Hilton Honors is offering an up to 100% bonus on purchased points until 26 November, which can be leveraged into cheaper Hilton Hotels stays.

This can represent good value for topping up points balances for specific redemptions—a 100% bonus is the best offer you will usually see. Note, however, that these offers are not usually great for buying points speculatively—you will need to have a specific hotel stay in mind to compare buying points vs paying cash.

This is the fifth promotion in a row that has offered points at this price.

Note that this offer may be targeted, with some members receiving a lower bonus.

Current offer

The minimum points required to trigger the bonus is 10,000 points, and you can purchase up to 160,000 points in a calendar year (double the usual limit), excluding bonus points.

That means the maximum amount of points you can purchase in this promotion is 160,000 regular points + 160,000 bonus points = 320,000 total points for US$1,600.

The bonus brings the cost of each point down from the regular price of 1 US cents per point to 0.5 cents.

You should run the maths in advance and see if room redemption costs and availability will work for you to buy Honors points instead of paying cash.

Once you’ve clicked through, you’ll need to sign into your account and the bonus will be visible.

Offer History

The usual price set by Hilton is 1 US cent per point, including taxes. Previously they have been sold for:

Using purchased Hilton Honors points

Hilton Honors has not had an award chart since 2017—instead, it follows a dynamic pricing model, meaning the cost in terms of points fluctuates based on the date. In June 2019, it made some properties even more expensive.

The best redemptions tend to lie at:

• mid-tier properties like the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at Universal Orlando, Agra and Queenstown
• luxury properties like Conrad Maldives, Tokyo and Hong Kong; Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts; and Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• properties located in touristy cities at touristy times, like the Hilton Barcelona and Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

Remember, if you’re a Silver member or above, you’ll get your fifth award night free on stays of five nights or more.

Bear in mind that points bookings come with booking flexibility and free refunds, so make sure you factor that in your price comparison.

Notable restrictions

You can purchase a maximum 80,000 Honors points per account before bonuses per calendar year

If you’re a new member, there is a waiting period for buying points of either:

• 30 days after enrolment if your account reflects activity (a hotel stay or earning of points through a Honors partner); or
• 90 days with no account activity

You are able to pool points with ten other people of your choosing for free—and they don’t need to live at the same address. You can transfer 500,000 points in a calendar year and receive four times that. This is a great way for couples and families to stock up on points.

Summing up

This deal works best if you have some specific travel plans in mind, and can check the paid rate of a Hilton at your intended destination vs what it would cost to buy and redeem points.

While the offer may be particularly good, it is probably still not quite worth buying points speculatively without a specific use in mind.