points promotion. Plus, you can earn points by linking your Hilton Honors account to partners like Lyft, Hilton Dining, and car rental companies.
But the easiest way to earn a bunch of Hilton Honors points is through its credit cards. Hilton is currently offering excellent offers on Hilton credit cards — including 130,000 Hilton Honors points on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card:
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $150 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 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
You can also transfer points from several programs to Hilton Honors. However, due to the relatively low value of Hilton Honors points compared to other transfer partners, it's generally only worth transferring points to Hilton when there's a transfer bonus from Amex to Hilton.
Understanding the Hilton Honors Program
Like most loyalty programs, Hilton Honors has undergone several devaluations over the years. The program no longer uses set rates within categories to price hotel award nights. Instead, Hilton Honors uses a dynamic award pricing model to determine how many points are needed for a free hotel night.
Free nights in a standard room can generally be redeemed starting at 5,000 points per night (though nights at this rate are very hard to find) and go up to 95,000 points per night. However, standard rooms at select specialty properties can be priced at up to 150,000 points per night.
To compare rates or unearth rates that work for you, you can use Hilton's points calendar or its points explorer tool to search destinations and see the lowest and maximum number of points required per night for each hotel.
There are four important things to note about this program:
- You’ll end up paying more points during “peak times” for hotels. If you want to stay at the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa in British Columbia during ski season, you’ll most likely get just one night’s stay out of those 100,000 points, as award nights are priced at 80,000 points. But if you visit in any other season, rooms are available for as low as 45,000 points on some dates.
- Silver, Gold, and Diamond Honors members get the fifth night free with a reward stay of five consecutive nights or more. All four of the Hilton credit cards from American Express include elite status as a perk, so you would be eligible for the fifth night free just by having a Hilton credit card. In addition, The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express also include complimentary Hilton Gold status as a benefit. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits..
- Hilton Honors points expire after 24 months of account inactivity.
- Don't have enough points for a free night? No problem. You can book another stay using a combination of points and money if needed. Or you can buy Hilton points to cover the difference.
Related: 9 things we love about the Hilton Honors program
How Much Are 100,000 Hilton Points Worth?
Based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions, 100,000 Hilton points are worth around $580.
You get the best value by finding hotels with lower points cost on nights with expensive cash rates. You can sometimes find nights like this at some of the more budget-friendly Hilton properties.
Likewise, you can sometimes find better value at luxury Hilton properties on nights with standard award availability. That's because the points cost is often capped at a certain rate (e.g., 120,000 points per night) while the cash price isn't subject to any cap. Just make sure to check the cash price to ensure you're getting good value.
While the cheapest and most expensive hotels can provide the best value, don't overlook hotels in the middle of Hilton's award price range that can easily cost more than $400 a night, depending on location.
Related: How to earn Hilton Honors points
How To Maximize 100,000 Points With Reward Nights
The Conrad Tokyo, during peak cherry blossom season, can easily hit the $1,000 per night mark. However, you can snag a night for 95,000 points, staying at this luxury property for free during one of Tokyo's busiest times of the year. And you'd be getting almost double the value of the typical AwardWallet user redemption of $580 for 100,000 Hilton points.
The middle-of-the-point redemption rates — essentially 30,000 through 60,000 points or so — can be great options to stretch your Hilton Honors points. That's especially true when you can redeem on an expensive night, like during a college football game weekend.
For instance, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel South Bend, near the University of Notre Dame, is currently available for 60,000 points on a home game weekend in September. Meanwhile, cash rates start at $494 per night before taxes and fees — and that's only if you book a non-refundable rate.
Compare the all-in non-refundable cost of $1,138.45 for two nights vs. booking 120,000 Hilton points, and you're getting almost 1 cent per Hilton point. That's more than 60% better than the average redemption.
Redeem Points for Room Upgrades and On-Property Experiences
Want a room on the top floor? Going on a romantic getaway and looking for a suite? Points can help here, too! Best of all, there are no blackout dates, so if you’ve got the points, you can book a premium room reward night. The number of points required for premium room rewards can vary widely based on the type of hotel, season, how crowded the hotel is at the time of your stay, and the elite tier of the other guests.
Diamond status members often get automatic upgrades, and Gold members usually do, too. However, if you want to guarantee a specific room type, booking a premium room reward night is the best way to do so.
You can also redeem your points through Hilton Honors Experiences for on-property rewards, like spa treatments and culinary offerings. For example, you can redeem 50,000 points for a 60-minute full body massage at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Again, redemptions here can vary widely, so be sure to visit the Hilton Honors Experiences website to see your options.
Redeem Points With Hilton's Travel Partners
Hilton Honors partners with several travel companies, so you can take advantage of different options to redeem your points outside of Hilton properties. With 27 airline partners — including British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines — you have no shortage of options. However, transfers to most programs are at a 10:1 ratio. So, it's rarely a good idea to transfer your Hilton points to airlines.
Alamo, Enterprise, and National car rental also partner with Hilton, so you can use points to rent a car to cruise around in. Prefer to be a passenger instead of driver? You can redeem your points for Lyft ride credit.
While it’s nice to use your points with other partners, doing so does not provide the best value for your points. We’d only recommend going this route if you have absolutely no other use for your points.
A Bit About Hilton Honors Elite Status
One way to boost your Hilton Honors earnings and save on redemptions is by earning Hilton elite status. You can fast-track your way to Hilton elite status through a Hilton status match, spending on a Hilton credit card… or just by carrying the right Hilton credit card.
The no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees) offers Silver elite status — which provides a 20% elite status bonus on points, every fifth night free on reward stays, and two complimentary bottles of water when you arrive (at select hotels).
- Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on 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.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- No Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 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.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees) and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees) come with Gold status. Hilton Gold status is generally considered the best mid-tier hotel elite status. You’ll get all the Silver status perks, plus 80% elite status bonus on all points earned, a daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast (MyWay benefits vary by hotel brand and region), and space-available room upgrades. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $150 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
- Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X Hilton Honors points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
- 5X Hilton Honors points on the first $100,000 spent per calendar year on other eligible purchases; 3X thereafter
And finally, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card provides top-tier Diamond Elite status. You'll get all the perks of Silver and Gold status, plus higher priority room upgrades, a 48-hour room guarantee, a 100% point bonus, and more.
- 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
Our Take
The welcome offers on the co-branded Hilton cards make it easy to accumulate a big chunk of Hilton points. Hilton points can go a long way if you’re smart about how you spend them. It really comes down to what is most important to you and your travel goals. But more often than not, you will get the most value out of redeeming your Hilton points for hotel award nights.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees)
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