The Hilton Honors program is the loyalty and rewards program for Hilton Hotels, designed to reward members for staying at Hilton properties. It allows guests to earn points for eligible stays, which can then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, such as free nights, room upgrades, experiences, and even charitable donations. The program is free to join, and there are multiple membership tiers, each offering increasingly valuable benefits.

Simply put because this loyalty program offers the best benefits of all hotel programs (in my opinion) and lets you conveniently maximize points collection to make the most out of your holidays.

Members earn Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent on eligible stays at Hilton hotels and resorts. The number of points earned depends on the brand and the type of room you book. Often times you can make use of points multipliers for an entire stay.

Points can also be earned through eligible purchases like dining, spa services, and using Hilton’s partners, such as car rental companies and airlines.

The program is particularly valuable if you travel frequently, as Hilton has hotels in various (price and quality) categories and locations worldwide. For example, if you’re planning future stays, you can strategically book at Hilton properties to accumulate points for a special destination (I did it for example for the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and the Conrad Maldives).

The Hilton group covers a wide range of hotels worldwide, including the well-known brands such as:

• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• Waldorf Astoria
• Conrad Hotels
• Curio Collection
• Canopy by Hilton
• Embassy Suites
• Hampton by Hilton
• Hilton Garden Inn
• DoubleTree by Hilton
• Homewood Suites by Hilton
• Home2 Suites by Hilton

Joining the Hilton Honors program offers several valuable benefits:

• Free membership with no annual fees
• Points earning on stays, dining, spa and partnerships that can be redeemed for free nights
• Member-exclusive rates when booking directly through Hilton
• Digital check-in and room selection through the mobile app
• Status tiers (Silver, Gold, and Diamond) that offer additional perks like room upgrades, late checkout, and complimentary breakfast. See below for more information, but I strongly advice you try to reach Gold or even Diamond status. The free breakfast you get every night is such a game changer
• Points flexibility – combine points and money for stays, or transfer points to airline partners
• No blackout dates when using points for standard room rewards

Additionally, points don’t expire as long as you have account activity every 12 months.

Higher tiers offer more benefits, such as bonus points, room upgrades, early check-in, free breakfast, and access to lounges (for Gold and Diamond members). As mentioned above, your goal should be to reach Gold or Diamond status. In my opinion, these offer amazing perks and are definitely worth aiming for.

I can only repeat myself that always having free breakfast will save you so much money. On Diamond level, you also get access to – where available – the Executive lounge of the respective hotel with free food and drinks. Some of these lounges are really outstanding.

Starting from Silver tier, you get a fifth night free when you book four nights with 100% points.

5. How do I maximize points collection?

• Book directly with Hilton: Always book your stays directly through Hilton’s website, app, or customer service. This ensures you earn the maximum points for your reservations.
• Take advantage of promotions: Hilton frequently offers promotions like double or triple points on stays. Check the Hilton Honors website or sign up for promotional emails to stay informed. I also especially like buying points with a 100% bonus, a promotion that goes live several times a year. For 100$ you then receive 20.000 points. Of course this only makes sense if you use those points to book a rather expensive hotel and if you do not already have enough points.Registering for these offers takes just a few clicks and can significantly boost your earnings.
• Use a Hilton Honors credit card: Hilton-branded credit cards, such as those from American Express, can supercharge your points collection. These cards offer bonus points for Hilton purchases and often include multipliers for spending on dining, gas, and groceries. Some even come with welcome bonuses that can fast-track your rewards.
• Consider a longer stay: Some Hilton promotions reward you with bonus points for longer stays. If your travel plans are flexible, booking a few extra nights can help you maximize your points while enjoying more time to explore your destination. This is particularly “easy” for beach vacations where you anyways normally stay longer than on a city trip.
• Achieve elite status: The higher your Hilton Honors elite status, the more bonus points you’ll earn per stay. Reaching Diamond status means you get a 100% points bonus on your stays.