How to earn and redeem points with Hilton Honors partners
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Whether you’re looking to earn more Hilton points or redeem Hilton points you already earned, you may find Hilton’s wide variety of partners useful. When it comes to redeeming or exchanging your Hilton points, it’s important to consider the value you’ll get from each partner.
This guide will focus on earning and redeeming Hilton points with partners. So, now let’s take a closer look at all of the Hilton Honors partners.
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How much are Hilton points worth?
Before we dive into the various Hilton Honors partners for earning and redeeming, let’s first consider how much Hilton points are worth. Based on the value that can be obtained by redeeming Hilton points for hotel stays as well as the cost for which TPG would be willing to buy Hilton points, TPG’s valuations peg the value of Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cents each.
So, for the remainder of this guide, I’ll use this valuation when discussing Hilton points. Unless you don’t want to stay at Hilton hotels any more or you have more Hilton points than you can use, you’ll usually want to aim for a redemption value of 0.6 cents per Hilton point or higher.
Related reading: How (and why) to calculate award redemption values
Hilton credit card partners
Hilton has several cobranded credit cards that earn Hilton Honors points and provide perks when staying at Hilton properties:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best for no annual fee (see rates and fees)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best for occasional Hilton travelers
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Best for small business owners
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Best for frequent Hilton guests
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
However, these aren’t the only cards that can provide you Hilton points. There are also two transferable currencies that transfer to Hilton Honors: Amex Membership Rewards and Diners Club International.
Related reading: Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire: Which card is right for you?
Amex Membership Rewards points
If you have an American Express credit card that earns Membership Rewards points, you can transfer Membership Rewards points into the Hilton Honors program. The specifics vary for different regions, but U.S. members can transfer points from Amex to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio. This means you can transfer 1,000 Membership Rewards points into 2,000 Hilton Honors points.
Membership Rewards transfers to Hilton are usually immediate but must occur in 1,000-point increments.
Based on TPG’s valuations, 1,000 Membership Rewards points are worth $20 while 2,000 Hilton Honors points are worth $12. So, unless you’re looking to make a high value Hilton redemption, you’ll usually be better off transferring your Membership Rewards points to other partners.
Related reading: The best ways to use 30,000 American Express Membership Rewards points
Diners Club International Club Rewards
If you are a Club Rewards member of Diners Club, you can exchange points from your Club Rewards account to your Hilton Honors account. Members in the U.S. can receive 2,000 Hilton Honors points for every 1,250 Club Rewards points.
Transfers must be in increments of 1,250 Club Rewards points for U.S. members. You can expect the transfer to be completed within three weeks. To transfer points, call Club Rewards at +1-800-234-4034 or visit clubrewardsus.com.
TPG values Diners Club Rewards at 2.1 cents each, so 1,250 Club Rewards points are worth about $26. Meanwhile, 2,000 Hilton Honors points are worth $12. So, in most cases, you’ll want to save your Diner’s Club Rewards for a higher value redemption.
Related reading: 6 things to weigh before canceling a discontinued credit card
Earn and redeem Hilton Points with Lyft
When traveling in the U.S. and Canada, you can earn and redeem Hilton points with Lyft.
To earn Hilton points on Lyft rides, simply link your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts. Once your accounts are linked, you’ll earn three Hilton points per dollar spent on Lyft economy, luxury and extra seat rides, and two points per dollar spent on shared Lyft rides. You may earn points on up to $10,000 of eligible Lyft spend per calendar year.
To redeem Hilton points for Lyft credits, go to http://hiltonhonorslyft.com/. Select the amount of Hilton points you’d like to redeem and the credits will appear in your Lyft account. Note that Hilton Honors members can redeem up to 45,000 points per day on Lyft credits.
When redeeming Hilton points for Lyft credits, you are able to redeem for the following credit amounts:
- $10 Lyft credit = 4,500 Hilton points
- $25 Lyft credit = 11,250 Hilton points
- $50 Lyft credit = 22,500 Hilton points
- $75 Lyft credit = 33,750 Hilton points
- $100 Lyft credit = 45,000 Hilton points
Based on these rates, you’ll get a redemption value of 0.22 cents per point. This is well below TPG’s valuation of Hilton points at 0.6 cents, so we’d generally recommend that you don’t redeem your Hilton points for Lyft credits.
Related reading: Frequent Uber or Lyft passenger? These credit cards are for you
Earn and redeem Hilton points with rental car partners
You can earn Hilton Honors points when you complete a qualifying rental with Alamo, Enterprise or National. You must provide your Hilton Honors number when you reserve or at the time of rental, and some rates won’t qualify.
But, if you have a qualifying rental, you may earn 500 Hilton Honors base points per day. And, through the end of 2020, you can earn an additional 500 Hilton Honors bonus points per rental day, up to 4,500 bonus points per qualifying rental. Plus, you can get a 5% discount at Alamo and Enterprise, and 10% off at National and a 5% discount at Enterprise through the end of 2020.
