Hilton Honors is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs, with over 9,000 participating properties across 27 brands. I appreciate that the program offers excellent opportunities to earn Hilton points, valuable cobranded credit cards and multiple pathways to secure elite status.

Although Hilton Honors isn't my primary hotel loyalty program, I maintain Hilton elite status through a cobranded credit card and stay at Hilton properties at least quarterly to maximize the up to $50 per quarter Hilton statement credit available through The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment is required; separate Hilton for Business enrollment is also required).

So, whether you stay at Hilton properties weekly or annually, here's what you should know about the Hilton Honors program.

What is Hilton Honors?

Hilton Honors is the hotel loyalty program for Hilton hotels and resorts. It provides benefits and earnings on eligible stays at 27 Hilton brands, from full-service luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad to select-service brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton. Hilton also launched its Select by Hilton collection earlier this year, adding Yotel as the collection's first brand.

The Hilton Honors program offers various ways to earn and redeem Hilton points, too, including many options beyond hotel stays. One of these options is Hilton Honors Adventures, which lets you earn and redeem points for adventure-driven travel experiences. Initial partners for Hilton Honors Adventures are AutoCamp and Explora Journeys.

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal in Mexico. CARLY HELFAND/THE POINTS GUY

When you book directly with Hilton, you'll earn points and benefits based on your membership tier. For the rest of this article, I'll assume you book through Hilton (not an online travel agency or other method) when discussing benefits and earnings.

Related: The 22 best Hilton hotels in the world

Hilton Honors membership tiers

You'll progress up the Hilton Honors membership tiers as you stay at Hilton properties each calendar year. Once you've earned a specific membership tier, you'll enjoy its benefits for the rest of the calendar year in which you earned it and for the entire next calendar year. You can also snag Hilton Honors elite status through a status match or as a cardmember of select American Express cards.

Comparison of Hilton Honors membership tiers

Membership tierQualification requirements per calendar yearKey benefitsWhich credit cards give automatic access to this membership tier?MemberNoneDiscounted rates, waived resort fees on award stays and Wi-Fi accessNoneSilverStay four times, stay for 10 nights or spend $2,500A 20% bonus on base points earned through stays and the fifth-night-free benefit on standard reward stays<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/220311078?pid=220311078&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Card</a>GoldStay 15 times, stay for 25 nights or spend $6,000An 80% bonus on base points earned through stays, a choice of a My Way on-property benefit on each stay and space-available room upgrades<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/220312354?pid=220312354&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Surpass%C2%AE%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card</a>, <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6727?pid=6727&amp;name=The%20Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Business%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card</a>, the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22504813?pid=22504813&amp;name=American%20Express%20Platinum%20Card%C2%AE&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">American Express Platinum Card®</a> and <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7758?pid=7758&amp;name=The%20Business%20Platinum%20Card%C2%AE%20from%20American%20Express&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">The Business Platinum Card from American Express</a> (enrollment may be required)DiamondStay 25 times, stay for 50 nights or spend $11,500A 100% bonus on base points earned through stays, executive lounge access and premium Wi-Fi access<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7559?pid=7559&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Aspire%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card</a>Diamond ReserveStay 40 times or 80 nights and spend $18,000A 120% bonus on base points earned through stays, 4 p.m. guaranteed late checkout, premium club access and one confirmable upgrade rewardNone

Check out the following sections to learn more about each of these Hilton Honors membership tiers and other benefits you can enjoy on Hilton Honors stays.

Hilton Honors member

Once you join the Hilton Honors program, you'll be a member. The primary benefits of being a Hilton Honors member are:

  • Access to book the Hilton Honors discount rate
  • Waived resort fees when you pay for your stay using solely points or a promotional free night reward
  • The ability to choose your room from available rooms up to 24 hours before check-in
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
  • The ability to earn points on stays
  • Late checkout, upon request and subject to availability

It's free to join the Hilton Honors program, so you might as well join now if you aren't already a member.

Hilton Honors Silver

You'll earn Hilton Honors Silver status after you stay four times, stay for 10 nights or spend $2,500 in a calendar year. Eligible spending includes room rates and charges billed to your room (such as spa, dining and other incidental charges) from bookings made directly with Hilton or approved channels.

