From the Florida Keys to the Maldives: How to maximize 130,000 Hilton points

With more than 8,000 Hilton-branded properties worldwide, it’s hard to travel somewhere and not find a Hilton property.

Whether planning a trip to paradise or visiting a major city, you can find tremendous value in the Hilton Honors program. Most award prices range from 5,000 to 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night for Standard Room Rewards; however, you may see prices as high as 150,000 per night at high-end properties in the Maldives for Standard Room Rewards, and those rates can rise to potentially millions of points per night for last-minute Premium Room Rewards.

Given the wide range of redemption options, let’s look at seven ways to use 130,000 Hilton points and a free night reward for stays of two, three, four and even five nights.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and free night rewards

Right now, you can earn the following welcome offers with Hilton’s cobranded cards:

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night reward after spending $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card in the first six months of card membership. Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter (up to $200 in statement credits annually) for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio.
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night reward with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of card membership.
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first six months of card membership. Plus, receive an annual free night reward in your first year of card membership and every year upon card renewal. Plus, earn an additional free night reward after making $30,000 in purchases and an additional free night reward for making $60,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.

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

Hilton free night rewards can be used worldwide at almost any Hilton property, with some properties excluded. You can use a free night reward for one night, regardless of the points cost, whenever a standard room is available.

Previously, Hilton free night rewards were limited to weekend nights only (i.e., Friday through Sunday). Thankfully, Hilton changed this rule, and you can now use your certificate any day of the week as long as Standard Room Rewards are available for booking on the Hilton website.

How to maximize Hilton Honors points and a free night reward

While some points enthusiasts love to redeem their rewards on one big splurge, say, at a luxury property, others love to maximize their points by staying at a cheaper hotel for multiple nights. Either way, utilizing points will save you money and help you take the vacation of your dreams.

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Check out some of our favorite ways to redeem Hilton Honors points and use your free night reward.

Redeem points for a luxury Hilton hotel near Utah national parks

National parks have been having a moment as more and more travelers flock to the great outdoors.

While there are various points-friendly hotels around some national parks, some are pretty modest. However, if your travels take you to Utah, you can level up your lodging selection in Moab and stay close to both Arches and Canyonlands national parks.

The Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton is a beautiful property, and it’s bookable for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night on several dates. At those rates, you can book a weekend getaway in the heart of Utah’s natural beauty. If you use a stash of points from the welcome bonus from the Hilton Surpass card for one night and redeem a free night reward for the other, you’ll have 50,000 points left over.

Also in Utah, you’ll find another Curio Collection property, the Cliffrose Springdale, just a few minutes from Zion National Park. This property has rooms available for 90,000 Hilton points per night later this summer. Or, if you travel in off-peak season, you can book a room for as few as 40,000 points per night. This means if you have the Hilton Surpass card, you could use the welcome bonus and free night reward to book four nights.

Redeem Hilton points for a trip to the Florida Keys

If you want an iconic beachfront hotel that transports you back to the style of the 1920s, the Casa Marina Key West, a Curio Collection property, is available for 95,000 Hilton points per night. With 130,000 points and a free night reward, you’d have enough for a weekend getaway at this property, which features two pools and a refurbished lobby. Better yet, it’s near Duval Street, which is chock-full of restaurants, shops and pubs.

Another resort-style option in Key West is the Reach Key West, a Curio Collection property bookable from 83,000 Hilton points per night. It’s just blocks from the heart of Duval Street, and it has a beachfront pool and floating gazebo.

Related: Fast-growing Breeze now up to 70 destinations with addition of Key West

Redeem Hilton points for Hawaiian vacation

Hawaii is a solid place to redeem Hilton points, with various properties across multiple Hawaiian islands. Since Hawaii is such a popular destination, Standard Room awards at luxury properties can be difficult to find.

Thankfully, some less expensive Hilton awards in Hawaii are easier to book. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is available for 66,000 points per night on most nights. Using your welcome bonus from your Hilton Surpass card, you can combine your bonus points and your free night reward to book this tropical getaway. Remember, to get the welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $3,000 on your card in the first six months, which means you’ll earn a minimum of 9,000 Hilton Honors points. (The Hilton Surpass earns 3 points per dollar on all purchases and bonus points in additional categories such as gas, groceries, dining and more.)