You do have the option to redeem Hilton points toward a car rental through https://hilton.loyaltytravelrewards.com/cars-ehi. You can pay for all or part of the rental using points, but the minimum redemption amount is 12,000 points. Based on the points and cash rate for a sample two day rental in Atlanta, GA, the redemption rate appears to be 0.21 cents per point.
Using Hilton points for car rentals provides a much lower value than TPG’s valuation of 0.6 cents per point. As such, you’ll generally want to avoid redeeming Hilton points for car rentals.
Related reading: How to save money on car rentals with AutoSlash
Earn with Hilton Honors Dining
Hilton Honors Dining allows you to earn Hilton Honors points while dining at select restaurants. To start earning points, enroll at least one credit or debit card in the program. Then, search for participating restaurants and use an enrolled card when paying for your meal.
You’ll likely want to opt-in for weekly emails, as this allows you to boost your earning rate from two Hilton points per dollar spent to five. You’ll earn a higher rate of eight Hilton points per dollar spent once you dine 11 or more times in a calendar year and opt-in for emails.
Based on TPG’s valuation of Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, this means you can earn a return of 1.2%-4.8% on eligible dining through this program. Best of all: this is on top of the rewards you’ll earn from your credit card.
Hilton Honors Dining is a Rewards Network-operated dining program, which means you can only enroll each of your cards in one dining rewards program at a time. So, you need to consider whether to enroll all of your best dining credit cards in one dining program or whether to enroll each one in different dining programs.
Related reading: 7 restaurant loyalty programs every savvy traveler needs to know
Redeem points for Hilton Honors Experiences
Hilton Honors Experiences allows you to redeem Hilton Honors points to unlock incredible experiences. For example, last summer you could redeem 10,000 Hilton points for a pair of tickets to Hilton’s Lawn Days Summer Concert series. Last winter you could even have redeemed 60,000 Hilton points for a pair of tickets to the 2019 TPG Awards.
The opportunities available through Hilton Honors Experiences change frequently, so it’s worth periodically checking the Hilton Honors Experiences website. Right now, opportunities in the U.S. are relatively limited, although there are two dining experiences at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California.
Related reading: Travel’s just the beginning — How to use points to try something new
Shop with Hilton Points at Amazon
You can also redeem Hilton points through Amazon’s Shop with Points. To use Hilton Honors points to pay for part or all of an Amazon purchase, you must first link your Hilton Honors account to your Amazon account. Once you are ready to complete an Amazon purchase using your points, proceed to checkout and select the number of points you wish to apply under the payment section.
It’s worth noting that the redemption rate is 0.2 cents per point – which is well below TPG’s valuation of Hilton points at 0.6 cents. So, you likely won’t want to redeem your Hilton points through Amazon Shop with Points.
Related reading: 8 Amazon hacks you’ll want to know before your next order
Transfer Hilton points to Airline and rail partners
If you want to convert Hilton Honors Points into airline miles or rail points, you can do so by contacting your local Hilton Reservations and Customer Care center or go to the exchange section of your account.
Transfer Hilton points to airlines and Amtrak
Although there are a few exceptions, transfers to airline miles must generally be done in increments of 10,000 points. Transfers can take up to 30 days to process, so keep that in mind if you’re topping off your account for an award.
Here are the current partners you can transfer your Hilton points to:
| Partner | Exchange rate | Value of Hilton points based on TPG’s valuations | Value of partner currency based on TPG’s valuations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroflot | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Aeroflot Bonus miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| AeroMexico | 25,000 Hilton Honors points for 6,500 Premier Points | 25,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $150 | n/a |
| Aeroplan | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Aeroplan miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.5 cents per mile = $15 |
| Air Asia Big | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 2,000 Air Asia Big Points | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Air France-KLM | 20,000 Hilton Honors points for 2,000 Flying Blue award miles | 20,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $120 | 1,000 miles * 1.2 cents per mile = $12 |
| Air New Zealand | 5,000 Hilton Honors points to 10 Airpoints Dollars | 5,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $30 | n/a |
| Alaska Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Mileage Plan miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.8 cents per mile = $18 |
| American Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 AAdvantage miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,500 miles * 1.4 cents per mile = $21 |
| Amtrak | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Amtrak Guest Rewards points | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,500 points * 2.5 cents per point = $37 |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Mileage Club miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.4 cents per mile = $14 |
| Asiana Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Asiana Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| British Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 British Airways Avios | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.5 cents per mile = $15 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Asia Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.3 cents per mile = $13 |
| China Eastern Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 China Eastern Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Delta Air Lines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Delta miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.2 cents per mile = $12 |
| Emirates | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Emirates Skywards Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.2 cents per mile = $12 |
| Ethopian Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Ethiopian Airlines miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Etihad Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Etihad Guest miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.4 cent per mile = $14 |
| Eurowings | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Eurowings miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| EVA Air | 1,000 Hilton Honors points to 100 Eva Bonus Miles | 1,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $6 | n/a |
| Finnair | 5,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 FinnairPlus points | 5,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $30 | n/a |
