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How 20,000 Hilton points got me a 60-minute couples massage and a 4-course dinner for 2
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
May 27, 2022 • 14 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Hilton Honors points can be redeemed for unique experiences, such as spa treatments and dining, through the Hilton Honors Experiences program.
Some experiences are available for immediate redemption, while others require bidding, with options varying by location and date.
The author found strong value in redeeming points for a couples massage in Bengaluru, but the four-course dinner offered less clear value due to service inconsistencies.
TPG's valuations peg Hilton points at 0.6 cents each as of June 2024, helping assess the worth of these redemptions.
What to consider
Redemptions must be made at least seven business days before the experience, with use by Dec. 24 for current offers in India.
Communication and inclusions may vary by property, so clarity on what is covered is important when booking.
Some offers mentioned in the article are no longer available.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step insights on booking Hilton Honors Experiences and detailed comparisons of value between different redemption options.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There are two types of Hilton Honors Experiences: ones you can redeem for and ones you have to bid on. As I write this story, there are 51 experiences you can redeem for straightaway and six experiences you can bid on.
The Hilton Honors Experiences program isn't new. But I recently used the program for the first time when I found two redemptions I couldn't resist:
10,000 points for a four-course meal for two at the Conrad Bengaluru in India.
10,000 points for a 60-minute massage for two at the Conrad Bengaluru in India.
These experiences reminded me that I should check the Hilton Experiences program more frequently, even if I don't have plans to stay with Hilton. So, here's how and why I booked these Hilton Honors Experiences and whether I think they were a good use of Hilton points.
How and why I made these redemptions
I was already in India on an almost three-week trip when I thought to check whether there were any appealing Hilton Experiences in the cities my husband and I planned to visit. As soon as I saw the three Hilton Honors Experiences available in India, I was curious about redeeming Hilton points for at least one of the experiences.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
I'd decided not to visit Goa on this trip, but I did plan to spend four nights in Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore) at the end of my trip, checking out the club level at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore and getting inexpensive Hyatt elite nights at the Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore. A quick search showed that the Conrad Bengaluru is just a six-minute walk from the Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore, so I was sold.
View of the Conrad from my room at the Hyatt Centric. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
Initially, I only planned to redeem 10,000 Hilton points for one experience. But as I chatted with my husband, we decided to splurge on both. After all, we've struggled to redeem Hilton points for stays at or above TPG's valuation of 0.6 cents per point. And these redemptions seemed like they'd provide memorable experiences.
When redeeming, I noticed that these experiences are available for redemption until Nov. 30 and for use by Dec. 24. So, there's still time to book these redemptions if you'd like.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
After I clicked "Confirm Purchase," I saw the following message.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
The experiences appeared in the Hilton Honors Experiences history section about four minutes after confirming both redemptions.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
The experience terms state you must redeem Hilton points at least seven business days before you want to have the experience. This is because the Hilton Honors Experience team will email you within two business days of your redemption to confirm your contact information.
Then, a representative for your experience will reach out within five business days to organize your experience. In our case, a representative from the Conrad Bengaluru reached out via WhatsApp (which is the go-to method for communication for many tourism providers in India). We organized both the dinner and the massage with little hassle.
60-minute couples massage for 10,000 Hilton points
Massages are typically less expensive at luxury hotels in India than at luxury hotels in the U.S. But, redeeming 10,000 Hilton points for a 60-minute couples massage at a luxury hotel in India is still exceptional. After all, based on TPG's valuations, 10,000 Hilton points are worth about $60.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
We booked a 6:30 p.m. massage slot on a Monday. We arrived about 30 minutes early to have time to change and enjoy the relaxation areas.
The person coordinating our Hilton Honors Experiences at the Conrad met us at the spa reception and led us to a relaxation room. He asked us to send him the confirmations from Hilton and confirmed that we wanted our massages in the same room instead of separate rooms.
Then he brought us the spa menu and essentially said we could choose any of the 60-minute massages that cost 4,300 Indian rupees (about $56) before taxes and fees.
(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
We both opted for the Swedish massage with medium pressure. We then filled out spa intake forms before spa staff members led us to the changing areas.
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
The spa staff gave me a quick tour of the changing area for women, including the showers, lockers, changing rooms, sauna, steam room and ice shower. She encouraged me to change and use the steam room shortly before my massage.
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
The massage rooms at the Conrad Bengaluru are beautiful and I appreciated the heated beds. My massage had good pressure and was relaxing, although I found it somewhat strange that the spa didn't have any hair ties for women who'd arrived without one.
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After our massage, we were led back to the changing areas. I showered to get the massage oil out of my hair and went to enjoy tea and raisins in the relaxation room.
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Was it worth it?
Our 60-minute couples massage was certainly worth 10,000 Hilton points (plus the cash tip we gave the masseuses). After all, TPG's valuations peg the value of 10,000 Hilton points at $60. And I'd happily pay $30 for my half of the couples massage.
