Hilton Honors Status Guide: Levels, Benefits, How To Earn and Requirements

• Written by Adam Frankel
  

  Adam Frankel

  Adam B. Frankel is a freelance personal finance writer and portfolio manager. When he's not managing money in the stock market, he teaches financial topics and other core concepts at local schools from elementary through high school. His work has appeared in Forbes Advisor, Fortune Recommends, MarketWatch Guides, Bankrate, The Street, CardRatings.com and Quartz. He and his wife began collecting credit card points and miles when they became parents and have leveraged their knowledge to explore the world with their family.

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• Edited by Emily Gadd, CCC™
  

  Emily Gadd, CCC™

  Credit Cards, Personal Finance, Health and Wellness

  Emily Gadd is a NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™, editor and personal finance expert responsible for writing about personal finance and credit cards. She got her start writing and editing at Healthline. She is passionate about creating educational content that makes complex topics accessible. Emily holds a credit counselor certification, accredited by the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC). She lives in Seattle with her husband and two cats.

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• Reviewed by Jasmin Baron, CCC™
  

  Jasmin Baron, CCC™

  Credit Cards, Travel Rewards, Loyalty Programs, Family Travel, Credit Building, Credit Scores

  Jasmin Baron is a NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™ and CardCritics’ senior editor, responsible for editing and writing credit cards, travel rewards, loyalty program, and other credit-related content. She is passionate about personal finance education and enjoys sharing tips and tricks for making the most of credit card points and miles with her readers. Her expertise in maximizing credit card travel rewards originated from over two decades of aviation industry experience, including 18 years working as a pilot and college professor/flight instructor in her native Canada. Her work has appeared on sites such as CNN Underscored Money, Business Insider, The Points Guy, and point.me. When she’s not planning her next trip with credit card rewards, you’ll probably find her tinkering around in the kitchen, hanging out with her three kids, or playing with her dog, Benji.

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• Last Updated Feb 23, 2026

Hilton has over 9,000 properties worldwide, and Hilton Honors is the hotel chain’s free loyalty program. Even if you travel just a few times a year, attaining Hilton Honors status can unlock robust and valuable benefits. But like most loyalty programs, the details matter.

In this complete guide to the Hilton Honors, we’ll break down how the loyalty program works, the details of each status tier, and the smartest ways to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points.

What Is Hilton’s Loyalty Program? 

When you join Hilton’s hotel loyalty program, you earn rewards, called Hilton Honors points, for stays within the brand, using co-branded credit cards and through other select partnerships. 

Hilton’s footprint is huge and spans everything from luxury brands, business travel hotels and value-priced options, and earning points on stays is relatively straightforward. You can redeem your points for free nights, room upgrades or certain experiences offered through Hilton.

Where Hilton’s loyalty program really shines is how easy it can be to earn elite status, especially with the right credit card strategy.

How Does the Hilton Honors Loyalty Program Work? 

At the base level, members earn points for every dollar spent on qualifying stays. Higher status levels earn bonus points and stays, which means faster earning opportunities and better redemption potential.

You can generally earn points via:

• Hotel stays
• Using a co-branded Hilton hotel credit card
• Promotions (such as double points nights)
• Select partnerships
• Transferring rewards from an eligible transfer partner (more on that later)

Points can be redeemed toward free stays or for experiences booked through Hilton. Past experiences include live sporting events, exclusive chef tastings and other unique opportunities.

Hilton Status Levels and Tiers

Hilton has four main membership levels. Each step up adds more perks and better earning power.

Member

Requirements:

• Free to join

Key benefits:

• Base point earning
• No resort fees on award stays
• Member-only pricing
• Free Wi-Fi

This is your starting point. It’s fine for occasional travelers, but most of the real value starts at Gold and above.

Silver

Requirements:

To earn Silver, you must do at least one of the following:

• Stay at least 10 nights annually
• Have four eligible stays 
• Spend at least $2,500 on eligible purchases
• Hold the $0-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card

Key benefits:

With Silver status, you get all of the benefits of Member status, plus:

• Fifth night free on award stays
• 20% bonus on base points
• Two free bottles of water on arrival
• 15% spa discount on all-inclusive spa treatments

Silver is extremely useful. The fifth-night-free perk alone can stretch your points further, especially for longer vacations. I used this perk when my family traveled to the all-inclusive Rose Hall resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica (the property is now a Hyatt). When we stayed in 2023, rooms were bookable for just 80,000 Hilton Honors points a night, so for a grand total of 320,000 points, we spent five nights in paradise, all meals included.

Gold

Requirements:

To earn Gold, you must do at least one of the following:

• Stay at least 25 nights annually 
• Have 15 eligible stays
• Spend at least $6,000 on eligible purchases
• Hold the $150-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, $195-annual-fee Hilton Honors Business Card, or, with enrollment, the $895-annual-fee The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or $895-annual-fee American Express Platinum Card®, an advertising partner 

Key benefits:

With Gold status, you get all of the benefits of Silver and Member status, plus:

• 80% bonus points
• Space-available room upgrades
• Food and beverage credit or continental breakfast at many brands

Gold is where status starts to feel premium. The free continental breakfast or food and beverage credits can easily save $20 to $50 per day, depending on the property.

