REGISTER NOW: Hilton launches new bonus points promotion for January to April hotel stays

UPDATE – APRIL 2024:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly summary of the top hotel bonus point offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ menu above.

Click here for our article on Hilton’s ‘Points Plus’ promotion which runs from 1st January to 1st May 2024. You can register for the offer by clicking here.

Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 14th May 2024. Click here to buy.

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Hilton Honors has just launched its new Spring promotion, Points Unlimited, which is now open for registration – click here.

To give Hilton credit, it is very straightforward with minimal small print:

• you will earn 2,000 bonus Hilton Honors points for every stay between 1st January and 2nd May

• even better, you will earn an additional 5,000 bonus Hilton Honors points for every FIVE nights you complete

There is no cap to what you can earn and there are no minimum stay requirements.  The bonus will trigger on reward stays given how similar promotions have worked in the past.

What is your return here?

Given that I value a Hilton Honors point at around 0.33p, you are getting a good return on your spending here. 

For someone who only does one-night stays and who hits exactly five nights over the four months (I admit it is unlikely you would reach this exact combination) you would be earning 3,000 bonus points per night.  I would value that at £10 which is a good return especially as it doesn’t include your base points or any status bonus.

Of course, if your only Hilton stays during the four months are 1 x 4 night stay, then you are not doing too well.  Your only bonus will be 500 points per night (2000/4) which I’d value at £1.66 per night!

There is no small print

There is no small print except that you need to register in advance via the Hilton website:

• there is no minimum stay requirement

• existing bookings still count

• all Hilton Family properties (Hilton, Hampton, Curio, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad etc) are taking part

This could work well if you are chasing status

Hilton has been falling over itself to make it easy for you to retain status:

• all of your nights from 2020 will be carried over to 2021

• the elite night requirements have been halved in 2021, meaning that you only need 30 nights to earn Diamond Elite

As you are earning £10-worth of points back per stay, as long as your stays are in multiples of five, you could get the nights you need relatively cheaply.

If you are self-employed, you could book Hilton day rooms to work. These are available at around £30 in much of the country – in my experience Hilton Olympia in London will give you a £30 rate, as opposed to the £40 rate quoted online, if you enquire directly. These rates are still available in Tier 4 areas.

The cost of the day room is a business expense and you are receiving back £10 of points each time. The net cost after tax and the value of the points is very low and you are building up your elite night credits.

Even better, Hilton is offering 10,000 bonus points for your first day room booking.

And remember that Hilton is still offering a status match

If you have top tier status with another hotel programme, Hilton Honors will give you a 90 day free trial of Hilton Gold status.  You can request a status match here.

You need to supply a screenshot showing your top tier status in another programme plus a screenshot showing a paid stay in the previous 12 months.

If you complete 10 nights during the 90 days you will keep your Gold status until 31st March 2022.  If you complete 18 nights during the 90 days you will be elevated to top-tier Diamond status until 31st March 2022.

Conclusion

2,000 bonus points per stay is a decent offer, especially for someone who tends to do short stays.  The additional 5,000 points carrot for every five nights is a worthwhile extra bonus. 

If your hotel stays are generally just for one or two nights then you should seriously consider moving them (in chunks of five nights) to Hilton this Spring. Once you’re allowed to stay …..

Make sure you register here if you have any Hilton stays coming up over the next four months.

Even if you don’t have any stays planned, it is still worth registering just in case – a lot can happen between now and 2nd May.

Let’s see what IHG and Marriott launch to compete with this ….

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that 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.

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

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)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(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.)