But experiences are worth what you'd pay for them. So, I hesitate to calculate a value based on the going massage rates at the Conrad. However, the spa menu listed the Swedish massage I got at 4,300 Indian rupees (about $56) — and that's before taxes and fees. Using this value and TPG's valuation of Hilton points, we got over $112 in massages for $60 worth of points.
Next time I'm in Bengaluru, I'll check whether I can still redeem 10,000 Hilton points for a couples massage at the Conrad Bengaluru. If so, you'll find me getting another massage at the Conrad.
Redeeming 10,000 Hilton Honors points for a four-course meal for two felt like less of a bargain than the couple's massage. But, we decided to also give the four-course meal redemption a try at the Conrad Bengaluru.
(Screenshot from experiences.hiltonhonors.com)
You can choose between lunch and dinner at either Mikusu or Tiamo. After looking at photos and reviews of both restaurants, I choose the poolside Tiamo for a 6 p.m. seating.
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Hilton Conrad Bengaluru in India. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
However, when we arrived, none of the restaurant staff seemed confident about the inclusions of our Hilton Honors Experience. And the person who we'd spoken to via WhatsApp wasn't working on the day of our dinner.
As you can see in the above screenshot, the experience was a "4-course set meal" consisting of "soup, an appetizer, main course, dessert and soft drinks." But we struggled to get a definite answer from the server or the manager regarding whether we needed to order from the specific four-course set meal on one side of the menu or whether we could order four courses from the a la carte menu.
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Eventually, we just ordered. We figured we'd see what happened when the bill arrived. I stuck mostly to the four-course set menu on one side of the menu, only asking to switch out the soup for a different soup on the a la carte menu. Meanwhile, my husband ordered four courses from the a la carte menu.
Our set meals came with soft drinks, but I also ordered a cocktail. The bartender sent over two complimentary drinks for our table as well.
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Tiamo bar at the Hilton Conrad Bengaluru. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
I ordered the paprika chicken skewers as my appetizer, while my husband ordered the homemade grilled cottage skewers. I enjoyed both appetizers but especially liked the seasoning on the chicken skewers.
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
Next up, we got our soup course. I tried the Peruvian asparagus veloute while my husband went with the minestrone a la Tiamo. His soup was flavorful and full of vegetables, while mine was creamy and savory.
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
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(Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
I ordered the spatchcock chicken for the main course while my husband opted for the stewed tomato fettuccine. I tried an olive from his dish but otherwise focused on the deliciousness of mine. The chicken was cooked just right, the vegetables were crisp and the corn porridge was creamy and full of flavor.
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Our last course was dessert. I opted for the tiramisu while my husband tried the baklava. I enjoyed the creaminess of the tiramisu but found the filling of the baklava a bit off. And awkwardly, the server insisted that my husband pull up Tripadvisor to leave a review as we were trying to enjoy our desserts. His insistence on a positive review mentioning him by name felt out of place at a luxury hotel.
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We found charges for one soda and my cocktail when the bill came. Our four-course set meal included soda, but we didn't complain as the soda only cost a few dollars, the staff had seemed unsure about the inclusions of our experience and there were no other unexpected charges.
In hindsight, the other restaurant you can choose for this Hilton Experience, Mikusu, might make for an interesting four-course set meal.
We stopped by Mikusu after eating at Tiamo to check the menu. The host initially said Mikusu doesn't do set menus for groups of two and hence didn't have a set menu we could see. But, when we clarified that we were interested in the Hilton Experiences set menu, he said there isn't a menu but that we'd instead get the chef's selection of courses.
Was it worth it?
I feel less confident the four-course set meal was worth $60 of Hilton points. Based on the menu, the four-course set meal at Tiamo was 2,499 Indian rupees (about $32) per person before taxes. My husband and I could have easily ordered two entrees and an appetizer off the a la carte menu for less than $60 and been satisfied if we wanted to try Tiamo.
Plus, the stress of not getting clear answers to our questions regarding the experience inclusions and the awkwardness of our server demanding a Tripadvisor review really detracted from the experience. Regardless, I'll likely give Mikusu a try on my next visit to Bengaluru if I can do so for 10,000 points.
You don't need to earn many points to book the two Hilton Experiences I tried in India. But, if you need to earn more Hilton points, here are some options:
Sign up for a new Hilton credit card and meet the minimum spending requirements to earn the welcome bonus.
Buying points is the quickest way to earn more Hilton points. But if you don't need the points quickly, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers a welcome bonus of 130,000 bonus points plus a free night reward after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Most Hilton Experiences cost more than 10,000 Hilton points. So, you'll need to calculate whether it's worth redeeming Hilton points for experiences. But unique experiences often appear, ranging from golf tournament tickets to concert tickets. And if you find yourself in Bengaluru or Goa, consider checking Hilton Experiences to see whether 10,000-point massage and dining experiences are still on offer.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
