As a Hilton traveler, you have likely noticed the significant role Hilton Honors Points play in enhancing your travel experiences. These points make our travels more affordable and luxurious, whether you are a frequent traveler or only travel a few times per year. With Hilton Honors Points, you can unlock a variety of benefits, from complimentary nights to exclusive experiences.
Understanding how to maximize your Hilton Honors Points is key to making the most of this loyalty program. By earning and redeeming points strategically, you can enjoy enhanced travel experiences without breaking the bank.
The tips for earning points shared here come from our own experience, ensuring practical advice to help you make the most of this valuable program.
1. Reach Diamond Status as Soon as Possible
As a Diamond member, you earn a 100% bonus on points for every stay, while Silver members receive a 20% bonus and Gold members receive an 80% bonus. This means you can collect points much faster.
Gold and Diamond members can also enjoy additional perks through Hilton’s MyWay benefits. These benefits vary by brand, and mid- to upper-level elite members may need to choose between earning extra points or receiving other welcome amenities during stays at select brands.
Additionally, Gold and Diamond members are eligible for Milestone Bonuses. Once a member reaches 40 nights, they receive a bonus of 10,000 Hilton Honors Points. For every additional 10 nights stayed in the calendar year, members earn an extra 10,000 points, with no cap. Upon reaching a total of 60 nights, members receive an additional 30,000 Hilton Honors Points, plus the 10,000-point Milestone Bonus. This means that when you reach 60 nights, you earn a total of 60,000 points!
2. Hilton Honors Credit Cards: Welcome Bonus, Upgrade Offers & Spending
Hilton Honors Amex Credit Cards not only help you reach elite status but also accelerate your points collection. There are three personal and one business Hilton Honors Amex credit cards, each offering member status, a welcome bonus, and additional points for spending.
The current welcome offers are excellent for all four Hilton Honors credit cards, accelerates your Hilton Honors Points collection, allowing you to earn between 100,000 and 175,000 points. With a point value of $0.006 per point, this bonus is worth between $600 and $1050.
Since 2014, Amex has enforced a once-per-lifetime rule: if you have ever held an Amex credit card with a welcome bonus, you are not eligible for the same card’s welcome bonus again. During the online application process, American Express will notify you if you are ineligible for the welcome offer with a pop-up warning.
In this case, you can still earn points (usually 100,000 – 150,000) by using an upgrade offer from Amex, which typically becomes available after holding the card for one year. Upgrading means moving from a card with lower benefits and fees to one with higher benefits and fees. For example, you could upgrade from the Hilton Honors card to the Surpass card or from the Surpass card to the Aspire card.
When you use the credit cards, you earn additional points through your spending. Also, check the Amex offers on your Hilton Honors cards, as these can help you earn even more points.
Another way to gain Hilton Honors points is through referrals. If a friend or family member uses your referral link to apply for a card, you typically receive around 20,000 points.
When you click on the refferal link, you could earn a welcome bonus, and we could earn a refferal bonus. Terms apply:
3. Stay at Hilton Hotels for Both Vacation and Business Trips
It may sound trivial, but you can generate a substantial amount of points just by staying at Hilton hotels, especially when you are Diamond member and use your Hilton Honors credit card.
If you spend a lot of time on business trips, try to stay at Hilton hotels. While your employer covers the costs, the points you earn will be yours to keep. This is an excellent way to accumulate points quickly without extra personal spending.
Curious about how many Hilton Honors points you’ll earn for your stay? Try out our brand-new Hilton Honors Points Earning Calculator and find out instantly!
4. Switch Hotels More Often
If you have multiple Hilton properties in your destination, consider switching hotels during your stay. This practice, known as “hotel hopping,” can help you earn additional points and benefits.
All promotions at Hilton are connected to your stays, regardless of whether it’s one night or two weeks. You can generate more points by switching hotels more frequently, as each stay counts towards promotions. While this isn’t always feasible, it’s a useful strategy to keep in mind for maximizing your points.
5. Charge Everything to Your Room
When staying at a Hilton hotel, remember to charge everything to your room. Each expense—such as dining, wellness services, parking, or purchases at the hotel shop—charged to your room generates points and significantly boosting your earnings. Paying directly with cash or a card means missing out on those points.