However, if you want to stay at a more upscale property, book the Ka La’i Waikiki Beach, LXR Hotels & Resorts for 100,000 Hilton points per night.

Hilton doesn’t have a huge presence on the “garden island” of Kauai, but the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, is available from 110,000 points per night. Cash rates start from around $760 per night, so you could save more than $1,500 on a two-night stay.

Guests using Hilton points in Hawaii usually receive great treatment, even with mid-tier Hilton Gold status. In the past, perks have included free drinks, free parking, waived resort fees and free chocolates.

Redeem Hilton points for a ski vacation

If you want something in ski season, there are multiple ways to cash in up to 130,000 Hilton points and a free night reward for some nights near the slopes.

Colorado’s renovated and rebranded Highline Vail (a DoubleTree by Hilton property) is just a shuttle ride away from the powder. Standard rooms start at about 57,000 points per night during the offseason and usually climb to about 85,000 points per night during peak ski season. With that in mind, you could have enough points to ski during peak season with the Hilton Surpass card’s welcome bonus alone. You can find early- and late-season weekend rates for even fewer points per night.

Or, for more luxury, the Waldorf Astoria Park City is halfway between Deer Valley Ski Resort and downtown Park City, Utah. Standard room rewards cost around 110,000 Hilton Honors points per night, making this a great place to maximize your free night reward.

Consider Denver properties if you prefer to stay in a larger city and drive to the slopes daily. Echo Ridge ski field is just 36 miles from the city.

Rates for the cheap and cheerful Home2 Suites by Hilton Longmont start from just 45,000 Hilton Honors points per night, even in peak ski season. So, you could potentially book three nights there with a 130,000-point welcome offer plus the free night reward and have plenty of points left over for another vacation.

Related: 17 of our favorite ski-friendly resort hotels you can book using reward points

Redeem Hilton points for a luxury resort in Mexico

Escape to the beaches of Mexico and experience the gorgeous resort Conrad Punta de Mita. Although cash rates are high (generally more than $750 per night), it’s a great use of Hilton points as Standard Room Rewards hover around 95,000 points per night.

Even a standard room at this resort is 646 square feet and features partial ocean views. Plus, you’ll have access to three expansive pools, a long stretch of private sandy beaches and the Higuera Golf Club. There are four on-site restaurants, each offering a unique take on local cuisine.

If you want to get more out of your points, try an all-inclusive option like the Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort. Not only does every room face the Caribbean Sea, but with 12 on-site restaurants and bars, you don’t have to worry about food and drink costs. To redeem Hilton Honors points at this resort, standard rooms start from 85,000 points per night.

Related: 25 best all-inclusive resorts in the world

Redeem Hilton points for a trip to London

Though it’s just across the pond, London can be an expensive city to book accommodations. Fortunately, there are plenty of Hilton hotel options in London where you can redeem your reward points. The hotel group’s portfolio in London far outnumbers Marriott’s and Hyatt’s footprint combined — and there are some excellent redemptions to be had.

Standard Room Rewards at the Hilton London Kensington — near attractions like Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace — start from just 32,000 per night. Therefore, you could combine 130,000 Hilton points and a free night reward to book for five nights in London.

Related: The ultimate 3-day itinerary for visiting London with kids

Redeem Hilton points for a dream-worthy Maldives hotel stay

Let’s be real: 130,000 Hilton points and a free night reward from the Hilton Surpass card won’t get you that many nights at some of Hilton’s top-of-the-line overwater villa properties, such as the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island or the Waldorf Astoria Maldives. Still, it’s a good start — especially for properties where Standard Room Rewards top out at 95,000 points per night.

This is especially true if you pool your Hilton points with friends and family, and each of you earns a 130,000 welcome bonus and a free night reward. Hilton allows free points pooling with up to 11 people, making top-tier redemptions even more accessible for groups.

Hilton points are a great option for a trip to Bora Bora.

These are just seven of our favorite ways to use 130,000 Hilton points and a free night reward, which you can receive with select Hilton cards like the Hilton Surpass card after meeting certain spend requirements.

Whether you choose to stretch your rewards and book dozens of award nights at properties that start at just 5,000 points per night, or you decide to save your points for the trip of a lifetime and redeem them at high-value resorts, there are a ton of ways to maximize Hilton Honors points.