You don’t pay resort fees on Hilton Honors redemptions
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I have been in Washington this week at Hilton’s HQ to find out more about what the company is doing. More from this trip will follow.
There was one thing I learned on Tuesday which I didn’t know, and which none of the other writers in the room knew either. There are no resort fees to pay on a Hilton Honors redemption when you pay 100% with points.
As we have written about recently, ‘resort fees’ have started to appear in New York of late as well as their traditional haunts of Las Vegas and Hawaii. If you book a Hilton Honors redemption, however, Hilton pays this fee directly to the hotel on your behalf.
Hilton has done a bad job of promoting this benefit, because it could make a real difference to your thinking when deciding whether to book a cash or reward stay. Now you know.
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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (February 2025)
There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.
You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.
We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.
You can apply for either card here.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit
10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit
2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review
There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.
Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card. It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.
We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:
- American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)
and for small business owners:
- American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)
The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.
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