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GUIDE
How to book Hilton Honors Points & Money awards
Hilton Honors Points & Money is a reward-stay option in Hilton Honors that lets a member book a free night with any combination of Points and money rather than paying entirely in Points [4]. The money portion still earns Hilton Honors Points at all Participating Hotels [3], but a Points & Money Rewards™ stay does not receive the fifth-night-free benefit that Hilton applies to all-Points Standard Room Reward Stays [3].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Hilton's points page says free nights can be booked with any combination of Points and money, and states there are no blackout dates [4].
- Members may earn Points on the money portion of a Points & Money Rewards stay at all Participating Hotels, and Reward Stays count towards overall Stays and nights for elite qualification, status gifting and milestone bonuses [3].
- The fifth-night-free benefit on Standard Room Reward Stays is limited to all-Points stays and does not apply to Points & Money Rewards stays, and the Diamond 48-Hour Reservations Guarantee excludes reservations paid in part or in full with Points [3].
- Room type and property decide what a stay looks like: a Standard Room is defined by each hotel and is subject to availability, and the list of Participating Hotels can change [3].
What is a Hilton Honors Points & Money award?
Hilton's points page frames its free-night option as a booking made "with any combination of Points and money", and the same page states that these stays carry no blackout dates [4]. It sits within a wider menu of uses for a balance, which the page lists as free nights, Experiences, Lyft rides, shopping with Points at Amazon.com and car rentals with Alamo, National and Enterprise [4].
The programme terms give the product its formal name, Points & Money Rewards™, and refer separately to an "all Points Reward Stay" [3]. The terms also define where these stays can happen: "Participating Hotels" means hotels within the Hilton Portfolio plus Partner Accommodations, which are third-party accommodations that Hilton does not own, operate, license, franchise or control but that take part in the programme [3].
The room itself is settled property by property rather than by one programme-wide table. The terms state that a Standard Room is defined by each hotel and is subject to availability at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio [3], and they add that Participating Hotels are subject to change at any time, without notice, at Hilton Honors' sole discretion [3]. Two Points & Money bookings at different properties can therefore look quite different in what they cost and what room they secure [3]. These mechanics are shared with other hotel programmes that sell part-points, part-cash stays, as outlined in the hotel points plus cash overview and the glossary entry for hotel points plus cash.
Does the cash portion of a Points & Money stay earn Points?
Yes. Hilton's terms state that members may earn Points on the money portion of a Points & Money Rewards™ stay at all Participating Hotels [3]. Base Points are earned on Eligible Spend, which covers room rate, eligible food and beverage, telephone, laundry, pay-per-view movies, entertainment and recreational facilities, and other incidental charges billed to the member's room during a qualifying Stay; taxes, including city occupancy tax, are not Eligible Spend [3].
The base rate per US dollar depends on the brand [3]:
| Brand group | Base Points |
|---|---|
| Most brands | 10 |
| Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Spark by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Apartment Collection by Hilton, YOTEL | 5 |
| LivSmart Studios by Hilton | 3, plus 3,000 Bonus Points for every 10 nights completed within the same Stay |
| Home2 Suites by Hilton hotels in China | 10 |
Elite members receive a bonus on Base Points: 20% at Silver Elite Tier Status, 80% at Gold, 100% at Diamond and 120% at Diamond Reserve [3]. Points connected to a stay are treated as earned only once the stay has been completed, fully paid and added to the member's account, and they cannot be put towards a reward before then [3]. If the Points side of a planned booking is short, the points page lists Pool Points, Gift Points, Buy Points, Transfer Points and Convert Points as ways to build a balance [4].
Does a Points & Money stay count toward elite status?
Hilton's terms say Reward Stays count towards the overall number of Stays and nights for three things: Elite Tier Status qualification, Elite Tier Status gifting and milestone bonuses [3]. The money side of the booking is not discarded either, since Points can be earned on it at Participating Hotels [3]. Points earned from the stay land in the account only after the stay is completed and paid [3]. For the wider picture of Hilton award mechanics, see how to book Hilton Honors awards and the Hilton Honors programme page.
Exceptions and limits
- Fifth night free. The 5th Night Free benefit on Standard Room Reward Stays, listed among the Silver, Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve benefits, gives every fifth night free on stays of five or more nights using all Points, with no more than four free nights per stay and a maximum of 20 nights; the terms state it applies to Standard Room Reward Stays only, not to paid Stays or Points & Money Rewards™ [3].
- 48-Hour Reservations Guarantee. The guarantee available to Diamond Elite Tier Status members does not apply to reservations paid for in part or in full by Hilton Honors Points, or by free night certificates issued by Hilton [3].
- Room type and property. A Standard Room is defined by each hotel and subject to availability at participating hotels [3], and the roster of Participating Hotels can change at any time without notice [3].
- Programme changes. Hilton Honors reserves the right to add, modify, delete or otherwise change rules, procedures, conditions, benefits and Rewards with or without notice, even where changes affect the value of Points or Rewards already accumulated [3].
- Inactive accounts. Members need eligible activity within any 24 consecutive month period — a stay at a Participating Hotel, earning Points through Hilton or a third-party source such as a co-branded credit card, buying Points, or donating Points through the Hilton Honors Giving Back Program — or all accumulated Points may be forfeited [3]. A Reward redeemed before Points are forfeited remains valid, including a hotel reservation already booked [3].
Frequently asked questions
Can you pay for part of a Hilton stay with Points and part with cash?
Yes. Hilton's points page says free nights can be booked with any combination of Points and money, and states there are no blackout dates on that option [4].
Does the money portion of the booking earn Hilton Honors Points?
Members may earn Points on the money portion of a Points & Money Rewards™ stay at all Participating Hotels [3]. Taxes such as city occupancy tax are not Eligible Spend for earning [3].
Is the fifth night free on a Points & Money award?
No. Hilton's terms limit the 5th Night Free on Standard Room Reward Stays to Standard Room Reward Stays and exclude Points & Money Rewards stays [3].
Do Points & Money stays count toward Hilton Honors elite status?
Hilton counts Reward Stays towards overall Stays and nights for Elite Tier Status qualification, Elite Tier Status gifting and milestone bonuses [3].
What happens to a booking if the account falls inactive?
Members without eligible activity in any 24 consecutive month period may forfeit all accumulated Points [3], but a Reward redeemed before forfeiture stays valid, including a hotel reservation already booked [3].
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Hilton Honors only; other hotel programmes, including Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and IHG One Rewards, are not covered here.
- Hilton Honors Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Hilton Honors points overview, checked 18 October 2026