Originally Published July 11, 2022
Updated: April 16, 2025
One friend raves about the beautiful hotel suite overlooking the city that they practically got for free with Points. Another sings the praises of Hilton Honors Experiences, where she and her husband attended the GRAMMY Awards®, also achieved with Points. Yet, you’re unsure exactly how to earn Points and reap the perks that others have received. You may even wonder if you travel enough to earn anything worthwhile. It’s time to stop wondering and discover all the benefits of becoming a Hilton Honors member.
Jump to guide sections:
- What are Hilton Honors Points?
- How to Earn Hilton Honors Points
- How to Redeem Hilton Honors Points
- How to Join Hilton Honors
What are Hilton Honors Points?
Hilton Honors is Hilton’s award-winning loyalty program that rewards its guests for booking stays with Hilton. The Points can be turned into free nights or used with Hilton’s travel and shopping partners or for exclusive experiences. A “rewards stay” is a stay that you use 100% Points to book.
Members receive Points on every stay and eligible purchases at all of Hilton’s 24 brands: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, NoMad, Signia by Hilton, Canopy by Hilton, Signia by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, Graduate by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Spark by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, LivSmart Studios by Hilton and Hilton All-Inclusive Resorts. Through Hilton’s exclusive partnerships with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and premier outdoor hospitality company AutoCamp, Hilton Honors members can book, earn and redeem Points on even more passion-driven stays in sought-after destinations.
The free to join program features four tiers of membership status and benefits: Member, Silver, Gold and Diamond.
- Member. Every tier beginning with basic membership receives waived resort fees on rewards stays, complimentary Wi-Fi, access to exclusive Hilton Honors Experiences, the ability to choose which available room you’d like up to 24 hours in advance, Digital Check-In/Check-Out and Digital Key through the Hilton Honors app.
- Silver. In addition to the Member benefits, those with Silver status also receive fifth night free accommodations on reward stays, free bottled water and Elite Rollover Nights, which rolls qualifying nights in excess of those required to qualify for elite status into the following year, allowing you to reach elite status faster.
- Gold. Those with Gold status receive all of the above, plus space-available room upgrades and a complimentary daily food and beverage credit of up to $25 available at all Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, NoMad, Canopy by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Signia by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and Hilton Garden Inn properties in the U.S., and at Motto by Hilton globally.
- Diamond. Top-tier members earn all of the above in addition to executive lounge access, Elite status gifting, which allows you to share Gold status with any other Hilton Honors Member, and a 48-hour room guarantee, which guarantees you a room at Hilton hotels within 48 hours of a necessary booking, so you won’t be left scrambling for a room. Gold and Diamond members also receive Milestone Bonuses of 10,000 Bonus Points after 40 eligible nights, 10,000 Bonus Points for every 10 additional nights (after 40 nights) and a one-time 30,000 Bonus Points at 60 eligible nights in a calendar year. Lifetime Diamond status is awarded to those who have remained at Diamond status for 10 years.
How to Earn Hilton Honors Points
Earn Points with Hotel Stays
There are multiple ways to earn Points, the most obvious way being hotel stays. With every $1 you spend on eligible charges during your Hilton hotel stay, you’ll earn 10 Points, regardless of your status. (Tru by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton properties earn 5 Points per $1 on eligible folio charges.)
You’ll need to achieve stay, night or Hilton Honors Points to earn elite status, as such:
- Silver: Earned after a total of four stays, 10 nights or reaching 25,000 Base Points
- Gold: Earned after 20 stays, 40 nights or reaching 75,000 Base Points
- Diamond: Earned after 30 stays, 60 nights or reaching 120,000 Base Points
Elite members also earn additional Bonus Points. For every hotel stay, Silver members receive 20 percent Bonus Points, Gold members receive 80 percent Bonus Points and Diamond members receive 100 percent Bonus Points. Additional opportunities are available to earn Bonus Points with special limited-time, member-only promotions.
Earn Points with Hilton Honors American Express Cards
Hilton Honors partners with American Express to offer a variety of credit cards that provide more value, greater flexibility and even better travel experiences, including the Hilton Honors American Express Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. With these cards, you can earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points on everyday purchases, from groceries to phone bills, and turn your daily spending into rewarding Hilton stays. Plus, you get Hilton Honors elite status automatically with your Card (Terms and Conditions apply).
