Hilton is one of the largest hotels brand in the world with over 19 Brands and is present in more than 7000 properties worldwide. It also has a presence in India. These are opportunities to earn and redeem Hilton Honors Points. Here is the ultimate guide to Hilton Honors Program for Indian Travellers.
Hilton Hotels In India & World Wide
Hilton has hotels on every continent of the world. Almost 123 countries & territories have Hilton Brand Hotels. India also has Hilton hotels. 24 Hilton Hotels are operating in India, and one is expected to be opened in Oct’2023.
Following Hilton Brand Hotels are available in India:
- Conrad:
- A Luxury Brand
- 2 Hotels In India (Pune & Bengaluru)
- Doubletree by Hilton
- A Premium Brand
- 12 Hotels in India
- Hilton
- A Premium Brand
- 7 Hotels in India
- Hampton by Hilton
- An Essential Brand
- All Stays with Free Breakfast
- 1 Hotel in India (Hampton by Hilton Vadodara-Alkapuri)
- Hilton Garden Inn
- An Essential Brand
- 5 Hotels in India
Due to the extensive presence of Hilton around the world, you can redeem Hilton Points not just in India but worldwide.
Hilton Honors Elite Status Eligibility
There are four tiers of Hilton Honors, of these three are elite status tiers. These four tiers are Member, Silver, Gold & Diamond. As you join Hilton Honors Loyalty Program, you become a member, and as you earn points or stay more, your tier status is upgraded.
Here are the Hilton Honor Eligibility Criteria:
- Member: Upon Joining
- Silver Elite:
- 4 Stays, or
- 10 Nights, or
- 25000 Points
- Gold Elite:
- 20 Stays, or
- 40 Nights, or
- 75000 Points
- Diamond Elite:
- 30 Stays, or
- 60 Nights, or
- 120,000 Points
- Lifetime Diamond Elite:
- Diamond Status for any 10 Years (Must), and
- 1000-night stays, or
- 2 Million Base Points.
Once you have attained an elite tier, you will remain in that tier until the end of the following year unless you’re upgraded. Also, you will be able to roll over extra nights. That means ten nights will be rolled for next year if you have reached Gold Tier with 50 nights. That means you will continue to remain Silver in this case.
10 Base Points for Hilton Honors are credited for every $1 (INR 82) spent at most Hilton Brands.
Hilton Honor Elite Benefits
Every Tier of Hilton Honor has benefits.
Member Tier Benefits
- Member Discount Rate
- Free Wi-Fi
- Choose from available rooms up to 24 hours in advance
- No Resort Fees on Award Stays
Silver Elite Benefits
- 20% Bonus Points
- Fifth Night Free on Reward Stays
- 15% off at an All-Inclusive spa
- Elite Rollover Nights
- Member Discount Rate
- Free Wi-Fi
- Choose from available rooms up to 24 hours in advance
- No Resort Fees on Award Stays
Gold Elite Benefits
- 80% Bonus Points
- 10000 Bonus Points on reaching 40-night stays
- 10000 Bonus Points for every ten nights after 40-night stays
- Daily Complimentary Continental Breakfast (Except USA)
- Daily Food and Beverage Credit (USA)
- Room Upgrades
- Fifth Night Free on Reward Stays
- 15% off at an All-Inclusive spa
- Elite Rollover Nights
- Member Discount Rate
- Free Wi-Fi
- Choose from available rooms up to 24 hours in advance
- No Resort Fees on Award Stays
Diamond Elite Benefits
- 100% Bonus Points
- 30000 Bonus Points on reaching 60-night stays
- Elite status gifting:
- Gift Gold Elite After Reaching 60 Nights with 365 days Validity
- Gift Diamond after 100 Nights with 365 days validity
- Diamond status extension
- One-Time Extension, and
- Diamond Member for three years, and
- 250 lifetime nights, or
- 500,000 Base Points
- Lounge Access
- Room Upgrades Up to 1-Bedroom Suite
- 48-hour room guarantee
- Free Premium Wi-Fi
- Daily Complimentary Continental Breakfast (Except USA)
- Daily Food and Beverage Credit (USA)
- Fifth Night Free on Reward Stays
- 15% off at an All-Inclusive spa
- Elite Rollover Nights
- Member Discount Rate
- Choose from available rooms up to 24 hours in advance
- No Resort Fees on Award Stays
Hilton Honor Silver Elite is the minimum elite status you need to make the most out of the program since you can get 5th night free while redeeming your stays.
