What happens if I cancel my Hilton reservation?

That will depend on the rate you have booked with the hotel. If you’ve booked a Flexible or Semi-Flex rate, you should be able to receive a full refund for your stay, as long as you cancel before the stated deadlines. If you booked an Advance Purchase, nonrefundable rate, you likely will not be able to receive a refund if you cancel. However, you can modify your reservation for a fee if you have a reservation in the U.S., Mexico, or the Caribbean and contact the Advance Purchase department at least 3 days before your scheduled check-in date to make a new nonrefundable booking at the same time.

What happens if I cancel a nonrefundable reservation with Hilton?

If your room rate required full prepayment upfront and is nonrefundable, there is not much you are able to do, and it is very unlikely that you will be able to get your money back. However, if you need to cancel your reservation for extenuating circumstances, you can also contact Hilton customer service and ask for an exception to be made. The agent might not grant an exception, but it never hurts to ask! There’s also an exception if you modify your reservation in the U.S., Mexico, or the Caribbean with the Advance Purchase department and pay a fee to change your reservation at least 3 days before your scheduled check-in date.

How late can you cancel a Hilton reservation?

Generally speaking, if you’ve booked a Flexible or Semi-Flex rate, you should be able to cancel 2 to 5 days before your check-in date and receive a full refund, but this timeframe can vary from hotel to hotel. If you’ve booked one of these rates and need to cancel after the 2- or 5-day timeframe, you will likely be charged a 1-night cancellation fee.

Does Hilton charge a cancellation fee?

Hilton cancellation fees depend on the rate you booked and how far in advance you cancel. You can usually cancel a Flexible or Semi-Flex rate 48 to 120 hours before checking in without penalty. Cancellations after this window may result in a charge equal to 1 night or another penalty depending on the hotel’s policy. Advance Purchase rates require full repayment and don’t offer refunds, though Hilton may allow you to cancel and rebook for a $25 to $50 fee.

How To Cancel a Hilton Hotel Reservation [Cash or Points Booking]

Updated: March 13, 2025, 3:57pm CDT

Edited by:

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
Hilton Cancellation Policy
How To Cancel a Hilton Reservation
Final Thoughts

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Key Takeaways

Hilton reservations can be canceled online by signing into your Hilton Honors account. For extra assistance, you can call 800-445-8667.
Depending on the room rate you’ve booked, cancellations must be made 48 to 120 hours prior to check-in for a full refund.
For reservations made by points, cancellations usually must be made at least 48 hours before check-in, but policies can vary by property.

It’s unfortunate that sometimes things do not go as planned, and we’re forced to cancel or change things we are looking forward to. This can be especially rough when canceling a vacation because not only do you not get to go on the trip, but you now also have to deal with your hotel’s cancellation policy, which can be tough.

If you made your hotel booking with Hilton and find yourself in a situation where you need to cancel, you’re in the right place! Here’s all the information you need to navigate the Hilton cancellation policy.

Hilton Cancellation Policy

Reservations Made With Cash

In most cases, Hilton requires you to cancel your booking 48 to 120 hours (2 to 5 days) before your check-in to receive a refund. However, this can depend heavily on the type of room rate you’ve booked and the specific policy of the hotel you’re staying at.

Many hotels offer rates that, as mentioned above, allow you to cancel up to a few days before your arrival and receive a full refund. Other rates might require full payment for your stay up front at booking and are nonrefundable should you need to cancel.

That’s why it is extremely important that you pay close attention to the cancellation policy associated with the rate you book. Once you’ve completed your booking, you’re tied to that cancellation policy.

Hot Tip: Many hotels in the Hilton portfolio are independently operated and can have their own cancellation policies. For example, some resort-style properties can require up to 30 days advance notice in order to get your money back.

Rate-Based Cancellation Policies

Of course, if you’ve ever booked a hotel stay before, you know there usually are many different nightly rates to choose from. So how can you easily compare the cancellation policy for different rates in the same way that you can compare prices?

Hilton Rate Comparison — Different Hilton rates offer different cancellation policies. Image Credit: Hilton

Luckily, Hilton makes it difficult to miss. Once you select a rate you’re interested in, you’ll see a page like the one above, offering you 3 options with varying degrees of cancellation flexibility.

As you can see, the 3 rates offered are a Flexible rate, which is the most expensive option, Semi-Flex, and Advance Purchase, which is the cheapest option.

