Hilton Honors members who chase luxury redemptions are feeling another sting. In the last ten months, the maximum price for standard room awards has jumped not once, not twice, but three times — now topping out at 250,000 points per night. That means if you’ve been eyeing the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi or Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, you’ll now need a quarter-million Hilton points per night. The same goes for top-tier Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) properties now available through Hilton.
For hardcore points and miles collectors, this feels like yet another blow in a long string of devaluations. But for the average Hilton traveler, the change is barely noticeable.
What Sets Hilton Apart From Other Chains
Hilton, Marriott, and IHG all use dynamic award pricing, meaning the number of points you need usually tracks with the cash price of the hotel.
- Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards have no upper limit for awards. If the cash rate skyrockets, the points price can follow, sometimes to eye-watering levels.
- Hilton Honors also prices dynamically, but standard awards still have a soft cap. The max points required for the most aspirational hotels have crept up over time — from 120,000, 150,000, 200,000, and now 250,000 points per night. Only premium room awards float without restriction.
- Hyatt assigns hotels to categories, each with fixed off-peak/standard/peak rates. Hyatt has raised top categories in recent years, but members still know exactly what a given property can cost in points.
So while Hilton collectors are right to be frustrated with the rising cap, there’s still more predictability than with Marriott or IHG.
What About Regular Hotels?
I looked back at a few properties we’ve stayed at or written about, and the differences were surprisingly small:
- DoubleTree by Hilton at Universal Orlando — previously capped around 45,000 points; now about 50,000 points.
- Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre — 80,000 points a few years ago; now about 85,000 points.
- The Draper, Tapestry Collection (NYC) — we paid 80,000 points per night; today, it tops out near 85,000 points.
That’s a difference of roughly 5,000 points over several years — hardly the “massive devaluation” you might see in headlines.
Why the Disconnect?
Points enthusiasts focus on the aspirational end — bucket-list spots like the Maldives, Bora Bora, or Cabo that often retail for $2,000+ per night. For that slice of redemptions, an increase from 150K to 250K points feels catastrophic.
But most Hilton members aren’t booking those trips. They’re redeeming at Hilton Garden Inns, DoubleTree, and city-center Curio/Tapestry hotels. For that crowd, award prices haven’t moved nearly as much — many barely notice any change at all.
What About Free Night Certificates?
There’s been chatter about whether Hilton might cap the Free Night Reward certificates from co-brand cards (Surpass, Aspire, etc.), which have historically been valid at any Hilton property. Hilton has said there are no plans to change the uncapped free night benefit, which arguably makes those certificates more valuable than ever — you can use them at properties that now cost up to 250,000 points for a standard award night.
Bottom Line
Yes, Hilton raised the ceiling — and luxury collectors are right to be disappointed. But for most travelers, Hilton redemptions haven’t changed much. The average stay at a Hilton Garden Inn or DoubleTree is only marginally more expensive in points than it was a few years ago.
If you’re hoarding points for a dream trip to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi or Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, you’ll need a bigger balance than before. If you’re just trying to cover a city hotel or a family trip to Orlando, Hilton points still deliver solid value.
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