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Hilton, founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton, is one of the largest and most recognizable global hotel brands. With more than 7,500 properties spanning roughly 120 countries and 23 brands, you'll find Hilton hotels in every corner of the globe. With such a large chain and footprint, the Hilton Honors loyalty program is one of the biggest in the industry.
Beyond the brand's worldwide reach, Hilton's elite program offers excellent perks at each status level. In fact, top-tier Diamond members receive tangible benefits like lounge access and the ability to gift elite status. Also, Hilton Gold has earned its place as the best mid-tier hotel elite status with free food and beverage credits as one of my favorite benefits. Even better, it's one of the easiest to acquire.
In this guide, we'll cover how to earn Hilton Honors points, the best ways to redeem points, run through Hilton's elite program, and dig into the rules and points sharing policies.
Page Contents
- How To Join Hilton Honors
- Hilton Honors Brands
- Best Ways To Earn Hilton Honors Points
- Earn points on Hilton stays
- Earning Hilton points: An example
- Hilton Honors credit cards
- Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors
- Transfer Bilt Rewards points to Hilton Honors
- Host meetings and events with Hilton
- Hilton for Business
- Hilton Honors promotions
- Buying Hilton points
- Pooling Hilton points
- Dining program
- Hilton travel partners
- Best Ways To Redeem Hilton Honors Points
- How To Earn Hilton Honors Elite Status
- Hilton Honors Rules and Policies
- Final Thoughts
- Hilton Honors FAQ
How To Join Hilton Honors
To sign up for Hilton Honors, register online through the Hilton website or using the Hilton mobile app. Before you do, check here to see if there's a new member bonus for registering through a special link. If not, you can join here. On the registration form, you'll be prompted to provide your name, phone number, email, address, and create a password.
Hilton issues you a Hilton Honors membership number immediately after joining. You can view your account status, upcoming reservations, and book travel using cash or points while logged into the website or app. If you've already made a Hilton reservation and would like to connect it to your new Hilton Honors account, you can do so by:
- asking the front desk to add your Hilton Honors number at check in
- Chat with a live agent on the Hilton Honors website
- Call Hilton customer service at 1-800-4HONORS
Add your Hilton Honors account to AwardWallet
Now is also the perfect time to add Hilton Honors to your AwardWallet account. Once you do, AwardWallet will track your Hilton reservations, points balance and expiration, elite status, and any credits or promos associated with your account.
If your Hilton points or elite status expires soon, we'll send you a series of reminders by email. You also can use AwardWallet to log into your Hilton account with one click — rather than needing to enter your Hilton membership number and password on the Hilton website.
AwardWallet Plus members also see their Hilton Honors earning and redemption history, plus their progress toward the next tier of elite status.
Track Hilton Honors accounts for family and friends
In addition, you can track accounts for friends and family with AwardWallet. To add a second account or a different loyalty program, log into AwardWallet through a web browser or the AwardWallet app (iOS, Android). Then, you can click the “Add Award Program to Track” button and type in the name of the program — or use this link.
Hilton Honors Brands
Hilton has a global presence with more than 7,500 properties in 118 countries worldwide. The chain comprises 23 unique brands that range from limited-service Hampton by Hilton to the distinctive luxury of LXR.
Although it's not Hilton's premier luxury brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the flagship brand within the portfolio. It has 629 properties around the world. Hilton is a full-service brand aimed to serve both business and leisure travelers. Hilton's high-end Conrad brand is the second namesake brand that bears founder Conrad Hilton's name, with 51 locations around the world.
Other brands in the Hilton Honors portfolio include the Curio Collection of independent boutique hotels (179 properties), the ever-present select-service Hilton Garden Inn, and Homewood Suites by Hilton — one of two Hilton Honors extended-stay hotel brands. Hilton also has been testing the waters with new brands in recent years, such as LXR, Tempo by Hilton, and Motto by Hilton. Most recently, Hilton announced a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which previously partnered with Hyatt, plus a partnership with AutoCamp for “glamping” and Hilton's LivSmart Studios for longer stays.
