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» How to earn, redeem, and maximize Hilton Honors points — from Waldorf Astoria resorts to family-friendly Hampton Inns, there are options for every traveler - Business Insider
How to earn, redeem, and maximize Hilton Honors points — from Waldorf Astoria resorts to family-friendly Hampton Inns, there are options for every traveler - Business Insider
You can earn Hilton points from stays, credit cards, and partners, then use them for free nights at hotels like the Waldorf Astoria Park City.Hilton Hotels & Resorts
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Hilton Honors includes 6,300+ hotels worldwide — ranging from budget to fancy — across 18 brands.
You can earn Hilton points from stays, rewards credit cards, and travel and dining partnerships.
You'll get the best Hilton points value by redeeming for free hotel stays or mixing points and cash.
With one of the world's largest footprints, most travelers have stayed in — or at least seen — a Hilton hotel. Since this vast hotel chain has a variety of properties to fit every budget and over 6,300 hotels located across 118 countries, it makes a lot of sense to consider joining the Hilton Honors loyalty program.
It's free to enroll and Hilton offers excellent rewards just for signing up. This includes the ability to earn points for free stays, late checkout, waived resort fees on award stays, free Wi-Fi, and discounted rates. As your status increases, you'll also see perks such as free breakfast, room upgrades, and a fifth night free on eligible award stays.
Earning and redeeming Hilton Honors points is also very simple — there are a ton of ways to jump-start your points balance, including large welcome bonuses from travel rewards credit cards, hotel promotions, and even transferring points from different partners. Once you've got a good amount, you can then use points toward free hotel stays, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Amazon purchases, and even airline miles.
We'll break down everything you need to know to earn, redeem, and maximize your Hilton Honors points.
How to earn Hilton points
Hilton has two main categories of points: bonus points, which help you earn rewards via special promotions, and elite-qualifying base points. The main difference is that base points count toward your elite status for the year, while bonus points do not — but you can redeem both kinds of points toward stays and other rewards.
Unlike bonus points, base points can only be earned via stays at a Hilton hotel. Charges for room rates, dining, and spas all count towards base points for elite status. Otherwise, there are plenty of ways to build up your Hilton Honors bonus points balance.
Earn points from stays at Hilton hotels and resorts
Depending on your elite status, you can earn anywhere from 10 (with a few exceptions) to 20 points per dollar for paid stays. Hilton brands include:
Conrad Hotels & Resorts
Canopy by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton
DoubleTree by Hilton
Embassy Suites by Hilton
Hampton Inn by Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Grand Vacations
Home2 Suites by Hilton (earn 5x points)
Homewood Suites by Hilton
LXR
Motto by Hilton
Signia by Hilton
Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Tempo by Hilton
Tru by Hilton (earn 5x points)
Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts
There are also ways to earn bonus points during your stay. Hilton's frequent promotions have included offers like double points on your entire stay, 2,000 bonus points per stay, or even additional bonus points for every 10 nights you stay. Depending on your hotel and elite status level, you might also be able to earn points as a welcome amenity.
It's important to remember that in order to earn points on your stays, you'll need to book directly with Hilton. Using a third-party site (such as an online travel agency) invalidates both your elite status benefits and any potential points earnings. However, you can earn bonus rewards by navigating to Hilton's website via an online shopping portal.
Use American Express Hilton co-branded credit cards
80,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of account opening
Intro APR
N/A
Details
Pros & Cons
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
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.
The cheapest is the no-annual-fee (See Rates)Hilton Honors American Express Card, which offers 80,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of account opening. It earns 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, 5 points per dollar at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per eligible dollar everywhere else. This makes it very easy to earn lots of Hilton points without worrying about a yearly fee.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card also comes with automatic Hilton Silver elite status, and an upgrade to Gold status if you spend $20,000 or more in a calendar year.
130,000 points after you spend at least $2,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of account opening
Details
Pros & Cons
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
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 Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your 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.
$95 annual fee.
Terms Apply.
Pros
High welcome bonus
Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
Generous bonus categories for earning points
Cons
Weekend night reward requires spending $15,000 on the card in a year
Not much in the way of complimentary benefits beyond Hilton Gold status
The free breakfast perk alone can make paying the $95 annual fee (See Rates) on the Hilton Honors Surpass® Card well worth it, especially if you stay at expensive hotels. It's also a fantastic card for everyday spending — you'll earn 12x points at eligible Hilton hotels, 6x points at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3x points on everything else.
Cardholders can get a bump up to top-tier Diamond status when they spend $40,000 or more in a calendar year, and receive a free weekend night certificate (valid at almost any Hilton hotel worldwide) after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. The card also gives you a complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge membership when you enroll, with up to 10 free visits per year.
130,000 points after you spend at least $3,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Details
Pros & Cons
Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card: 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X on Select Business & Travel Purchases, 3X on all other eligible purchases. Terms & Limitations Apply.
Enjoy complimentary Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.
Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
Earn another Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend an additional $45,000 in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
Relax with 10 free airport lounge visits each year once enrolled in complimentary Priority Pass(TM) Select membership, which offers access to over 1,000 lounges in over 120 countries.
Terms apply.
See Rates & Fees
Pros
Comes with complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
Strong welcome bonus
Earns bonus points on a wide variety of purchases
Cons
You have to spend at least $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year to earn a reward night
Small-business owners who stay with Hilton hotels should consider The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. It currently offers a bonus of 130,000 points after you spend at least $3,000 in your first 3 months of account opening and earns bonus Hilton points on a wide variety of business-related expenses.
Cardholders earn 12x points at Hilton hotels and 6x points in these eligible categories:
US gas stations
US purchases for shipping
US restaurants
Wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers on
Flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel
Car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies
All other purchases earn 3x points. Like the Hilton Honors Surpass® Card, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has a $95 annual fee and comes with automatic Gold elite status with the ability to upgrade to Diamond after spending $40,000 in a calendar year. You'll get a similar opportunity to enroll in Priority Pass airport lounge membership with 10 visits a year included.
Cardholders can also earn a free weekend night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year, and a second free weekend night after spending a total of $60,000 in the same time frame.
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Details
Pros & Cons
The information related to the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected by Business Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership
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 for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, and on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants
3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Pros
Complimentary top-tier Hilton elite status
Get a weekend night reward each year after you renew your card
High welcome bonus
Valuable annual statement credit for eligible Hilton purchases
OUR EDITOR'S RATINGS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON 3 THINGS: SIMPLICITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND VALUE. OUR CREDIT CARD EDITOR TAKES THOSE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT, AND COMES UP WITH A RATING TO BEST REFLECT HOW THE CARD PERFORMS IN THAT CRITERIA - RELATIVE TO OTHER PRODUCTS WE'VE REVIEWED.
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