Best Ways to Use Hilton Points for Maximum Value

If your dream vacation includes an overwater villa, a suite with a private plunge pool, or a five-star all-inclusive resort with free-flowing drinks and gourmet meals, it’s time to give the Hilton Honors program a closer look.

Sure, Hilton doesn’t always get as much love as some other hotel loyalty programs (ahem, Hyatt), but that doesn’t mean you should overlook it.

For one, Hilton cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card make it easy to rack up hundreds of thousands of points and get elite status to make your stays even sweeter. (👉 Check out our full guide to Hilton Honors to learn how!)

And second, Hilton offers incredible hotel redemption options across its 24 brands, with more than 8,600 properties in 139 countries and territories. While Hilton doesn’t publish a formal award chart, standard room redemptions max out at 150,000 points per night — and that’s where things get fun.

So, what are the best ways to use your Hilton points? Let’s dive in.

How To Redeem Hilton Points For Top Value

While you can redeem your Hilton points for Lyft rides, car rentals, or Amazon purchases, that’s definitely not where you’ll find the best value. To get the biggest bang for your buck, save your points for hotel stays, especially when cash prices are sky-high.

Standard room availability can be difficult to come by at some of the top properties, but it’s not impossible. Your best bet is often to try booking as far in advance as possible or checking for last-minute availability. 

Let’s go through a few examples of where to redeem your Hilton points for high value.

Where to Redeem Hilton Points for Maximum Value

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

Situated between the cliffside and the Pacific Ocean in sunny Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Standard rooms have private plunge pools on your terrace or balcony, ocean views, and you get a personal concierge to assist with any request.

Based on our searches, standard room redemptions are typically priced at 140,000 points per night. Keep in mind that Hilton’s award pricing is dynamic, meaning that rates can go up or down with no notice, but the max award rate is 150,000 points. With an award rate of 140,000 points or a cash cost of close to $2,000 including tax, you’d be getting a whopping 1.43 cents per point value for your Hilton points. Hilton points are typically valued around 0.5 or 0.6 cents per point, so getting almost 1.5 cents is triple that value.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

The Maldives may seem like a ritzy destination reserved for the rich or famous. But it doesn’t have to be, thanks to the ability to redeem Hilton points.

The standard room at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is a 3,000-square-foot villa with an infinity pool and overwater terrace. This Waldorf Astoria is one of Hilton’s most luxurious and expensive properties, with cash rates for over $2,000 per night. However, using your Hilton points, you can book 150,000 points per night. And upgrades to the overwater villa are sometimes given if you have Diamond elite status, which you can get just by having the Hilton Amex Aspire.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Bora Bora is another highly sought-after tropical destination, and Hilton’s got you covered there, too. The Conrad Bora Bora Nui offers its king lagoon view suite for standard room redemptions on points, and a sample search shows award rates as low as 120,000 points per night on some dates. 

I know I’d certainly rather spend 120,000 points than pay the $1,800 per night that this hotel charges. Hilton Diamond status may get you an upgrade to an overwater villa or you can reach out to the hotel to inquire about costs to pay for a guaranteed upgrade.

Grand Wailea Maui

Hawaii is an easy destination for West Coast dwellers, so if you’re looking for luxury closer to home, one of the best uses of your Hilton points is at the Grand Wailea Maui. This is a Waldorf Astoria resort that has recently completed a $350 million renovation. Standard rooms here have a terrace view and can be booked with either one king bed or two queen beds.

Rates are as low as 110,000 points per night, with cash rates going for over $1,000.

Hilton All-Inclusive Resorts

Sometimes, you just want a vacation where everything is taken care of — a room with a view, all meals included, and activities to keep you busy when you need a break from relaxing. Using your Hilton points at an all-inclusive resort can be great for just that purpose.

Most of Hilton’s all-inclusives are in Mexico and the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Curacao. There are also a few in Greece and Turkey.

You’ll get the highest per point value at these resorts if going during peak times, such as during the winter season or spring break, when cash rates are high. For example, at the Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort during the week after Christmas, standard room redemptions are available for 100,000 points per night, and cash rates are around $650, giving you a value of 0.65 cents per point.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH)

In 2024, Hilton partnered with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), adding unique, independent hotels to its portfolio. As of May 2025, nearly 450 participating SLH properties are part of Hilton and available for award redemptions.

There are even some all-inclusive resorts within SLH, including the adults-only (age 14 and up) Hermitage Bay in Antigua and Barbuda, which gets rave reviews. Standard room availability for 150,000 points is often tough to find, but if you can, you’ll be treated to a beachfront villa suite, gourmet organic meals, and a daily sushi hour with unlimited drinks. 

The property has just 30 villas, so you’ll receive all the personalized service you can stand. Cash rates here go from $2,000 to $3,000 per night before taxes and fees, so a points booking is a steal of a deal.

There are many other excellent SLH properties, including the RiverView Ranch in Montana, Viceroy Bali, and the Canaves Oia Suites in Santorini.

Stretch Your Points With the Fifth-Night-Free Benefit

If you have any level of elite status with Hilton – from Silver to Gold to Diamond – you get the fifth night free on all standard room award redemptions of five or more nights. This benefit is good for up to four free nights if you’re staying for 20 nights (hey, we can dream).

Using this benefit can be a great way to get more value from your Hilton points, as it reduces the number of points you need per night.

Keep in mind that all co-branded Hilton cards come with some form of automatic Hilton Honors elite status. You can also get automatic Hilton Honors Gold status with The Platinum Card® from American Express(enrollment required).

Is it Worth Buying Hilton Points?

Buying points isn’t normally the best move, but Hilton is the exception when the price is right.

Hilton frequently runs promotions offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased points, which effectively brings the cost down to just 0.5 cents per point. That’s right in line with our target redemption value and can be a terrific deal if you have a specific high-value redemption in mind (like those overwater villas or five-star resorts we just talked about).

Bottom Line

Hilton Honors points open the door to luxury hotel stays that might otherwise be out of reach. Granted, sometimes redeeming your points at an airport Hilton hotel or suburban Hampton Inn is necessary, but the best redemptions to get outsized value from your points will be those higher-end properties.

Whether booking a beachfront villa in the Maldives or an all-inclusive escape in Mexico, Hilton Honors allows you to travel like royalty without the royal price tag. 💅