This program was reviewed and rated by our editors in January 2010. Changes in the program past this date are possible, especially program partner information. We recommend you subscribe to the #1 source of frequent flyer information, Inside Flyer Magazine, to get the most current information possible.

Double Dip

Conrad Hilton entered the hotel business when he purchased the Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. He formed the Hilton Hotels Corp. in 1946 and the hotel group has since grown from its Texas roots to include around 3,400 hotels in 81 countries worldwide.

The company has experienced a few changes in the past couple of years. It was acquired by Blackstone Group in 2007 and the name of the company changed from Hilton Hotels Corporation to Hilton Worldwide last year. The program moved its headquarters from Beverly Hills, Calif. to McLean, Va. and also switched to a new logo. Hilton brands include Hilton Hotels, Conrad Hotels, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and Hampton Inns & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Waldorf Astoria.

The HHonors program is best known for its "double dip" earning style where members can earn both points and miles for the same hotel stay. The most recent change to HHonors has been the new award chart, which went into effect in January. Although the program has not adjusted its point levels since June 2003, the devaluation of points has upset many members.
The HHonors program is best known for its "double dip" earning style where members can earn both points and miles for the same hotel stay.

Hilton HHonors allows members to "double dip" and earn hotel points and airline miles at the same time for their hotel stays. Members can choose from three earning options: points and variable miles, points and fixed miles or points and points. You can change your earning preference online whenever you want, but the points and miles earned for a stay are determined by the earning style in place the day you check-out and changes cannot be made for past stays.

Members who choose points and variable miles will receive 10 base points and one mile per eligible dollar spent. With points and fixed miles, you'll receive 10 base points per dollar spent and 500 miles per stay (100 miles per stay at Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites). Choose points and points and you'll get 10 base points plus five bonus points per eligible dollar spent.

Eligible charges for Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites include room rate only while point-earning charges at other Hilton hotels include room rate and other incidentals such as food and beverage and pay-per-view movies (not including tax).

Members can also earn points for credit card purchases, car rentals, retail purchases, dining and transferring miles into points, among other options.

Hilton HHonors introduced a new award chart that went into effect Jan. 15, 2010. The lowest level award remained the same but all of the other awards increased between 5,000 and 10,000 points. The lowest level category 1 hotel awards are available for 7,500 points per night. Stays at category 2 hotels are 12,500 points, category 3 hotels are 25,000 points, category 4 hotels are 30,000 points, category 5 hotels are 35,000 points, category 6 hotels are 40,000 points and category 7 hotels are now 50,000 points.

The luxury Waldorf Collection hotel awards are available for 40,000 to 180,000 points per night depending on the location and low or high season. Points can also be redeemed for stays at a Hilton Grand Vacation Club for 35,000 points per night. Point stretcher awards are offered at participating category 2 through 6 hotels for 40 percent fewer points, although the Web site states that "Point Stretcher Dates are currently unavailable".

HHonors also offers a number of award packages such as the "Indulge Your Senses" package for two that includes three nights at the Caribe Hilton, daily buffet breakfast and four complimentary spa treatments for 240,000 points. All-inclusive rewards are available starting at 40,000 points per night in Costa Rica at the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas or 35,000 points in Egypt at the Hilton Sharks Bay or Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort by the Red Sea.

One-day car rental awards start at 14,000 points and a one-class upgrade starts at 4,000 points. Cruise awards with CruisesOnly start at 120,000 points for a $250 certificate that can be used on a participating cruise line.

Members can redeem points for tickets to Disneyland, Disneyworld and Universal Studios. A three-day adult ticket to Disneyland is 70,000 points. Other entertainment-themed awards include eight Blockbuster entertainment cards that can be used for games or movie rentals for 24,000 points.

Members can also redeem for gift cards at popular retail and food partners such as Borders, Pottery Barn, Macy's, Best Buy, Starbucks and Dave & Buster's. Redeem 25,000 points for a $50 gift card and 50,000 points for a $100 gift card. Merchandise is also available, ranging from an iPod touch for 193,000 points to a cashmere dog sweater for 21,500 points or a telescope for 63,000 points. Residents of other countries can redeem points for merchandise and specialty rewards that are only available in their country of residence.

