🏨 Is Hilton's Latest Points Sale Worth Your While?
Welcome to Smart With Points, the podcast where we dive into the world of travelling with miles and points. I'm your host, Jack, and today we're looking at whether Hilton's latest points sale is worth your while for your 2025 travel plans. Hilton has kicked off the year with a 100% bonus on purchases, bringing the cost down to roughly 0.5 pence or 0.6 cents per point. This sale runs through the 14th of March, so let's break down whether it's a good idea to buy in. Under this promotion, you can purchase up to 240,000 base points, which doubles to 480,000 points with the bonus. That's a total cost of one thousand nine hundred and twenty pounds or two thousand four hundred dollars - a significant investment that needs careful consideration. From my experience focusing on premium cabin travel and luxury hotels, these sales can offer excellent value when matched with the right redemption. For instance, I recently looked at booking the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam for a summer trip. With cash rates hitting eight hundred pounds or one thousand dollars per night during peak season, the points rate of 120,000, costing six hundred pounds or seven hundred and fifty dollars at sale prices, starts to look quite attractive. The real sweet spot comes when you combine purchased points with Hilton's fifth night free benefit for elite members. This effectively reduces your cost by 20% on five-night stays - though you'll need elite status to take advantage of this. Speaking of status, there are several ways to obtain it. US readers can get instant Diamond status with the Hilton Aspire Card, while UK residents can get Gold status through the American Express Platinum cards, which is what I have through my Business Platinum. Both UK and US cardholders can get Gold status through various Hilton credit card options. A key consideration for any points purchase is having a specific redemption in mind. While these sales occur regularly, they can offer solid value if you're booking during peak periods when cash rates are high, you're staying at luxury properties where point redemptions offer better value, you can take advantage of the fifth night free benefit, or you have elite status to enhance the stay value. Remember that points purchases are processed through points.com, meaning they won't qualify for travel category bonuses on your credit card. For US readers, consider using a card like the Capital One Venture for general spending bonuses. UK readers might want to use the Capital on Tap Business card, which earns a solid return on all spending. So, is this sale worth it? Well, it can offer excellent value if you have a specific redemption in mind, particularly for luxury properties or longer stays. However, don't buy speculatively - these sales come around regularly, and points are only valuable when you have a solid plan for using them. For those new to hotel points, you might want to start smaller and test the waters. Consider building your points balance through stays and credit card spending first, then supplementing with purchased points when you have a specific high-value redemption in mind. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Smart With Points. If you want to learn more about maximizing your points and miles, check out our guides for UK credit cards or follow us on Instagram for daily tips and updates. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms or at smartwithpoints.co.uk, and we'll catch you in the next episode.