Conrad Tokyo. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

The primary benefits of Hilton Silver status include:

  • A 20% bonus on base points earned through stays
  • Two complimentary bottles of water per stay at select hotels
  • A fifth night free on standard reward stays of five consecutive nights or more (up to four free nights per stay and only when you book solely with points)
  • Access to a spa discount of 15% on a single treatment when staying at Hilton all-inclusive properties with a spa

You'll also enjoy Hilton Silver status as a cardmember benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Unfortunately, Hilton Honors eliminated rollover nights beginning in 2026, although qualifying nights rolled over from 2025 can still count toward 2026 status.

Hilton Honors Gold

You'll earn Hilton Honors Gold status after you stay 15 times, stay for 25 nights or spend $6,000 in a calendar year. The primary benefits of Hilton Gold status include:

  • An 80% bonus on base points earned through stays
  • A choice of a My Way on-property benefit on each stay (which may include the option to select a daily food-and-beverage credit or continental breakfast)
  • Space-available room upgrades to preferred rooms (including up to executive floor room types) at select brands and properties

You'll also get Hilton Gold status as a cardmember benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, the American Express Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card from American Express (enrollment may be required). You can also earn Gold status through the end of the next calendar year if you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within a calendar year.

Related: Which Hilton hotels offer free breakfast? A guide to brand and elite benefits

Hilton Honors Diamond

You'll earn Hilton Honors Diamond status after you stay 25 times, stay for 50 nights or spend $11,500 in a calendar year. The primary benefits of Hilton Diamond status include:

  • A 100% bonus on base points earned through stays
  • Executive lounge access when available
  • Premium Wi-Fi access during stays at select brands
  • Space-available room upgrades to preferred rooms (including up to junior, standard or one-bedroom suites) at select brands and properties

You can also obtain Hilton Diamond status as a cardmember benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Cardmembers of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card can also earn Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year if they spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on their card in a calendar year.

Hilton Niseko Village in Japan. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

You'll secure lifetime Hilton Diamond status once you've earned Hilton Diamond status for 10 years (the years don't need to be consecutive) and either stay 1,000 nights (paid and reward nights count) or spend $200,000 across your account's lifetime.

Hilton Honors Diamond Reserve

You'll earn Hilton Honors Diamond Reserve status after you stay 40 times or 80 nights and spend $18,000 in a calendar year. The primary benefits of Hilton Diamond Reserve status include:

  • A 120% bonus on base points earned through stays
  • 4 p.m. guaranteed late checkout
  • Premium club access, including access to the expanding collection of premium clubs
  • A confirmable upgrade reward, which lets you confirm a premium room upgrade (up to a suite) at the time of booking for a stay of up to seven nights

Related: Elite status battle: What happened when we tested Hilton's new Diamond Reserve versus Diamond status

Hilton status match and challenge

Hilton Honors usually offers a status match and challenge to select elite members of other hotel loyalty programs. To request a Hilton Honors status match, you must submit proof of your status in another program via an online form.

If Hilton approves your request, you'll get Hilton Gold status for 90 days. You can keep Gold status through March 31, 2028, if you stay for six nights during your 90-day trial period. Meanwhile, if you stay 12 nights within your 90-day trial period, Hilton will upgrade you to Diamond status through March 31, 2028.

Related: Complete guide to airline status matches and challenges

Milestone bonuses and status gifts

Hilton offers its members several additional benefits based on the number of eligible nights they stay each calendar year.

Once you stay 40 eligible nights in a calendar year, you'll get 10,000 bonus points. You'll then earn an additional 10,000 bonus points for every additional 10 eligible nights (up to 180) in a calendar year.

Plus, you'll earn an additional 30,000 bonus points once you stay 60 eligible nights in a calendar year. And once you stay 120 eligible nights in a calendar year, you can choose a confirmable upgrade reward or 30,000 bonus points.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Sunset Walk. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

If you stay 60 eligible nights in a calendar year, you can also gift Hilton Gold status to another member. And if you stay 100 eligible nights in a calendar year, you can gift Hilton Diamond status to another member. However, you can only gift status to one other member per year.

