Redeem Hilton HHonors Points Wisely – How to Maximize Your Points Value

With the Hilton HHonors™ program, loyalty customers can redeem their points for all kinds of different rewards and experiences from free nights at lankmark hotels, upgrades for a spectacular view, to experiences for concerts, amazing travel excursions and more. Let’s find out how to redeem your points wisely to maximize your points value.

How do I redeem Hilton HHonors points for hotel stays?

Guests can redeem points to enjoy standard or premium room awards for as low as 5,000 points at over 4200 hotels around the world with no blackout dates. They can also collect rewards night with Points & Money Rewards™; for example, guests can use 2,000 HHonors Points and $30 USD for a night at a participating category 1 hotel. Silver, Gold, and Diamond members also qualify for the 5th Night Free benefit on reward stays, meaning if they book 4 consecutive stays using reward points, they receive an additional 5th night free.

The chart below shows how many points are required for a free night in a standard room in each category.

Some hotels have seasonal reward pricing, so the points needed to redeem vary during peak or off-peak periods. For example, a category 6 hotel that requires 50,000 points during its peak period may only be 30,000 points during its off-peak period. Reward pricing vary by location, stay date, and availability, so it is best to check hhonors points search tool to obtain accurate pricing.

If you are reserving your reward stay online, check the box labeled “Use HHonors Points” on your reservation form. Then, click “Find” to view hotel availability; each room listing will show the amount of HHonors Points required for a free night, along with the regular room rate. When you book your stay, the HHonors Points are immediately deducted from your account.

If you are reserving your reward stay by phone, call +1-800-HHONORS (+1-800-446-6677, toll-free in the U.S.) or contact your local Hilton Reservations and Customer Care center, and let them know you will be using HHonors Points to book your stay. After you make your reservation, you can review your hotel reservation online.

How do I maximize my Hilton HHonors Points value?

When redeeming points, you can compare the rewards earn rate of different redemption options to see if you are getting the most of your points. To estimate the rewards earn rate, divide the standard rate of the hotel stay by the number of Hilton HHonors points required to redeem one night. Let’s look at a few hotel stay redemption examples for 1 night stays in New York:

This Hampton Inn is located in Manhattan at Times Square, and according to the hotel data collecting company STR Global, as of 2015 this brand is ranked an upscale, or 4-star level hotel. It has a nightly rate starting at $259 USD, and as a category 10 hotel, requires 70,000 HHonors Points to redeem per night. Here is an estimate of the point-value:

$259/70,000 = 0.0037, or 0.37 cents per point

Here is another brand, the Hilton, located in the New York Fashion District. According to STR Global’s 2015 hotel rankings, this brand is also an upscale hotel (4-stars). The nightly rates start from $349 a night, and also require 70,000 HHonors Points to redeem each night.

$349/70,000 = 0.00499, or 0.5 cents per point

As you can see, for the same redemption rate of 70,000 points, the Hilton is a better use of your HHonors Points than Hampton Inn.

Here is an example of a bad redemption. The Hilton Garden Inn has a nightly rate of $319, but its redemption rate is 138,730 HHonors Points a night. The monetary rate of this Hilton is even less than the previous Hilton in the Fashion District, but let’s take a look at its rewards earn rate:

$319/138,730 = 0.0023

Its points are worth half the value of the previous redemption option. Calculating the rewards earn rate of different hotels does not take into consideration all factors that go into selecting hotels, but it definitely is one way to gauge your redemption options.

How do I redeem HHonors points for upgrades?

Room upgrade rewards can be redeemed at the front-desk of some participating hotels. Make sure to ask the front desk for a free upgrade first. The front-desk person has the authority to give you free upgrade. Members can also use HHonors points to upgrade a confirmed, existing reservation to any premium room available at any of Hilton hotels and resorts worldwide, with no blackout dates. Reward pricing for upgrades varies by room, hotel, booking, and stay date.

For Gold and Diamond HHonors members, the Premium Room Rewards guarantee a premium room or suite at the time of booking, and Room Upgrade Rewards lets you upgrade an already confirmed room reservation to an available better room or suite. Reservations that were made using promotional free night certificates for Standard Room Rewards cannot be upgraded using Room Upgrade Rewards.

Redeem HHonors Points for Shopping, Dining, and Transportation Rewards

You can also redeem your points for shopping, dining and transportation rewards.

Shopping Mall. You can shop popular brands such as Samsung, Nike, Keurig, Vera Bradley, and more at the Hilton HHonors™ Shopping Mall. You can also use HHonors Points to redeem rewards with entertainment partners, such as Sea World and Universal Studios.

Entertainment. Bid for amazing concerts and travel experiences when you stay with Hilton. Options range from concert tickets, VIP race packages, athlete meet & greets, and more. Click for a full list.

Redeem for on-site rewards such as spa treatments, fine dining, golf lessons and much more. Details can be found at each individual hotel.

Car rentals. Car rental rewards can be redeemed through customer care; you will need your HHonors number and a reward code. Instant redemptions with Sixt Rent A Car can be booked online. You can also earn HHonors Points and receive discounts with Hilton car rental partners. Some car rental partners include Alamo, Avis, Budget, and National.

Have any further questions or comments? Contact Hilton HHonors Customer Support.