Hilton Honors free night certificates are among the most valuable hotel perks available, letting you save hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars at top properties worldwide.

Unlike most programs that restrict free nights to certain categories or point values, Hilton certificates can be used almost anywhere — even at the brand’s most luxurious resorts.

These certificates are issued through select Hilton cobranded credit cards, either on your card anniversary or after meeting specific spending thresholds.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to earn these certificates, redeem them and maximize their value.

Related: The best Hilton hotels in the world

Overview of Hilton free night certificates

Let’s start with the basics. Hilton free night certificates come with some simple rules and features:

• Standard award rooms only: They can’t be used for upgraded “Premium Room Rewards.”
• No blackout dates: If a standard award room is available, you can use your certificate.
• Valid for 12 months: Certificates expire one year from the date of issuance.
• Any night of the week: There are no weekend-only restrictions.
• Easy to track: You can view unused certificates (and those redeemed in the last 12 months) in your Hilton Honors account.

Each Hilton credit card awards certificates differently, which we’ll cover next.

Related: The best hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night

How to earn Hilton free night certificates

The following two Hilton credit cards offer ways to earn valuable free night certificates.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

With the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, you’ll receive one free night upon opening the card and then one each year after your account renewal.

The information for the Hilton Aspire 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.

You can earn a second annual free night by spending $30,000 on the card in a calendar year and a third night when you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.

TPG director of content for credit cards and points and miles, Carly Helfand, is a big fan of the Hilton Aspire:

“I’ve maximized free night certificates from the Hilton Honors Aspire to stay at some of Hilton’s top properties worldwide, including the Conrad Maldives, Conrad Bora Bora, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos, Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea and Conrad Punta de Mita. The fact that they’re not capped at a certain number of points makes it easier to get immense value from them and means they’re unaffected by the devaluations we’ve seen from Hilton twice in the last year.”

The card comes with a $550 annual fee but also includes benefits like complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status and up to $200 biannually (up to $400 each calendar year) in statement credits for eligible purchases at eligible Hilton resorts.

Current welcome bonus: Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends Aug. 13.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Both new and existing holders of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can earn a free night certificate after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.

The card also provides complimentary Hilton Gold status, plus up to $50 back each quarter (up to $200 per calendar year) on Hilton purchases.

Current welcome bonus: Earn 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. New cardholders will also enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then a $150 annual fee (see rates and fees). Offer ends Aug. 13.

Related: Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire: Do you want Gold or Diamond status?

Where can Hilton free night certificates be redeemed?

While each certificate is valid at virtually any property in the worldwide Hilton portfolio, just over 60 are excluded, including many Hilton Grand Vacations properties and other “distinctive properties.” You can see the full list of these excluded properties on Hilton’s website.

Still, the vast majority of Hilton Honors properties, including aspirational hotels and resorts in places ranging from Bora Bora and the Maldives to Kyoto, Japan, and Park City, Utah, accept these certificates.

This makes Hilton free night certificates more valuable than comparable ones offered by IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt, which generally restrict certificates to certain hotel categories or points redemption values.

When will you receive your Hilton free night certificate?

Hilton free night certificates are sent electronically to your email address on file.

The Hilton Aspire’s terms and conditions indicate that your initial free night certificate should arrive within eight to 14 weeks after opening the card. Then, your annual certificate should arrive within eight to 14 weeks of your card anniversary date.

For certificates earned through spending, you’ll receive them eight to 12 weeks after reaching the spending requirement.

However, we’ve found the process to be much quicker in practice. That said, your experience may vary, so don’t plan on using these certificates too soon after you earn them.

How to use Hilton free night certificates

Once you’ve earned one (or more) of these certificates, the process to redeem them is straightforward. Historically, this had to be completed over the phone, but you can also do it by online chat. Either way, we’ve found the booking experience to be relatively hassle-free.

However, before you even pick up the phone, you’ll want to verify that your desired property has standard award inventory available for your desired dates. If standard rooms are sold out or you would rather book premium rooms, you must either pay out of pocket or redeem Hilton points.

To check availability, go to the Hilton website, enter your search criteria (be sure to check the “Use Points” box) and then look for any property with “Standard Room Reward” listed in the results.

