Hilton Honors Points: How to Use Them and How Much They're Worth

CREDIT CARDS - HOTEL & AIRLINE LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Hilton Honors points can be used for concerts, travel expenses, online shopping, and more.
Updated March 7, 2024
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Couple checking in using their Hilton Honors points

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The points you earn in the Hilton Honors loyalty program can easily be redeemed for free nights at participating hotels — but they can also be redeemed for many other uses as well, including other travel spending, concerts, and online purchases. Hilton Honors points are versatile, too, since you can transfer them to travel partners.

With so many options to redeem Hilton Honors points, it’s helpful to understand all the different ways you can use them. Fortunately, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to use Hilton Honors points — including how much Hilton Honors points are worth and how to maximize your point value.

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How much are Hilton Honors points worth?

The value of your Hilton Honors points can vary based on how you redeem them. Even if you only use points for hotel stays, the valuation can range based on the property, dates, cash price of the stay, and more.

On average, though, Hilton Honors points are worth 0.5 cents apiece when used for free hotel stays. This value is crowdsourced from various travel experts who have compiled a mountain of data from Hilton bookings. They typically look at various properties in several cities across the world and look for the average points value across the board.

That means if you have 100,000 points, they’re worth $500 on average. Because it’s just an average, though, it’s possible to get more or less out of your rewards, depending on how you redeem your points.

To determine the value of a specific redemption, you divide the cash price of the booking by how many points it requires for an award stay. For example, let’s say you find a room that costs $1,000 for three nights or 150,000 points. You’d divide $1,000 by 150,000 to get 0.67 cents per point, which is above-average for the Hilton Honors program.

In comparison, here’s what to expect from other top hotel loyalty programs and general credit card rewards programs:

Loyalty program Value per point
World of Hyatt 1.7 cents
Chase Ultimate Rewards 1-2 cents, depending on the card
American Express Membership Rewards Up to 2 cents
Wyndham Rewards 1.1 cents
Marriott Bonvoy 0.8 cents
IHG Rewards 0.5 cents
Radisson 0.4 cents

Compared with other programs, Hilton Honors points are among the least valuable. This is because of how the Hilton Honors program is set up — it generally requires more points to earn a free night’s stay than it does with many other hotel rewards programs.

That said, it’s also easier to earn Hilton Honors points than other hotel rewards. Here’s an example of some of the rewards rates you get with some of the best hotel credit cards:

  • Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 155,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months, plus earn 12X points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts; 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases. (This card also has an annual fee of $150. Terms apply.)
  • The World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent. You’ll also earn up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn 5 Free Night Awards after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points; limited time offer), plus earn up to 17X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy; 3X points at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year; and 2X points on all other purchases.
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, as well as 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.

As you can see from that list, the actual rewards rates (based on the average value per point) on the Hilton Surpass Card are still relatively high because you earn more points with it than you would with competing credit cards.

So how do you know if earning Hilton points is worthwhile for you? Here are some general benefits and drawbacks to consider based on your travel goals and needs:

Pros to Hilton Honors points:

  • You can use your points to book over 6,500 properties worldwide (in contrast, Hyatt just has over 1,000).
  • You can pool your points with up to 10 other people for free.
  • Hilton cardholders can get elite status as Hilton Honors members, anniversary nights, and more.

Cons to Hilton Honors points:

  • While it’s easy to rack up rewards, they go fast when it’s time to redeem them — some hotels require a staggering 95,000 points per night for a standard room.
  • Points are typically best used for free hotel stays, giving you less flexibility than with general travel rewards.
  • Points typically expire if you have no eligible activity in your Hilton Honors account for 15 consecutive months.

While free hotel stays are usually the best way to use your Hilton Honors points, there are other redemption options available.

6 ways to use Hilton Honors points

To help you decide how to best redeem your points, here are six possible ways you could use them — as well as some details on what each point would be worth when redeemed for a particular purchase.

