Alex Miller
Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, Alex is a leader in the industry and has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles. He frequently discusses the award travel industry with CNBC, Fox Business...
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Hilton Honors Points Explorer calculator for minimum and maximum points required for standard rooms
Hilton has branded its loyalty program as Hilton Honors (formerly Hilton HHonors).
Hilton Honors offers an array of customizable points earning and hotel benefits that let you choose what is important to you for each stay.
Register online for a free Hilton Honors account.
Sign in on the hilton.com homepage. You’ll need to enter your username (or Hilton Honors account number) and password.
Your Hilton Honors account overview page shows points activity, elite status progress, and special offers.
if you have Gold or Diamond status, you can select MyWay Hotel Benefits.
Benefits vary by brand and elite status. Some are automatic, and some require you to make a selection. You need to make this selection prior to checking in for a stay, but you can always change your preference for the next stay.
Hot Tip: MyWay Hotel Benefits could include a choice between bonus points, complimentary continental breakfast, and a space-available room upgrade. If you won’t be eating at the hotel, consider changing to points ahead of your stay. Then change back for the next stay if you plan to eat.
Hilton Honors points expire after 24 months of inactivity. Any account activity that earns or redeems points extends point expiration by 1 year.
Let’s review the benefits of Hilton Honors elite status.
Benefits | Member 0-9 nights/year | Silver 10-39 nights/year | Gold 40-59 nights/year | Diamond 60-74 nights/year |
No resort fees on award stays | X | X | X | X |
Late check-out | X | X | X | X |
Free Wi-Fi | X | X | X | X |
Fifth standard rewards night free |
| X | X | X |
2 free bottles of water |
| X | X | X |
Elite rollover nights |
| X | X | X |
Elite tier bonus points |
| 20% | 80% | 100% |
Space available room upgrade |
|
| Up to Executive room type | Up to 1-Bedroom Suite room type |
Complimentary breakfast |
|
| X | X |
Milestone bonuses |
|
| X | X |
Executive lounge access |
|
|
| X |
Diamond status extension |
|
|
| X |
48-hour room guarantee |
|
|
| X |
Elite status gifting |
|
|
| X |
Hilton Honors Silver confers minimal hotel stay benefits, but it opens up the fifth-night free benefit on award stays (which can save lots of points!).
Hilton Honors Gold is considered a “status sweet spot” because it offers the prized benefit of complimentary breakfast at most full-service properties. The breakfast benefit is only for continental breakfast, but some hotels generously choose to extend that to a full hot breakfast. Make sure to choose this benefit by brand in your MyWay Hotel Benefits in your online profile.
Those hotels with Executive Lounges sometimes upgrade Gold members to the Executive floor where they can enjoy breakfast and often evening drinks and snacks. Lounge access is not guaranteed, and Gold members must receive a room upgrade, which is subject to availability and decision by the specific hotel.
Hot Tip: If you have Executive Lounge access, many Hilton hotels will allow you the alternate option of complimentary breakfast in the hotel restaurant, which may have a wider food selection than the Executive Lounge.
Hilton Honors Diamond mainly improves upon Gold through guaranteed Executive Lounge access. This may not be important if you don’t frequent hotels with these lounges. Other improvements upon Gold include better room upgrades and better points earning.
Hilton Honors elite status is earned per calendar year. You can earn through stays, nights, or base points. Base-point qualification is useful for those travelers with fewer high-priced stays.
Elite Tier | # of Stays | # of Nights | Base Points | Status Bonus |
Silver | 4 stays | 10 nights | 25,000 | 20% — 12x per $1 |
Gold | 20 stays | 40 nights | 75,000 | 80% — 18x per $1 |
Diamond | 30 stays | 60 nights | 120,000 | 100% — 20x per $1 |
For 2022, the qualification requirements have been adjusted by half:
Elite Tier | # of Stays | # of Nights | Base Points | Status Bonus |
Silver | 2 stays | 5 nights | 12,500 | 20% — 12x per $1 |
Gold | 10 stays | 20 nights | 37,500 | 80% — 18x per $1 |
Diamond | 15 stays | 30 nights | 60,000 | 100% — 20x per $1 |
Hilton Honors offers Silver, Gold, and Diamond members the option to rollover elite nights to the next year, so if you stay 70 nights, 60 will earn you Diamond this year, and 10 will go toward your count to requalify next year.