6. Check the Hilton for Luxury Program for Luxury Brands
When you book through Hilton for Luxury, you unlock a range of exclusive benefits, including complimentary daily breakfast for two or a $100 hotel credit per stay to enjoy dining, spa treatments, or other eligible experiences. Additionally, these bookings help you accelerate your rewards journey by earning double Hilton Honors points, making your luxurious stay even more rewarding.
Don’t wait – book your stay through Hilton for Luxury today and enjoy the ultimate hospitality experience!
7. Subscribe to Hilton Promotions
Hilton frequently offers promotions where you can earn more Hilton Honors points. Be sure to regularly check for these promotions on Hilton website. This way, you can take advantage of opportunities to maximize your points with every stay.
8. Look for Double Points Offers on Hilton Honors Application
When a hotel offers a rate that includes 2x Base Points and the price is only slightly higher than the Hilton Honors price you intended to book (e.g., a difference of $2-5), it’s worth considering. You can also calculate the number of base points you would earn in detail; you receive 10 points for every dollar spent.
9. Profit from Hilton Partnerships
Like many loyalty programs, Hilton Honors offers a variety of partners to help you earn even more points. From everyday activities to special opportunities, these partnerships make it easy to boost your Hilton account balance.
Linking your Hilton Honors account to Lyft allows you to earn 2 or 3 points per dollar spent, depending on the type of ride. You can accumulate Hilton points also by renting cars from Alamo, Enterprise, and National, provided the rentals meet certain qualifying criteria.
10. Transfer Points/Miles from Hilton Partners
Hilton collaborates with a wide range of partners, allowing you to exchange their points or miles for Hilton Honors points. Be sure to evaluate each partner to maximize the value of your exchange!
American Express Membership Rewards partner with Hilton Honors, allowing you to exchange your Membership Rewards points for Hilton Honors points at a 1:2 ratio. The minimum transfer is 200 points, with increments of 50 thereafter. However, it’s worth noting that American Express occasionally offers transfer bonuses, which can increase the value of your points. Despite this, it’s generally not advisable to transfer your flexible Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors unless you have a specific and valuable Hilton redemption in mind.
11. Earn Hilton Honors Points with Hilton Events
Planning a wedding, corporate function, or special event at a Hilton hotel? Don’t forget to add your Hilton Honors number to your booking! You’ll earn 1 Hilton Honors point for every dollar spent on events, up to $100,000.
12. Hilton Honors Dining Program
Sign up for the Hilton Honors Dining program https://www.hiltonhonorsdining.com/ and earn points when you dine at participating restaurants. This is an easy way to accumulate points even when you’re not traveling.
Hilton Honors Dining offers members the opportunity to earn extra Hilton Honors points at select dining partners. Joining is free and simple—just sign up on the Hilton Honors Dining website, link a debit or credit card, and use that card at participating dining locations.
For earning rates, Basic members earn 2 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent if they are not opted in to receive email communications from Hilton Honors Dining. Opting in automatically upgrades members to Select status, where they earn 5 points per dollar spent. Achieving 11 qualified transactions and opting into email communication upgrades members to VIP status, earning 8 points per dollar.
Additionally, there is a signup bonus of 500 bonus points when dining within 30 days of joining the program. Members can also earn 500 bonus points for each friend they refer, up to 10 friends.
Currently, Hilton Honors Dining is only available within the USA.
13. Pool and Transfer Points with Family and Friends
Hilton Honors makes it easy to share points with up to 10 people, making it a great option for combining points for a family vacation.
14. Buy Points
Purchasing points is another way to boost your Hilton Honors balance, though it’s often not the most cost-effective option due to the high price of points. However, it can be worthwhile under the right circumstances. Look out for promotions when Hilton offers a 100% bonus on points purchases, effectively lowering the cost to 0.5 cents per point. At this rate, buying points can be a smart strategy for a specific redemption, especially if cash rates for your desired stay are particularly high.
And a Small Tip at the End
Remember to regularly check your Hilton Honors points account. Errors in points crediting can happen, so don’t hesitate to claim any missing points. The quickest way is through Hilton’s online chat, which provides a convenient form for submitting claims. We’ve had great experiences with Hilton customer service—they resolve issues quickly and efficiently!
Conclusion
With so many ways to earn Hilton Honors points, building your balance is easier than you might think. By combining the tips above, you can maximize your points-earning potential and make the most of your next reward stay at Hilton hotels. Start earning today and turn your dream getaway into a reality!
