How are Hilton points calculated on stays?
When staying at Hilton brand hotels, you can earn anywhere from 5 points to 34 points per $1 spent based on your elite status level and whether or not you use a Hilton credit card to pay for your stay.
| Method | Points Earned Per $1 Spent |
|---|---|
| Base points | 5 - 10 |
| Elite status | 2 - 10 |
| Hilton credit cards | 7 - 14 |
Calculating base points
Hilton Honors members earn 10 points per $1 spent on the base rate at most Hilton properties. So a hotel with a base price of $200 would earn you 2,000 Hilton Honors Points.
The only exception to this is when staying at True and Home2 brands in which you'll earn 5 points per $1 spent (excluding Home2 China).
Base points are earned on the base rate of the hotel and any other eligible room charges made to the hotel including room service and telephone calls. You will not earn Hilton base points for taxes, fees, or surcharges.
As with just about every hotel loyalty program, note that you will only earn base points on paid hotel stays.
You will not earn points on award/free nights since the base rate for the stay would be $0. You will still earn points on any other eligible room charges though.
Calculating elite status points
Hilton Honors members with elite status will earn up to a 100% point bonus on the base rate. This equals up to an additional 10 points per $1 spent at Hilton brand hotels.
| Level | Bonus | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Member | No Bonus | 0 |
| Silver | 20% | 2 |
| Gold | 80% | 8 |
| Diamond | 100% | 10 |
As an example, a stay at a hotel that costs $200 per night as a Hilton Diamond member would earn you 2,000 base points plus an additional 2,000 points for elite status (100%) for a total of 4,000 points per night.
Calculating Hilton credit card points
Using Hilton credit cards to pay for stays at Hilton brand hotels can earn you up to an additional 14 points per $1 spent. Here's how much you'll earn spending at Hilton properties with each card:
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: 14 points per $1 spent.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 12 points per $1 spent.
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: 12 points per $1 spent.
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: 7 points per $1 spent.
The big benefit with Hilton Honors credit cards is that unlike base points and elite status points, you'll earn Hilton points on taxes and fees since your room charge will appear as a single charge on your statement.
Points earned with Hilton credit cards will post to your account after your credit card statement ends. They are not added to your balance shortly after your stay like base points and elite status points.
Taxes aside, a $200 stay as a Hilton Diamond using the Hilton Surpass Card would earn you 2,000 base points, 2,000 points from elite status, and 2,400 credit card points for a total of 6,400 Hilton Honors Points.
Calculate Hilton points per stay
Use the Hilton Point Calculator to estimate how many Hilton Honors Points you can earn per stay based on brand, status, and Hilton credit cards.
Credit cards that earn Hilton Honors points
Hilton offers four co-branded American Express credit cards that can earn you points via intro bonuses and everyday spending. If you frequent Hilton Hotels, you'll want to heavily consider picking up the Hilton card that works best for you!
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Earn 14X points on Hilton purchases, 7X points on airfare booked directly with an airline or with amextravel.com, car rentals, and at U.S. restaurants, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status, up to $250 in airline incidental credits with a select airline of your choice, up to $250 in Hilton Resort credits annually, $100 Hilton Property Credit on minimum 2-night stays at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad brands, Free Weekend Night Reward annually, and Priority Pass Select Membership.
- Some benefits require enrollment. Terms apply.
- $450 annual fee.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 12X points on Hilton purchases, 6X points on purchases made in the U.S. at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status, 10 complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits per year, and a Free Weekend Night Reward when you spend $15,000 on the card during the year.
- Some benefits require enrollment. Terms apply.
- $95 annual fee. See Rates and Fees
Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 7X points on Hilton purchases, 5X points on purchases made in the U.S. at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status. Enrollment required. Terms apply.
- $0 annual fee. See Rates and Fees
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
- Welcome Offer: 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.
- Earn 12X points on Hilton purchases, 6X points on airfare booked directly with airlines or AMEX Travel and on car rentals, 6X points on restaurants, wireless phone providers, gas stations, and shipping purchases all within the US, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status, 10 complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits per year, and up to 2 Free Weekend Night Rewards per year.
- $95 annual fee See Rates and Fees
Hilton Honors has one major U.S. credit card transfer partner: American Express Membership Rewards. AMEX points can be transferred to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio which means that every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer will give you 2,000 Hilton Honors points.
This makes AMEX one of the best routes for earning lots of Hilton Honors Points on intro bonuses and popular bonus categories. AMEX's personal and business Platinum cards also grant complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status which will earn you additional points and extra benefits!
Here's a few of our favorite Membership Rewards credit cards for Hilton:
The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earns 5X points on airfare purchased direct or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per year) and 5X points on prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel.
- Global Airport Lounge Access which includes Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges.
- Over $1,400 in annual credits, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status, excellent purchase insurance, and much more. Terms Apply.
- $695 annual fee. See Rates and Fees
American Express® Gold Card
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earns 4X points on restaurants purchases worldwide, 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year), 3X points on airfare booked direct, and 1X points on everything else.
- Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash and up to $120 in annual dining credits. Terms apply.
- $250 annual fee. See Rates and Fees
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Earns 5X points on airfare and pre-paid hotel bookings through American Express Travel and 1X points on everything else.
- Global Airport Lounge Access which includes Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges.
- Over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, $200 airline fee credit, 35% points back when you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with AMEX Travel, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status, and much more. Terms Apply.
- $695 annual fee. See Rates and Fees
FAQ
How many base points do you earn at Hilton hotels?
You earn 10 Hilton Honors Points per $1 spent at most Hilton hotels on the base cost of the room. You do not earn base points on taxes, fees, and surcharges.
How many bonus points can you obtain from Hilton Honors elite status?
Hilton Silver offers a 20% bonus (+2 points), Hilton Gold offers an 80% bonus (+8 points), and Hilton Diamond offers a 100% bonus (+10 points).
How many points can you earn from using Hilton credit cards?
Hilton credit cards offer between 7 and 14 points per $1 spent at Hilton hotels.
What's the most points you can earn at staying at Hilton brand hotels?
You can earn up to 34 points per $1 spent. 10 base points, up to a 10 bonus points with Hilton Diamond status, and 14x points with the Hilton Aspire Card.
How many points will I earn on a Hilton stay?
It all depends! You can use the Hilton Honors Points Calculator to calculate how many points you can earn by base spend per $1, Hilton elite status, and Hilton credit cards.
Should I get a Hilton Honors credit card for elite status?
Depends on the perks you want in a card. You can calculate the cash value of each Hilton Honors credit card using the Hilton Honors Calculators. You can also use the Best Credit Cards For Hilton Honors Points Calculator.
