One of the world's largest hotel loyalty programs with over 7,600 properties across 23 brands in 126 countries. Points are easy to earn through hotel stays and co-branded credit cards, with a free fifth night on standard reward stays.
These cards earn transferable points that can be converted to Hilton Honors.
Our Valuation
0.7 cents per point(CAD)
0.5 cents per point (USD)
Large portfolio but low per-point value reflects the ease of earning – Hilton points accumulate quickly through stays and US co-branded cards. The free fifth night on standard rewards and occasional Points Breaks provide the best returns.
Last updated: February 9, 2026
Hilton Honors is the loyalty program for one of the world's largest hotel companies, spanning 9,100+ properties under 26 brands across 140 countries. The program uses dynamic pricing with no fixed award chart — standard room awards are capped at 250,000 points per night (raised from 150,000 in September 2025), and Free Night Awards from credit cards cover any standard room regardless of point cost, making them among the most valuable hotel certificates in the loyalty world.
For Canadians, there is no domestic co-branded Hilton card, but holders of the Canadian Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card can register for complimentary Hilton Gold status, unlocking breakfast, upgrades, and bonus points. Deeper engagement requires the US credit card ecosystem, where four Amex-issued Hilton cards provide a clear path to elite status and Free Night Awards. Here's everything you need to know.
At its core, earning Hilton Honors points is straightforward: you earn a base rate of 10 points per US dollar spent on eligible charges at Hilton properties. This base rate applies across the vast majority of Hilton's 24 brands, with two exceptions.
Homewood Suites and Spark by Hilton earn at a reduced rate of 5 points per US dollar as of 2026. Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton have always earned at 5 points per dollar. LivSmart Studios, a newer brand, earns at a reduced 3 points per dollar.
Elite status members earn bonus points on top of this base rate. Silver members earn a 20% bonus (effectively 12 points per dollar), Gold members earn an 80% bonus (18 points per dollar), and Diamond members earn a 100% bonus (20 points per dollar).
These bonus earnings can stack with credit card earning to produce impressive accumulation rates. A Diamond member paying with the Hilton Aspire card, for example, earns 20 base/bonus points plus 14 credit card points for a combined 34 points per US dollar spent at Hilton properties. During double-points promotions, this figure can climb to 44 points per dollar.
A few important earning rules to keep in mind: you must book through Hilton directly (not through third-party OTAs like Expedia, and not through the SLH website) to earn Hilton Honors points.
You can earn points on up to four rooms simultaneously on a single reservation. Billing all incidental charges to the room maximizes your points earning and ensures elite credits apply correctly.
The fastest way to build a substantial Hilton Honors balance is through welcome bonuses on the four co-branded American Express US credit cards. The lineup consists of three personal cards and one business card, and the welcome bonus amounts fluctuate throughout the year.
Since you are entitled to only one welcome bonus per card in your lifetime, it pays to apply when the offer is at or near its historical high.
The four Hilton Honors co-branded American Express credit cards are as follows:
Hilton Honors American Express Card — No annual fee. Earns 7x points at Hilton properties, 5x at US restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and 3x on everything else.
Comes with automatic Silver status.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card — $150 (USD) annual fee. Earns 12x points at Hilton properties, 6x at US restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and 3x on everything else.
Comes with automatic Gold status. Spend $40,000 (USD) in a calendar year and you earn Diamond status. Spend $15,000 (USD) and you earn a Free Night Award.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — $550 (USD) annual fee. Earns 14x points at Hilton properties (the highest of any card), 7x at US restaurants, on select car rentals, and on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel, and 3x on everything else.
Comes with automatic Diamond status, a $400 (USD) Hilton resort credit per anniversary year (split into two $200 semi-annual credits), a $200 (USD) airline fee credit per calendar year (split into four $50 quarterly credits), and a Free Night Award on each card anniversary. Additional Free Night Awards are available at $30,000 and $60,000 (USD) in annual spend, for a potential total of three Free Night Awards per year.
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card — $195 (USD) annual fee. Earns 12x points at Hilton properties, 6x at US restaurants, gas stations, wireless services, shipping, select car rentals, and flights, plus 5x on the first $100,000 in general spend per year (then 3x). Comes with automatic Gold status.
