It looks like Nerdwallet recently increased its estimate of how much a Hilton HHonors Point is worth from 0.3 cent to 0.5 cent. That makes this credit card a nicer choice if you like to maximize your rewards by using different cards for different categories. If you only use the Hilton HHonors AMEX for the categories that earn you 6 times the points (gas, groceries, drug stores, cable/internet/wireless services), then you can effectively earn a 3% reward rate. I think the only cards that earn a higher reward rate for wireless or internet services are business credit cards.
http://www.nerdwallet.com Tim
Matt, you are absolutely right. We have recently re-examined all of the hotel credit cards by comparing point redemption rates to room rates, and have come away convinced that Hilton HHonors and Starwood both deserve a point value upgrade. While Hilton point values ranged from 0.1 cents at The Las Vegas Hilton, to 0.9 cents at the DoubleTree Times Square in New York City, in our arbitrary sample time period of August 2010, most Hilton hotels were clustered right about 0.5 cents both domestically and abroad.
At all Hilton Hotels, there was strong correlation between point value and hotel room rates. The more expensive the hotel, the better your point value calculation turns out to be. In most cases rooms that are $200 a night works out to around 0.5 cents, whereas rooms that are around $100 a night work out to 0.3 cents. We’ll be putting out a more comprehensive hotel infographic soon, so keep an eye out!
David
Can I use Hilton Honors Points Bonus for purchases at amazon.com? Love your website. Thanks
http://www.nerdwallet.com NerdWallet
No, unfortunately I don’t believe you can.
Jeff
This has been my primary card for a long time, and your analysis is very thorough and and spot-on!
For folks considering this card, one other important thing to know, which is hard to quantify in dollars, is the opportunity for ‘Gold’ loyalty status at Hilton chain hotels if you make this your primary card and spend over $20K/year. There are a bunch of nice benefits, and if you travel much, that benefit can be worth a lot. For example at most of the mid and higher-end Hilton properties, you’ll get free restaurant breakfast for the family. At an average Hilton, that would cost around a $12/day per person. For a family of four, that is $100 saved for a two-night stay. Another money-saver is free wi-fi access at all Hilton properties, which saves you another $5-$10/day.
The other thing to consider is that if you are patient and selective about when you use your points, you can redeem them at over .5c I usually get .6 or .7c, and I have gotten over 1c/point for staying when there is a special-event in town or during high-season in a vacation destination.
Sennix
Consider all that benefits if you are “GOLD” …
Erin
Do you get double or triple points for using the card to pay for rooms at Hilton properties?
http://www.nerdwallet.com/ Tim
Hi Erin, you get 3 points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, and 6 points
per $1 spent at Hilton hotels. So I guess you could say you get “double” the
typical reward rate at Hilton properties.
