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From all-inclusive resorts to 65 nights : TPG staffers reveal how they'd spend 1 million Hilton Honors points
Benji Stawski is a former reporter for the site, covering all things points, miles, credit cards, travel and aviation.
September 17, 2021 • 11 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
The article explores how to maximize 1 million Hilton Honors points, which TPG values at $6,000 as of March 2022.
Three strategies are highlighted: splurging on luxury properties, leveraging the fifth-night-free perk for longer stays, and stretching points at lower-cost international hotels.
Dynamic pricing means award rates vary by property and date, so actual redemption value can differ.
Elite status with the program unlocks the fifth-night-free benefit, significantly extending the value of points.
What to consider
Award pricing is dynamic, so point requirements fluctuate based on travel dates and hotel demand.
The fifth-night-free benefit is only available to elite members, making status a key factor in maximizing value.
Points can be earned through stays, transfers from select partners or by purchasing during promotions.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed sample itineraries showing how to redeem 1 million points for luxury, all-inclusive, or extended budget-friendly stays across multiple countries.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Many TPG readers have been able to rack up some serious points and miles during the pandemic. So, to share some inspiration on how to best redeem them, we launched a new series where TPG's Points and Miles team shares how they would spend 1 million miles with a given loyalty program.
On paper, TPG values 1 million Hilton Honors points at $6,000, which is much lower than some other programs we've looked at in this series. However, as you're going to see, there are some tricks you can use to squeeze more value out of these points.
Splurging on top properties around the world
Andrew Kunesh, senior reporter
Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts. (Photo courtesy of Hilton)
While not the most valuable hotel points in the world, I've used Hilton Honors points to save thousands of dollars on travel over the years at some pretty great hotels.
I've redeemed points everywhere from San Francisco to Krakow, Poland, to Tokyo over the years, and they've made my travels more affordable and let me stay in some excellent properties. Plus, with so many easy ways to earn Hilton points, my account seemingly always has enough points to cover a night or two at a midrange hotel when I need it.
If tasked with redeeming a million Hilton points, I'd go out of my way to redeem them at high-end properties on my travel bucket list. I'll run you through the properties below, but remember that Hilton has dynamic pricing for all awards. The award pricing range listed is based on prices in March 2022, according to Hilton's website, but it can range for your specific dates.
Here's a quick look at all of the properties I'd book for three nights each:
Conrad Hong Kong: 24,000 to 40,000 points per night (72,000 to 120,000 points for a three-night stay).
Conrad Tokyo: 83,000 to 95,000 points per night (249,000 to 285,000 points for a three-night stay).
Hilton Singapore Orchard: 60,000 points per night (180,000 points for a three-night stay).
The Waldorf Hilton, London: 64,000 points per night (192,000 points for a three-night stay).
(Photo courtesy of the Oceana Santa Monica/Hilton)
At the low end of the price range, these stays would cost 978,000 points for 15 nights at some of Hilton's most luxurious properties. These have each been on my Hilton bucket list for some time now, and their cash rates are well outside of what I'd normally spend for a hotel. This is a great example of how points and miles help make otherwise impractical trips possible.
30 nights across new 6 properties -- including an all-inclusive resort
Benji Stawski, strategic travel reporter
Free breakfast and suite upgrades are great, but one of my favorite perks of my Hilton Honors elite status is the fifth night free on all award stays. For the uninitiated, whenever you redeem your Hilton Honors points for award stays as an elite member, you’ll receive every fifth night for no additional points. So, to maximize my million points all of my stays will be at least five nights long.
First, I'd book five nights at the new Hilton Cancun resort, slated to open in November.
This will be an all-inclusive property so my points will cover all of my food, drinks and activities. Standard free nights will usually cost 95,000 points, but that drops to 76,000 points when factoring in the free fifth night. Even better, this rate is based on double occupancy so I'll get to bring a friend with me. The renderings of the resort look more akin to Hilton's premium Conrad brand and there will be a whopping 12 restaurants on-site.