American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Hilton Honors in both Canada and the US, though the rates differ significantly. In the US, the transfer ratio is 1:2 (1,000 Amex MR becomes 2,000 Hilton points), with periodic transfer bonuses of 25–50% that push the effective ratio to 1:2.5 or even 1:3. In Canada, the ratio is a flat 1:1 with no recurring bonuses.
At either ratio, transferring Amex MR to Hilton is generally not recommended. Given that Prince of Travel values Hilton points at 0.5 cents USD (0.7 cents CAD) per point, you are better served using your Amex MR for airline transfers or other hotel programs.
Canadian Amex MR holders, in particular, should note that a 1:1.2 transfer to Marriott Bonvoy delivers far better value than a 1:1 transfer to Hilton. The only scenario where a Hilton transfer makes sense is topping up a small shortfall for a specific, high-value redemption where buying points isn't an option.
Hilton runs points sales with remarkable frequency (nearly every month) and the most recent sales have consistently offered a 100% bonus.
At the regular price of 1 cent USD per point, purchasing is poor value. But during a 100% bonus sale, the effective cost drops to approximately 0.5 cents USD per point, which is right at the Prince of Travel valuation and can represent excellent value when used toward high-end redemptions.
The standard purchase cap is 80,000 points, but during sales, this often triples to 240,000 points. With the 100% bonus applied, that becomes 480,000 points for $2,400 (USD), enough to book five nights at the Conrad Maldives after applying the Fifth Night Free benefit.
Some bonus offers are targeted, meaning you may see only a 50% or 80% bonus. It is worth checking from multiple browsers or accounts to find the best available offer.
Hilton regularly runs promotions that amplify earning rates on paid stays. These have historically included double base points, fixed bonus points per stay (1,000 to 4,000), and targeted offers for specific brands or regions.
Each promotion requires separate registration through the Hilton Honors website or app, so it is important to opt in before your stay to ensure you receive the promotional earning.
Gold and Diamond members are eligible for milestone bonuses once they reach 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year. At the 40-night mark and every 10 nights thereafter, you earn 10,000 bonus points.
At 60 nights, an additional one-time bonus of 30,000 points kicks in, bringing the total for that milestone to 40,000 points. There is no cap on the number of milestone bonuses you can earn, making the program increasingly rewarding for frequent Hilton travellers.
Hilton Honors operates four elite status tiers above the base Member level: Silver, Gold, Diamond, and the newly introduced Diamond Reserve. Each tier can be earned through qualifying nights, qualifying stays, or eligible spend in a calendar year (January 1 through December 31). You need to meet only one of these criteria. They are not cumulative.
Both paid nights and award nights count toward tier qualification, which is a meaningful advantage over programs that count only paid nights. Status is valid for the remainder of the year in which it is earned, the full following calendar year, and through March 31 of the year after that.
Achieving status in March 2025, for example, would keep you elite through March 31, 2027, a generous runway of over two years.
One significant change for 2026: Hilton has eliminated rollover nights. Previously, excess qualifying nights beyond your current tier threshold would carry forward to the next calendar year, giving you a head start on requalification.
This is no longer the case. Nights earned in 2025 that were rolled over still count as a one-time grace for 2026, but going forward, each year starts from zero.
Qualification: 10 nights, 4 stays, or $2,500 (USD) in eligible spend
Silver is the entry-level elite tier, and its most important benefit is unlocking the Fifth Night Free on award stays. Without at least Silver status, you pay full points for all five nights.
Silver members also earn a 20% bonus on base points (12 points per dollar), receive complimentary standard Wi-Fi, and enjoy a 15% discount at participating hotel spas. The no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express card grants automatic Silver status.
Qualification: 25 nights, 15 stays, or $6,000 (USD) in eligible spend (reduced from 40 nights as of 2026)
Gold is where Hilton Honors starts to deliver substantial value, and it is the tier most accessible to Canadians. The headline benefit is complimentary breakfast.
Outside the United States, Gold members receive complimentary continental or buffet breakfast at all brands including SLH partner properties, and in practice, most international properties serve a full hot buffet.
Inside the United States, the benefit takes the form of a daily food and beverage credit, tiered by brand: $25 per person per day at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad, $15 per person per day at Hilton Hotels, with slightly higher amounts in premium markets like New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Breakfast covers the member plus one guest and is use-it-or-lose-it on a daily basis.
Gold members earn an 80% bonus on base points (18 points per dollar) and are eligible for complimentary room upgrades up to the executive floor at check-in.
