The 9 Best Uses of Hilton Points

Hilton Honors point redemption rates can vary significantly depending on how, when and where you redeem them. While NerdWallet values Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cent each, travelers may see redemption rates ranging from a measly 0.1 cent to over 2 cents per point, depending on how points are redeemed.

The key is knowing the best ways to redeem your Hilton Honors points. We’ve outlined nine of the best Hilton points redemptions to help maximize the value of your points.

Rather than having set redemption rates, Hilton dynamically prices award night rates roughly based on the cash price of the stay. This pricing model means it isn't easy to get outsized value out of your Hilton Honors points — as you can with an award chart-based program like World of Hyatt.

With that said, Hilton sets unofficial caps on how much a standard room reward can cost, and it's these caps that can lead to better redemption rates.

Perhaps the most dramatic example: A standard room reward night at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi currently costs 150,000 points per night. However, this incredible property can cost over $3,000 per night after taxes and fees — netting a redemption rate of more than 2 cents per Hilton point.

Just beware: When there are no standard room reward rates available, Hilton dynamically prices rooms at "premium room reward" rates. These redemptions can be astronomically expensive and generally are a poor use of your Hilton Honors points.

For example, the same hotel that costs 150,000 Hilton points per night during standard rewards nights can cost 1.85 million Hilton points per night on nonstandard dates. While the cash price of this stay is nearly $5,200, that's a redemption rate of just 0.28 cents per Hilton point.

With this Hilton award pricing model in mind, let’s look at some of our favorite sweet spot redemptions with Hilton Honors points.

» Learn more: How to navigate Hilton Honors award levels

1. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

One of the most luxurious properties in the Hilton portfolio, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi costs thousands of dollars per night. And that price is understandable when you see what you're getting.

In addition to being one of the most luxurious hotel brands around, each of the property's 119 villas are expansive. The smallest villa still measures a whopping 2,518 square feet — the size of a modest-sized house — and each villa has its own plunge pool.

Even at its extraordinarily high price, the property doesn't disappoint. With almost 800 TripAdvisor ratings, the hotel maintains a 5.0-star rating — practically unheard of for luxury hotels.

So, even though it's one of the most expensive Hilton properties to book with points, 150,000 Hilton Honors points for a standard reward night can be an incredible deal. On some nights, you'll get 2 cents per point or more in value.

2. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Nearby is another one of the most luxurious properties in the Hilton portfolio: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is perhaps most famous for its reef-edge master villa The Muraka — which includes an undersea master bedroom.

While the $9,999+ per night Muraka villa may be out of your points price range, you can redeem a reasonable 120,000 Hilton points per night to stay in either a Water Villa or Beach Villa at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

The Beach Villa offers direct beach access while the Water Villa will give you the overwater villa experience that many travelers covet. These rooms can easily go for over $1,000 per night, increasing to over $2,000 per night during peak nights. On some nights, you can get more than 2 cents per point in value — although around 1 cent per point is more common.

Despite the excellent value you can get, there are plenty of rewards availability at this hotel. At the time of writing, MaxMyPoints shows 87% of future dates have standard availability.

3. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

Let's leave the Maldives for a closer-to-home redemption. The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is located on the tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula, secluded from the rest of Los Cabos by a private tunnel. Each one of the 112 rooms and villas in this stunning resort offers a private plunge pool and views of the Pacific Ocean.

Staying at a hotel this luxurious doesn't come cheap, with paid nights often exceeding $2,000 per night. However, standard rewards nights cost a reasonable 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night, again yielding a redemption rate of around 2 cents per point.

4. Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

Located on the southwest coast of Maui, the Grand Wailea is a luxury resort that's great for families, couples and solo travelers, too. The property is best known for its pools and water activities, including the Lava Tube Slide — a three-story, 262-foot slide that will propel you to speeds of up to 22 mph.

A standard reward night redemption is 110,000 points per night. However, paying in cash can easily set you back $1,200 or more per night for the same room — making this a redemption of around 1.1 cents per point.

