Stormzy plays the ‘secret’ Hilton Honors Christmas gig

Back on 16th November, we told you about a mystery Hilton concert that was to be held at the Hilton Metropole in London.

Nine pairs of tickets were available for 35,000 Hilton Honors points, which we’d value at around £100. You weren’t told who would be performing (past concerts had featured Kylie Minogue and Ellie Goulding) but the tickets did include unlimited champagne pre- and post-concert as well as substantial canapes (eg mini burgers).

All nine pairs of tickets went to HfP readers – in fact, one went to me! I had a media pass so Rhys and Sinead took the tickets I bought and we all headed down to the Metropole on Thursday evening. I want to say ‘hi’ to all of the HfP readers we met on the night.

This was the first time that Hilton Honors members have been invited to one of these events. They are separate to the Summer gigs that Hilton used to run pre-covid which were exclusively for Hilton Honors members, and included Bastille and Jessie J in recent years.

The seats are usually given to surprised hotel guests who just happen to be booked in that night, with others going to Hilton’s charity partners. I was told they are hoping to increase the number of tickets for Hilton Honors members even further – at this concert they had 18 of the 150 seats (well, sofas in this case).

And the special guest on Thursday night? Stormzy. Not totally my cup of tea, in all honesty, but Sinead and Rhys are big fans – apparently this was the third time Sinead has seen him – and you can’t deny his influence on British rap. Sinead once saw him on the main stage at Glastonbury, so being on a sofa about 50 feet from the stage was a substantial change this time! Image above.

You can learn more about how Hilton Honors works in our full review here.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (March 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 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)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

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.