Update: See how Hilton Honors has adjusted 2022 points and status expiration, elite qualification, free night awards, and more in our article: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Hotel Elite Status Extensions, Changes, and Updates.
Several American Express credit cards offer Hilton elite status as well:
Once you have earned elite status, it is valid for the remainder of the current calendar year and through the end of the next one.
There are many ways to earn Hilton Honors points, starting with hotel stays.
Base Points: All Hilton Honors members earn 10 base points per dollar spent for most rooms (some will only apply this to the room rate and not taxes). At Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton, you earn 5 points per dollar.
Elite Status Bonus: You will earn additional bonus points based on elite status — a 20%, 80%, or 100% bonus for Silver, Gold, or Diamond members respectively.
Milestone Bonuses:
Promotions: Hilton Honors typically has a promotion every quarter for bonuses such as double points on stays. Watch your email or visit the My Offers page and make sure to register before your upcoming stays.
Beyond hotel stays, there are many other options to earn Hilton Honors points:
See our post on how to earn Hilton Honors points for more ideas.
Hilton Honors offers free points transfers subject to the following limits:
Hot Tip: Free transfers are a great way to pool points for a fifth-night free award!
American Express issues several Hilton co-branded cards.
Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, plus great earnings at Hilton, U.S. gas stations, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. restaurants!
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
You can’t beat a comfy king-sized bed and room service. For many travelers, it’s the hotel that really makes or breaks an experience. If you’re one of those people, you’ve probably stayed at a Hilton hotel.
Whether your visits are for work or pleasure, the Hilton brand has you covered with more than 6,200 locations in 100 counties and territories.
To enjoy a host of great benefits, you may want to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Card.
An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.
Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Paying hundreds of dollars for an annual fee on a co-branded hotel card might seem ridiculous, but you should know that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is much more than your run-of-the-mill hotel credit card.
The Hilton Aspire card is not only a phenomenal card for Hilton Honors loyalists, but even those who visit Hilton hotels just a few times a year can still get excellent value out of all the benefits that are packed into this card.
So let’s have a look at what makes the card so valuable to travelers.
An excellent option for business owners and business travelers who stay at Hilton properties often and want perks like Hilton Honors elite status.
Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
For frequent business travelers who regularly stay in Hilton hotels, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a great option.
Not only will the card help you earn more points on all of your Hilton stays, but you’ll also receive automatic elite status and travel protections.
Here’s a detailed look at all the benefits this card offers so that you can determine if it’s a good fit for you.
Hot Tip: Check out our comparison of the benefits and perks of each Hilton Honors credit card as well as our recommended cards for Hilton Honors loyalists for more details.
Hilton is an Amex hotel partner at a ratio of 1,000:2,000. This is not a great use of Membership Rewards points, so only do this if you’re close to having enough Hilton Honors points for an award.
The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The American Express® Gold Card is a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
Business owners can also choose from a variety of Amex business credit cards.
Redeeming Hilton Honors points is very important! You want to make sure you get the best value for your points, and this can be confusing to figure out.
Your Hilton Honors points can be redeemed in a number of ways, including experiences, Lyft rides, online shopping, and rental cars, though the primary way to redeem points is for free nights.
A standard reward will start off at 5,000 points per night. However, as the caliber of property increases, so do the points… at the top tier, a room can cost up to 120,000 points per night!
A bonus offer may lower the amount needed for a stay at a particular hotel and category combination, although many bonus offers simply earn you additional points.
Using the Points & Money option, you can use a smaller number of points along with a lesser dollar amount to book a room. For instance, instead of paying 20,000 points for a room, you could pay 8,000 points and $30.
Premium room rewards are also available. However, we value these lower than other redemptions. Due to their complexity, you’ll simply have to calculate the value of your points for each reward.
Remember that you will have access to the fifth-night free option if you are a Silver member or above. When booking rewards for 5 nights, you will receive a discount based on the average room rate for the 5 nights. This makes saving your points for when you reach a higher status much more appealing!
Another way to redeem points is by transferring them to one of over 30 airline or rail partners. Using these partners, you can earn a variety of miles depending on the individual exchange rate.
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