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If you’re a regular TPG reader, you know we believe the best use of Hotel Points is for hotel stays — there are other uses Approximately Always a bad idea. This is because you typically lose the value of your hotel points when you redeem them for other things outside of hotel bookings.

However, Hilton Honors Experience is committed to proving that there are other ways to redeem your Hilton Points that won’t result in outrageous returns. While not all options are good deals, we’ll show you how to decide which one is a winner.

What are Hilton Honors Experiences?

Hilton Honors Experiences are a fun, non-hotel-stay way to redeem your points. There are four main categories for Hilton Honors experiences:

This concept is not unique to Hilton; Other hotel loyalty programs, viz Marriott also offers Bonvoy Moments and Hyatt Find Experiences, the ability to book exclusive events and adventures with points. But Hilton’s got a handful of excellent value propositions.

You can book things like PGA Championship tickets (both general admission and VIP), evening meet and greets with various celebrities, Formula One passes and an activity during your stay at a Hilton property.

In 2022, TPG senior writer Katie Genter redeemed 20,000 Hilton points through the Hilton Experience for a 60-minute couples massage and a four-course dinner for two.

While the experiences are not exclusively hotel-related, some may include a Hilton hotel stay. For example, when you “The Ultimate Thanksgiving Parade Viewing Experience,” you’ll receive three nights at the New York Hilton Midtown with various credits, welcome amenities and access to a VIP parade viewing area.

Some are auctioned off, while others can be “bought” instantly with points. Those who require bidding have a specific closing time, at which time the highest bidder wins the experience.

You can also link your Hilton account to Ticketmaster to redeem points for concerts and other events.

How to book a Hilton Honors Experience

Booking experiences with your points is easy. Just head for it Hilton Honors Experience website And start messing around. At the top of the page, you can choose from specific destinations and experience categories. You can also choose to view all experiences at once.

You can sort experiences by number of bids, current bids, and time remaining. You can also filter your search by the number of points required and whether the experience is auctioned or available for immediate redemption. If you’re looking exclusively for an on-property Hilton experience, there’s a filter for that, too.

Once you find an interesting experience, click on it to read more details. You’ll see everything that comes with the purchase (hotel stays, meals, etc.) as well as the number of guests included. If you’re ready to part with points, you can redeem your rewards and Hilton will contact you within a few days with more details.

Are Hilton Honors experiences worth it?

Hilton Honors experiences can be quite valuable. In some cases, they offer excellent value for an activity that you would have otherwise paid for.

For example, a yacht transfer Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi regularly costs more than $1,000 per adult (after taxes and fees). But you can book the trip for just 100,000 points per adult. That means you’ll get over 1 cent of value per Hilton point. According to TPG’s August 2024 valuation, Hilton points are worth 0.6 cents each, making this a great redemption deal.

On the other hand, redeeming Hilton points through Ticketmaster will give you a phenomenal value of 0.2 cents per point. Just remember, as long as you’re getting value for your rewards at or above TPG’s estimated fair redemption value, you’re golden.

Alternatively, you may simply want to book something you can’t reserve with money — like an intimate dinner prepared by a celebrity chef. This is something you won’t be able to book otherwise, as it’s only available through Hilton Honors Experience. If you stumble across an event like this, only you can decide if it’s worth the points.

It’s also worth noting that you can regularly buy Hilton points for 0.5 cents each, or wait for a promotion to buy Hilton Honors points with bonuses.

The best credit cards to earn Hilton Honors points

Hilton offers several cards that typically come with large welcome bonuses and high return rates on Hilton purchases:

Information for the Hilton Aspire Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

In addition, American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio (1 Amex point equals 2 Hilton points). By earning welcome bonuses on cards like Platinum Card® from American Express And American Express® Gold CardYou can choose to transfer your Amex points to Hilton and book a Hilton Honors experience.

Bottom line

Hilton Honors experiences give you another convenient outlet to redeem your Hilton Points. Some activities are a great value, and some can’t even be reserved with money, meaning a healthy collection of Hilton points can open up fun opportunities most people aren’t even aware of.

Let us know if you’ve ever used a Hilton Honors Experience for a unique adventure!

For Hilton Amex Card rates and fees, click here
For Hilton Amex Business Card rates and fees, click here.
For Hilton Surpass Card rates and fees, click here.
For Hilton Aspire Card rates and fees, click here.