#3 Among Hotels
Point Value
0.5 ¢
Program Score
7.2
Quality hotels but points go fast with high per night point cost.
Hilton has 24 brands and nearly 8000 properties across the world. The fastest ways to earn Hilton Honors points are by staying at a Hilton property or opening one of the four co-branded Hilton credit cards. Hilton is also a transfer partner of American Express, but using only Amex Membership Rewards points for an entire stay is rarely a good value because Hilton award rates are high. Amex points can still be useful for top ups.
You can earn points on all Hilton stays booked directly with the hotel. You’ll also earn bonus points if you hold status with Hilton.
Hilton has four co-branded cards, all issued by American Express. These cards can help you earn points quickly, but the Amex 1/7 rule limits how often you can earn each welcome offer. Each card provides at least Silver status, so you automatically boost your earning rate on Hilton stays.
Bilt and American Express both transfer to Hilton Honors, which is helpful for topping up your account. Because Hilton’s award prices are often high, we don’t recommend transferring points from either system for an entire stay. Amex does transfer at a 1:2 ratio, though, so if you find a lower-cost redemption, topping up can be valuable.
Special Offers Related to Hilton Honors. Click the arrow to see more.
Hilton Honors Amex cardholders can earn 10,000 bonus points after completing a paid stay of at least three consecutive nights. You must first register before booking, make the reservation before November 9, 2026, and then complete the stay by January 3, 2027. You must also pay for the entire stay with a Hilton Honors Amex card. Award stays do not qualify. The 10,000-point bonus can be earned once and stacks with Hilton's current global promotion offering 1,000 or 3,000 bonus points per stay, along with your normal base, elite status, and credit card earnings. If you have an eligible three-night Hilton stay planned, make sure you register before booking.
Bilt Rewards is offering two transfer bonuses on October 1, 2026. First, members can get up to a 200% bonus when transferring to Hilton Honors. The standard transfer ratio is 1:1, so for every 1,000 Bilt points transferred, Blue members will receive 1,750 Hilton points, Silver 2,000, Gold 2,500, Platinum 2,750, and Platinum members who opt into the buy-up 3,000 Hilton points. The bonus is capped at 100,000 Bilt points transferred.
Bilt is also offering up to a 125% transfer bonus to its newest transfer partner, Amtrak Guest Rewards. The standard transfer ratio is 2:1, so for every 1,000 Bilt points transferred, Blue members will receive 625 Amtrak points, Silver 750, Gold 875, Platinum 1,000, and Platinum members who opt into the buy-up 1,125 Amtrak points. This bonus is also capped at 100,000 Bilt points transferred and is available only on October 1, 2026.
American Express has launched elevated welcome offers on three Hilton personal cards. The Hilton Honors Surpass is offering 130,000 miles plus a free night award after spending $3,000 in 6 months. The standard offer is 130,000 points with the same spending requirement. The annual fee is $150. Best offer we have seen on Hilton Honors Aspire, which is offering 200,000 miles after spending $6,000 in 6 months. That’s up 50,000 miles over their standard offer of 150,000 miles with the same spending requirement. The annual fee is $550. The Hilton Honors is offering 70,000 miles plus a free night award after spending $2,000 in 6 months. The standard offer is 80,000 points with the same spending requirement. There is no annual fee. All three offers expire January 13, 2027.
Amex Membership Rewards is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Hilton Honors. The standard transfer ratio is 1:2, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 2,600 Hilton Honors points for every 1,000 Amex Membership Rewards points transferred. Offer expires October 14, 2026.
Redeeming your Hilton points for stays at a Hilton property is the best use of your points. Hilton’s redemption rates are on the high side, so you may experience sticker shock if you’re used to a program like Hyatt. It’s more effective to earn points from paid Hilton stays or co-branded Hilton credit cards and redeem those for award nights. Using American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt points for full stays is rarely a good value and is best reserved for small top ups.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Hilton waives resort fees on award stays booked entirely with points or eligible free-night certificates. This can make points stays especially useful at resorts and high-fee properties.
Search with points and use Hilton’s calendar view to compare award prices by month. This is one of the easiest ways to find lower-priced nights when your dates are flexible.
Hilton Silver status or higher unlocks the fifth-night-free benefit on eligible award stays. If you don’t already have status, a Hilton card and certain Amex cards can be an easy way to get it before booking a longer points stay.
Hilton’s Points Explorer can help you browse properties by point budget, location, or trip type. Use it for research, then confirm real pricing and availability with a live award search.
Hilton Honors is a solid loyalty program with a large global footprint and one of the easiest paths to elite status among major hotel chains. With 24 brands and more than 8000 properties worldwide, from Conrad and Waldorf Astoria to Hampton Inn, there is a Hilton option for every type of traveler.
Opening any of the four co-branded credit cards is the simplest way to earn status, since each card includes status as a built-in benefit. The signup bonuses are generous, and you can transfer points from American Express or Bilt for top ups. Elite members enjoy perks like fifth night free on award stays, and Gold and Diamond members receive free breakfast.
The biggest drawback is the high cost of award stays at many properties. Dynamic pricing makes it hard to predict a hotel’s rate since it varies by season and brand. If you’re used to Hyatt, Hilton’s award prices may come as a shock. Even so, the massive footprint, ease of earning points, and automatic status from credit cards make Hilton a strong program for travelers who value simplicity and flexibility over top-tier redemption value.
Starting January 1, 2026, Hilton Honors will have five membership tiers, beginning with Member, which is free to join. Hilton is debuting a new elite tier - Diamond Reserve, for 2026 and beyond. All of the elite tier content on this page reflects those changes for 2026.
Once you qualify for a tier, you keep that status for the rest of the year and the entire following calendar year. After Member, you can earn status through nights, stays, base points earned, or by opening a co-branded Hilton credit card.
When you join Hilton Honors, you receive Member status. Benefits include:
Following are the elite status levels for Hilton Honors, what it takes to reach each level, and benefits for each
Any Hilton Honors points you earn with a credit card will be automatically added to your Hilton Honors account. If you choose to cancel a credit card, your points will be safe (for at least 24 months). Keep in mind that all Hilton co-branded cards are issued through American Express, and their 1/7 Rule means you won’t be able to open or earn a signup bonus on that same card within a 7-year period. Since every card offers automatic status, you will also lose that unless you meet the other criteria for that elite status level.
The minimum Hilton award rate is 5000 points, but that’s only for lower tier properties in low season. Hilton uses dynamic pricing, and rates vary widely by brand, season, and location, so there’s no fixed amount for a specific room at any given time.
Holding a co-branded Hilton card gives you status, which unlocks the best value, especially the fifth night free on award stays for Silver and above. The cards also offer strong signup bonuses, helping you build a larger points balance for free nights.
Status earned through stays is valid for the year you earn it and the full following year. Status from Hilton co-branded credit cards lasts as long as you keep the card, which is a good reason to hold any card that grants automatic elite status.
Membership is free. You’ll earn and redeem points on stays, get free Wi-Fi, receive Hilton’s best price guarantee, and have resort fees waived on stays booked with points or free night certificates, all without paying anything to join.
Tracking Points & Transfer Options