Note that Gold upgrades do not include suites and are excluded at several brand families, including Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Motto.
Gold members also gain access to the MyWay welcome amenity program, where they can choose between an F&B credit, water and snacks, or bonus points at check-in.
At properties where breakfast is already complimentary for all guests (Embassy Suites and Hampton) the savvy move is to select bonus points via MyWay instead of the F&B credit.
How Canadians get Gold: The Canadian Amex Platinum Card and Amex Business Platinum Card both include complimentary Hilton Gold status. You must proactively register by calling Hilton or using online chat with your Hilton Honors number.
It takes a couple of days to link. The US Hilton Surpass ($150) and Hilton Business ($195) cards also grant automatic Gold.
Qualification: 50 nights, 25 stays, or $11,500 (USD) in eligible spend (reduced from 60 nights as of 2026)
Diamond is the traditional top tier for most Hilton loyalists. It provides a 100% bonus on base points (20 points per dollar), complimentary upgrades up to a one-bedroom suite at check-in, executive lounge access at properties where lounges exist (primarily the Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Conrad brands. Note that Waldorf Astoria and most other brands do not operate lounges), premium Wi-Fi, and a 48-hour room guarantee that protects you from being walked.
Diamond members who reach 60 qualifying nights can gift Gold status to another person, and those who reach 100 nights can gift Diamond status. These gifting milestones remain valuable for two-player households.
A frank note on Diamond dilution: because the Hilton Aspire card grants automatic Diamond status for a $550 annual fee, there are millions of Diamond members in the United States.
This means upgrade and recognition treatment at US properties can be inconsistent. The Diamond experience is considerably better at international properties, where card-based status holders are far less common.
Credit card shortcut: The Hilton Aspire ($550 USD) grants automatic Diamond status. This is unique in the hotel loyalty world, no other major program gives its highest traditional tier through a credit card alone. The Surpass card also provides a path to Diamond through $40,000 (USD) in annual spend.
Qualification: 80 nights AND $18,000 (USD) in eligible spend (both requirements must be met), OR 40 stays AND $18,000 (USD) in eligible spend
Diamond Reserve is the new premium tier introduced for 2026, and it represents Hilton's answer to the Diamond dilution problem. Unlike every other Hilton tier, Diamond Reserve requires meeting both a night threshold and a spending threshold. No credit card shortcut exists.
The headline benefit is confirmable upgrades at the time of booking. This is revolutionary in the hotel loyalty space.
Rather than hoping for a check-in upgrade that may or may not materialize, Diamond Reserve members can confirm their upgrade when they make the reservation.
The only comparable benefit in the industry is Hyatt's Suite Upgrade Awards for Globalist members. Diamond Reserve also comes with guaranteed 4 PM late checkout (a significant improvement over lower tiers, which have no formal late checkout guarantee) and a dedicated support line.
All Diamond benefits carry over to Diamond Reserve, including lounge access, suite upgrades, and breakfast, with an enhanced 120% bonus on base points (22 points per dollar). The tier is clearly designed for Hilton's most committed guests, business travellers and brand loyalists who spend heavily on property, and it creates a meaningful distinction from the millions of card-based Diamond holders.
Hilton offers lifetime Diamond status through two paths, both requiring 10 years of Diamond status (non-consecutive is fine). Path one requires 1,000 lifetime nights; path two requires 2,000,000 lifetime base points earned (approximately $200,000 (USD) in on-property spending).
Years holding Diamond through the Aspire card count toward the 10-year requirement, but credit card spend does not generate base points toward the 2-million-point threshold.
Since the Aspire card provides Diamond indefinitely for $550 per year, lifetime Diamond primarily serves as insurance against the card being discontinued.
Members with 3+ consecutive years as Diamond and 250+ lifetime nights (or 500,000+ base points) are also eligible for a one-year extension if they fail to requalify.
If you hold elite status with a competing hotel loyalty program and are a basic or Silver member with Hilton Honors, you can apply for a one-time status match through Hilton's website. Upon approval, you receive Gold status for 90 days.
Complete 6 nights during this window and you keep Gold through March of two years later. Complete 12 nights and you earn Diamond for the same extended period.
Hilton Honors uses fully dynamic pricing for award stays, meaning there is no published award chart. The number of points required for a free night at any given property fluctuates with demand, seasonality, and the cash rate.
