Of all of the major hotel chains, Hilton Honors is by far the most consistent and generous with the promotions they offer. They constantly run promotions (typically without even a day gap between them), so that’s great for members.
Yesterday Hilton Honors’ summer promotion ended, and today their fall promotion is starting. This post is just a reminder of that, so you can be sure you’re registered and start considering this promotion when booking hotel stays.
Hilton Honors’ Power Up Promo (September 9, 2019, Through January 5, 2020)
Hilton Honors’ new promo is called “Power Up.” This is valid for stays between September 9, 2019, and January 5, 2020. With this promotion you earn:
- Double Hilton Honors points on all stays
- Triple Hilton Honors points if you have a Hilton American Express Card
There are a few further things to be aware of:
- Registration is required prior to the first eligible stay, though previous booked nights qualify, as long as you stay during the promotion period
- In order to earn triple points, you actually have to pay with your Hilton credit card
- There’s no limit to how many points you can earn
- There’s no minimum stay requirement
- All properties qualify
To crunch the numbers on this promotion, you’d earn the following number of points for stays, just factoring in base points and bonus points through this promotion:
- 20-30 Honors points per dollar (10 base points and 10-20 bonus points, depending on whether you have a Hilton Amex or not) at most brands
- 10-15 Honors points per dollar (5 base points and 5-10 bonus points, depending on whether you have a Hilton Amex or not) at Home2 Suite by Hilton and Tru by Hilton
The above doesn’t include elite points bonuses, which are based on the base points you’re earning:
- Silver members earn a 20% points bonus
- Gold members earn an 80% points bonus
- Diamond members earn a 100% points bonus
On top of that you can earn bonus points for paying for your stay with a Hilton Amex (the best credit cards for earning Hilton Honors points):
- The Hilton Honors American Express Card (review) offers 7 points per dollar spent with Hilton
- The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (review) offers 12 points per dollar spent with Hilton
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers 12 points per dollar spent with Hilton
- The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (review) offers 14 points per dollar spent with Hilton
For example, a Diamond member with the Aspire Card would be earning 54 points per dollar at most Hilton brands, which is spectacular, in my opinion.
Personally I value Hilton Honors points at ~0.5 cents each, so that’s like a ~27% return on stays, which is great.
Register For The Hilton Honors Promotion
When I first wrote about this promotion registration wasn’t working, so this is a reminder to make sure that you register for the promo. Just follow this link and enter your Hilton Honors account info, and you should be registered instantly.
Hilton Promo Summary
I’d argue this is the best promotion of the year from Hilton, as you can earn triple points starting with your first stay. If you have the Hilton Aspire Card you’d be earning 54 Honors points per dollar spent at most brands. The fact that this promotion runs for four months is the icing on the cake.
What do you make of Hilton’s new Power Up promotion?
Non-Affiliate Product Disclaimer: The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by One Mile at a Time. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Do you have to pay with the Hilton Amex card to earn the triple points or do you just need to have a Amex Hilton Card
@Flyerguy10 you clearly didn’t bother to read the short article. You must pay with the card
Resource at ‘/content/hilton-promo/en_US/20190826_1780/promo-expired.html’ not found: No resource found
still doesnt work 🙁
Thanks @MACH81, appreciate the clarification. Your mother is next to me in bed and she already pointed out to me that you do in fact need to pay with the Amex Hilton Card. I see where you get your exacting attention to detail from.
Maybe registration starts on “20190826” — it’s part of that error url.
It doesnt even matter if you get double, triple or whatever times the base points with Hilton. As long as rooms at for example airport hotels or other wildly random places go beyond 100k points a night on a regular basis it´s just irrelevant. Also, very regularly, Hilton jacks up the prices for awards after the latest “biggest promo”. Also Hilton is kind of useless outside of the US. Not a Hilton fan anymore.
Whilst I understand why Americans love this…it’s meant to be a global promotion…what’s global about having it linked to a credit card you can only get in North America…makes me not want to put any business their way
Register tomorrow (8.26).
@John sez: “It doesnt even matter if you get double, triple or whatever times the base points with Hilton. As long as rooms at for example airport hotels or other wildly random places go beyond 100k points a night on a regular basis it´s just irrelevant. Also, very regularly, Hilton jacks up the prices for awards after the latest “biggest promo”. Also Hilton is kind of useless outside of the US. Not a Hilton fan anymore.”
There are quite a few misconceptions or misunderstandings in that claim that need to be set straight.
1. “As long as rooms at for example airport hotels or other wildly random places go beyond 100k points a night on a regular basis it´s just irrelevant.”
