Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors is the loyalty program for Hilton’s global portfolio of hotels. As a free member, you can earn Hilton Honors Points for your stays and then redeem them for rewards at over 7,000 properties worldwide.
The program includes a wide range of brands to fit any travel style, from luxury to budget-friendly. This includes premium brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad, the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and popular, widely available options such as DoubleTree and Hampton by Hilton.
It’s helpful to know that the name of the program was changed back to Hilton Honors in 2017. Before that, it was known as “HHonors” with the double ‘H.’ You’ll still see the old name sometimes, but the program is now officially called Hilton Honors.
Hilton has three primary luxury hotel brands, each with a distinct identity such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and LXR Hotels & Resorts. LXR is a collection of independent luxury properties. Each hotel is unique and deeply connected to its specific location, offering a singular travel experience that reflects local history and culture, while still being backed by the Hilton network.
In this overview, I explain the Hilton Honors loyalty program:
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors is the free-to-join loyalty program for Hilton’s wide range of hotel brands. Members earn Base Points on eligible hotel stays and through co-branded credit cards or partners. The program has four tiers—Member, Silver, Gold, and Diamond—each with increasingly valuable benefits like bonus points, complimentary breakfast or a daily food and beverage credit, and room upgrades. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates, a combination of Points & Money, or other rewards and experiences. A key perk for all elite members is the fifth night free benefit on standard room reward stays of five nights or more.
Elite Status & Benefits
Hilton Honors Member status is the base tier of the Hilton Honors loyalty program. It’s the status you automatically receive as soon as you sign up for the program, and there are no stay or spending requirements to maintain it.
While it’s the lowest tier, you still get a number of valuable benefits:
- Hilton Honors Discount Rate: You’ll receive a special member-only discount when booking directly with Hilton.
- Digital Tools: You can use the Hilton Honors app to digitally check-in, choose your room from an available floor plan, and use a Digital Key for keyless entry at many properties.
- Free Wi-Fi: All members get free standard Wi-Fi at Hilton properties.
- No Resort Fees on Reward Stays: When you book a stay using 100% points, you won’t have to pay any resort fees.
- Earning Points: You’ll earn 10 Base Points for every dollar you spend on eligible charges at most Hilton brands, which can be used towards future stays or other rewards.
Hilton Honors Silver is the first elite status tier in the Hilton Honors program. You can achieve Silver status by meeting one of the following criteria in a calendar year:
- 10 nights
- 4 stays
- 25,000 Base Points
In addition to the benefits of a standard Hilton Honors Member, Silver status offers several perks that make a significant difference for frequent travelers:
- 20% Bonus on Base Points: You’ll earn a 20% bonus on the Base Points you receive from eligible hotel stays, which means you earn points faster.
- “Fifth Night Free” Benefit: When you book a Standard Room reward stay of five consecutive nights or more using only points, the fifth night is free. This benefit can be used multiple times on a single stay (e.g., if you book a 10-night stay, you get the fifth and tenth nights free).
- Two Complimentary Bottles of Water: At most Hilton brands, you’ll receive two free bottles of water at check-in.
- Elite Rollover Nights: Any nights you stay beyond the 10 nights required to earn Silver status will roll over and count toward your elite status qualification for the next year.
It’s also worth noting that many Hilton Honors American Express credit cards offer complimentary Silver status as a cardholder benefit, providing an easy way to achieve this tier without having to meet the stay requirements.
Hilton Honors Gold status is the second elite tier in the Hilton Honors program and offers a significant jump in benefits over the Member and Silver tiers. You can earn Gold status by meeting one of the following criteria in a calendar year:
- 40 nights
- 20 stays
- 75,000 Base Points ($7,500 in spending)
- 80% Bonus on Base Points: You’ll earn a generous 80% bonus on all the Base Points you get from eligible stays, which helps you accumulate points much faster.
- Space-Available Room Upgrades: You are eligible for complimentary room upgrades, which may include up to an Executive Floor room, subject to availability.
- Complimentary Breakfast or Food & Beverage Credit: This is one of the most popular Gold benefits.
Hilton Honors Diamond is the top-tier elite status in the Hilton Honors program, offering the most extensive list of benefits. You can qualify for Diamond status in a calendar year by meeting one of the following requirements:Â
- 60 nights
- 30 stays
- 120,000 Base Points
In addition to all the benefits of the lower tiers, Diamond status comes with premium perks that can significantly enhance your travel experience:
- 100% Bonus on Base Points: You’ll earn a 100% bonus on all Base Points from your stays, doubling your point earnings and allowing you to accumulate rewards much faster.
- Executive Lounge Access: This is a key benefit, providing you and a guest with access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge at properties that have one. Lounges typically offer complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, and beverages.
- Space-Available Room Upgrades, including Suites: While Gold members are eligible for upgrades, Diamond members get priority and may be upgraded to a one-bedroom suite, subject to availability at check-in.