Standard room redemptions range from as low as 5,000 points per night at budget properties to a cap of 250,000 points at the most aspirational luxury hotels. Premium rooms and suites are not subject to this cap and can cost substantially more.
Typical pricing ranges help set expectations: budget properties (Hampton, Home2, Tru) generally price at 5,000 to 30,000 points per night; mid-tier properties (Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites) run 20,000 to 70,000; upscale properties (flagship Hilton Hotels, Curio Collection) fall between 40,000 and 95,000; and luxury properties (Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, LXR) range from 70,000 to 250,000 points.
Hilton maintains a "no blackout dates" policy, meaning points bookings are available whenever standard rooms are sold for cash, though the program raises prices during peak periods rather than blocking availability outright.
One of Hilton Honors' most valuable benefits is the Fifth Night Free on award stays. When you book five or more consecutive nights on points at the same property, you pay for only four, an automatic 20% discount.
This benefit requires Silver status at minimum (base members are excluded), and there is no annual cap on the number of times you can use it.
The math is straightforward: a five-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives at 150,000 points per night costs 600,000 points instead of 750,000. You can extend the benefit further: for a 20-night stay on points, you pay for only 16 nights (four free nights).
Beyond 20 nights, split the stay into separate reservations to continue triggering the benefit. A 25-night trip, for example, would be optimally booked as a 20-night reservation plus a 5-night reservation.
An important nuance: Free Night Awards (certificates from credit cards) do not trigger the Fifth Night Free by themselves. However, certificates can be combined with points stays.
For instance, you could use one certificate plus four nights on points and the Fifth Night Free would apply to the points portion, effectively getting six nights for four nights' worth of points plus one certificate.
Hilton's Free Night Awards, earned through co-branded credit cards, are among the most valuable hotel certificates available from any program. Unlike Marriott's capped certificates (which top out at 85,000 points with a 15,000-point top-up option), Hilton's Free Night Awards cover any standard room regardless of point cost — there is no cap on the certificate value.
At a property like the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, where cash rates exceed $2,400 (USD) per night, a single Free Night Award represents extraordinary value.
Free Night Awards can be earned through the following cards: the Aspire provides one on each card anniversary and additional certificates at $30,000 and $60,000 in annual spend (up to three per year); the Surpass provides one at $15,000 in annual spend; and the no-fee card occasionally includes one as part of its signup offer.
Important restrictions: Free Night Awards must be booked by calling Hilton directly (no online booking). Certificates are valid for one year and must be used (stay completed) by the expiry date, not merely booked.
Extensions are possible by calling and are reportedly easier to obtain than with Marriott. Certificates are excluded at most all-inclusive resorts and Hilton Grand Vacations properties. Tools like rooms.aero can help scout standard room availability at aspirational properties before calling to book.
Hilton offers a flexible Pay with Points & Money option where part of the room cost is covered with points and the remainder with cash. You can apply as few as 5,000 points to reduce the price, with additional points redeemable in 1,000-point increments.
This option generally delivers around 0.8 cents USD per point in value, though the savings are not perfectly linear, so it is worth checking the math on each booking.
Unlike some competing hotel programs, Hilton does not charge resort fees on award stays or on promotional free nights such as credit card certificates. At resort properties where daily resort fees can run $40 to $75 (USD), this represents meaningful additional savings that further enhances the value of points redemptions.
The sweet spots of Hilton Honors fall into two broad categories: aspirational luxury redemptions where the points-to-cash ratio is exceptional, and budget-friendly redemptions where modest point totals punch well above their weight.
On the aspirational end, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is the flagship redemption at 150,000 points per night where cash rates exceed $2,400 (USD). A five-night stay with Fifth Night Free costs 600,000 points versus $12,000+ in cash.
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is a more accessible alternative with easier availability and cash rates above $1,000 per night, five nights with Fifth Night Free runs approximately 480,000 points, purchasable during a 100% bonus sale for around $2,400 (USD).
Other standout properties include Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal (120,000 points versus $1,300+ cash), Conrad Bora Bora Nui, Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Mango House Seychelles (LXR), Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Osaka, and Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa.
On the budget end, properties in Brazil, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Costa Rica surface on rooms.aero at 10,000 points per night where cash rates sit around $200 (CAD), delivering well over 1 cent per point. Hampton Inns across North America price at 5,000 to 15,000 points for weekend stays, reaching 0.8 to 1.2 cents per point in value.