In this example, for a one-night stay in Los Angeles, you couldn’t use your free night certificate for the first property (the DoubleTree) because it only has Premium Room Rewards availability. Conversely, you can use your certificate at any of the other three hotels shown.

Some hotels may have multiple room types under the “Standard Room Reward” designation, so be sure to look at each individual property to confirm the available rooms.

Once you’ve verified that standard awards are available, call Hilton at 800-446-6677. Let the agent know that you would like to make a reservation using your free night certificate(s) from your American Express card(s).

Each free night should be associated with your account, but the email you received will have the certificate number in case the agent has trouble locating it.

If you have two or more Hilton free night certificates, you should be able to apply them to a single reservation, like in the following example.

Even though this confirmation listed the regular award cost (100,000 points for a two-night stay), those points weren’t actually used since two free night certificates were attached to the reservation.

Note that these certificates can’t be combined with Hilton’s fifth-night-free perk, so you don’t want to use them on a five-night stay, as you must redeem points for all five nights to get one free. However, you could use a certificate for a sixth night, which can be a great option to extend your stay at a luxury resort.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the automatic Hilton elite status provided by credit cards is honored on all stays booked directly with Hilton, including reservations using free night certificates.

Related: When you should redeem free night certificates instead of hotel points

How to maximize Hilton free night certificates

Now that you know how to redeem your certificates, here are some strategies we’ve used to maximize the value of these credit card perks.

Redeem them at higher-tier properties

Your priority should be to redeem Hilton free night certificates at higher-tier properties. That’s because these certificates are valid at virtually all properties around the world, even those pricing as much as 200,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

When you’re deciding how to use these free nights, our advice is to aim for properties that cost 120,000 points or more per night. Since Hilton points are worth 0.5 cents apiece based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations, and since these certificates are essentially substitutes for using points, you’d get $600 of value on a 120,000-point stay.

You can often get far more than that, though.

For instance, the night below at the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island costs an eye-watering $2,059. But since this is a standard room reward, bookable with 150,000 Hilton Honors points, you could pay for it with a free night certificate and save yourself over $2,000.

You won’t get that sort of value from most World of Hyatt free night certificates, IHG One Rewards free night certificates and Marriott Bonvoy free night certificates.

Here are some terrific properties that normally require a high number of points per night:

Related: Is the $100 property credit for select Hilton cardmembers worth using?

Look for high paid rates

Another strategy to maximize the value of your certificates is to look for properties with high cash prices. High paid rates tend to correlate with high award rates, but that’s not always the case.

Upscale hotels may have surprisingly low prices in the offseason, while you’ll often see low- to mid-tier properties charging sky-high room rates during special events, even though the number of points you’d need to redeem for a free night isn’t unreasonable.

For example, TPG contributing credit cards editor Matt Moffitt used a free night certificate at the Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea. While it’s a lower-tier property compared to other Hilton hotels in the city, its convenient location made it the perfect fit, and the certificate helped offset steep cash rates.

Although Hilton dynamically prices its stays, its Points Explorer tool can help with your search.

This resource will highlight the maximum number of points a property can charge and the lowest award rate a member has booked.

Generally speaking, if you find a weekend night when the property is charging the maximum award price, that’ll correlate to high paid rates. So, you’ll receive solid value for your Hilton free night certificate.

Combine with other reservations

If you only have one or two Hilton free night certificates and are planning a longer stay, consider combining them with a paid stay or a regular award stay. While these might need to be booked separately, it does provide some additional benefits:

• It allows you to redeem an award for more expensive nights: There are many times when a weekend night costs significantly more than a weeknight — for instance, in Las Vegas, we’ve seen properties go for 50,000 points on a Saturday night but only 34,000 points on a Sunday night. By combining a free night certificate with a standard booking, you can pay for the cheaper night with cash or points and attach the certificate to the pricier one.
• It can be combined with card perks: Many cards offer perks for hotel stays, and some of these can be leveraged with a free night. For example, you could combine a free night with a separate reservation through a program like American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts via The Platinum Card® from American Express.
• You could talk your way into an upgrade: A final possible strategy for scoring an upgraded room would be to combine a free night certificate (or two) with a premium room reward at the end of your stay. As long as the premium room type you booked is available at check-in, you might have luck convincing the agent to bump you right into the upgraded accommodations for the entire stay. Just be aware that this plan could backfire, forcing you to switch rooms halfway through your stay.