Diamond

Requirements:

To earn Diamond, you must do at least one of the following:

• Stay at least 50 nights annually
• Have 25 stays
• Spend at least $11,500 on eligible purchases
• Hold the $550-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
  

Key benefits:

With Diamond status, you get all of the benefits of Gold, Silver and Member status, plus:

• 100% bonus on base points
• Executive lounge access (where available)
• Premium Wi-Fi
• Space-available room upgrades, up to a one-bedroom suite
• 48-hour room guarantee

For many years, Diamond was Hilton Honors’ top-tier status. I hold this status through my Hilton Aspire Card, and I’ve been upgraded to suites every single time I’ve traveled with my family and stayed at a Hilton. 

For example, when we traveled as a family of four to the Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort in 2024, we had booked a standard room with two double beds for a five-night stay on points (four nights plus the fifth night free bonus). But when we checked in and asked for an upgrade, we got a massive two-room suite with a kitchen, dining table and an additional full bathroom.

Diamond Reserve

The newest tier launched Jan. 1, 2026, and is even loftier than the previous-highest tier of Diamond. 

Requirements:

To earn Diamond Reserve, you must do at least one of the following:

• Stay at least 80 nights annually
• Have 40 stays

You’ll also need an eligible spend of at least $18,000 in combination with meeting the night or stay threshold. 

Key benefits:

With Diamond Reserve status, you get all of the benefits of Diamond, Gold, Silver and Member status plus:

• 120% bonus on base points
• Confirmable upgrade award, up to a suite for up to seven nights
• Premium Club access
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out
• Exclusive customer service number

How To Earn Points With Hilton

If you want to build a points stash quickly, combining multiple strategies is likely your best bet.

Stay at Hilton Properties

This is the most straightforward path. Hotel stays earn the highest rates, and as your spending increases with your stays and your status level increases, you’ll earn more points.

Use Hilton Co-Branded Credit Cards

Several Hilton credit cards offer a level of elite status, accelerated earn rates and generous welcome offers. If you’re looking to amp up your earnings with the hotel brands, a Hilton Honors co-branded credit card can help you do that. Cards to consider include:

• Hilton Honors Card: This no-annual-fee card comes with automatic Silver status and earns 7x points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases. Plus, it has a respectable welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Hilton Surpass Card: For a $150 annual fee, the card comes with automatic Gold status and earns 12x points on purchases made directly with hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets, 4x points on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases. It has an even bigger welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Hilton Aspire Card: For a $550 annual fee, the card comes with automatic Diamond status and earns 14x points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com, on car rentals booked directly from select companies, and at U.S. restaurants, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases. The card also comes with a free night award each year on your card anniversary and a strong welcome offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Take Advantage of Promotions

Hilton regularly runs promotions that can double or triple your points earnings. Stacking promotions with paid stays can accelerate point balances quickly.

Use Hilton Partners

You can connect your Hilton Honors account with partner accounts and earn rewards for booking rental cars with Alamo, Enterprise and National, for Lyft rides, and for dining at participating restaurants with the Hilton Honors dining program.

Other Options

You can also pool your Hilton Honors points with up to 10 others, have others transfer their points to your Hilton Honors account, be gifted (or gift) Hilton Honors points or buy Hilton Honors points. The price to buy points fluctuates, and, generally speaking, the best rate we’ve seen is a 100% points bonus, effectively making the price 0.5 cents per Hilton Honors point.

In addition, some credit cards offer transferable rewards programs that allow you to transfer your rewards directly into the Hilton Honors program. Currently, American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards® points and Bilt Rewards can both be transferred into the Hilton Honors loyalty program.

How To Redeem Points With Hilton

In most cases, the most valuable use of Hilton Honors points is to redeem them for free stays. You’re likely to get the best value for your points by using your rewards during peak pricing periods and/or taking advantage of the fifth night free perk. Other options include redeeming points for:

• Points and cash stays: Pay partially with points and partially with cash.
• Room upgrades: Use your points to upgrade to a better room.
• Experiences: Redeem your points for unique experiences like VIP access to sporting events, Broadway shows or private events with well-known artists and chefs.
• Rental cars: You can redeem your points for rental cars with Alamo, Enterprise and National.
• Shopping: You can pay with points at checkout with select retailers, including Amazon and the Hilton Honors online shopping mall.

Is Hilton Status Worth It? 

For frequent travelers, Hilton status can absolutely be worth it. Even moderate travelers can find value, especially if they hold a Hilton credit card that grants automatic status.

From a personal experience perspective, Hilton Gold is often considered the sweet spot. The breakfast credits alone can offset annual card fees with a handful of stays, and upgrades — even modest ones — can make trips more comfortable.

If you travel for family vacations or work trips where someone else covers part of the cost, status benefits can feel like a bonus layer of value you didn’t have to directly pay for.

Diamond status has previously proven to provide incredible value. Lounge access, priority upgrades and maximum point bonuses add up fast when you’re traveling. But it remains to be seen how the introduction of the higher-tier Diamond Reserve may affect the power of holding “just” Diamond status.

The information related to the Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Hilton Honors Business Card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.