How to earn Hilton Honor Elite Status in India?
If you have an American Express Platinum Charge Card, you get a complimentary Gold Elite status. It is a benefit of the Amex Plat Charge card since you will be able to get complimentary breakfast which can be worth INR 1K per day. And, also fifth-night free benefit is suitable for all elite tiers.
Another way to get elite status is through Status Match.
If you already hold an Elite Status with Marriott, IHG or Hyatt, then you can apply for the status match through this link. Once you submit your Status Match request, you’re upgraded to Gold for 90 days. During the 90 days trial period, you must stay eight nights to retain gold for another two years. And if you stay 14 nights, then you’re upgraded to gold. If you have decided on a status match, go for Diamond.
How to earn Hilton Honor Points in India?
You can earn many Hilton Honor Points by staying at Hilton Hotels. Another good way to earn Hilton Honor Points is by transferring your Amex Credit Points from 1000 to 900 points.
Here are the ways to earn Hilton Honor Points India:
- 10 Points for Every $ 1 (INR 82) on Hotel Spends
- Elite Bonus Points (20% to 100%)
- Milestone Bonus for Gold Elite & Diamond Elite
- Purchase of Points
- Bonus Points on Purchase of Points
- Sign-Up Bonus (Up to 4500 Points)
- Transfer Amex Points (1000:900)
- Transfer Virgin Atlantic Points (2:3 Minimum 10000 Virgin Points)
- Points on Events (1 Point for every $1 (INR 82))
- Stay at New Hilton Hotels
- Earn 1,000 Points per night
- Earn 5,000 Points per stay for three or more nights
Related: Hilton Honor Promotions
Redeeming Hilton Honor Points
There are several ways to redeem your Hilton Honor Points, but the best would always be for Hotel Stays. And, in some cases, for Hilton Experiences.
Here are the ways to redeem your Hilton Honor Points:
- Free Nights
- Hilton Experiences
- Airline Transfers (Bad Conversion 1000 Miles for 10000 Hilton Points)
Free Night’s points, requirement starts from 5000 Points. In India, it usually starts at around 9000 points. But the good thing is that you can use Hilton Points Explorer to find the properties based on the number of points. However, the points shown are based on historical data and aren’t the current points required for booking a hotel. But it points explorer can indicate if you’re booking more than what it has been.
Another decent way to use Hilton Points once in a while is Hilton Experiences. For Example, you can get a 4-course meal for two at Conrad Bengaluru for 10000 Points, where the actual cost can be around INR 3K.
How Much are Hilton Honor Points Worth in India?
The Value of Hilton Honor Points in India is very low at INR 0.4. That means 10000 Hilton Points can be worth INR 4000. It is even lower than the IHG One Rewards value. You will probably find the best value out of Hilton Honor Points at Premium Hilton Hotels & a few essentials hotels. Also, if you’re a Hilton Elite, redeeming your points for 5-night stays will be beneficial because the fifth night is free.
Bottomline
Hilton Honor isn’t for domestic Indian travellers. Since there are just 25 Hilton Properties in India and the value of points is INR 0.4. Also, with only elite status holders having the benefit of the fifth night free, you will need to stay at least ten nights to get more value out of your points significantly. However, this program can be worth keeping if you are already a gold member or above due to the Free Breakfast benefit. This loyalty program is suitable for International travellers and redeeming for certain Hilton Experiences.