Bottom line

You can redeem free night certificates at most properties in the Hilton Honors portfolio, giving you a multitude of ways to maximize their value.

The Hilton Surpass Card and the Hilton Aspire Card provide a wealth of opportunities to earn these valuable certificates.

So, whether you’re a Hilton loyalist or you only stay at Hilton properties occasionally, it could be worth adding one of these cards to your wallet.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Amex card, click here.

When I first got into the credit card rewards hobby, transferable points made the most sense to me.

My travel style has always been flexible. I don’t necessarily love any hotel chain more than another, and I’ve lived near hub cities for multiple airlines.

Rewards that I could use anywhere, any time — by transferring to a loyalty partner or booking through a travel portal — were my natural choice. I didn’t see how a cobranded card fit into my strategy.

That changed when I decided to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Despite what you might think, I didn’t apply because I’m now a Hilton loyalist.

Since I hadn’t booked hotels yet for trips I’d planned this year, I was curious about how the card’s benefits could elevate my upcoming travel. What if I tested out loyalty to a worldwide chain with thousands of properties across multiple price points?

Here are six reasons why the Hilton Surpass finally won me over as someone who wasn’t interested in cobranded cards.

An annual fee that’s right for me

I could’ve picked up the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (see rates and fees). However, I didn’t want to simply dip my toes into a cobranded card membership.

Instead, I wanted to see how the Surpass’ elite status and statement credits could elevate my travel experience. The card’s $0 introductory annual fee for the first year then $150 annual fee (offer ends Aug. 13; see rates and fees) seemed like a completely reasonable rate to me considering its benefits.

Sure, it wouldn’t have as many perks as the top-tier Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which charges a $550 annual fee, but I don’t have the appetite for such a high annual fee at this point.

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

I also wasn’t as impressed with the similar cards offered by competing hotel chains at comparable annual fee rates, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees), the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees).

Thus, I landed on the Surpass.

Related: Is the Hilton Surpass Amex card worth the annual fee?

My first elite status

Because I’ve historically been a free agent, I’ve never experienced elite status perks with any program. Receiving automatic mid-tier Hilton Gold status from a card with a modest annual fee was attractive to me.

Hilton Gold status comes with the following perks:

• A daily food-and-beverage credit or continental breakfast (depending on where you stay)
• Elite rollover nights
• The fifth night free on reward stays
• Space-available room upgrades
• An 80% points earning bonus on stays
• 10,000 bonus points every 10 nights after you’ve stayed 40 nights in a calendar year

I saw myself enjoying the bonus points, daily food-and-beverage credits and space-available room upgrades the most. The fifth-night-free perk intrigued me, too, even though it also comes with lower-level Silver status.

If you spend $40,000 in a calendar year, you also get upgraded to Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. While I don’t plan to spend that on this card, I still think spend-incentivized status for people who spend that much in a year is a nice perk.

Hilton statement credit

Statement credits are a major part of the credit card rewards hobby, and maximizing them is the best way to ensure you’re getting the most value for the annual fee. The Hilton Surpass is no exception.

The card’s up to $50 quarterly Hilton statement credit (up to $200 each calendar year) covers a wide range of purchases made directly with Hilton, including room rates, incidental charges, room service, restaurant and spa purchases and other charges at establishments within a property, like gift shops.

I felt that would be easy for me to use, and it would essentially wipe away the card’s annual fee before the year was over. I got the card in early March and already had plans to take a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, this spring, so my credit in the first quarter went toward booking three nights at Tempo by Hilton Louisville Downtown NuLu with cash.

I’m taking a trip to Europe later this spring and plan on using the second quarter’s credit on dining and drinks at the Canopy by Hilton London City. In the fall, I’m going to Las Vegas and will use my credit at the Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World.

Related: How to maximize the statement credits on the Hilton cobranded credit cards

Bonus categories not covered by my other cards 

I love maximizing bonus categories. I use my American Express® Gold Card to buy groceries, my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) for streaming subscriptions and my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to cover purchases outside of bonus categories.