— Any Hilton award that costs more than 95K is *not* a *standard award*, which what virtually every hotel loyalty program bases its award redemptions on. The difference is that where Hilton shows awards that cost more than 95K/night and calls them “premium”, other programs would simply show *no availability.* One simply has decide for oneself which of those two situations is more annoying, but the practical effect is exactly the same, which is to discourage redemptions when a hotel thinks it can earn cash instead.
2. “Also, very regularly, Hilton jacks up the prices for awards after the latest “biggest promo”.”
— The claim is made-up. Hilton runs “big promos” every quarter. If that claim were true, it would mean that “Hilton jacks up the prices for awards” **all the time**, which is, of course, not true.
3. “Also Hilton is kind of useless outside of the US.”
— Again not true, and I ought to know because I *never* Hilton points for award stays in the US. All my redemptions are overseas, where I usually find reasonably priced awards, even during high season. Here are overseas properties where I redeemed Hilton points late last year to early this year, getting an average redemption value of 0.6cpp:
07 Jan 2019 – 11 Jan 2019 — Conrad Hong Kong
29 Dec 2018 – 03 Jan 2019 — Hilton Pattaya
21 Dec 2018 – 24 Dec 2018 — Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
18 Dec 2018 – 21 Dec 2018 — Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
15 Dec 2018 – 18 Dec 2018 — Conrad Manila
I just booked several such award stays, again in Asia, which will include 5 nights at the new Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi f: “just” 450,000 points for a redemption that would have cost $20,333.36 if I’d paid cash for it. The reason the cash value is so exact is because I did a dummy booking at the same as I did the award stay booking.
“Not a Hilton fan anymore.”
It’s your prerogative, but I am curious: which program do you think would give you more? World of Hyatt with its small footprint? BONVoY with its many problems since the merger? IHG?
Inquiring minds wanna now…
“…I *never* REDEEM Hilton points for award stays in the US.”
DCS:
Fair point to use HH for redemptions in Asia. They have a very decent value there, particularly in China, but I´m having these trips too rarely in order to rely on them.
I´m opportunistic with hotels and mostly go with the hotel that has the best price to value ratio and/or location. Right now I think I will go after the IHG promo, even though I´m not a big fan of IHG even though they have a great global footprint. The last quarter I wasnt really targeting anything. Before I made use of Hyatt promos where possible.
To me loyalty with hotels just doesnt pay off, at all. I dont value suite upgrades most of the time and being loyal to a chain usually leads to situations where you find yourself staying in less than great locations relative to the place you want or need to go to and then even pay more by something in the range of 10-20% I´d guess. I feel it´s not worth it for Hotels.
LOL. “Inquiring minds wanna KNOW.”
BTW, it is not like I tailor my overseas redemptions to be in cities where I can find award availability. Rather, I pick the cities that I wish to travel to and then I search for award availability in those cities, although, occasionally, availability might determine **when** I travel to a desired city.
@John: “I´m opportunistic with hotels and mostly go with the hotel that has the best price to value ratio and/or location.”
My previous comment posted at exactly the same time as yours, although I accidentally addressed one point in yours re: traveling where one desires to travel rather than going where awards are available. For me, it is always the former.
With respect to being ‘opportunistic with hotels’, I too am the same way to some extent. Though the bulk of my hotel points are HH points, I also purchase the maximum number of WoH points each year, and I used to do enough revenue stays at Marriott properties to earn enough points for a 2-3 night award stay at moderately priced Marriott properties, which I would extend using the 2 free nights that I get from co-branded Marriott credit cards.
So, my upcoming Asian excursion will include a 3-night award stay at Grand Hyatt Taipei and another 3-night award stay at Hyatt Regency Tokyo, even though the latter is literally across the street from Hilton Tokyo. In either case, I got better “value” from redeeming award stays at Hyatt properties (I upgraded each to a club room to get free breakfast). In the past, I redeemed points or and/or used my free CC nights for award stays at The Renaissance (Marriott) or JW Marriott Bangkok, avoiding me to use HH points at relatively inexpensive (cash-wise) Hilton hotels in BKK.
@DCS good rundown and evidence that even when used exclusively well Hilton points are worth just a fraction over 0.6.
A fair valuation based on more normal redemptions is 0.4. This is still a nice promotion.
@M — Here the reality: 0.4cpp in Hilton currency has the same ** purchasing power** as 1.2cpp in WoH currency or about 0.6-0.7cpp in BONVoY currency.
The 0.6cpp I got for my Hilton redemptions would be like getting 1.8cpp in WoH currency, the point being that I hope you are not claiming, as is universally claimed, that the ‘low’ cpp that one gets for Hilton is literal, because *it is not*. I have made this point multiple times and do not wish to provide the mathematical proof yet again, but consider that:
— **Most** top Hyatt properties cost 30K/night (at least for now) and top Hilton properties cost 95K/night, for a HH:WoH ratio of 95K/30K = 3.2 on the *cost* side.
