If you travel and stay at Hilton properties regularly, then you're absolutely right to look into their hotel loyalty program: Hilton Honors. For starters, the free tier comes with exclusive benefits upon check-in and as you travel more with Hilton, you accrue additional points that can be used to unlock more perks and other exciting rewards.
There are three primary ways to earn Hilton Honors membership points: staying and dining at Hilton properties, shopping with your co-branded Hilton Honors credit cards, and claiming your welcome bonuses. But if you need additional points on short notice, you can also purchase up to 80,000 points per year. As with earning points the traditional way, it's best to watch out for promotions when buying points.
Wondering which is the best vacation club to join, read here.
Curious about what is timeshare, read here.
What are the Benefits of Having a Hilton Honors Membership?
Points can accumulated and used for shopping, car rentals, VIP access to various entertainment and dining experiences, and redeeming free stays at select Hilton properties.
Free nights
A free night at a Hilton hotel is arguably the best reward most people can claim as an Honors member. Even more so now after Hilton's newest partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ add a new list of intimate SHL destinations to what is already a stacked portfolio.
Exclusive benefits
Hilton Honors members have access to exclusive Hilton Honors experiences, free Wi-Fi, and special discount rates. You can also unlock more perks like room upgrades and food and beverage credit as you continue to raise your elite status to silver, gold, or diamond.
Here's how you can unlock each Hilton membership tier:
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Silver: 10 nights, four separate stays or 25,000 base points
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Gold: 40 nights, 20 separate stays or 75,000 base points
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Diamond: 60 nights, 30 separate stays or 120,000 base points
You’ll automatically move up once one of the conditions is met, but be mindful that membership status will reset every calendar year.
Every $1 you spend on your stay with Hilton will earn you 10 Hilton Honors points.
Use points to redeem Hilton Experiences
Hilton Honors members can also use points to redeem Experiences. Hilton has a growing selection of global activities that can be claimed through the rewards program.
How much is Hilton Honors membership?
It's free to join Hilton Honors program's basic tier and ranking up can naturally occur as you book your stay or shop with Hilton. Here are more ways to earn points:
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Using your Hilton co-branded American Express Credit Card for purchases.
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Transferring reward points from your American Express Hilton co-branded card to your Hilton Honors membership. A minimum of 200 AmEx membership points is required for each transfer.
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Earn points (3 Points per $1 spent on Lyft rides) for using Lyft after linking your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts.
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Dining at partner restaurants through the Hilton Honors dining program and using a linked credit card.
As a basic member, you will earn 10 base Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent on your stay with Hilton. Silver status members earn a 20% status bonus on base points (5 base points, plus one bonus point), while Gold and Diamond receive 80% and 100% bonuses, respectively. Gold and Diamond status members also receive bonus points for reaching certain milestones.
Is it worth joining Hilton Honors?
There is no downside to joining the rewards program because registration is free and Hilton is one of the most-trusted brands in hospitality. Personally, I find diamond and gold status to give back the most value, especially if you travel a lot during peak season.
In addition, the opportunity to earn membership points through non-Hilton transactions (e.g., American Express credit card, Lyft) is a great way to accumulate points even in the off-season.
Can my wife and I use the same Hilton Honors account?
An account cannot be shared by multiple members. However, spouses who jointly own a timeshare through the Hilton Grand Vacations Club are exempted.
Does Hilton Honors membership expire?
Under the new Hilton Honors policy, points will expire for accounts that are inactive for 24 consecutive months. We recommend using Hilton Honors points to at least claim rewards from a Hilton partner if you are not travelling with Hilton within the said period.
What is the highest Hilton membership status?
Diamond status is the highest membership tier for Hilton Honors. Diamond members receive a 100% bonus on all base points earned, guaranteed access to hotel Executive Lounges, and a 48-hour room guarantee that is very handy when booking late during a peak season.
You can earn your Diamond status by staying 30 times or 60 nights at a Hilton resort or by accumulating 120,000 base points in one calendar year. You can also get complimentary Diamond status with a Hilton Honors Aspire Card ($550 annual fee).
A recap of Hilton Honors Loyalty Program
Hilton Honors is one of the best loyalty programs for both casual and business travelers. It even gets better for you if you can link it up with program partners like American Express, which can help you rack up points quickly through purchases. The base Hilton Honor Card doesn't even charge an annual fee for qualified members.
The member level benefits all add something to the Hilton experience, so it's definitely worth taking the first step by signing up for free. It shouldn't take long before you get to Silver status, then once you get accustomed and satisfied with the services provided by Hilton, you might want to give Gold or Diamond a shot, especially if find yourself going to places a lot.
For more information about Wyndham membership, read here.
Interested to learn more about Accor membership, click to read more.