1. Free nights at hotels and resorts

Points can be redeemed for free nights at a variety of hotels and resorts, including:

  • Canopy by Hilton
  • Conrad Hotels & Resorts
  • Curio Collection by Hilton
  • DoubleTree by Hilton
  • Embassy Suites by Hilton
  • Hampton by Hilton
  • Hilton Garden Inn
  • Hilton Grand Vacations
  • Hilton Hotels & Resorts
  • Home2Suites by Hilton
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton
  • LXR Hotels & Resorts
  • Motto by Hilton
  • Signia Hilton
  • Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • Tru by Hilton
  • Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

The value of points varies widely depending on the resort you choose to book, with nights costing anywhere from 5,000 to 95,000 points.

For example, a hotel room that costs $100 per night might have a cost of 20,000 points; this would make each point worth 0.5 cents when redeemed for that particular room. The Hilton Honors Points Explorer tool can help you determine how much a particular room costs.

2. Event credit vouchers

Hilton also allows you to redeem points for Hilton Honors event credits. These can be redeemed at any hotel within the Hilton Portfolio, including redemptions for future bookings or for spending at participating hotels. Event credit vouchers can be redeemed in the following increments:

  • $50 for 25,000 points
  • $100 for 50,000 points
  • $150 for 75,000 points
  • $250 for 125,000 points
  • $500 for 250,000 points

Event credits can be used for meeting room rentals, food and beverage services, booking guest rooms, or other event-related charges. Points are worth 0.2 cents when redeemed for event credit vouchers, based on voucher pricing.

3. Redemption experiences

Hilton allows you to redeem your points for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as music, sporting, cultural, or food events.

For example, you could spend 25,000 points to enjoy an evening at the Skyline Rooftop Bar overlooking the canals of Venice, Italy. This experience includes a table reservation, a bottle of champagne, and a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. Since the champagne likely costs around $45, your points would be worth about 0.38 cents for this experience. Some people may not feel that’s worth the points, but certain types of experiences may not be available to everyone, so it could be worth it for you.

The specific value of points will vary depending on the experience. You also have the option to participate in auctions, which means you could enter bids for unique experiences you couldn’t buy tickets to elsewhere.

4. On-property rewards

Hilton Honors points can also be used to have experiences on property. This means you can use your Hilton Honors points to redeem for spa treatments, fine dining, golf, and other amenities at Hilton and partner hotels anywhere in the world.

The number of Hilton Honors points required for an on-property experience varies depending on what hotel you use your points at and the time of year that you book your experience.

5. Transfer to travel partners

Hilton Honors points can be exchanged for points or miles with a large variety of travel partners, including:

  • Aeromexico
  • Aeroplan
  • AirAsia
  • ANA (All Nippon Airways)
  • Asiana Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • China Eastern
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Emirates
  • Ethiopian Airlines
  • Etihad Airways
  • EVA Air
  • Air France/KLM
  • Hainan Airlines
  • Japan Airlines
  • Jet Airways
  • LAN
  • Malaysia Airlines
  • Qantas Airways
  • Qatar Airlines
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Turkish Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Virgin Australia

The specific value of the Hilton Honors points will vary depending on which partners you transfer to and the cost of the flight you book, but the value is generally low. For example, 10,000 Hilton Honors points would get you only 1,000 miles with Delta, United, and most other airlines.

6. Shopping at Amazon

Hilton Honors points can also be used to make purchases at Amazon.com. Simply link your Hilton Honors account with Amazon and choose rewards points to pay for your purchase.

When shopping at Amazon with Hilton points, 500 Hilton Honors points will get you $1 on Amazon.com. This makes points worth 0.2 cents when used to buy items from Amazon.

3 examples of getting great value for Hilton Honors points

As discussed, the average value of a Hilton Honors point is 0.5 cents each, but we’ve found a few redemption opportunities that can give you better than that.

3-night stay at the Conrad London St. James

A quick stay at this five-star luxury hotel shouldn’t cost you more than 80,000 points per night for a standard room. The property is located within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben.

We found one three-day stay for 240,000 points or roughly $1,206. This gives you about an average value of 0.5 cents per point. To get that value, just divide $1,206 by 240,000 points.

3-night stay at Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale, Curio Collection by Hilton

A nice fall getaway in October to this luxurious golf and spa resort in Arizona could run you about $1,600 for a three-night stay. Or you could pay 80,000 points per night for a total of 240,000 points.