» Learn more: The guide to booking award nights with Hilton Honors

5. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Another way to maximize the value of your Hilton Honors points is by using them at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, the hotel promises guests they’re in for a treat, noting on its website that “from the moment you step inside, you’ll know you’ve arrived at the center of extraordinary."

A standard room tops out at 120,000 points per night. Meanwhile, you could easily spend over $1,200 per night (after taxes and fees) if you're paying cash. That's a value of around 1 cent per point. Perhaps best of all, standard award availability is available most nights.

6. Conrad Algarve

The Conrad Algarve is located at the southernmost tip of Portugal, offering stunning cliff views overlooking the ocean and golf resorts. The hotel offers various wellness programs, a spa, golf course and several pools (including an infinity pool).

Standard reward nights at this hotel top out at 90,000 points per night. However, you can often find this property for fewer points — sometimes as low as 59,000 Hilton points per night.

Your best redemption rates are going to be on more expensive nights where you can book stays costing over $700 per night for 90,000 points, resulting in a value of almost 0.8 cent per point.

» Learn more: Hilton Honors elite status: Your complete guide

7. Hilton free fifth-night stays

Looking to stretch your Hilton points a bit further? Hilton Honors members with elite status can get a free night on longer award stays. When you use your Hilton points to book stays of five nights or more, you'll receive every fifth night for free — on stays up to 20 nights long. That means getting five nights for the price of four when using points.

Here’s an example of how to maximize Hilton’s free fifth-night perk. A standard reward night at the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Paraiso in Mexico costs 20,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Using a sample check-in date of Aug. 18, 2024, Hilton Honors members can book a four-night stay for $645.52 when paying in cash.

Since four nights will cost 80,000 Hilton Honors points, you will have redeemed your Hilton Honors points for a value of 0.8 cent per point.

However, by taking advantage of Hilton’s fifth-night free benefit, you can redeem the same 80,000 Hilton Honors points for a five-night stay. That same five-night stay would cost $808 when paid with cash, boosting the redemption rate over 1 cent per point.

Although the Hilton free fifth-night benefit is available only to elite members, Hilton Honors™ Silver Status is relatively easy to attain. You can earn Silver status after staying 10 nights, completing four stays, earning 25,000 base points or by holding the $ Hilton Honors American Express Card-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (see rates and fees). Terms apply.

» Learn more: Hilton credit cards: Which one should you get?

8. Hilton Honors Experiences

Like many other hotel loyalty programs, Hilton offers an "experiences" platform. While it's easy to overlook these redemption options, Hilton Honors Experiences is worth a glance.

Hilton partners with local providers to offer a slew of arts, culture, culinary and spa/wellness experiences. These options are generally found at higher-end brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad.

During a visit to India in 2022, my wife and I redeemed 10,000 Hilton Honors points for a 60-minute couples massage at the Conrad Bengaluru.

A couples massage at a luxury hotel spa is easily worth $150. At that price, this redemption provided 1.5 cents per Hilton Honors point — three times NerdWallet's value of Hilton points. While this particular redemption is no longer available, it shows how valuable Hilton Honors Experiences can be.

» Learn more: The complete guide to using Hilton Honors points

9. Hilton waived resort fees

Resort fees are brutal. These fees are tacked on to your base room rate and the taxes you’re already paying, and they typically run from $20 to $50 or more per night. We generally don’t like them, but there’s an easy way to avoid them: Book your stay on points with Hilton.

Hilton doesn’t charge resort fees on rewards stays booked using all points or on promotional free night stays (for example, issued by credit card partners). When calculating the cost of a room in cash versus points, don’t forget to account for the resort fees.

Hilton is one of the largest hotel brands in the world, with more than 7,500 properties in over 126 countries and territories. Hilton is on a roll with adding new brands recently. Hilton's brands include:

» Learn more: The guide to Hilton Honors hotel brands

If you’re willing to put some time and effort into your search, you can find some really good redemption values using your Hilton Honors points. Two of the best ways to maximize the redemption value are by using them for stays of five nights or longer and by using them at luxury properties.

While the better values for Hilton Honors points are often found at higher-end properties, travelers have great opportunities to redeem points and maximize their redemption values at many Hilton properties around the world.