With more than 6,800 Hilton hotels worldwide, it’s hard to travel anywhere and not find a Hilton hotel.
Whether you’re planning a trip to paradise or visiting a big city, the Hilton Honors program offers tremendous value. Most award prices range from 5,000 to 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night for standard rooms, although you can see prices as high as 150,000 points per night at luxury properties in the Maldives.
Considering the wide range of redemption options, let’s look at seven ways to use a free night reward and 100,000 Hilton Points.
How to earn Hilton Honors Points and Free Night Rewards
Currently, you can earn the following welcome offers with Hilton’s cobranded cards:
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 155,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases with the card in the first six months of your card membership, plus a free night reward for spending $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases with the card in the first six months of your card membership.
- The Hilton Honors American Express business card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases with the card in the first three months of your card membership.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of your card membership, plus a free night reward for each year you own the card, and an additional free night after you spend $ 30,000 on the card (and then spend another $60,000 free night in a calendar year)
Related: Increased Hilton Honors Card Offers: Earn up to 175,000 Hilton Honors Points with a New Card
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been verified or provided by the card issuer.
What is a reward for a free night?
Hilton Free Night Certificates can be used at virtually any Hilton hotel worldwide, with a few exceptions. A free night reward can be used for one night, regardless of points cost, when a standard room is available.
Previously, Hilton free night rewards were limited to weekend nights (i.e. Friday through Sunday). Fortunately, this has changed and you can use your certificate any day of the week as long as the Standard Room Rewards are available for booking on the Hilton website.
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Related: How to Get Maximum Value from Hilton Free Night Certificates
Luxury near Utah’s national parks
National parks are having a moment as more travelers flock to the outdoors.
While there are several points-friendly hotels around some national parks, some are quite modest. However, if your trip takes you to Utah, you can take your Moab lodging selection to the next level and stay close to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
The Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton looks beautiful and can be booked on many dates for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night. At these rates, you can book a weekend getaway in the heart of Utah’s natural beauty with your points pool for one night and a free night reward for the other. This leaves you with 20,000 points left.
Also in Utah you will find Cliffrose Springdale, another Curio Collection property, just a few minutes away from Zion National Park. This property will have rooms available later this summer for 90,000 Hilton points per night; However, if you travel outside the high season, you can book a room for as little as 48,000 points per night on many dates.
If you’re looking to stretch your points even further, the Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park has rooms available for approximately 24,000 points per night during off-peak hours and 70,000 points per night during peak hours.
Related: Guide to Visiting Zion National Park
Take a trip to the Florida Keys
If you want an iconic beachfront hotel that will take you back to the style of the 1920s, Casa Marina Key West is a Waldorf Astoria Resort available for 95,000 Hilton points per night. 100,000 points and a free night reward are enough for a weekend at this property, which features two pools and a renovated lobby. Better yet, it’s located near Duval Street, which is home to many restaurants, shops, and pubs.
Another resort-style option in Key West is Reach Key West, a Curio Collection property that can be booked from 95,000 Hilton points per night. Located just steps from the heart of Duval Street, it features a beachfront pool and floating gazebo.
Say “aloha” to Hawaii
Hawaii is a solid place to redeem Hilton points, with a wide variety of accommodations on multiple Hawaiian islands.
Keep in mind that because Hawaii is such a popular destination, it can be very difficult to obtain standard room awards at luxury properties.
Fortunately, some cheaper Hilton awards in Hawaii are easier to find. On the Big Island, the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo DoubleTree can be booked most nights for 50,000 points per night. By combining a free night certificate with a welcome bonus of 100,000 points, you can book three nights for free here.
This property is close to Volcanos National Park, so come prepared to explore.
In my experience, guests staying on Hilton points, even with mid-range Hilton Gold status, are treated like kings and queens. They get free drinks, free parking, waived resort fees and free chocolates.
Another 50,000 points per night DoubleTree option is the Alana – Waikiki Beach. It is a 10-minute walk from Kahanamoku Beach and a 15-minute drive from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
For a larger Hawaiian resort experience on the Big Island, the 62-acre oceanfront Hilton Waikoloa Village goes for 75,000 Hilton points per night.
The Waikoloa Village property features multiple pools, a snorkeling lagoon, tour boats and trams to explore the tropical grounds. This makes the hotel ideal for couples and families, as there is plenty to explore.
Hilton doesn’t have a huge presence on Kauai’s Garden Island, but the Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay is not far from family-friendly Lydgate Beach and the must-do Smith Family Garden Luau. Often it’s 60,000 points per night, which can be a good use of Hilton points since paid rates can be as high as $500 per night.
Hit the slopes
If you want something during ski season, there are multiple ways to redeem up to 100,000 Hilton Points and/or a Free Night Certificate for select nights near the slopes.
The renovated and rebranded Highline Vail (a Hilton DoubleTree property) in Colorado is just a shuttle ride away from the powder. Standard rooms range from around 57,000 points per night during low season and are typically priced at around 80,000 points per night during high season. With that in mind, you could have enough for a peak ski weekend with the Outdo the cards welcome bonus alone. You can find early and late season weekend rates for even fewer points per night.
If you prefer to stay in a bigger city and drive to the slopes every day, consider Denver real estate. Echo Ridge Ski Area is just 36 miles from town.
The cheap and cheerful Home2 Suites by Hilton Longmont starts from just 20,000 Hilton Honors points per night, even during ski season. So you can book five nights with a welcome bonus of 100,000 points.
Related: The best ways to use points to stay near a ski area
Experience a luxury resort in Mexico
Escape to the beaches of Mexico and experience the beautiful Conrad Punta de Mita resort. While cash rates are high (typically over $750 per night), it’s a good use of Hilton points and the free night rewards certificate. Standard room rewards have a rate of 95,000 points per night, although we’ve seen Premium room rewards from as low as 78,000 points per night on various dates.
Even the standard room is 60 square meters in size and offers partial ocean views. Plus, you’ll have access to three expansive pools, a long stretch of private sandy beach, and the Litibu Golf Course. There are four restaurants on site, each offering a unique take on local cuisine.
Related: Fit for a King: A Review of the Conrad Punta de Mita
Fancy a trip to London?
London can be an expensive city when it comes to accommodation. Luckily, you have plenty of Hilton options in London. The hotel group’s portfolio in London is much larger than that of Marriott and Hyatt combined, and there are some excellent refund options available.
Standard room rates at the Hilton London Kensington – close to attractions such as Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace – start from just £32,000 per night. With 100,000 Hilton Honors points plus a free night certificate, you can score a four-night stay in one of London’s swankiest neighborhoods.
Related: The Ultimate 3-Day Itinerary for Visiting London with Kids
Treat yourself to the trip of a lifetime
Let’s face it: 100,000 Hilton points and a free night certificate don’t get you that many nights in some of Hilton’s premium overwater villas, like the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Waldorf Astoria Maldives, or the Conrad Bora Bora Nui. Still, it’s a good start, especially for properties where standard rooms earn 95,000 points per night.
This is especially true if you bundle your Hilton points with friends and family, and each of you earn a 100,000 welcome bonus and a free night reward. Hilton allows free points bundling with up to 11 people, making top-tier redemptions even more accessible for groups.
We found Hilton points to be the best option when we planned a trip to Bora Bora, and we’re actively saving again for another big trip in the future.
In short
These are just seven of our favorite ways to use 100,000 Hilton Points and a free night reward, which you can receive with select Hilton cards after you meet certain requirements. Plus, you can maximize these rewards by booking dozens of award nights at properties starting at just 5,000 points per night. Or you can choose to save your points for the trip of a lifetime and redeem them at luxury resorts.