- Premium Wi-Fi: You’ll receive complimentary access to the hotel’s premium, high-speed Wi-Fi network.
- 48-Hour Room Guarantee: This guarantees a room for you, subject to certain restrictions, at any Hilton property when you book at least 48 hours in advance.
- Elite Status Gifting: After you stay 60 nights in a calendar year, you can gift Gold status to a friend or family member. If you reach 100 nights, you can gift them Diamond status instead.
Earning Hilton Honors Points
There are many ways to earn Hilton Honors points, both from hotel stays and from everyday activities. The more you use these methods, the faster you’ll accumulate points for free nights and other rewards.
Here are the primary ways to earn Hilton Honors points:
Hotel Stays: This is the most direct way to earn points. For most Hilton brands, you’ll earn 10 Base Points for every dollar spent on eligible charges, such as your room rate and incidental spending. At some brands like Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton, you’ll earn 5 Base Points per dollar.
Elite Status Bonus: Your elite status tier directly impacts how many points you earn on a stay. This is a bonus on top of your Base Points:
Silver: 20% bonus
Gold: 80% bonus
Diamond: 100% bonus
Hilton Honors American Express Credit Cards: These co-branded credit cards are a powerful tool for earning points. They offer high earning rates on Hilton purchases and bonus points on everyday spending categories like dining, gas, and groceries. Many cards also come with large sign-up bonuses and automatic elite status, which further increases your earning potential.
Promotions and Offers: Hilton Honors frequently runs promotions that allow members to earn bonus points on their stays. These promotions can be for a specific number of bonus points per stay, double or triple points, or extra points for staying at newly opened properties. It’s important to register for these promotions before you book your stay to ensure you receive the bonus.
Partnerships: Hilton has partnerships with other companies that allow you to earn points on activities outside of hotel stays:
Hilton Honors Dining: By linking a credit or debit card to your Hilton Honors Dining account, you can earn points automatically when you dine at participating restaurants.
Lyft: You can link your Hilton Honors account with your Lyft account to earn points on every ride in the United States and Canada.
Rental Cars: You can earn points when you rent a car from partners like Alamo, Enterprise, or National by booking through the Hilton portal.
Transferring Points: You can also transfer points to Hilton Honors from other programs, such as American Express Membership Rewards. This can be a useful way to top off your account if you’re just short of the points needed for a reward night.
Redemption Options & Free Travel
Hilton Honors points offer a variety of redemption options, but the most popular and often most valuable way to use them is for hotel stays. Here’s a breakdown of the main ways you can redeem your points for free travel and other rewards:
1. Free Nights at Hilton Hotels
This is the primary redemption option. You can use your points to book a Standard Room at any of Hilton’s more than 8,000 properties worldwide, with no blackout dates. The number of points required for a free night is dynamic, meaning it fluctuates with the cash price of the room. When cash rates are low, point redemption rates are also generally lower, and vice versa.
Points & Money: If you don’t have enough points for a full free night, you can use a combination of points and cash to book your stay. This option gives you flexibility to customize how many points you use.
“Fifth Night Free” Benefit: This is a major perk for all elite members (Silver, Gold, and Diamond). When you book a Standard Room reward stay of five nights or more using only points, the fifth night is free. This benefit can be a fantastic way to maximize your points for a longer vacation.
Premium Room Rewards: You can also redeem points for higher-end rooms, including suites or rooms with better views. These will require more points than a Standard Room.
2. Hilton Honors Experiences
This platform allows you to use your points to bid on or buy unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. These can include VIP access to concerts, sporting events, exclusive dining experiences, and cultural trips. This is a great way to use your points for something other than a hotel stay and can provide significant value if you’re interested in a specific event.
3. Other Travel-Related Redemptions
Transfer to Airline Partners: You can convert your Hilton Honors points into airline miles with many of Hilton’s partner airlines. The conversion rate can vary, so it’s a good idea to check the specific rate for the airline you’re interested in to ensure you’re getting good value.
Car Rentals: Points can be used for car rentals with partners like Alamo, Enterprise, and National.
4. Other Redemption Options (Generally Lower Value)
While these options exist, they often offer a lower value for your points compared to booking a free night:
Shopping with Points: You can use your points for purchases on Amazon.com.
Donating Points: You can donate your points to a variety of charities
Strengths (Pros) about Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors is a popular loyalty program for a reason, and it has several notable strengths that appeal to a wide range of travelers:
Easy to Achieve Elite Status: This is one of the program’s biggest strengths. With co-branded American Express credit cards, it’s very easy to achieve Gold or even top-tier Diamond status without ever spending a night in a Hilton hotel. This makes the valuable benefits of these tiers accessible to many people.