Golf awards are offered at participating resorts and members can redeem between 25,000 and 35,000 points for tee time or 60,000 to 100,000 points for the Hilton Golf Academy where you'll receive three hours of specialized instruction, a round of golf and lunch.

Members can donate points to a number of charities including AIDS Walk, City of Hope, Habitat for Humanity and National Coalition for the Homeless. Every 10,000-point donation is the equivalent of $25 given to the charity.

With Experience Rewards, members can redeem points for a variety of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For 90,000 points, you can get a full-day tour of the Great Wall of China and Ming Tomb plus lunch at a local restaurant. Or you can redeem 30,000 points for a lift ticket that can be used at 10 of Intrawest Mountain Resorts, such as Winter Park, Copper or Whistler Blackcomb.

HHonors members can exchange points into miles with 38 airlines and Amtrak. Conversion rates vary but in general, 10,000 points convert into 1,000 to 1,500 miles. Alternatively, members can exchange 5,000 miles for 10,000 HHonors points with American Airlines, Amtrak, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair and Mexicana Airlines; 5,000 miles for 5,000 HHonors points with CSA Czech Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Exchange rates vary by country but in the U.S., 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards points convert into 1,300 HHonors points and 1,250 Diner's Club Rewards points convert into 2,000 HHonors points.

HHonors partners with more than 50 airlines plus Amtrak and Deutsche Bahn, so chances are that you can earn miles with your frequent flyer or rail program when staying at a Hilton hotel.

Members earn between 250 and 500 points per rental and exclusive discounts when renting a car with Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, National, Sixt and Thrifty.

Members in the U.S. can choose a Hilton co-branded credit card with either American Express or Citibank. The Hilton HHonors card from American Express comes with no annual fee, a welcome bonus of 10,000 HHonors points with first purchase and up to an additional 10,000 points on your next four stays within the first 18 months of owning the card. You'll receive six points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels and grocery stores, drugstores, gas stations, home and wireless phone bills, cable and satellite TV and Internet service providers. All other purchases net three points per dollar. Members also receive an online booking bonus of 500 points when charging a stay to the credit card and automatically receive Silver VIP status, and can be upgraded to Gold VIP elite status when charging $20,000 or more annually to the card.

Hilton HHonors introduced the Surpass Card from American Express in February 2009 that comes with additional benefits. New cardmembers can earn a 20,000-point sign up bonus and an additional 20,000 points for completing eight eligible stays within 18 months. Members will earn the same number of points for purchases with the card as Hilton HHonors AMEX cardmembers with the exception of Hilton stays. Surpass cardmembers will earn nine points (instead of six) per dollar spent at Hilton Worldwide hotels. Cardmembers receive complimentary Gold elite status for the first year with the opportunity to earn Gold status when spending $20,000 annually or Diamond status when spending $40,000 each subsequent year. An annual Priority Pass membership is offered to cardmembers, as well as a 500-point online booking bonus. The Surpass card has an annual fee of $75.

The Citibank Visa co-branded card has no annual fee and offers new cardmembers 15,000 bonus points after making $150 in purchases within two months. Members earn six bonus points for every dollar spent at Hilton hotels, three points per dollar spent on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations and two points per dollar spent everywhere else. Cardmembers automatically receive Silver VIP status. Hilton HHonors also offers co-branded credit cards to residents of Germany, Japan and the U.K. HHonors participates in e-Rewards, e-Miles and MyPoints and members can earn points for participating in online surveys and shopping online. Members can also earn points when dining at participating restaurants through its partnership with Rewards Network.

Many cellular partners participate in the HHonors program and members can earn points for making mobile phone calls in places such as Indonesia with the Indosat network or the Wind network in Italy. Members can earn points by getting a OneSIMCard to use when traveling worldwide or registering your mobile phone number with a participating network.

Unlike other hotel programs, award stays count towards elite status and members can earn status three ways: by the number of stays, nights or points earned during a calendar year. (And through credit card membership as we mentioned under Partnerships). Priority Club Rewards offers status based on nights or points earned and Starwood Preferred Guest and Hyatt Gold Passport determine elite status by number of nights or stays. Marriott Rewards only counts the number of nights per year.