Though my wallet covers many bonus categories, I didn’t have a card that earned extra on gas or online retailers. Lucky for me, the Hilton Surpass earns 6 points per dollar spent on gas purchases at U.S. gas stations and 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. online retail purchases.

TPG’s July 2025 valuations place Hilton points at 0.5 cents per point. The points earned with my transferable rewards cards are more valuable, so I won’t be using the Surpass to pay for purchases where I earn bonus points by using other cards (such as dining and grocery purchases).

However, since I regularly spend on gas and online purchases, I’m excited to now earn more than 2 points per dollar in those categories.

Related: 5 reasons to get the Hilton Surpass Card

National Car Rental status

One of the card’s more underrated perks is its complimentary National Rental Car Emerald Club Executive status. Enrollment is required, and terms apply.

Since I often travel domestically, I see value in Executive status perks, like access to the Executive Area for full-size reservations and above in the U.S. and Canada. Plus, the status grants guaranteed upgrades and no second driver fees, which is another solid benefit for me since I often travel with another person.

I rent cars multiple times a year, so I’m excited about how this perk could amplify those experiences.

Related: Best rental car rewards programs you need to know about

Welcome bonus and redemption options

While the welcome offer varies depending on when you apply for the card, I ultimately applied when the card offered an enticing limited-time offer.

At the time, new cardmembers could earn 130,000 bonus points plus a free night reward after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer is no longer available.

Currently, new cardmembers earn 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. There is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, and a $150 annual fee after (see rates and fees).

TPG’s July 2025 valuations place the current bonus at $650. I easily decided that this was an outsize value for the annual fee.

Once I met the minimum spending requirement to earn the bonus, I started daydreaming about how I would redeem these rewards for an upcoming two-night stay in London. I used the Points Explorer tool to search for availability for properties with rates up to 65,000 points per night. Two nights would use up the 130,000-point bonus.

Because Hilton uses dynamic pricing, the value of your points can vary greatly depending on when you’re planning to take a trip. However, there is plenty of value to be found in the Hilton Honors program, especially if you have some flexibility.

For instance, I used all 130,000 bonus points from my Surpass’ welcome offer to book two nights at the Canopy by Hilton London City this spring. Then, I held onto the free night reward and decided to use it to book one night at Cosmopolita Hotel Rome, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The standard room I booked with this certificate was worth almost $629 or 80,000 Hilton Honors points.

Related: Current Hilton Amex card offers

Bottom line

A few years ago, I wasn’t sure I could ever be convinced to apply for a cobranded card. Multiple factors, such as the ones I outlined above, made the Hilton Surpass the best option for me.

In this process, I learned you don’t have to be fiercely loyal to a particular brand to find value in a cobranded card’s benefits. You just have to see how they fit into your overall card strategy.

Consider your priorities and spending habits before applying for a new card. At TPG, we encourage you to earn transferable points thanks to their value and flexibility, but you don’t have to prioritize earning this currency all the time. Diversifying your rewards portfolio is just as important.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Hilton American Express Surpass Card.

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Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

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For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex card, click here.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card overview

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card provides solid earnings at Hilton properties and automatic Hilton Gold elite status, which offers many useful benefits when staying with Hilton. The status perk alone may make it easy to justify the card’s annual fee. Card Rating*: ½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

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The Hilton Surpass is an ideal choice for those who stay at Hilton properties often and want a cobranded credit card with a modest annual fee and valuable perks.

Benefits of the card’s automatic Hilton Gold status include complimentary breakfast or daily food and beverage credit, increased earnings and space-available upgrades when staying at Hilton properties.

We recommend applicants have a credit score of 670 or higher to be eligible for this card.

If you’re thinking about adding the Hilton Surpass to your wallet, here’s what you need to know and should consider as you decide.

Hilton Surpass pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Reasonable annual fee Annual Hilton credit each calendar year Automatic Hilton Honors Gold status Opportunity to earn Diamond status No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)	Hilton Honors points not valued highly Dynamic award pricing

Hilton Surpass welcome offer

New applicants for the Hilton Surpass can earn 130,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. There’s a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then an annual fee of $150 (see rates and fees). Offer ends August 13.

According to TPG’s June 2025 valuations, this 130,000 points portion of the bonus is worth $650. The $0 introductory annual fee for the first year is also part of this offer.