— Including their respective co-branded CCs, a WoH globalist earns 10.5points/$ spent and a Hilton Diamond (w/ the Aspire) earns 34 points/$ spent, for a HH:WoH ratio of 34/10.4 = 3.2 on the *earn* side.
It means that WoH and HH awards almost cost exactly the same because, while in *raw* points a top HH award cost 3.2x more than a top WoH award, a HH Diamond earns 3.2x more HH points/$ spent than a WoH Globalist earns WoH points for the SAME spend. The nullify each other, making the costs about the same!
The following then should be obvious:
To afford a single award night at 95K/night a HH Diamond would have to spend, in hard currency:
(95,000HH)/(34HH/$) = $2,794
To afford a single award night at 30K/night a WoH Globalist would have to spend, in hard currency:
(30,000WoH)/(10.5WoH/$) = $2,857
A difference of just $63, meaning no difference in the costs of awards in **hard currency** at all.
Bottom line: Top elites in the two programs have exactly the same “purchasing power” in their respective points currencies, and I did not even need to used the dubious AVERAGE redemption values that are constantly peddled to reach that conclusion. In reality, points currencies have *no* redemption values until they redeemed.
The redemption value of my 5-night award stay later this year at WA Maldives Ithaafushi will be about 4cpp, i.e., 10 times more than your estimate of 0.4cpp. What gives?
Q.E.D.
G’day!
At least this helps on the Hilton Peso.
3X plus Gold Bonus not too bad. It’ll make me stay with Hilton instead of Hyatt on my next trip.
30 base points per $1
12 points per $1 credit card bonus
8 points per $1 Gold Bonus
That’s 50 points per $1 am I doing my math correctly!?
@Lucky and @Stormy – Based on the T&Cs, it looks like credit cards issued elsewhere also qualify: “Hilton Honors Credit Cards include: Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, Hilton Honors Visa Classic Sumitomo Card, Hilton Honors Visa Gold Sumitomo Card, Hilton Honors Visa Platinum Sumitomo Card, Barclaycard Hilton Honors credit card and DKB German.”
So, credit cards issued in the US, Japan, UK, and Germany seem to be good.
It would be appreciated if Hilton could have bank or Amex linked cards in Australia after closing the Hilton Macquarie Bank card several months ago.
We are Hilton fans too.
@Eric – Yes, your math for what a Gold would earn from the promo is correct.
Base: 10x
Triplex: B+B = 20x
Surpass: 12x
Bold Bonus: 0.8B = 0.8 * 10x = 8x
Total = 10x + 20x + 12x +8x = 50x or 50HH/$,
which is YUGE. A $100-stay earns: $100 * 50HH/$ = 5,000HH.
G’day!
Grrrrr!
Bold Bonus = GOLD Bonus = .8B
It’s already 8/26 in New York. Why can’t I register for the promo!?
I’m anxious to earn 50 points per dollar.
I just tried and it says promo is now over! I’m a Diamond member with Aspire Amex.
In the FWIW mode…
We all know that “One Size Fits All” is one of the four Great Lies of the Western World. This is as true for hotel (and airline) loyalty programs as much as it is for clothing.
If the Hilton Honors program works for you, as it does for me, this is (IMHO) an outstanding promo…provided you can register for it. ;^) If it doesn’t, it’s quite simple: don’t register.
As for the value of Hilton points, I’m personally comfortable with Lucky’s “~0.5¢,” and since my redemptions regularly return 0.5¢ or greater, I *do* find value at Hilton. Then again, if the rate drops below 0.5¢, I look elsewhere. Besides, as a Diamond member, I regularly receive 34 points per $1 (10 base points + 10 Diamond Bonus points + 14 Hilton Amex Aspire points) in addition to whatever bonus programs exist, so my points add up rather quickly.
Got the same error.
This promotion is now over, but check HiltonHonors.com for our latest offer.
registration page still doesn’t work.
“sorry we missed you!
This promotion is now over, but check HiltonHonors.com for our latest offer.”
Extremely disappointing promotion by Hilton which seems designed to alienate all their customers worldwide that live outside North America.
It worked! Not through the above link but If you register from your account t under promotions tab.
All set! Your offer has been activated.
2019 Power Up Promotion
Offer valid through January 5, 2020
I’m just here for the DCS troll
On the offer enrollment confirmation page is says: “Power Up to Triple Points if you become a Hilton Honors Credit Card Member and use your card to book.”
I hope it’s true that you just need to book with your credit card and not necessarily pay with the Hilton card. Have to use corporate card to pay.
Anyway 28x for Gold plus double points is OK too.
@Wes D sez with a total lack of self-awareness and oblivious to the rich irony of calling anyone a troll *while trolling*: “I’m just here for the DCS troll.”
