Hilton Honors increases some hotel points redemption rates with no notice
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Hilton Honors has quietly increased some redemption rates over the last few days, with no notice.
Hilton has no ‘official’ redemption chart any longer, of course. Rewards are dynamically priced based on the current room rate BUT there is also a cap in place.
This is actually a good system, because it encourages redemptions where you may otherwise not bother. If a hotel is selling very cheaply for cash in the low season, the cost of a Standard Reward Night will fall too. The value will be around 0.25p – 0.33p per point.
On peak dates, the cap kicks in. This is where you can achieve the best value for your points.
I have checked the majority of the Hilton properties in London and there are no changes. The priciest hotels (Conrad St James, Lincoln Plaza – photo below – and London Hilton on Park Lane) remain capped at 80,000 points. The cheapest, DoubleTree Greenwich, remains capped at 30,000 points.
However, looking at reports on FlyerTalk it seems that this could be a progressive roll-out rather than a ‘big bang’ change, so perhaps London still has increases to come. Asia seems to have been particularly badly hit with many properties seeing 10,000 point rises. It also appears that the vast majority of 10,000 point per night hotels in the US have been moved up to 20,000 points.
I thought I would also look at the ‘exchange rate’ when a hotel is offering redemption rooms for less than the daily cap. Here are a few London examples for a random date in January 2020 when rates are low and the cap is often not triggered:
Conrad St James – 76,000 points or £235 – 0.31p
The Waldorf Hilton – 71,000 points or £244 – 0.34p
Hampton Waterloo – 46,000 points or £140 – 0.30p
DoubleTree West End – 59,000 points or £162 – 0.27p
DoubleTree Marble Arch – 53,000 points or £164 – 0.31p
Nothing seems to have changed here. The ‘pence per point’ valuation remains in the range I would expect. For clarity, the cash price shown is the cheapest non-refundable rate. Rewards nights ARE cancellable / refundable. On the other hand, cash nights earn points as well.
If there is something to learn from this it is that Hilton Honors does not feel that it has to give advance notice of changes to the points ‘cap’ on any particular hotel. If you are considering a Hilton redemption and you have the points in your account, you should book it.
There is no downside – you can cancel at any point for an instant refund – and plenty of upside should the price sneak up.
How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (October 2024)
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
12,000 bonus points (special offer), Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review
NEW: Hilton Honors Debit
3,500 bonus points (special offer), 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 (40,000 bonus Amex points)
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.
(Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)
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