| HOTEL CATEGORY | BRAND |
|---|---|
| Luxury | Waldorf Astoria Conrad LXR |
| Boutique/Independent Collections | Curio Collection Tapestry Collection Canopy by Hilton |
| Standard Upscale Full-Service | Hilton Hotels & Resorts DoubleTree by Hilton Signia by Hilton Embassy Suites |
| Lifestyle with Limited or Focused Service | Tempo by Hilton Motto by Hilton Tru by Hilton |
| Focused-Service or Limited-Service | Hilton Garden Inn Hampton by Hilton Spark by Hilton |
| Extended Stay | Homewood Suites Home2 Suites |
| Timeshare | Hilton Grand Vacations |
Best Ways To Earn Hilton Honors Points
Hilton Honors points are easy to accrue. I've found them to be one of the easiest to rack up among the major programs and one of the reasons why I love this program. Members receive higher-than-average earning rates on hotel stays, coupled with frequent bonus point promotions. Cardholders also earn top multipliers when using co-branded credit cards. Plus, you can leverage lots of travel and dining partner programs. In short, there are many ways to earn Hilton Honors points!
Earn points on Hilton stays
The most straightforward way to earn Hilton Honors points is from hotel stays. Just make sure that your Honors number is attached to the reservation. Members earn 10 base points per $1 spent on hotel stays and most incidental charges, such as parking, food, and beverages. However, at Tru and Home2 Suites, you'll only earn 5 points per $1 spent.
If you hold Hilton elite status — which comes complimentary with all Hilton co-brand credit cards — you'll enjoy the following elite point bonuses:
- Silver: 20% bonus (total of 12 points per $1 spent)
- Gold: 80% bonus (total of 18 points per $1 spent)
- Diamond: 100% bonus (total of 20 points per $1 spent)
Select properties offer additional points at check-in if selected as a Hilton “My Way” benefit — a perk exclusive to Gold and Diamond members. Promotions can provide even more points from hotel stays. Coupled with a Hilton credit card, I've earned 54 points per dollar on my hotel stays in the past. Check out the current Hilton promotions to see what's available for your upcoming trips.
Earning Hilton points: An example
Here's an example of points earned from one of my previous stays at the Hilton El Conquistador in Tucson, Arizona. The nightly rate was $213 before taxes. I also spent $53.13 on lunch and some grab-and-go items. The final bill, including taxes, came to $330.43, which I put on my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Here's how many points I earned:
- 10 base points per $1 as a Hilton Honors member, spending $266.13 (room plus food) — 2,660 points
- 10 bonus points per $1 as a Diamond elite member (100% bonus) — 2,660 points
- Qualifying stay under the Multiply Your Points promotion — 2,660 points
- 14x points per $1 by using my Hilton Aspire — 4,626 points
- Diamond MyWay Bonus: 1,000 points
The total haul from the stay: 13,606 points, worth ~$79, based on average values from AwardWallet's users and their redemptions of Hilton points at 0.58¢ on average. This is almost a 24% return on spending. Not a bad return for a one-night stay!
Hilton Honors credit cards
Multiple cards earn Hilton Honors points. Check out our full guide to choosing the best Hilton Honors card, but here's a quick recap of the cards and the bonuses on offer:
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
- 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 no-annual-fee Hilton Amex is perfect if you only stay with Hilton occasionally and don't want to pay an annual fee (Rates & Fees). You'll earn some extra points and will have access to Hilton's fifth-night-free benefit. Read our Hilton Amex review for more details.
- Earn 165,000 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. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
- Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- 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.
- Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. 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
The Hilton Surpass is an excellent mid-tier card with a great mix of benefits for the $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees). Cardmembers receive complimentary Hilton Gold status; see our Hilton Surpass review for more information, as well as our post breaking down how to maximize the Surpass Card.
- 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
Hilton Aspire cardmembers receive exceptional value if they stay with Hilton on a regular basis, and it's the only card to offer top-tier elite status as a card benefit. Plus, you'll get an annual Hilton free night reward to be used at almost any Hilton property worldwide and a semi-annual $200 resort credit. Check out our Hilton Aspire review for all the details. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 1/8/2025.
- 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 getting you to free nights faster.
- 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
The Hilton Business Card rounds out the lineup for small business owners who want to accumulate points from company spending. See our Hilton Business Card review for more information.
Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors points at a 1:2 ratio. Points transfer in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. Cards like the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card earn Membership Rewards points and offer great earning rates on supermarket purchases.
While that transfer ratio sounds appealing compared to other transfer partners with Membership Rewards, transferring Membership Rewards to Hilton doesn't provide good value most of the time. In fact, you can get better value using your Membership Rewards points in other ways. However, the occasional transfer bonus of up to 50% can make this a better value when offered. Click here to see the latest Amex transfer bonus to Hilton.
