Benefits of the Hilton Honors Loyalty Program

Josh Garber
By Josh Garber 
Published
Edited by Mary M. Flory

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Hilton is not only one of the largest hotel brands in the world, but it also has one of the best loyalty programs of any hotel chain. Below are some of the many benefits to joining Hilton’s loyalty program, called Hilton Honors.

Cheaper hotel rates

Perhaps the best reason to join Hilton Honors is that members receive a guaranteed member discount on hotel rates. Below is an example of the Hilton Honors member discount in action:

Although the amount of savings will vary, being a Hilton Honors member would save you $10 per night on the booking above (not including the other benefits that you’d get from signing up with the program).

Points toward free nights

Another benefit of being a Hilton Honors member is that you will have the opportunity to earn points that you can redeem for free or discounted nights. If you’re a Hilton Honors member and you’re staying at a Hilton property, you will earn points on the room rate and for money spent on food and beverage, telephone, laundry, pay-per-view movies, entertainment and recreational facilities, and other incidental costs charged to your room during your stay.

General members without elite status earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hilton stays. NerdWallet values Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cent each, which means that if you are a general Hilton Honors member and spend $500 on your hotel stay, you’ll receive 5,000 points (valued at $30), which is similar to getting 6% of your hotel spend back.

Point earning opportunities are even more lucrative for members with elite status, as for every $1 spent, Hilton Honors™ Silver Status members receive 12 points, Hilton Honors™ Gold Status members receive 18 points, and Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status members receive 20 points. Using the $500 hotel stay example above, a Hilton Honors™ Silver Status member would receive 6,000 points (valued at $36), a Gold member would receive 9,000 points (valued at $54), and a Diamond member would receive 10,000 points (valued at $60).

You can obtain Hilton elite status before staying a single night, by applying for either the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (which will give you complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status) or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (which will give you complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status).

Late checkout

Another benefit to joining Hilton Honors is that members have the opportunity to receive late checkouts. Keep in mind that if you want to take advantage of this opportunity, members need to request a late checkout in advance and that it’s subject to availability.

Free in-room and lobby Wi-Fi

If you’re a Hilton Honors member and you’re staying at a Hilton property, you’ll also receive free Wi-Fi both in-room and in your hotel’s lobby. While general, Silver, and Gold members will receive free standard Wi-Fi, Diamond members will receive free premium Wi-Fi.

To receive the free Wi-Fi benefit, members need to ensure that they book their reservations through one of the following channels:

  • Any official direct Hilton hotel brand or Hilton Honors website (for example, HiltonHonors.com, Hilton.com, Hampton.com, etc.)

  • Hilton Reservations & Customer Care phone line, 800-446-6677 (4HONORS) or a local Hilton reservations office.

  • Hilton Honors or Hilton mobile application.

  • Directly at a hotel in the Hilton portfolio.

  • Through an IATA-accredited retail travel agent booking through a Hilton channel or the following Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan and SABRE.

The bottom line

The above are just some of the many benefits you can receive by joining Hilton’s loyalty program. If you’re planning a stay at a Hilton, it’s definitely worth signing up for Hilton Honors to take advantage of these benefits, including earning points toward future stays.

All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

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