Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors has justifiably been criticized quite a bit, following a series of devaluations and award chart shuffles. However, as a loyal Hilton Diamond guest who stays at a Hilton at most of my hotel stays around the world, I still feel that there’s a ton of value to be mined if you’re looking at some of the sweet spots in India and around Asia. It would be fair to say that most people value a Hilton Point at around 0.4-0.5 cents per point. Based on my experience living and traveling around Asia and India, below are a few properties you could consider before using your Hilton points for you next trip in order to get outsized value.
Hilton Points Explorer
Thankfully Hilton still has recently launched a Points Explorer tool. You just need to key in the destination and you’ll get an estimate of the points needed.
Hilton Jaipur
We selected sample dates in February, which is peak travel season in Rajasthan. For just 20,000 points per night, we get a comparable rate of $114 after adding the 28% tax. This gives us a value of 0.57 cents per Hilton point.
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Goa
Baga is a fantastic location in Goa (think partying) and December is peak travel season in Goa. For just 20,000 points per night, we get a comparable rate of $151 after adding the 23% tax. That gives an awesome value of 0.75 cents per Hilton point.
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Agra
This hotel is a great option if you’re in Agra and looking to visit the Taj Mahal. For sample dates we picked up during the peak travel season in November, for just 10,000 points per night, we get a comparable rate of $105 per night after the 23% tax. This yields us an outsized value of 1.05 cents per Hilton point!
As seen in the examples above, you can really stretch the value of your Hilton points while traveling around India. A single credit card bonus could easily be worth 8-10 free nights, or even more, if redeemed in the most optimal way.
The Pundit’s Mantra
Also, if you have Silver, Gold or Diamond status with Hilton, you also get the 5th night free while booking with points. Having stayed at many of these Hilton properties in India and around Asia, I can assure you that the service is top-notch and some of the locations of these properties are truly gorgeous. In future posts, we will cover some of the other destinations around India and Asia where you can get tremendous value while redeeming your Hilton points.
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