The most powerful approach to Hilton Honors for engaged travellers is accumulating multiple Free Night Awards each year through a combination of co-branded cards.
The minimum viable strategy pairs the Aspire ($550/year) with the Surpass ($150/year), generating two Free Night Awards annually (one Aspire renewal certificate plus one Surpass at $15,000 spend) for $700 in annual fees. Given that each certificate can cover a room worth $2,400+ in cash, the math works decisively in your favour.
A more aggressive approach adds $30,000 in spend to the Aspire, unlocking a third Free Night Award for a total of three certificates per year on $45,000 in annual credit card spend. The maximum strategy pushes Aspire spend to $60,000, yielding four Free Night Awards per year.
The $75,000 in total spend across both cards also generates approximately 225,000 bonus points from the 3x general earning rate, enough for roughly two additional nights. That is effectively six free nights per year from two credit cards.
Multiple Aspire cards can be held simultaneously with no limit, and for two-player households, the numbers double: a coordinated strategy can realistically generate 10 or more free nights annually.
Always structure award bookings in multiples of five nights to capture the 20% discount. For stays shorter than five nights, consider whether extending by a night or two makes sense to trigger the benefit.
For stays longer than 20 nights, split into separate reservations to maximize the number of free nights. Always ensure you hold at least Silver status (obtainable free through the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors Amex) before making award bookings.
Hilton for Luxury is Hilton's luxury travel advisor program, bookable through Prince Collection and similar travel partners. The program provides room upgrades subject to availability, daily full breakfast for two, a $100 (USD) property credit, and early check-in and late check-out subject to availability. All at no additional cost above the standard room rate. At select properties, third, fourth, or fifth night free promotions and double Hilton Honors points are also available.
Hilton for Luxury benefits stack with elite status benefits, making it particularly valuable for base members or Silver holders who lack Gold-tier breakfast.
Even Gold and Diamond members benefit from the $100 (USD) property credit and the additional upgrade consideration. For paid stays at luxury Hilton properties, booking through this channel is almost always the right move.
Gold and Diamond members should note that daily F&B credits are use-it-or-lose-it and can typically be applied to breakfast, restaurants, bars, and room service. Be vigilant about hotels that shift morning charges to the following day's folio, which can cause you to lose a day's credit.
Hilton's 24 brands span every segment of the hotel market. At the luxury end, Waldorf Astoria is the ultra-luxury flagship, comparable to Ritz-Carlton and St.
Regis. Conrad is high-end luxury with a contemporary edge and is notable for being one of the few brands with executive lounges. LXR Hotels & Resorts is an independent luxury collection with 15 properties (including Mango House Seychelles), while NoMad (one property in London) and Signia by Hilton (four properties) round out the top tier.
The lifestyle segment includes Canopy, Graduate, Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection, Tempo, and Motto. The full-service core is the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand (617 properties across 97 countries, many with executive lounges) and DoubleTree, known for its warm cookies and multiple Canadian locations.
Hampton by Hilton (3,000+ properties) is the largest brand by count and offers complimentary breakfast for all guests. Hilton Garden Inn (1,000+ properties) and Tru by Hilton are focused-service brands without elite upgrades.
The extended-stay portfolio includes Embassy Suites (free breakfast for all, Canadian locations including Niagara Falls), Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations (vacation ownership, excluded from Free Night Awards).
In February 2024, Hilton announced a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), which went live in June 2024. Over 400 SLH properties across 90 countries are bookable through the Hilton Honors website, with additional properties being added regularly.
Elite benefits apply at SLH properties, including the Gold breakfast benefit. To earn Hilton Honors points, you must book SLH properties through Hilton's channels, not through SLH directly. It is worth comparing prices on both platforms before booking through Hilton.
Hilton Honors is a program that rewards Canadian travellers who understand its mechanics, even without a domestic co-branded card. Here is the layered approach, from the simplest entry point to the most aggressive strategy.
Start with Gold status through your Canadian Amex Platinum. Both the personal and business Amex Platinum Cards in Canada include complimentary Hilton Gold status.
You must proactively register: call Hilton or use the online chat with your Hilton Honors number, and allow a couple of days for the status to link. Once active, you gain access to complimentary breakfast at every international Hilton property (including SLH partners), room upgrades to executive floors, 80% bonus points, and the MyWay welcome amenity.
For many Canadian travellers who stay at Hilton properties a few times per year, this is sufficient to extract excellent value from the program.
