Hilton news: why it has the best hotel promo for January, Hampton Exeter Airport shuts

In the first few days of every month, we publish a long article listing all of the current hotel promotions and suggesting which ones are worth looking at.

This month, we haven’t.

The reason is very simple. There is only one global promotion currently running from the ‘big six’ hotel chains, and this is from Hilton Honors.

Let’s run over the Hilton offer again for completeness.

The Hilton Honors Spring promotion is open for registration here.

The promotion is called ”Double Up & Explore’. There are TWO ways to earn a bonus, and they work together.

• You will earn DOUBLE Hilton Honors base points for every stay between 1st January and 30th April.

• In addition, you will earn 1,000 bonus Hilton Honors points for every stay at a different Hilton brand.

There is NO ‘starting with your second stay’ rule.  You get double points from your first stay during the promotional period. You also earn the 1,000 points ‘brand bonus’ from your first stay.

For most brands, you will earn 10 base points per $1 spent, plus an additional 10 promotional points plus any status bonus.

Given that I value a Hilton Honors point at around 0.33p, you are getting a good return on your pre-tax spending here.  20 points per $1 is an 8% rebate and that is before you add in any status bonus. A Diamond would be getting 12% back.

You can add in a flat £3.33 of value per new brand from the 1,000 points ‘brand bonus’ too.

You can sign up for ‘Double Up & Explore’ here. There aren’t any better options at the moment!

And talking of Hilton ….

Hampton by Hilton Exeter Airport closes for 12 months

The Hampton by Hilton hotel at Exeter Airport, which we reviewed here, is the latest property to turn itself over to the Government to house asylum seekers.

The hotel has agreed a 12 month contract from today. Once completed, it will finish the refurbishment which was already underway before reopening in Spring 2024.

If you’re planning a trip to Exeter you have two new branded hotels options – the Hotel Indigo in the city centre and Marriott’s Courtyard which is next to the rugby stadium.

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

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors 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.