This isn’t the best offer in terms of points value we’ve seen in the card’s history. However, if you value the $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, now could be a great time to apply.

Having most other Hilton credit cards doesn’t make you ineligible for the welcome bonus, but remember that Amex has a “once per lifetime” rule on card bonuses. Amex also has these terms for the welcome offer:

You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card, the Hilton Honors Amex Ascend Card or previous versions of these Cards. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors.

Luckily, Amex will inform you before submitting your application if you’re not eligible for the bonus. If you get this message, you can proceed without the welcome offer or withdraw your application before Amex performs a hard pull on your credit report.

Related: A complete guide to Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime restrictions

Hilton Surpass benefits

The welcome offer on the Hilton Surpass card is attractive, but the card’s ongoing perks provide long-term value for semi-regular Hilton guests.

The following are some of the perks the Hilton Surpass has to offer:

• Hilton Honors Gold status: Complimentary Gold Elite status, which includes an 80% points bonus on paid stays, space-available room upgrades, elite rollover nights, a fifth night free when you book a stay with points and a daily breakfast or food and beverage credit. Spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year will earn you top-tier Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Up to $200 in Hilton statement credits: Earn up to $200 back every calendar year on eligible Hilton purchases (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter).
• Rental car elite status: Receive complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status after enrollment in the Emerald Club program

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

The Hilton Surpass offers other benefits, too, including no foreign transaction fees when traveling outside the U.S., Send & Split to divide bills with friends, such as a group dinner, and secondary rental car insurance**.

** Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Related: 5 reasons to get the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass card

Earning points with the Hilton Surpass

The Hilton Surpass card is a great way to earn Hilton points.

You’ll earn 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton Hotels and Resorts — a 6% return on spending, based on TPG’s June 2025 valuations. This is better than you’d get with most of the best credit cards for booking hotels.

You’ll also earn 6 Hilton points per dollar spent on dining at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, giving you a return of 3% on these purchases.

The Hilton Surpass also earns 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. online retail purchases, which can be maximized when clicking through shopping portals. That’s a return of 2%.

Finally, you’ll get 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases — a return of 1.5%.

These returns on non-Hilton spending aren’t spectacular compared to general travel rewards cards. But if you want to boost your Hilton points balance, the Hilton Surpass card provides a decent return even for purchases outside the Hilton Honors program.

Related: Booking direct: How much value does Hilton status provide?

Redeeming points with the Hilton Surpass

Regarding the Hilton Honors program, your best bet is to redeem your Hilton points for free nights.

Unfortunately, Hilton doesn’t publish an award chart; instead, it uses dynamic pricing, where the number of points needed for a redemption fluctuates based on factors such as the cash cost of the hotel, holidays and peak travel periods.

One of my favorite options is to focus on properties that cost relatively few points but provide great value. Thanks to Hilton’s dynamic award charts, these can be hard to find, but with a little patience and effort, you can score some fantastic deals.

Hilton’s Points & Money option allows you to pay more cash (and fewer points) when making a reservation. This can be useful when you don’t have enough points for a full booking but don’t want to pay the full cost of the hotel room.

Finally, remember that Hilton allows you to pool your points with up to 10 other members. If you want to combine balances with a friend or family member to put an even more luxurious award stay within reach, you can.

Related: 10 of the best hotels in the world to use your Hilton free night reward redemptions

Which cards compete with the Hilton Surpass?

For those looking to earn and redeem points with Hilton, natural competitors of the Hilton Surpass card will be other Hilton credit cards. But it’s also worth considering cards that earn points you can use at Hilton in addition to other redemption options.

For additional options, check out our picks for the best travel cards.

The information for the Hilton Amex Aspire 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.

Related: Which credit card should you use for Hilton stays?

Bottom line

While the Hilton Surpass doesn’t offer the flexibility of a card like the Amex Gold or the elite perks of the Hilton Aspire, it could still be just what you need to make your next stay with the Hilton Honors program even more rewarding.

If you’re looking for the benefits of Gold Elite status and multiple valuable statement credits for a reasonable annual fee, the Hilton Surpass could be a good option for you.

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Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

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For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Card, click here.