Do not transfer Canadian Amex MR to Hilton. The 1:1 ratio delivers approximately 0.5 cents CAD per point in value, far below what the same Amex MR points are worth when transferred to airline partners. If you need a hotel transfer, Canadian Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1.2 is a far better proposition.
For deeper engagement, enter the US credit card ecosystem. An ITIN opens the door to Amex US Hilton cards.
Start with the no-fee Hilton Honors Amex via Amex Global Transfer (available twice; space them out), then progress to the Surpass for Gold and a Free Night Award at $15,000 spend, and ultimately the Aspire for Diamond and up to three Free Night Awards per year. This path is recommended over the Marriott trajectory for its uncapped Free Night Awards and automatic Diamond status.
Use Hilton for Luxury through Prince Collection for paid stays. When booking paid nights at luxury Hilton properties, this channel provides complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, a $100 (USD) property credit, and double Hilton Honors points at select properties.
The benefits stack with your elite status and come at no additional cost. For base members or Silver holders who lack Gold breakfast benefits, this is especially valuable.
Buy points during sales for aspirational redemptions. Canadian travellers should watch for the frequent 100% bonus sales. At 0.5 cents USD per point, purchasing 480,000 points for approximately $2,400 (USD) ($3,300 (CAD) at typical exchange rates) and using them for five nights at the Conrad Maldives (where cash rates exceed $5,000 for the same stay) is one of the best value plays available in any hotel loyalty program.
Remember the Canadian properties. Hilton's Canadian footprint includes DoubleTree locations across the country, Embassy Suites (Niagara Falls and others), Homewood Suites, Hampton by Hilton, and Hilton Hotels in major cities.
Gold and Diamond members enjoy full elite benefits at these properties, including breakfast credits and upgrade consideration.
Hilton Honors offers free points transfers between members through a straightforward online process. You can add up to 10 members to your pool and transfer points in increments of 1,000.
The annual sending limit is 500,000 points per member, and the receiving limit is 2,000,000 points per member. This makes two-player and family strategies seamless. Pooling points from multiple earners into a single account for a high-value redemption is easy and costs nothing.
Hilton Honors points expire 24 months from the date they are earned if there is no qualifying activity on the account. Any earning or spending activity resets the clock, including credit card earning, purchasing points, transferring points from a partner, or completing a hotel stay.
For anyone actively holding a co-branded card or staying at Hilton properties even occasionally, expiry is unlikely to be a concern.
Gold qualification reduced from 40 to 25 nights (15 stays). Diamond reduced from 60 to 50 nights (25 stays). Qualification via base points replaced with eligible spend thresholds ($2,500 Silver / $6,000 Gold / $11,500 Diamond). Standard award cap raised from 150,000 to 250,000 points per night. Free Night Awards now uncapped.
New Diamond Reserve tier at 80 nights (or 40 stays) plus $18,000 (USD) spend, with confirmable upgrades, 120% points bonus, and guaranteed 4 PM late checkout. Rollover nights eliminated (2025 rollovers honoured as a one-time grace).
Homewood Suites and Spark earn at reduced rates of 5 points per dollar. LivSmart Studios earns at 3 points per dollar. Status match challenge reduced to 6/12 nights (from 8/14). Credit card-granted status unchanged. No double elite night promotion in 2026.
Hilton Honors stands as one of the most rewarding hotel loyalty programs, particularly for travellers willing to engage with its credit card ecosystem.
Uncapped Free Night Awards, the Fifth Night Free benefit, dynamic pricing that delivers exceptional value at aspirational properties, and 9,100+ properties across 26 brands (plus SLH) make it a program worth investing in.
For Canadians, the path is clear: leverage Gold status from the Amex Platinum for immediate benefits on international stays, consider the US credit card route for deeper engagement, buy points during sales, and book paid luxury stays through Hilton for Luxury via Prince Collection.
The 2026 introduction of Diamond Reserve creates an aspirational tier for the program's most dedicated members, while lowered Gold and Diamond thresholds make elite status more attainable than ever.
Whether you're enjoying Gold breakfast at a Conrad in Tokyo, using a Free Night Award at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, or racking up points on a road trip at Hampton properties across Canada, Hilton Honors rewards those who engage with the program strategically. We think it's one of the best hotel loyalty programs available today.
American Express Platinum Card
Amex MR, 1:1
First-year value: $1,581
First-year value
$336
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
