American Express Points Put to Good Use – Hotels (Hilton)
American Express Points Transferred to a Hotel Program (Hilton Honors)
Of If you Already Have Hilton Honors Points
Conrad Maldives
Please remember to use my Referral Links if you would like to apply for a Card. This helps me. Thank you.
Lets Take For Example a Hilton Property using points and compare it to a cash rate. Hilton used to have a chart based on the category of the hotel; however, now it is more based on the occupancy level of the hotel. Usually if the hotel is busy the cash rate and points rate both go up. This makes it hard to use points because if you book far in advance the cash rate is better then using points because its cheap and not worth the points; however, then when its too expensive its not also worth using the points because they are asking for too many points. This is most of the time; there are some instances where it may be a good deal. Hilton’s Highest / Most Luxury/ Top Hotels are 95,000 Hilton Honors Points. These are capped. Meaning Any Property Can not go above 95,000 Hilton Honors Points including there top Luxury Properties. So when I Book Hilton I try to Only Book there Top Properties to get the most value out of my Hilton Honors Points. So if you See the Example Below of the Hilton Embassy Suites in San Diego it will cost you in Hilton Honors Points – 60,000 Hilton Honors Points. What I love about Hilton (Actually Marriott Does this as Well, and Just Recently IHG as well) is that they allow 5th night Free Award Redemption’s. This means that if you book 5 Nights in Hilton Honors Points you will Receive 5 Nights at the Price of Points in 4.
Hilton Honors Points Rate – BAD EXAMPLE
Hilton Honors Cash Rate
60,000 Hilton Honors Points Per Night or $379.00 Per Night for Hilton Embassy Suites San Diego. Also it should be noted that American Express Transfers 1 to 2 Hilton Honors Points. Let Me Explain.
1 American Express Point Transferred to Hilton will Net You 2 Hilton Honors Points. The Transfer Rate is 1 (Amex) to 2 (Hilton Honors)
So Total 30,000 American Express Points will = 60,000 Hilton Honors Points.
Now I want to show you the 5th night Free Hilton Offers.
So for 5 Nights Using Hilton Honors Points at San Diego Embassy Suites @ 60,000 Hilton Honors Points Per Night would Cost you 240,000 Hilton Honors Points because you would get the 5th night free. Or 120,000 American Express Points because remember, American Express Transfer 1 Amex Points to 2 Hilton Honors Points.
Or you Could pay Cash and it would cost you $1895 + Taxes. Well, just say $2100.00 for the cash rate. Cash Rate and Points Rates here are very poor. I would look around for another hotel. I would find another hotel in the area that would either make more sense paying cash or points.
Hilton Honors Points Rate – Good Example
Conrad Maldives. I use the Conrad Maldives Example because its an amazing Place to me. There are many other Hilton Properties that are Very Nice/ Exclusive. The Conrad Koh Samui is another amazing property. Google is your friend, use it to find other properties. So to stay at the Conrad Maldives it takes 95,000 Hilton Honors Points. Wait a sec. The San Diego Embassy Suites took 60,00 Hilton Honors Points and the Conrad Maldives only takes 95,000! Only 35,000 More Points then San Diego Embassy Suites! Yes this is correct! Remember what I mentioned Above. Hilton’s Top Properties are Capped at 95,000 Hilton Honors Points. It gets even better staying 5 Nights because of the 5th Night Free Award when using Hilton Honors Points. If I go to Conrad Maldives I am at the LEAST Staying 5 Nights. So if it takes 95,000 Points a night and I book 5 Nights, I will receive One Night Free, this Means that it will cost me 76,000 Hilton Honors Points a Night and a Total of 380,000 Hilton Honors Points for 5 Nights. If you Transfer Amex Points to Hilton Honors Points you would Need 190,000 Amex Points for 5 Nights. If you pay Cash for 5 Nights depending on when you go and what type of room you choose it fluctuates. What is great is at this property is that the Over Water Villa and Beach Villa are Considered Standard Award Redemption’s which is what you need to book a room at 95,000 Hilton Honors Points. So you can book a Over Water Villa which actually costs more using Cash then a Beach Villa costs with cash; However, if you use Hilton Honors Points it the Same rate of 95,000 Hilton Honors Points!!! See Below Pictures.
Above is the Beach Villa at $5,243.64 or you can book it at 95,000 Points Per Night. Beach Villas Are Very Nice. Right on the Beach.
Here is where the value comes in. Above is the Standard Over Water Villa. The Over Water Villa seems just a tad dated; However, I obviously loved it so much last time I was here in 2018, I booked it again for 2019. There are some many Pro’s then Cons, which I will Review Later in a post.
BEACH VILLA
Google Pictures of Beach Villa. I can not find the ones I took.
So lets talk Numbers.
Beach Villa = Cash Rate $5,243.64 (5 Nights) or 76,000 Per Night (Because of 5th Night Free) = 380,000 Hilton Honors Points or 190,000 Amex Points Because Amex Transfers to Hilton 1 Amex Points to 2 Hilton Points.
OVER WATER VILLA
Again Here is the Where the Value Comes in because the Over Water Villa Costs Much More then the Beach Villa and it is Still Considered a Standard Award Redemption at 95,000 Points Per Night.
Over Water Villa = Cash Rate $9189.12 or 76,000 Per Night (Because of 5th Night Free) = 380,000 Hilton Honors Points or 190,000 Amex Points Because Amex Transfers to Hilton 1 Amex Points to 2 Hilton Points.
Remember Cash Rates Fluctuates Especially During High Season and Low Season. Also it should be noted when you book with Points your reservation is always refundable; whereas, when you book with cash they have a prepaid rate which is always the cheapest and that is NON-REFUNDABLE.
Have Fun in the Maldives!
- Diamond Status ( Early Check- In, Late Check Out, Upgrades, If Available Upon Check In)
- 14 Points Per Dollar + Base Points You Will Receive at Property which would net you somewhere in the 20’s Points Per Dollar. (Right Now Hilton is Offering a Triple Points Bonus, Which Could Net You Close to 40 Points Per Dollar Because of the Diamond Status)
- $250.00 Airline Credit ( Baggage Fees, Food/ Drinks In Flight/ Or a Hack that you will need to Message Me on How to Receive Gift Cards for your Airline Credit)
- $250.00 Hotel Credit (Anything at Hotel, Example, Spa, Dining, Etc.)
- One Free Night Every Year at Any Hilton Hotel Worldwide (Get this Credit Card for you and your Wife and and get an additional 2 Nights with the 5th Night Free Example I showed you above and turn your 5 Night Over Water Villa Stay into 7 Nights in a Over Water Villa for only 380,000 Hilton Honors Points).
- 150,000 Hilton Honors Points Introductory Bonus after you Spend $4000.00
- AND MORE