Hilton Honors has just opened registration for its first promotion of 2026. It’s better than nothing, but also not much to get excited about, which basically sums up the program’s approach to global promotions nowadays, which aren’t nearly as generous as they used to be.
In this post:
Hilton Honors early 2026 global promotion details
Registration has just opened for Hilton Honors’ new global promotion, and it’s called Points Unlimited (a name that has been recycled many times). With this, for stays between January 15 and April 30, 2026, members are able to earn 2,000 bonus points per stay. This applies no matter what brand members stay at, how long they stay, or how much they spend.
There are some details to be aware of:
- The promotion is valid for stays between January 15 and April 30, 2026 (you must check-out by April 30)
- Registration is required prior to your first eligible stay, though it’s fine if you booked prior to registration
- There’s no limit to how many bonus points you can earn, you start earning rewards with the first stay, and there’s no minimum stay required
- It can take up to six to eight weeks for bonus points to post, though they’ll typically post much faster than that
- All stays booked directly with Hilton, including award stays, are eligible for this promotion
How generous is Hilton Honors’ promotion?
How generous is Hilton Honors’ first promotion of 2026? The math on the Points Unlimited promotion is straightforward. Personally I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, so I value the 2,000 bonus points at an incremental $10 return per stay.
That’s not much to get excited about, though it’s better than nothing. This is obviously more rewarding for a one night award stay at a cheap hotel than for a long cash stay at an expensive property.
This is in addition to standard points earning rates. Under normal circumstances:
- Base Hilton Honors members earn 10x points per dollar spent at most brands
- Hilton Honors™ Gold status members get an 80% points bonus, and Hilton Honors™ Diamond status members receive a 100% points bonus
On top of that, you can maximize your Hilton Honors points earned from hotel stays by paying with a co-branded Hilton American Express card. These cards earn points at the following rates on eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card (review) — 7x points per dollar
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (review) — 12x points per dollar
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (review) — 12x points per dollar
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (review) — 14x points per dollar
Bottom line
Hilton Honors has opened registration for its Q1 2026 promotion, offering 2,000 bonus points per stay through April 30, 2026. Personally I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, so I’d consider this to be an incremental return of $10 per stay. That’s better than nothing, but also not really a stay to switch any stays to Hilton, especially with the massive redemption devaluations in recent times.
What do you make of Hilton Honors’ new Points Unlimited promotion?
@DCS
Is this a valuable promotion worth it for up and coming Hilton stays?
Proof again that Hilton don’t value loyalty.