Transfer Bilt Rewards points to Hilton Honors
Bilt launched points transfers to Hilton Honors on May 8, 2024. Given that the transfers are 1:1 (while Amex transfers are 1:2), this transfer should be avoided unless you've tapped out all other sources for Hilton points and need to top up your account to complete an award booking.
Host meetings and events with Hilton
If you're a meeting or event planner — or just putting together a one-time event at a Hilton property — make sure you don't miss out on earning points for this spending (especially if it's not you footing the bill).
Planners earn 1 Hilton point per $1 spent on meetings and events, up to $100,000 per event. You'll need to add Event Planner Points to your contract with Hilton. However, not all properties participate. Here is the list of participating hotels in the event planner program.
Hilton for Business
A new addition in 2024 is the Hilton for Business program. You'll receive perks like discounted rates, a first-stay bonus of 7,500 points, and 5,000 points for every 10 nights stayed on the business rate in a calendar year.
Hilton Honors promotions
Hilton Honors promotions can be an excellent way to earn real value from the Hilton Honors program. In fact, that's how I've earned up to 54 points per dollar on my eligible spend at Hilton properties, possible when the right promotion goes live. Be sure to follow our post to be aware of the latest Hilton promotions.
Buying Hilton points
Hilton sells points at a standard rate of $10 per 1,000 points — 1¢ per point. Given that the AwardWallet users tend to redeem Hilton points at 0.58¢ apiece, this isn't a good deal at all, as you're buying points nearly double what they're worth most days.
However, there are occasionally buy Hilton points promotions. Hilton normally caps members at buying no more than 80,000 points per year, before promotional bonuses, though this rule is often relaxed during promotional events. With a 100% bonus, you're paying $5 per 1,000 points — 0.5¢ per point. In some cases, it may be worth purchasing points. An example: topping off your account for an award that takes advantage of the fifth-night-free benefit.
Based on AwardWallet tracking, Hilton points take roughly 14 hours to hit your account after purchase.
Pooling Hilton points
Hilton allows members to pool Hilton Honors points with up to 10 other people into a single account — a unique option among hotel loyalty programs. Note, this is different than many of the transfer options that other hotel programs offer. One member has to initiate the “pool,” and other members can choose to contribute points to it. This is essentially a transfer of points to one member's account, as no separate pooled account is created, but multiple people can participate.
Members can transfer up to 500,000 points to other members via points pooling in a calendar year. A single member can receive up to 2 million Hilton points in a calendar year from others. Points pooling is free. In addition, you can participate in as many points pools as you'd like.
Anecdotally, some Awardwallet editors have had numerous technical issues trying to pool and transfer points. It worked flawlessly the first time I initiated a points pool, and I could transfer with no issues recently.
Related: Which Rewards Programs Allow You to Combine Points and Miles for Free?
Dining program
Eating out often can be costly, but dining programs can be a great way to rack up extra points and miles. If you join Hilton Honors Dining and opt into marketing emails, you'll earn 5 Hilton points per $1 spent dining out at participating restaurants. You can search by ZIP code at Hilton Honors Dining. Make sure you check to see if a participating restaurant is offering rewards on a given day. And check whether Hilton is on our list of hotel dining rewards programs with a new member bonus before you sign up.
Hilton travel partners
Hilton partners with a number of other travel brands, including:
- Alamo
- Enterprise
- National
- Lyft
- Airline transfers (Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic)
- Vacation packages and cruises
Thus, you can earn Hilton points through spending with these other brands.
Best Ways To Redeem Hilton Honors Points
Hilton free nights start at just 5,000 points, which sounds great on paper, but most redemptions require far more. Like many brands, Hilton moved away from an official award chart in recent times and now prices award nights dynamically. When the cash rate is higher, award rates are typically higher.
The general range for standard room awards is between 5,000 and 95,000 points per night. However, increasing numbers of properties are costing more than 100,000 Hilton points — including the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton. Some of these luxury properties can cost 150,000 points per night.
You can find the price range for all Hilton properties through its Points Explorer tool, filterable by brand, points price, and location.
Note that the min and max values listed are based on recent bookings made. You'll occasionally find lower award rates when searching for your specific dates.
For example, in 2023, the Via Sants Hotel Barcelona, Tapestry Collection by Hilton was listed at a minimum of 35,000 points. However, we found award nights available for 31,000 and 33,000 Hilton points on some dates. The points calendar accessible through the Points Explorer tool is an excellent way to find the cheapest award nights at a property.
