An email from a villa at the Conrad Koh Samui (or, why the Hilton credit card is great)

A couple of Sundays ago, I received an email from Head for Points reader Nick who was sunning himself in his villa at the luxurious Conrad resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.

It looks good.  Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

He didn’t email me to show off.  He emailed to thank me for recommending the Hilton HHonors credit card on HFP, because he was staying at the Conrad using the ‘free weekend night’ voucher that comes with the card.

Since the Hilton credit card was relaunched in 2011, it has got a lot more attractive.  The current offer is a free night at ANY Hilton group property worldwide, triggered when you’ve spent just £750 in the first 90 days of having it.

Note that the free night covers the Hilton group, not just Hilton-branded properties.  That means you can also stay at a pricier Conrad (like Nick) or Waldorf-Astoria property, even one of the resort properties in the Maldives.  I redeemed my free night voucher at the Conrad in New York last year.

This freebie is worth well over £200 if used properly.  I don’t know what the rates were when Nick stayed, but a ‘standard’ pool villa at the Conrad Koh Samui for a Saturday in November is coming up as £440 including tax.  A refundable room is even more.

There are no catches about redeeming – if a room is available for a standard level Hilton HHonors redemption, it is available for use on the voucher.  You need to call the service centre to book, but that is the only niggle.  The voucher is good for six months from the date of issue (be careful – don’t apply for the card in the Autumn if you want the voucher for the following Summer!).

The card is a Visa issued by Barclaycard, so it is unlikely to clash with any other loyalty card you have.  The only other loyalty card they run is IHG Rewards Club.  There is also no annual fee.

Other perks on the card include 2,500 bonus points on your next four Hilton stays within 12 months, Silver status in Hilton HHonors (not hugely useful, but better than nothing) and Gold status after you’ve spent £10,000 in a year.  However, there are often promos about that give instant Hilton Gold for a trial period, so this is not such a great deal.

Long term, this card is NOT a keeper.  The earnings rate is only 2 points per £1 (3 per £1 when spending in a Hilton property), so you’d need to spend £35,000 to get one free night in a top property!  You would be better off using an Amex Gold – Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Hilton at 1:2, and you get double points on shopping, petrol, travel and foreign spend.

However, as Nick found, this card is certainly worth getting for the introductory free night.  If your partner gets one too, you could book two free nights, back to back, for a totally free long weekend.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (December 2021)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with American Express Gold (20,000 bonus points), the American Express Rewards Credit Card (5,000 bonus points) and – for small business owners – American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus points) and Business Platinum (40,000 bonus points).

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)