Silver VIP membership will be given to members who stay four times or 10 nights during a calendar year (points earned do not count towards Silver status). Silver members receive a 15 percent point bonus, complimentary health club access when available and the option to redeem points for VIP Rewards, with award stays of up to 14 nights at participating hotels worldwide.

Gold VIP membership will be awarded to members who complete 16 stays, 36 nights or earn 60,000 base points during a calendar year. Gold members receive a 25 percent point bonus and upgraded accommodations or amenities, depending on hotel brand and location. For example, Gold members staying at Hilton, Conrad or Doubletree can choose from 1,000 bonus points, an upgrade to an executive floor room when available and lounge access plus complimentary breakfast or complimentary high speed Internet.

Members who complete 28 stays, 60 nights or earn 100,000 base points during a calendar year will be awarded Diamond VIP membership. Diamond members receive all the benefits offered to the lower tier members, dedicated customer service and reservations desk, a 50 percent point bonus and guaranteed reservations for one room when reservations are made 48 hours prior to arrival. Diamond VIPs also receive access to the Executive Floor lounge even when they don't receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor.

There is no lifetime elite status program.

Awards are fully transferable to anyone but once issued, may only be used by the person named on the award. Award stays are not subject to capacity controls or blackout dates.

Points cannot be combined but can be transferred in 10,000-point increments at a cost of $25 per 10,000 points. If a member transfers 200,000 points in a calendar year, all additional transfers made that year are free of charge.

Members can purchase up to 40,000 Hilton HHonors points per calendar year in 1,000-point increments. The cost of points is $0.0125 per point for transactions under 10,000 points and $0.01 per point for purchases over 10,000 points.

Points do not expire but members who do not earn points in any 12 month consecutive period may be removed from the program and lose all accumulated points. The account may be reactivated within 90 days of closure by staying at a Hilton hotel, earning points through a partner or purchasing points.

HHonors has an automated telephone helpline available 24/7 and you can access your account information anytime. To speak with a customer service representative, you will need to call between 5am and 1:30am CST any day of the week. The list of menu options is rather lengthy and you can press zero to speak to a representative. You can also send your inquiries via email.

While our experience talking with HHonors customer service has been good, members have reported that service is inconsistent.

HHonors award stays and most other types of awards can be redeemed online but some awards, such as car rentals and cruises, require a call to the service center. The Web site has "flexible dates" as a search option so you can view a hotel's award availability for an entire month. Missing stay requests can be made online from the member services tab after logging into your HHonors account. You can also choose your communication preferences, which include monthly email account statements, HHonors partner news, special offers, last minute specials and offers from hotels in specific destinations.

Hilton HHonors includes a point calculator on its Web site to help you figure out how many points you will earn. Enter the room rate, number of nights, earning style, tier level and the tool will calculate the base and bonus points you would earn per stay.

Hilton also has an iPhone and iTouch application that allows HHonors members to check point balances in addition to searching for hotels, making reservations and redeeming points for stays. Gold and Diamond members can also use the app to check-in online up to 48 hours in advance.

A few positive aspects of Hilton HHonors include the ability to "double-dip", award stays count towards elite status, American Express and Visa credit cards (with the ability to gain elite through credit card spent), access to lounges and members-only floors and free breakfast for elite members. Hilton no longer has blackout dates for award stays since 2008. With the large number of partnerships, you'd be hard pressed to find a major airline that doesn't partner with HHonors and the program continues to add partners. Virgin America is the newest airline partner to be introduced and dining partner Rewards Network was added last year. In a recent poll on FlyerTalk, almost 60 percent of respondents rated the program a C+ to B- or higher.

In a recent FlyerTalk poll, over 40 percent of respondents rated the program a C or lower. The biggest disappointment with the program is the new award chart and many members said they lowered their rating based on the recent points devaluation.

While HHonors does offer promotions, they seem to lag behind the other programs in terms of promotion frequency and are frequently targeted. Members cannot redeem points for room upgrades, an option which is offered by Marriott and Starwood. And the 12-month window for account closure with the subsequent forfeiture of points is short, although other programs such as Starwood have the same policy. Members report that obtaining room upgrades can be difficult and upgrades to suites are not offered as an elite benefit.

(800) 446-6677
hhonors@hilton.com

HHonors Customer Care
PO Box 9003
Addison, TX 75001-9003