Hilton award pricing
The referenced list provides the standard room pricing for Hilton properties around the globe. However, Hilton allows Honors members to book other room types with points, which is a great perk for those with a healthy Hilton points balance. Typically, if a room is available at a cash rate, you can book it with points, including premium room rewards. This includes anything from rooms with a better view to suites.
Premium room reward pricing can vary significantly. In addition, it is typically correlated with the cash rate. These awards may be both better and worse deals than standard room rewards. Here are sample premium room prices at the Conrad Bali:
One thing to note: To use your Free Night Reward certificates earned from Hilton credit cards, you must be able to book a standard room reward. If only premium room rewards are available, you will not be able to use the certificate on that date/at that hotel. I noticed this issue for a search at the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria property. A night in August 2024 was offering rooms at 81,000 points per night, but they were premium rooms. Other nights the same week of my stay had standard rooms available at the standard 90,000 points a night redemption rate.
Pay with Points & Money
Hilton offers a unique feature that allows you to price stays in a combination of cash and points using a sliding scale. You can use any combination for your stay. Something to keep in mind is that Hilton waives resort fees for 100% award stays, so you may forfeit some savings should you choose to use the Points and Money option at a property charging resort fees.
We strongly recommend you book stays using either 100% cash or 100% points and pass on using this feature. It even could make sense to buy Hilton points if you're a few thousand points short to save on resort fees.
Hilton Honors fifth night free
My favorite perk of being an elite Hilton Honors member is the fifth-night-free benefit on award stays. This benefit allows you to get five award nights for the price of four on stays of five or more consecutive nights at the same hotel.
Rather than simply pricing the fifth night at 0 points, however, Hilton averages the cost of your stay and then deducts that average amount of points. For example, if nightly award rates at the Hilton New York Times Square are 77,000 points, 75,000 points, 82,000 points, 82,000 points, and 74,000 points over a five-night stay, you'll receive a discount of 78,000 Hilton points. This is the average per-night award cost across your stay.
The fifth-night-free benefit works on stays of five or more nights. You'll receive one free night for every five booked for stays of up to 20 nights. If you have a longer stay, break it up into blocks no larger than 20 nights to make use of this perk.
Using Hilton Free Night Night Rewards
One of the benefits of the Hilton Aspire and Hilton Surpass cards is the ability to earn free night awards every year. These are redeemable at any nearly Hilton property worldwide with a small list of exclusions.
Hilton free night awards can be used any night of the week — an improvement over their previous limitation to use on weekends (thanks, pandemic!). These awards must be used for stays that occur prior to the expiration date listed on the certificate.
To book a free weekend night, you need to call 1-800-4HONORS and have your certificate number ready. This is a small drawback to the awards and we hope they will add an online redemption option in the future.
Hilton Honors award sweet spots
With over 7,500 properties in 118 countries around the globe, you can find plenty of Hilton hotels where award nights are an excellent value. In general, Hilton awards that approach a 1¢ per point value are a great find.
Here is a very brief list of 10 properties that stand out:
- Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi: It goes without saying that Hilton's flagship Maldives property is an excellent award deal (rooms for $1,700?!). The trick is finding standard room availability. Note: There's a pricey, non-avoidable boat transfer costing $800 plus tax per person to reach the resort.
- Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal: Rooms often cost over $1,000 per night, which makes the 120,000-points-per-night standard award cost an excellent deal. This is also a great hotel for using free night rewards. Anecdotally, this is my favorite Hilton resort to use my points at in the world.
- Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills: Rooms for $1,000 per night or 120,000 points? Points, please. Don't miss the free Rolls Royce rides to stops near the hotel.
- Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam: Amsterdam can be crazy expensive. Rooms easily climb over $800. I'd happily book for 110,000 points per night.
- Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort: Again, rooms for $1,000 or 110,000 points? Points make paradise free. Note that this is another property where finding award availability is especially difficult. While Maui is a dream destination for many, my experiences at this property have made me feel as if this is a bit overpriced.
- Conrad Bora Bora Nui: I'll take the lagoon view for just 120,000 points, thank you. No need to spend over a grand.
- Conrad Koh Samui: With rates over $600, you'll often get over 0.7¢ per Hilton point staying here.
- The Reach Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton: Rates can eclipse $800 per night, making 95,000 points rather appealing.
- Canopy by Hilton Paris Trocadero: It can be difficult to find availability in the summer, but on nights where standard room awards are 80,000 points versus $500+ cash, I'll choose points.
- Hilton Tel Aviv: When rates creep above $600, paying 85,000 points per night is the way to go.
