Hilton Honors unveils elite benefits at Small Luxury Hotels properties

Back in February, Hilton announced a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

This was to replace the SLH partnership with World of Hyatt, which had been doomed ever since Hyatt announced the acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith.

We will soon see some of the 560 Small Luxury Hotels properties featured on the Hilton website and bookable for cash or points. Hilton has confirmed that reward nights will follow the current rules for their own hotels, so no hotel will ever cost more than 150,000 points per night and ‘5-4-4’ will be available if you are Silver Elite or above.

Hilton is currently testing SLH booking for three hotels – Teranka in Formentera, Nobu Hotel Marbella in Marbella and Flemings Mayfair in London – but only for a handful of dates. It looks like the roll-out will take time.

Elite benefits at SLH hotels

Hilton has announced the elite benefits for members who book an SLH property via the Hilton website.

These are surprisingly comprehensive, given that World of Hyatt struggled to get SLH properties to offer much at all. This is what you get:

• Member (no status): member discount, complimentary standard Wi-Fi, complimentary late checkout, bottled water, no resort fees on reward stays 

• Silver: 20% elite tier bonus, 5th standard reward night free, all “Member” benefits 

• Gold: 80% elite tier bonus, complimentary breakfast for two, space-available upgrades, 5^th standard reward night free, all “Member” benefits 

• Diamond: 100% elite tier bonus, complimentary breakfast for two, space-available upgrades, 5th standard reward night free, all “Member” benefits

The elephant in the room remains pricing. Under Hyatt, it was rare to find an SLH hotel at hyatt.com which was not more expensive than booking direct. We need to see if Hilton is able to use its muscle, as a far bigger loyalty scheme, to enforce price parity.

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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.