Benefits for Hilton members at Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties

You can book select Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties through Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members get the following benefits when staying at participating SLH hotels:

  • Ability to earn Hilton points on stays (you can also redeem Hilton points for SLH stays)
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Complimentary late checkout (subject to availability)

Plus, Hilton Honors Gold members and above also enjoy:

  • Space-available room upgrades
  • Continental breakfast for you and up to one additional guest

Related: The coolest SLH hotels you can book with Hilton Honors points

Benefits for Hilton members on Explora Journeys

You'll earn eligible nights, stays and spend toward Hilton Honors status on Explora Journeys. You'll also enjoy some extra perks based on your Hilton Honors tier as follows:

  • Member: 5% savings on all Journeys, a welcome gift and 5% savings on Journeys merchandise
  • Silver: Member benefits, plus a signature loyalty delight and dedicated customer support
  • Gold: Silver benefits, plus access to a cocktail event with ship leadership and a surprise gift or ritual
  • Diamond: Gold benefits, plus complimentary laundry service (one bag per Journey) and experience credits for destination experiences and ocean wellness
  • Diamond Reserve: Diamond benefits, plus complimentary laundry service (one bag per day), a behind-the-scenes bridge tour (upon availability) and a private transfer to the port
How to earn Hilton points

As you interact with the Hilton Honors program, you'll find many ways to earn points. For a detailed discussion, I highly recommend checking out our guide on earning Hilton points, but here's an overview of your options.

Hotel stays

One of the easiest ways to earn Hilton points is through hotel stays. On eligible stays, you'll usually earn as follows on charges to your folio from up to four rooms:

  • 3 points per dollar spent, plus 3,000 bonus points per 10 nights completed within the same stay, at LivSmart Studios properties
  • 5 points per dollar spent at Home2 Suites outside China, Homewood Suites, Spark, Tru, Yotel and Apartment Collection properties
  • 10 points per dollar spent at Home2 Suites in China and other Hilton brands
Graduate by Hilton Princeton in New Jersey. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Of course, as I mentioned above, you'll earn additional bonus points on stays if you have Hilton elite status. Plus, you may earn bonus points through current Hilton promotions.

Related: 8 best Hilton all-inclusive resorts

Hilton credit cards

Hilton Amex cards are also a great way to earn points. Here's a look at the earning rates, welcome offers and annual fees on some of our favorite Hilton credit cards.

CardWelcome offerEarning ratesAnnual fee<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7559?pid=7559&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Aspire%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card</a>Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.<ul> <li>14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio</li> <li>7 points per dollar spent on select travel, including flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies</li> <li>7 points per dollar spent on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery</li> <li>3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases</li> </ul>$550 (see <a href="/tc/7559?pid=7559&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Aspire%20Card&amp;data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/220312354?pid=220312354&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Surpass%C2%AE%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card</a>Earn 130,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.<ul> <li>12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio</li> <li>6 points per dollar spent on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery; groceries at U.S. supermarkets; and gas at U.S. gas stations</li> <li>4 points per dollar spent on U.S. online retail purchases</li> <li>3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases</li> </ul>$150 (see <a href="/tc/220312354?pid=220312354&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Surpass%C2%AE%20Card&amp;data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6727?pid=6727&amp;name=The%20Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Business%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card</a>Earn 150,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.<ul> <li>12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio</li> <li>5 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases (on the first $100,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 3 points per dollar thereafter)</li> </ul>$195 (see <a href="/tc/6727?pid=6727&amp;name=The%20Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Business%20Card&amp;data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/220311078?pid=220311078&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Card&amp;issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Hilton Honors American Express Card</a>Earn 70,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.<ul> <li>7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio</li> <li>5 points per dollar spent on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery; groceries at U.S. supermarkets; and gas at U.S. gas stations</li> <li>3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases</li> </ul>No annual fee (see <a href="/tc/220311078?pid=220311078&amp;name=Hilton%20Honors%20American%20Express%20Card&amp;data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)

I have the Hilton Aspire Card and find it offers far more value than its annual fee since I maximize its benefits. Plus, earning 14 points per dollar spent on purchases at Hilton properties is unbeatable. But if you don't maximize the annual free night reward and don't fully use the up to $400 Hilton resort statement credit (up to $200 statement credits biannually) each year, the Hilton Aspire may not be the right card for you.

Related: Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire: Do you want Gold or Diamond status?

Transfer rewards to Hilton

You can also earn points by transferring rewards to Hilton Honors. Specifically, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio, meaning 1,000 Amex points could become 2,000 Hilton points. You can also transfer Bilt Points to Hilton Honors at a 1:1 ratio.

You can usually get more value by transferring these points to other loyalty programs, so I wouldn't transfer my Amex or Bilt points to Hilton Honors. But even if you plan to transfer Amex or Bilt points to Hilton, it's usually a good idea to wait until you're ready to book your stay.

Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points

Hilton partners

You can earn Hil