How to earn, redeem, and maximize Hilton Honors rewards points — from luxurious Conrad resorts to family-friendly Hampton Inns, there are options for every traveler

19.01.2024 - 21:33 / insider.com

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With one of the world's largest footprints, most travelers have stayed in — or at least seen — a Hilton hotel. Since this vast hotel chain has a variety of properties to fit every budget and over 7,000 hotels located across 123 countries, it makes a lot of sense to consider joining the Hilton Honors loyalty program. Amex is an Insider partner.

It's free to enroll and Hilton offers excellent rewards just for signing up. This includes the ability to earn points for free stays, late checkout, waived resort fees on award stays, free Wi-Fi, and discounted rates. As your status increases, you'll also see perks such as free breakfast, room upgrades, and a fifth night free on eligible award stays. 

Earning and redeeming Hilton rewards points is also very simple — there are a ton of ways to jump-start your points balance, including large welcome bonus offers from travel credit cards, hotel promotions, and even transferring points from different partners. Once you've got a good amount, you can then use points toward free hotel stays, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Amazon purchases, and even airline miles. 

We'll break down everything you need to know to earn, redeem, and maximize your Hilton Honors points. 

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Hilton has two main categories of points: bonus points, which help you earn rewards via special promotions, and elite-qualifying base points. The main difference is that base points count toward your elite status for the year, while bonus points do not — but you can redeem both kinds of points toward stays and other rewards.

Unlike bonus points, base points can only be earned via stays at a Hilton hotel. Charges for room rates, dining, and spas all count towards base points for elite status. Otherwise, there are plenty of ways to build up your Hilton Honors bonus points balance. 

Depending on your elite status, you can earn anywhere from 10 (with a few