Earn Points by Riding with Lyft and Booking Car Rentals
For those using Lyft rideshare services, link your account to your Hilton Honors account to earn 3 Points per $1 spent on rides in the U.S. and Canada (economy, luxury and extra seats). And, starting at just 4,500 Points, members can use their Points for Lyft ride credits to either redeem for their own ride or share with friends and family. Members can also earn up to 5,000 Points and save on qualifying car rentals when they rent a car with Alamo, Enterprise or National through hiltonhonors.com/carrental.
Earn Points with Hilton Honors Dining
Using Hilton Honors Dining, you can earn more Bonus Points for every $1 spent just by dining in or ordering takeout through participating restaurants, bars and nightclubs across the United States. Dine 11 times a year and earn VIP status, in which you’ll earn 8 Bonus Points for every $1 you spend at participating restaurants and also receive exclusive earning opportunities.
Buy Hilton Honors Points
If you find yourself a little low on the Points you need for the rewards you’d like, you may also buy up to 80,000 Points per calendar year. (Terms apply.)
How to Redeem Hilton Honors Points
Once you have earned Points, the real fun begins: Redeeming them!
Redeem Points for Free Nights
Hilton Honors Points can be redeemed for free nights at any of Hilton’s more than 8,400 hotels and resorts worldwide, with no blackout dates and no resort fees on stays booked 100% with Points. When booking a room, members can choose nearly any combination of Hilton Honors Points and money, starting at 5,000 Points. Point redemption varies on the property, its location, room type and peak or off-peak bookings. It is easier than ever to find out where you can redeem Points through Points Explorer, which allows you to see the Points prices for your desired destination. You can also book a specific destination and date online or through the Hilton Honors app by selecting “Hilton Honors Points,” and searching your desired location and dates to view available hotels.
Use a Combination of Points and Money with the Points Slider
Not enough Points to redeem accommodations? Members can use the Points Slider to choose nearly any combination of Hilton Honors Points and money – from all Points to all cash and everything in between – when booking a room. When making your reservation on Hilton.com, select “Special Rates” then “Use Points.” Once you select the hotel and desired room type, you will see an option to “Pay with Points & Money.”
Fifth Night Free
Silver, Gold and Diamond elite members automatically receive every fifth night free on Standard Reward Stays of five consecutive nights or more. General Point redemption and reward stays can be booked through Hilton Honors online, the Hilton Honors app or by calling 1-800-4HONORS (1-800-446-6677).
Redeem Points with the Hilton Honors Experiences Platform and Exclusive Partners
Another exciting way to redeem Points is through the exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences featured on the Hilton Honors Experiences platform. Members can browse available Experience packages that align with their passions, such as a chance to see your favorite artist in concert with VIP access, VIP access to sought-after music festivals and sporting events, amazing culinary curations at signature restaurants and more.
Through exclusive partnerships, Hilton also continues to create exceptional experiences that provide travelers even more ways and places to stay. Recent partnerships with AutoCamp and Small Luxury Hotels of the World have expanded the experiences and adventures offered to Hilton Honors members and guests, who can dream, book, and earn and redeem Points for stays.
Amazon’s Shop with Points Program
You can shop with Points through Hilton Honors’ partnership with Amazon’s Shop with Points program. Simply link your rewards account to your Amazon.com account to use Points at check out on millions of products, from everyday items to splurge-worthy finds. You can elect to use Points to cover all or part of your purchase and you can even set Points to apply to all purchases automatically.
Pool Points with Friends and Family
Members can pool Points when planning a trip together, gift Points to another Hilton Honors member and transfer Points with friends and family. Points Pooling, for instance, allows up to 10 members to combine their Points with family and friends, offering more flexibility and greater values, with no transaction fees. Members can also pool Points to save on their next vacation or for experiences available on the Hilton Honors Experiences platform.
Donate Points
You can donate your Points to thousands of accredited nonprofits through Hilton Honors’ Partnership with PointWorthy, where you can support issues ranging from education to the environment to hunger. For every Hilton Honors Point donated, Hilton Honors will convert an equivalent cash donation on your behalf to the organization or cause of your choice. Donations start at 3,500 Points, which equates to a cash value of $10.
How to Join Hilton Honors
It’s free and easy to become a Hilton Honors member. Simply join here. Members will always get the lowest price on all Hilton branded hotels when they book direct on Hilton.com or on the Hilton Honors app.