How much value does the Hilton Honors program provide when you book directly?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. Like most hotel loyalty programs, Hilton Honors only offers elite benefits and earnings when you book directly. So, the obvious question before booking a specific stay is: Should I book directly with Hilton Honors? Here’s a look at the value you’ll get when …

Apr 27, 2025 - 16:02

How much value does the Hilton Honors program provide when you book directly?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Like most hotel loyalty programs, Hilton Honors only offers elite benefits and earnings when you book directly. So, the obvious question before booking a specific stay is: Should I book directly with Hilton Honors?

Here’s a look at the value you’ll get when booking directly and what booking directly means for the Hilton Honors program. I’ll also discuss how you could earn Hilton Honors status, giving you more points and benefits on stays.

What value does Hilton Honors provide?

When you book directly, the Hilton Honors program provides value in earnings, on-site benefits and milestone bonuses. Here’s a closer look at each of these three aspects.

Value of points earned on stays

Hilton members earn points at a set rate for qualifying stays booked directly, and Hilton elite members get a 20% to 100% points bonus. Here’s a look at the earning rates for Hilton stays based on the brand and your elite status.

	Tru by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton brands, excluding Home2 outposts in China	Other Hilton properties, including Home2 outposts in China
Member	5 points per dollar	10 points per dollar
Silver (20% bonus)	6 points per dollar	12 points per dollar
Gold (80% bonus)	9 points per dollar	18 points per dollar
Diamond (100% bonus)	10 points per dollar	20 points per dollar

Based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, Hilton points are worth 0.6 cents each. So, on $100 in eligible purchases for a stay (not at Tru or Home2 properties outside of China), Hilton members would earn as follows:

Member without elite status: 1,000 points worth $6
Silver member: 1,200 points worth $7
Gold member: 1,800 points worth $11
Diamond member: 2,000 points worth $12

So, consider the value of the points you’ll earn when deciding how to book your stay, even if you don’t care about elite status perks or earning toward status.

Value of on-site perks

The value of on-site perks will vary from one member to another and from one stay to another. As such, it’s best to consider the elite status benefits you’d use during a specific stay and estimate how much value they’d provide.

Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center. EMILY THOMPSON/THE POINTS GUY

For example, I’m eligible for executive lounge access as a Hilton Honors Diamond member. However, the lounge access benefit is only valuable when I stay at a property that offers a lounge. The lounge access benefit is also likely to provide more value when the lounge offers useful amenities, such as nice views, helpful concierge services or an evening happy hour.

As a Diamond member, I get a daily food-and-beverage credit or continental breakfast at most Hilton Honors properties. Although some members like the food-and-beverage credit, I get better value when staying at properties that offer continental breakfast. Frankly, the food-and-beverage credit isn’t valuable enough for me to stay at a Hilton Honors property instead of one that’s part of the other hotel loyalty programs I use.

Hilton Maldives Amingiri breakfast — Breakfast at the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

It’s also worth considering which perks are provided on a space-available basis or left to the hotel’s discretion. For example, Hilton Gold and Diamond members are eligible for space-available room upgrades (including up to suites for Diamond members), but in practice, the Hilton Honors terms say that these members may be upgraded based on availability at arrival and subject to the hotel’s discretion. So, if a property doesn’t want to give you a notable upgrade — even when it’s still selling many types of upgraded accommodations — it doesn’t have to.

For some stays, the value of on-site perks may be zero, even as a top-tier Diamond member. However, on-site elite benefits may give you over $100 a night in value on other stays.

Value of milestone bonuses

Finally, if you frequently stay at Hilton Honors brands, it’s worth considering the value of the milestone bonuses you’ll start earning each year after staying 40 nights. These milestone bonuses are simple: You earn 10,000 bonus points per 10 nights stayed once you’ve stayed 40 nights in a calendar year.

Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach — DYLAN CROSS/HILTON GARDEN INN ST. PETE BEACH/FACEBOOK

Our April 2025 valuations value 10,000 bonus points at $60, so these bonuses are worth considering if your stay would allow you to achieve a milestone you otherwise wouldn’t reach.

Which stays qualify?

You must book an eligible stay through a qualifying channel to get elite benefits and earnings on your Hilton stays. The Hilton Honors terms and conditions list the following as qualifying booking channels:

Official, direct Hilton hotel brand websites and the Hilton Honors website
Hilton reservations and customer care phone lines
Hilton Honors or Hilton mobile applications
Directly at a hotel in the Hilton portfolio
International Air Transport Association-accredited retail travel agent professionals who book through a Hilton channel, Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo, Worldspan or Sabre

Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

However, the following types of rates and booking methods are ineligible:

Wholesale/tour operator packages; contracted crew rates; travel agency discount rates; packages exclusively for casino player card holders; unauthorized Members staying on Go Hilton Team Member or Family & Friends Travel Rates; stays secured utilizing Hilton Grand Vacations Club and Hilton Club timeshare programs, HiltonGetaways.com bookings; Hilton Grand Vacations marketing packages with a sales presentation requirement; complimentary or barter rooms; NET Group Tour; Group Tour Series Rates; NET contracted Entertainment or Encore rates; third party websites bookings (irrespective of rate paid); and “opaque” channel bookings where the brand may or may not be known at the time of purchase.

In short, if you reserve directly through the Hilton Honors website or app and don’t book an ineligible rate, you should earn points and enjoy on-site benefits based on your Hilton elite status.

How to earn Hilton elite status

All Hilton members are at least members, but you can earn Hilton elite status through the end of the following calendar year when you meet these requirements in a single calendar year:

Silver status: 10 nights, four stays or 25,000 base points
Gold status: 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 base points
Diamond status: 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 base points

DoubleTree Orlando — DOUBLETREE SUITES BY HILTON ORLANDO — DISNEY SPRINGS AREA/FACEBOOK

There are also other ways to earn Hilton Honors elite status. For example, you can get Hilton elite status as a benefit of the following travel rewards cards (enrollment may be required):

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Get complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status as a cardmember perk.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status as a cardmember perk, and receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the subsequent calendar year each calendar year the total eligible purchases on your card account reach $40,000 or more.
The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Enroll to get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status as a cardmember perk.
Hilton Honors American Express Card: Get complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status as a cardmember perk, and upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the subsequent calendar year each calendar year the total eligible purchases on your card account reach $20,000 or more.

The information for the Hilton Aspire 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.

I have the Hilton Aspire and find its benefits — up to $400 in Hilton resort credit each calendar year (offered as up to $200 semiannually), up to $200 in flight credit each calendar year (offered as up to $50 quarterly) and an annual free night award — provide more value than the card’s $550 annual fee.

Bottom line

Earning 20 points per dollar spent on most paid Hilton stays with Hilton Diamond status — which is easy to maintain through the Hilton Aspire card — is reason enough for me to book directly with Hilton Honors. Even if you have Hilton Gold status through the Amex Platinium, you’ll still earn 18 points per dollar spent on most paid stays.

These earning rates are what you’d earn directly from Hilton Honors. You’d also earn more rewards through the travel rewards card you use to pay for your stay. Plus, you can earn extra rewards if you click through an online shopping portal before booking.

However, as mentioned in this article, the benefit of booking directly on some stays will be limited to the Hilton Honors points you earn. As such, especially if you don’t have (and aren’t striving for) Hilton elite status, it may be worth comparing prices across a few booking methods.