That’s a lot of points, but you get a decent return on your rewards. For this redemption, you’re looking at about a value of 0.67 cents per point. This is above the average value for Hilton points, which makes it a quality redemption.

5-night stay at the Conrad Tokyo

If you’re planning a dream vacation to Tokyo, Japan, the Conrad Tokyo can be your luxurious base of operations for exploring the Japanese capital. For five nights in a King Room City, you could pay around $2,500.

Or you can pay 95,000 points per night for a total of 475,000 points. But there’s a big opportunity for savings here. If you have at least Silver status with Hilton, which you can get with the Hilton Honors American Express Card (which has an annual fee of $0), you’ll get the fifth night free on any stay of five or more nights booked with points.

So instead of paying 475,000 points, you’d only have to pay 380,000, which ends up being about a 0.66 above-average redemption rate.

Keep in mind that the fifth-night-free benefit can be used in Hilton hotels worldwide. So if you have an inkling to stay in a paradise setting like the Maldives and relax in an overwater bungalow at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, don’t forget about the option to book with points and get your fifth night free. The same applies for visiting the beaches of Bali while staying at the Conrad Bali.

Hilton credit cards can help you earn points

If you’re a regular Hilton guest and want to maximize the Hilton Honors points you can earn, it’s a good idea to check out Hilton’s selection of co-branded credit cards. These credit card offers allow you to earn Hilton Honors points for your everyday spending, including bonus points for stays at Hilton hotels and resorts, as well as for purchases at restaurants and gas stations.

To see which Hilton credit card is best, check out what’s available:

All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by FinanceBuzz.

The Amex Surpass has a $150 annual fee, but you can help offset this with the welcome offer of 155,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. In addition, you get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which provides free breakfast and space-available room upgrades (enrollment required).

For a premium travel card, consider the Amex Hilton Honors Aspire. This card has a $550 annual fee, but comes loaded with perks and opportunities to earn rewards. This includes the welcome offer of 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months. Helpful benefits include up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually at participating Hilton Resorts and up to $200 back per year ($50 in statement credits each quarter) on eligible flight purchases (requires enrollment).

FAQs

How many Hilton points are needed for a free night?

You need at least 5,000 Hilton points for an award night at a Hilton property. The number of points needed for Hilton properties ranges from 5,000 points to 95,000 points per night, though it could go higher depending on the season and what kind of room you want to book.

Do my Hilton Honors points expire?

Hilton Honors points typically expire after 15 consecutive months of no eligible rewards activity on your Hilton Honors account. Eligible activities can include stays at Hilton properties, earning Hilton Honors points with a Hilton co-branded credit card, purchasing points, or donating points through the Hilton Honors Giving Back Program.

Can Hilton Honors points be used for flights?

Hilton Honors points can’t be directly used for flights, but you can transfer your hotel points to a number of airline partners. This includes many major airlines, such as Delta, United, Emirates, and British Airways.

How much is 50,000 Hilton points worth?

According to travel experts, Hilton points are worth 0.5 cents per point. This would make 50,000 Hilton points worth $250. However, you may get more or less value than this depending on how you redeem your points. To calculate the value of a redemption, such as a hotel stay, take the cash value of the redemption and divide it by how many points the redemption requires.


Bottom line

Hilton points may not be as valuable as certain other rewards from different loyalty programs, but it can still be worth it for you to collect them and to have a rewards credit card that helps you toward this goal. If you enjoy staying at Hilton hotels, the several Hilton co-branded credit cards make it easy to earn points on all your purchases. In addition, you’re also able to take advantage of useful card benefits, such as Hilton elite status.

If you don’t exclusively stay at Hilton properties or want a more flexible rewards program, consider a credit card that earns points that aren’t tied to any one airline or hotel. Many of the best travel credit cards from Chase, American Express, and other credit card issuers earn rewards that can be used for a number of travel redemptions, including stays at many different hotel chains.

Fabulous Rewards for Hilton Fans

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
5.0

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Current Offer

Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$550

Rewards Rate

14X points on eligible purchases within the Hilton portfolio, 7X points on qualifying travel purchases made directly with airlines/select car rental companies or Amextravel.com, 7X points at U.S. restaurants, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

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