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Hilton recently expanded its portfolio with the addition of approximately 400 smaller luxury hotels from World Properties (formerly part of World of Hyatt). SLH is a collection of boutique hotels ranging from romantic cliffside retreats in Greece to cowboy-themed ranches in Colorado. It prides itself on offering unique properties that reflect the local culture better than your average chain hotel.

Hilton’s partnership with SLH is to bring together the best of both worlds, offering travelers more memorable stays to earn and redeem Hilton Honors Points.

Not all SLH properties are part of the Hilton Honors program, though more are expected to be added as the partnership grows. You can view a list of currently participating hotels on Hilton’s website.

Hilton Honors members can now experience these boutique hotels with all the benefits of Hilton’s loyalty program – like redeeming points, earning points and accessing the benefits of elite status. Let’s dive into all the ways you can take advantage of Hilton’s new SLH collection.

RELATED: Hilton snaps up smaller luxury hotels in world alliances away from Hyatt

How to redeem points at SLH Hilton properties

Since the small luxury hotels of the world are, by definition, luxury, they often come with hefty price tags. Thus, they offer some of the best ways to maximize your Hilton Honors points.

To see which SLH properties are available in your destination, pull up Hilton Map of SLH partners.

As you zoom in, rates will pop up at each hotel. You can check the “Use Points” box at the top to see the rates for reward stays. (At the time of writing, point values ​​were not visible at some SLH properties, but that should change as Hilton works out the wrinkles on its site.)

Click on the hotel you’re interested in, then click “Select Dates” in the pop-up box to view a calendar with rates for several months. You can toggle between cash and rewards rates by clicking on “Special Rates” and checking or unchecking the “Use Points” box.

Although Hilton does not operate using an award chart, SLH properties follow standard award room pricing. This means that rooms considered “standard” will max out at a certain number of points.

However, if you want to book a non-standard room, the price is dynamic, which means award travelers won’t typically get the best redemption rate for their Hilton points.

For example, you can experience your own fairytale at Hungary’s Botanic Castle of Tura for just 80,000 points per night in a standard award room, or a cash rate of $468 per night. This would give you a redemption rate of 0.59 cents per point, which is close to TPG’s July 2024 Hilton Honors valuation of 0.6 cents per point. Note that premium rooms in November start at a cash rate of 408,000 points per night, or $831 per night. This will give you a value of 0.2 cents per point, which is significantly lower than our valuation.

Hilton prices non-standard rooms dynamically, so you can typically expect to earn about 0.2 cents per point, making it the best use of your Hilton points.

When searching Hilton’s website to redeem your points, be sure to put in specific dates, as some search results claim hotels are “sold out” when viewed through the calendar feature.

Check the “Use Points” box to show the available room types and how many points they cost (or whether you can use a standard room award).

Additionally, be sure to scroll down as point values ​​cannot be arranged from lowest to highest. For example, at Sowaka — a restored ryokan in Kyoto, Japan — standard room rewards cost just 120,000 points per night, but are hidden among pricier options.

This room goes for 196,000 yen (or about $1,215) per night, which gives you a value of 1 cent per point — a great use of Hilton Honors points, which TPG has a value of 0.6 cents each.

If you have one of Hilton’s valuable free night award certificates, which are valid on any standard room award (up to 150,000 points per night), the SLH collection gives you some great new options for redeeming them.

However, keep in mind that the standard room award rate is subject to availability, so you’ll have to be a little flexible with your travel plans.

Related: Everything you need to know about the Hilton Honors loyalty program

How to earn points at SLH Hilton properties

Redeeming points can allow you to stay at high-end properties that might otherwise be out of reach, especially on Top travel dates. But when cash rates are low, you might be better off booking paid stays at these places and watching your Hilton Honors points stack up.

Thanks to a new partnership, it’s easier to earn Hilton Points at SLH properties. All you have to do is log into your Hilton Owners account, find your dates and destination, and book your stay through Hilton’s site.

There are many other ways to book SLH properties including online travel agencies like Expedia, credit card portals and hotel websites. But if you book through any of these you won’t earn Hilton Honors points, and you won’t be eligible for elite benefits. However, you can earn other rewards and benefits through credit card portals like Chase Travel℠ and American Express’ Fine Hotels + Resorts. Always consider the pros and cons of each option before deciding how to book.

When you book a small luxury hotel through Hilton, you’ll earn the same Honors points as at a Hilton property. Members earn points at different rates depending on their status tier:

• Basic members: 10 points per dollar
• Silver members: 12 points per dollar
• Gold members: 18 points per dollar
• Diamond members: 20 points per dollar

At most Hilton properties, these points are credited not only to your room rate but to eligible room charges such as room service, spa treatments and parking fees. But at SLH properties, you will only earn Honors Points on the room rate.

These points are in addition to the rewards you earn on the credit card you use to pay for your room. If you don’t have a Hilton cobranded card that earns bonus Honors points on Hilton stays, consider using one of our favorite hotel cards.

RELATED: How You Can Earn More Hilton Honors Points

Elite status benefits at SLH Hilton properties

Thanks to the new partnership, Hilton Honors members (both Basic and Elite) can enjoy a host of benefits when staying at an SLH property. However, these benefits look a little different in the SLH collection than in other hotels.

For basic members, many key benefits are the same, including guaranteed member discounts on paid stays, Resort fee waived on award stays and complimentary standard Wi-Fi. But some benefits may not be available at SLH properties, such as digital check-in and room keys, the ability to choose your room and access to the Hilton Owners Experience. And SLH properties have added some new perks: complimentary late checkout and bottled water.

Silver members still get 20% tier bonus points and a fifth night free at SLH properties, which is a great perk if you’re looking to save thousands of points. Plus, it’s easy to get Hilton Silver status, especially if you have the right card, ie Hilton honors the American Express Card Or Platinum Card® from American ExpressWhich gives cardholders complimentary Hilton Gold Elite status (registration required).

But elite members may not have access to their normal 15% discount at the all-inclusive spa.

Gold and Diamond members will still receive 80% and 100% of their points-earning bonus and space-available upgrades. Instead of the usual food and beverage credit, they will receive free breakfast for up to two guests at SLH properties. Diamond members may miss out on their usual Premium Wi-Fi (standard Wi-Fi included), 48-hour room guarantee and Executive Lounge access.

Members also have access to special offers and promotions. We recommend checking out the Hilton Current offers Before you book any stay and register for all applicable.

If you’re working your way toward the next Hilton status tier, stays at SLH properties now count toward that goal. Hilton status is earned by staying a minimum number of nights, completing a minimum stay or earning a minimum number of points. Staying at an SLH property now gets you as close to your next status tier as any other Hilton property.

Related: Your Guide to Hilton Honors Elite Status

Bottom line

Hilton’s new partnership with SLH is a boost for Hilton Honors members, who now have access to nearly 400 unique luxury and lifestyle properties worldwide — and that number is expected to grow. SLH Hotels offers many ways for members to maximize their points and free night certificates, increase their Hilton Honors balance and take advantage of elite benefits.