Can’t make this stuff up…
Link on this page worked for me just now (4:30 EST/1:30 PST). I could have just registered but wanted Lucky to get the recognition.
Damn shame that no Hilton credit card is available in Canada. I would have an Aspire card in a flash and am still trying to find a way.
I just save my points and travel to Rangali Island every three years or so. Spectacular value. at least 2.8 cents per point. (US)
mate, what’s the situation, this is the second link in a row that’s been posted here for Hilton promotions, that is not working? Ive tried it three times now.
Got it to work via link above in article.
It would be nicer if an AMEX card could be issued for a long term HH member… I have the Social Security Number, US account and address, AA Gold Credit Card with US address, but never got my application approved by the HH AMEX (tried once and am applying now), although have explained that my main income (much more than listed) comes from abroad (Just retired) with a different tax system (also sent), where I have MC black, Visa Infinity, ELO Dinners Clubs, ex-AMEX and so… Too strict, unfortunately.
It worked through the link at the top, both for my wife and myself, we are Diamonds with Aspire cards. Great!!! Next month Rome, New Year in Aruba (with points and free nights)
@DCS you make some great points about how to maximize Hilton points to Asian destinations. You broke out the details of your Hilton reservation to various places in Asia. Can you further describe what the approximate points cost per property was? I’m interested, I travel to Asia regularly and have a bunch of Hilton points to use.
Not to quibble, just to add color to the discussion: you discussed World of Hyatt “top” destinations as being 30k a night and used that as a basis of comparison. There are very very few Hyatt properties which have 30k as a redemption. The Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai is 15k and I would argue one of the top properties in the world based on view, location, and surpassing service. The Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa is 20k. The sublime Park Hyatt in Shanghai, which feels like stepping 50 years into the future, is also 20k. I would be honestly interested in what characterizes “top” in your mind.
@Kendor — Here you.
All values (in cpp) in the first column are round up or down:
0.6cpp — 07 Jan 2019 – 11 Jan 2019 — Conrad Hong Kong
1.0cpp — 29 Dec 2018 – 03 Jan 2019 — Hilton Pattaya [***5-night award ***]
0.6cpp — 21 Dec 2018 – 24 Dec 2018 — Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
0.5cpp — 18 Dec 2018 – 21 Dec 2018 — Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
0.5cpp — 15 Dec 2018 – 18 Dec 2018 — Conrad Manila
———————–
Mean= 3.2/5 = 0.64 = ~0.6
I paid cash at Hilton Singapore during the same excursion because on points I would have gotten a redemption value of just 0.35cpp. I will do so again at the end of this year because redemptions at the property will be just as low.
With regard to your quibbling, it is a quibble. The example was general and not limited to any region and it just considered the highest award cost (that’s the meaning of “top”) in each program in order to draw a general conclusion, irrespective of region. You can see the problem in your argument when you begin singling out properties. Where do you stop and why just those properties?
The point I wanted to make only required one to know the “top” (highest) award cost in each program and how many points a top-tier elite in each program earns from cash spent on a revenue stay…
“Here you GO.”
I do not know why some folks are still having trouble registering using the link provided here. I did it through the link at the top as soon as @Lucky announced that it’d gone live…
Is this combinable with the recent “Earn up to 7,500 Bonus Points when you complete 2 stays.
Earn 2,500 Bonus Points on your first stay and 5,000 on your second stay.” promo that expires on Jan 31, 2020 – recently posted on this board?
@DCS
Have fun paying the $1700 boat transfer fee to the Waldorf Maldives for two people.
@Ed — Gladly! *One* person (I am a ‘lone wolf’) paying less than 500K HH points + $850 for a 5-night award stay during peak New Year season at Hilton’s most ‘aspirational’ property that would have cost $20,333.36 in cash is a no-brainer. It would still be even if paying for two… 😉
@Jim – Yes.
@Jim I was banking on it. Usually they have been independent.
That is how Hilton got me for my next stay. Both offered combined makes it a no brainer.
At least this helps on the Hilton Peso.
3X plus Gold Bonus not too bad. It’ll make me stay with Hilton instead of Hyatt on my next trip.
In so much as I’m about to blow 2K for a 3 night stay at the Grand Wailea next week, and I have the Aspire card, I’m pretty stoked about this. Will get 100K points, and the spend will put me over the top for the sign up bonus, so another 150K atop that. Combined with the 610K I already have (wife and I signed up for several cards), looking at 5 nights WA Maldives and 5 nights Conrad Bora Bora for approx $0+ flights/incidentals.
Conrad Bora Bora not accepting stays with points. Didn’t do full research but looks it applies for the next 12 months
My stay will be from Jan 2 to Jan 6. In this case, am I eligible to get triple points for the first 3 nights?