| Frontier Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 EarlyReturns miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,500 miles * 1.1 cents per mile = $16 |
| Garuda Indonesia | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 GarudaMiles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Hainan Airlines | 25,000 Hilton Honors points for 10,000 Fortune Wings Miles | 25,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $150 | n/a |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 HawaiianMiles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,500 miles * 0.9 cents per mile = $13 |
| Icelandair | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Saga Club award points | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Japan Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 JAL Mileage Bank miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Jet Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 JetPrivilege JPMiles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| LAN | 25,000 Hilton Honors points for 6,500 LANPASS kilometers | 25,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $150 | n/a |
| Malaysia Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,200 Malaysian Airlines miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Philippine Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Mabuhay Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Qantas Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Qantas Frequent Flyer Points | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Qatar Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Privilege Club Qmiles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 0.8 cents per mile = $8 |
| SAS Scandanivian Airlines | 8,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Euro Bonus Extra points | 8,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $48 | n/a |
| Saudia Arabian Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Alfursan Reward miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Singapore Airlines | 4,000 Hilton Honors points to 500 KrisFlyer Miles | 4,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $24 | 500 miles * 1.3 cents per mile = $6 |
| South African Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Voyager Bonus Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
| Turkish Airlines | 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.3 cents per mile = $13 |
| United | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 MileagePlus miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,000 miles * 1.3 cents per mile = $13 |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Flying Club miles | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | 1,500 miles * 1.6 cents per mile = $24 |
| Virgin Australia | 10,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,500 Velocity Points | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | n/a |
Based on TPG’s valuations, the value of the Hilton points you’d exchange is far higher than the value of the airline or rail currency that you’d gain. So, in most cases you won’t want to exchange your Hilton points for airline or rail miles.
Related reading: Why you should double down on credit card points right now
Transfer airline miles and Amtrak points to Hilton
If you want to convert airline miles or rail points into Hilton Honors points, you’ll need to do so with the participating airline or rail partner. When you call customer service for the airline or rail partner, be sure to have your Hilton Honors member number and the account number for your airline or rail rewards program
Currently, there are three travel partners that offer point transfers to Hilton Honors:
| Partner | Exchange rate | Value of partner currency based on TPG’s valuations | Value of Hilton points based on TPG’s valuations | How to exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amtrak | 5,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for 10,000 Hilton Honors points | 5,000 points * 2.5 cents per point = $125 | 10,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $60 | Call +1-800-307-5000 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 10,000 HawaiianMiles for 15,000 Hilton Honors points | 10,000 miles * 0.9 cents per mile = $90 | 15,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $90 | Call +1-877-426-4537 |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | 10,000 Flying Club miles for 15,000 Hilton Honors points | 10,000 miles * 1.6 cents per mile = $160 | 15,000 points * 0.6 cents per point = $90 | Call +44 1293 538 888 or +1-800-365-9500 |
So, although it could make sense to transfer your HawaiianMiles to Hilton, the other exchange partners won’t make sense for most travelers. This is especially true since you can often buy Hilton miles for as low as 0.5 cents each.
Related reading: The easiest airline miles to get and why you want them
Frequently asked questions
What hotels are part of Hilton Honors?
Hilton Honors has more than 6,100 properties across 18 brands in 118 countries. Here’s a listing of the Hilton Honors brands:
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- Canopy by Hilton
- Curio Collection by Hilton
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Embassy Suites by Hilton
- Hampton by Hilton
- Hilton Hotels
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Hilton Grand Vacations
- Home2 Suites by Hilton
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Motto by Hilton
- Signia by Hilton
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- Tempo by Hilton
- Tru by Hilton
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Related reading: These are the top properties to be saving your Hilton points for right now
Do Hilton Honors points expire?
Your Hilton Honors points will expire if you don’t take one of the following actions within a 15 consecutive month period:
- Stay at a hotel within the Hilton Portfolio
- Earn Hilton Honors points through any third party source, including a co-branded Hilton credit card
- Purchase Hilton Honors points
- Donate points through The Hilton Honors Giving Back Program
However, note that Hilton has paused point expirations through Dec. 31, 2020, due to coronavirus concerns.
Are Delta and Hilton partners?
You can convert Hilton points into Delta miles through the exchange section of your Hilton online account. However, the exchange rate isn’t great: you’ll only get 1,000 Delta miles for every 10,000 Hilton points that you transfer.
Can you transfer Hilton points to Marriott?
You can not transfer Hilton points to any other hotel brand, including Marriott.
Related reading: How to pick the right hotel chain for you
Bottom line
As you can see, there are many opportunities to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points through partners. Although the earning options through credit cards, Lyft, car rentals, and Hilton Honors Dining can provide solid opportunities, most of the redemption options through partners should be avoided due to low redemption rates. One exception is Hilton Honors Experiences, which may provide solid value to some consumers for select experiences.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex card, click here.