Hilton Honors selling points with 100% bonus

Hilton Honors has launched its first points purchase promotion of 2023, with a 100% bonus bringing down the cost per point to 0.5 US cents apiece. 

This could be a good opportunity to save on some of your upcoming hotel stays, especially if cash rates have skyrocketed.

Buy Hilton Points with a 100% bonus

Buy Hilton Points with 100% bonus

From now till 8 March 2023, 11.59 a.m SGT, Hilton Honors members who buy a minimum of 5,000 points will receive a 100% bonus.

Hilton points usually cost 1 US cent apiece, so a 100% bonus means buying points at 0.5 US cents each, the lowest price we ever see available.

A maximum of 80,000 points (pre-bonus) can be purchased per calendar year, but since you can combine points across different accounts, this shouldn’t be an issue. 

Hilton recently revised its points expiry policy such that points expire after 24 months of inactivity (versus 15 months previously). Earning or redeeming even a single point resets the clock. 

What can you do with Hilton points?

Hilton no longer has a published award chart, but as a rule of thumb, free nights range from 10,000 to 120,000 points (some Waldorf Astoria properties cost 150,000 points per night). 

If you see award costs higher than this, it’s because there’s no standard rooms available. In that event, points can instead be redeemed for premium rooms, which generally represents poorer value. 

Hilton members with Silver status or higher enjoy the 5th night free on all redemptions, creating some fantastic opportunities to save on hotels during peak periods (Hilton Silver status is offered to all AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend cardholders). Don’t forget that points redemptions also include all taxes and fees, so there’s further savings to be had compared to cash rates.

While everyone dreams of luxury stays at the Conrads and Waldorf Astorias, my most recent use case was actually a lot more prosaic. I went to watch the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California back in March 2022. As this was a spur of the moment thing, all the hotels had already been booked up, and the few remaining were charging ridiculous rates for stays.

Even a humble 3-Star Homewood Suites La Quinta was asking for US$624 per night, before taxes. But award nights were going for 50,000 points per night, and with the 5th night free, I paid an average of 40,000 points per night for a 5 night stay- at 0.5 US cents per point, that’s US$200 nett! Yes, a Homewood Suites is hardly the stuff of dreams, but I’ll take those savings. 

To illustrate some other situations where buying Hilton points might be useful, consider London. A flexible rate at the Conrad London St. James costs US$473 per night, or 80,000 points. Buying points at 0.5 US cents each yields a nett price of US$400, or a 15% saving. If you stay five nights, your per night rate will be just US$320. 

Alternatively, consider New York City, where hotel prices spike around Christmas. Even a modest Hilton Garden Inn is going for US$560! Buying 70,000 points (US$350) would be a much better option.

If you fancy something nicer, the Conrad New York Midtown is going for 95,000 points a night (US$475), versus US$671 with cash.

Otherwise, the classic use case for buying Hilton points is to snag a stay at a luxurious resort at a place like the Conrad or Waldorf Astoria Maldives. By buying points at 0.5 US cents each and getting the 5th night free, you can save significantly off revenue rates while still enjoying flexible cancellation.

What card should you use to purchase Hilton points?

Hilton points purchases are processed by Points.com and charged in USD. You should use the following cards to maximize your returns from buying Hilton Honors points:

Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
Citi Rewards Apply	4 mpd	Cap of S$1K per s. month
UOB Visa Signature Apply	4 mpd	Min S$1K, max S$2K FCY spend per s. month
SCB Visa Infinite Apply	3 mpd	Min S$2K spend per s. month
UOB PRVI Miles Apply	2.4 mpd	No cap
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month

Remember, you can always pair the Citi Rewards Card with the Amaze Card to earn 4 mpd on Points.com purchases, with no foreign currency transaction fees. 

I don’t recommend using the DBS Woman’s World Card for Points.com purchases, as many people have reported issues with getting the bonus points credited. 

Conclusion

Buy Hilton Points with 100% bonus

Hilton is selling points once again with a 100% bonus, which could be a useful way of saving on hotels especially around peak periods. It’s always wise to check for award space before you buy points though, and once again, don’t buy them speculatively!