(Photo courtesy of Hilton Cancun All-Inclusive/Facebook)
That leaves me with 620,000 points remaining. Although there are some aspirational Hilton properties like the Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts on my bucket list, I'd rather book some lower-priced hotels so that I can squeeze more trips out of my points. I'd focus on international hotels since they often offer better value, though I'll make an exception for the beautiful new Canopy Chicago opening early next year.
Here are some hotels I’d book, along with the price I’d pay for a stay in early 2022:
Waldorf Astoria Panama: 33,000 points per night (132,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands: 25,000 points per night (100,000 points for a five-night stay).
Anselmo Buenos Aires, Curio Collection by Hilton: 18,000 points per night (72,000 points for a five-night stay).
Canopy by Hilton Chicago Central Loop: 50,000 points per night (200,000 points for a five-night stay).
V Hotel Dubai, Curio Collection by Hilton: 31,000 points per night (124,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands. (Photo courtesy of Hilton)
Altogether I would have booked 30 nights across six properties. As you might have noticed, newly opened hotels are a theme for me.
Unfortunately, as has been mentioned, Hilton uses dynamic pricing. So, it's impossible to tell just how much a stay will cost until you search for specific dates. And the stay may cost a different amount if you wait to book or decide to book on other dates. But Hilton's Points Explorer tool will tell you the range other Hilton Honors members have recently paid to book a standard room at each hotel as of July 19. Of course, the current points per night may be higher or lower now.
Here's a look at the hotels I'd visit and a range of recent award night costs for each property:
Conrad Cairo in Egypt: 14,000 to 30,000 points per night (56,000 to 120,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa in Egypt: 26,000 to 30,000 points per night (104,000 to 120,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Pyramids Golf in Egypt: 10,000 points per night (40,000 points for a five-night stay).
DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul - Sirkeci in Turkey: 22,000 to 40,000 points per night (88,000 to 160,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Garden Inn Konya in Turkey: 5,000 points per night (20,000 points for a five-night stay).
DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos - Cappadocia in Turkey: 15,000 points per night (60,000 points for a five-night stay).
DoubleTree by Hilton Van in Turkey: 10,000 points per night (40,000 points for a five-night stay).
DoubleTree by Hilton Bratislava in Slovakia: 20,000 points per night (80,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hampton by Hilton Warsaw City Centre in Poland: 15,000 to 20,000 points per night (60,000 to 80,000 points for a five-night stay).
DoubleTree by Hilton Lodz in Poland: 18,000 to 20,000 points per night (72,000 to 80,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hampton by Hilton Krakow in Poland: 10,000 points per night (40,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town in Romania: 17,000 to 20,000 points per night (68,000 to 80,000 points for a five-night stay).
Hilton Doubletree Fiji (Photo by Katie Genter / The Points Guy)
So, based on Points Explorer data, I'd likely need to redeem between 888,000 and 1,080,000 Hilton points for these 65 nights. However, I'd also check cash rates before booking to determine if I should book paid stays instead of redeeming points at some hotels if I needed to in order to keep it a million points. I'd also need to travel between these hotels, but I have plenty of airline miles and transferrable points to redeem for flights, so that's a 'problem' for another set of points.
As an added benefit, all of the cards come with some form of elite status so you'll unlock the fifth-night-free benefit, among other perks.
If you’re interested in adding a Hilton card to your wallet, here are some current welcome offers to be aware of:
Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership The card has no annual fee (see rates and fees).
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership. . ($95 annual fee, see rates and fees).
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business card within the first three months of card membership. The card has a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of card membership. The card has a $450 annual fee (see rates and fees).
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.
Although Hilton Honors doesn’t have a published award chart, there's still plenty of value to be had from the program, as you can see by examples including 65 nights for 1,000,000 points.
Whether you're booking a top-tier Waldorf Astoria hotel or a budget-friendly Hampton by Hilton, you can stretch the value of your points by leveraging lesser-known perks like the fifth night free for elites. If you don't have Hilton elite status yet, know that it's very easy to earn via a variety of methods.
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh and Katie Genter.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex, click here
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass, click here
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honor Business Amex, click here
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Aspire Amex, click here
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.