Given Hilton's move to dynamic pricing, the best value is usually found at luxury properties. However, many of the best hotels tend to restrict standard room award inventory, only offering premium room awards for much higher prices (and less value). There are also great options for budget-savvy travelers in the Hilton program.
Read more: Hilton Honors Redemptions For The Budget-Savvy Traveler
How to book a Hilton award
The easiest way to book a Hilton award stay is online at Hilton.com or via the Hilton app. You don't need to log into your Honors account to search for award nights. However, you'll need to log in once you select a room and rate at a particular hotel.
To search for points rates, simply check the “Use Points” box in the Special Rates options. Enter your destination and dates and click the “Find a Hotel” button.
We did a sample search for Paris, France, where there is a decent selection of Hilton properties. You can see that there are 16 Hilton hotel options in the Paris area. The downside is that Hilton doesn't show a total price for multi-night stays. Instead, Hilton simply lists the price for the first night.
To view the room types and availability at a particular property, click the “View Rates” button. You'll see which are standard rooms rewards and those that are premium room rewards. You can see this particular Tapestry Collection property has five available room types bookable with points, and only one of them is a standard room reward.
Once you settle on a room type, you must log in to book (if not logged in already). Then, you can enter the reservation details, use the Points & Money slider to customize the rate, and finalize the booking.
Other ways to redeem Hilton points
Using Hilton points for free hotel stays will definitely provide the best value for your points. However, I want to touch on other uses. You can redeem Hilton points for:
- Hilton Honors Experiences
- Lyft rides
- Amazon products
- Convert to airline miles
Pretty much all of these uses are a poor value compared to most hotel stays. Amazon lets you cash out Hilton points at 0.2 cents each. The value for redeeming points for Lyft rides is similar. Transferring points to airlines gives you a fraction of what you had before the transfer.
The only potential I really see in any of these is the ability to use Honors points for experiences, and that's because you sometimes can find some unique activities at decent value.
How To Earn Hilton Honors Elite Status
Hilton offers a fairly strong elite program that rewards loyal members with perks like complimentary breakfast, bonus points, room upgrades, and executive lounge access. The Hilton Honors loyalty program offers three elite tiers: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. In addition, there's a basic Member tier (achieved at sign-up), which offers some basic perks
Hilton elite status tiers and benefits
The benefits you enjoy as a Hilton elite increase as you climb through the tiers from Silver to Gold to Diamond. Here is what you can expect at each of the three levels:
| Status Tier | Requirements | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Member | Sign up for Hilton Honors | Hilton Honors Discount Rate Earn points toward free nights & more No resort fees on reward stays Digital Check-in option and Digital Key Free WiFi |
| Silver Elite | 10 nights OR 4 stays OR 25,000 Base Points | All Member benefits plus... 20% Bonus Points on stays (12 Honors points per $1 spent) Fifth night free on reward stays Two free bottles of water per stay Elite Rollover Nights |
| Gold Elite | 40 nights OR 20 stays OR 75,000 Base Points | All Silver benefits plus... 80% Bonus Points on stays (18 Honors points per $1 spent) Space-available room upgrades, up to rooms on the executive level (at property discretion) Daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast at select brands (varies by hotel) Milestone Bonuses |
| Diamond Elite | 60 nights OR 30 stays OR 120,000 Base Points | All Gold benefits plus... 100% Bonus Points on stays (20 Honors points per $1 spent) Space-available room upgrades, up to standard suites (at property discretion) Executive lounge access Diamond status extension Premium WiFi 48-hour room guarantee Elite status gifting |
Check out the Hilton Honors terms and conditions for more details.
Rollover nights
Rollover nights are a benefit for Hilton Honors elites. Any nights accrued in excess of the status tier you qualify for are rolled over to get a jump start on the following year's qualification. For example, if you stay 67 nights in 2024, qualifying for Diamond status, you'd roll over 7 nights for 2025 elite qualification. I've never found much use for this, as I receive Diamond status automatically with my Hilton Aspire.
Hilton milestone bonuses
Hilton offers milestone bonuses once you hit a certain number of nights stayed in a calendar year. The first bonus (10,000 bonus points) is awarded when you hit 40 nights. You'll earn an additional 10,000 points for every 10 additional nights after 40 nights, with an extra 30,000 points awarded when you hit 60 total nights. This is on top of the normal milestone bonus for 60 nights. You can continue to earn milestone bonuses in excess of 100 nights, received every 10 nights stayed.