Valuable Gold and Diamond Benefits: The Gold tier is often considered a “sweet spot” in the program because it offers a great return on investment, particularly with the complimentary daily food and beverage credit (or breakfast outside the U.S.) and space-available room upgrades. Diamond status further enhances this with guaranteed Executive Lounge access, a major perk for many travelers.
“Fifth Night Free” Benefit: For elite members (Silver, Gold, and Diamond), the ability to get a free fifth night on award stays of five nights or more is a fantastic way to stretch your points and save a significant amount on longer trips.
Widespread Global Presence: With thousands of properties across 24 brands worldwide, Hilton Honors gives you a huge number of options for earning and redeeming points. Whether you’re looking for a luxury resort or a budget-friendly hotel, there’s likely a Hilton property that fits your needs.
No Blackout Dates on Reward Stays: Hilton Honors allows you to redeem your points for a free night at any property, on any night of the year, as long as a standard room is available. This provides a lot of flexibility for booking travel.
Points are Easy to Earn: In addition to the bonus points from elite status and credit cards, Hilton frequently runs promotions that make it easy to earn points quickly. This, combined with partnerships with companies like Lyft and the Hilton Honors Dining program, gives you many opportunities to build up your points balance.
Weaknesses (Cons) about Hilton Honors
While Hilton Honors has many strengths, it also has some weaknesses that can be frustrating for members, particularly those who are more focused on maximizing the value of their points. Here are some of the key cons of the program:
Low Point Value: Hilton Honors points are generally considered to have a lower value than points from many other major hotel chains. According to analyses from various sources, a Hilton point is often valued at around 0.5 to 0.6 cents. This means you need a large number of points to book a free night, even for a moderately priced hotel. For instance, a hotel that costs $150 might require 30,000 points or more.
Dynamic Pricing: Hilton uses a dynamic pricing model, which means the number of points required for a free night is tied to the cash price of the room. This makes it difficult to get outsized value for your points on expensive dates, as the point cost will also be very high. While there are no blackout dates, peak-season travel often requires an astronomical number of points, making it hard to plan and save for specific aspirational trips.
Resort and Destination Fees on Paid Stays: Hilton, like many other hotel chains, charges resort and destination fees at many of its properties. These fees are not included in the room rate and can add a significant cost to your stay. While Hilton Honors members do get these fees waived on reward stays booked entirely with points, they are still a major complaint for members paying with cash.
Inconsistent Elite Benefits: While the program promises benefits like complimentary upgrades and breakfast for elite members, the actual experience can be inconsistent. Room upgrades, especially to a suite, are never guaranteed and depend entirely on the specific hotel’s availability and management. The “daily food & beverage credit” for Gold and Diamond members in the U.S. has also replaced a full complimentary breakfast at many properties, and the value of this credit can vary significantly and may not always cover the full cost of a meal.
High Point Requirements for Top-Tier Redemptions: While the dynamic pricing model theoretically allows you to redeem points for any room, the point requirements for high-end luxury properties can be extremely high. For aspirational redemptions at brands like Waldorf Astoria or Conrad, you may need a very large points balance, making it a long and difficult savings goal for many members.
Key Points
Key Weaknesses (Cons)
Easy to Get Elite Status: You can easily get Gold or Diamond status just by having certain co-branded Hilton Honors American Express credit cards. This gives you a quick path to valuable perks without needing to spend a lot of time in hotels.
Valuable Elite Benefits: The Gold and Diamond tiers come with great benefits. Gold members get a daily food and beverage credit (or complimentary breakfast outside the U.S.) and room upgrades, while Diamond members get guaranteed Executive Lounge access, which is a significant perk.
“Fifth Night Free”: This is a powerful benefit for all elite members. When you book a Standard Room reward stay of five nights or more with points, you get the fifth night free, which makes your points go further on longer trips.
No Blackout Dates: You can use your points for a free night at any Hilton property on any day of the year, as long as a standard room is available.
Multiple Ways to Earn Points: Besides hotel stays, you can earn points through a variety of methods, including co-branded credit cards, promotions, and partnerships with companies like Lyft and Hilton Honors Dining.
Key Strengths (Pros)
Low Point Value: Hilton Honors points are generally considered to have a lower value compared to other hotel loyalty programs. You often need a very high number of points for a free night, which can make it feel like it takes a long time to save up for a reward.
Dynamic Pricing: The number of points needed for a free night is tied to the cash price. This means that during peak season or for expensive hotels, the point cost can be extremely high, making it hard to get outsized value for your points.
Inconsistent Elite Benefits: While upgrades are a stated benefit, they are subject to availability and are not guaranteed, especially at busy hotels. The “daily food & beverage credit” in the U.S. can also be an inconsistent value compared to the complimentary breakfast offered in other regions.
Resort Fees: Although these fees are waived on reward stays booked entirely with points, they can be a significant and frustrating extra cost on paid stays.