So, how do the respective cancellation rates compare? Flexible rates usually require you to cancel 48 hours (2 days) before your check-in date in order to receive a full refund. Semi-Flex rates usually require you to cancel 4 days before your check-in date in order to receive a full refund.

For Flexible and Semi-Flex rates, you can still cancel after the 48-hour and 4-day windows, but you will likely be charged a fee equal to a 1-night stay for doing so.

Advance Purchase rates require prepayment of the entire stay in full, and are usually not refundable if you cancel. However, you may have the option to modify your Advance Purchase booking for a fee within the U.S., Mexico, or the Caribbean.

This is why checking the available cancellation policies is very important. If you were to just pick the lowest rate available in an attempt to save money, you might be on the hook for much more money if you end up needing to cancel. Meanwhile, in the example above, the Semi-Flex rate is just $6 more per night than the Advance Purchase rate and gives you significantly more flexibility.

Of course, that’s just 1 example. Prices for each of these rates can vary dramatically based on the hotel, the season, occupancy, and any ongoing promotions. This can make it even harder to decide whether to go with a cheaper rate to save money or to spring for something more flexible.

Bottom Line: The importance of knowing the cancellation policy for your rate before you book cannot be underestimated. Just taking a few extra minutes to clarify can end up saving you hundreds of dollars.

Reservations Made With Points

If you redeem Hilton Honors points for your stay, the cancellation fee usually depends on the hotel you’re staying in. Most properties in the Hilton portfolio allow you to cancel an award booking 48 hours (2 days) before your check-in day.

Never simply assume this to be true if you don’t see the cancellation policy clearly stated when booking. If you’re unsure of the policy, simply call the hotel you’re planning to book with and ask. The extra time will be worth the peace of mind.

How To Cancel a Hilton Reservation

It is easy to cancel your Hilton reservation online by following these steps:

Step 1

Sign in with your Hilton Honors account and then click your name to open a dropdown tab. Then click “Account” to be taken to your account page.

Hilton My Account — Access your account from the Hilton homepage. Image Credit: Hilton

Step 2

From here, you can manage any upcoming reservations by clicking the stay you wish to cancel. You can also view your Hilton Honors elite status level, the number of points you have, and the number of nights you’ve stayed with Hilton this year.

Hot Tip:

Want to bolster your Hilton account? Read up on all the best ways to earn Hilton Honors points.

Step 3

Once you’ve clicked the reservation that you’d like to edit, click Cancel and then Confirm, and that’s it! Your reservation is officially canceled and you should receive an email confirmation.

Hot Tip: If you need extra assistance with your cancellation, or are having trouble with the website, you can contact a Hilton customer service agent at 800-445-8667.

Changing the Reservation Dates

If you don’t want to cancel and prefer to change the dates of your booking, follow the exact same steps above, except instead of clicking Cancel, select the new dates you want to switch to, and then click the Change button.

Once you do, the dates will officially be updated as long as the hotel has availability for them. Keep in mind that if you change to new dates that are more expensive than the ones you have currently booked, you will need to pay the difference in price.

Modifying Nonrefundable Hilton Reservations

If you booked a nonrefundable Advance Purchase rate but can’t keep your reservation, there’s a limited option for rebooking your reservation within the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. You can cancel and rebook without losing your prepaid amount if you book a new nonrefundable Hilton reservation at any Hilton property in the United States, Mexico, or the Caribbean when you cancel the old reservation.

There is a service fee to process the reservation modification, which is $25 for Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites reservations and $50 for Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Hilton, Embassy Suites, and DoubleTree. If you have Hilton Honors Diamond status, the fee may be waived.

You must call Hilton’s Advance Purchase Department at (800) 236-7113 or (972) 726-3361 at least 3 days before your scheduled check-in date to request the modification.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with canceling a trip can be a pain, but it doesn’t need to be if you’re clear on cancellation policies and prepared to make changes to your reservation. Although dealing with hotel cancellations can be frustrating, Hilton offers flexibility with some bookings.

It’s key to review the cancellation policy for your rate closely before completing your booking. If you’re booking a hotel stay with Hilton and think there is a high chance you may need to cancel, we highly recommend paying a bit extra to book a Flexible or Semi-Flex rate. The extra money you pay nightly, if reasonable, is usually worth the added flexibility and peace of mind.