Complimentary elite status from credit cards
All Hilton credit cards offer some level of complimentary elite status:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Silver elite
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Gold elite
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Gold elite
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Diamond elite
This status can be enjoyed for as long as your card remains open. You do not need to meet any stay or qualification requirements each year. The Hilton Aspire is the only card that offers Hilton Diamond status and the only hotel credit card that offers complimentary top-tier elite status in any hotel chain.
Beyond Hilton's co-branded credit cards, cardmembers with The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can enroll for complimentary Hilton Gold status.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Status matching
Hilton also offers a status match program for elite members of other hotel programs. The requirements tend to change, and the offerings vary from a status match to a status challenge; additionally, the requirements will depend on your status in other programs. You'll need to provide your name, email, Honors number, and proof of elite status in the other program. You'll need to show proof of at least one stay in the other program within the past 12 months.
This can be a great shortcut to elite status with Hilton for the first year. Beyond that, you'll need to meet the normal status requirements to maintain your elite tier in ensuing years.
Related: All Hotel Elite Status Match & Fast Track Opportunities
T-Mobile Magenta Status
A relatively new offer is T-Mobile's Magenta Status, a completely free program that offers 15% off Hilton stays and complimentary Hilton Silver status for T-Mobile users. The final day to sign up for Hilton Silver status is December 31st, 2024.
Hilton Lifetime Diamond status
Hilton offers a lifetime status program, but only for its Diamond elite tier. The requirements for lifetime Diamond status including earning Diamond status for at least 10 years (do not need to be consecutive) and either:
- Complete at least 1,000 paid and/or reward nights
- Earn at least 2 million Base Points over the life of your membership
Hilton Honors Rules and Policies
Hilton change and cancellation policies
Under normal circumstances, Hilton Advance Purchase reservations are completely non-refundable. These offer the lowest rate, but you are locked into your reservation and will forfeit the entire amount should you cancel. It's for this reason that I rarely book non-refundable rates.
In general, flexible rate Hilton stays (both cash and award) can be canceled free of charge up until 48 or 72 hours before arrival. However, change and cancellation policies are up to the individual hotel, so read the terms carefully. There have been some outliers to these change and cancellation policies, with specific properties requiring more advance notice.
Hilton price match guarantee
Hilton offers a Price Match Guarantee that ensures you will find the lowest publicly available rate through official Hilton booking channels. If you find a lower rate at another site, Hilton will both match the lower rate and provide an additional 25% discount off the lower rate.
However, you have to jump through some hoops. You must make your claim within 24 hours of booking through an official Hilton channel. The booking must also be for the same hotel, same room type, and have the same amenities (breakfast, view, check-in time, etc.). If there are any discrepancies between these, Hilton does not consider this a lower qualified price and will likely reject the Price Match.
If you think you have a Hilton Price Match Guarantee to claim, you can use the online claim form.
Hilton points expiration policy
Hilton points expire if your account doesn't have eligible activity in a 24-month period.
You have access to numerous ways to extend your Hilton Honors points expiration date, including Hilton co-branded credit card spending. Most earning and redemption activities will extend the expiration date. However, points pooling and Membership Rewards transfers notably will not extend the expiration date.
Final Thoughts
Hilton Honors is an excellent hotel loyalty program and one from which I have personally obtained great value. It's a go-to hotel rewards program for me, thanks to the ability to easily amass points from paid stays and promotions, a suite of excellent co-branded credit cards, and availability of properties worldwide.
Hilton Honors FAQ
Do Hilton Honors points expire?
Hilton Honors points expire if your account doesn't have eligible activity in a 24-month period.
Can you book Hilton stays for friends and family?
Yes, you can book award nights for friends and family using your Hilton points. You'll need to call 800-446-6677 to make the reservation in their name. You can book paid stays for others, but their Hilton Honors number will need to be attached to earn the points.
How many Hilton points do you need for a free night?
It depends. Free nights are dynamically priced. Prices start at just 5,000 points at a handful of the lowest-tier properties. Standard nights at a handful of ultra-luxury properties can cost more than 120,000 points. Premium rooms can cost even more.
Do you still receive elite benefits when booking through a third party?
No, you will not receive elite benefits when booking Hilton stays through a third-party site. This applies to sites like Hotels.com and Booking.com.
How do I find my Hilton Honors membership number?
Your Hilton number will be emailed to you when you join Hilton Honors. You can find your Hilton membership number in AwardWallet, if you've chosen to track your account, or pull up your card in the Hilton app.
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), and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees)
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