- Pay with Points lets users apply points at app checkout.
- Now live at 150 U.S. hotels.
- To be in 6,000+ U.S., Canada hotel by 2027.
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS launched Pay with Points, letting qualifying Hilton Honors members apply points to eligible hotel charges during digital checkout in the Hilton Honors App. The feature is live at 150 U.S. hotels and is set to reach more than 6,000 properties in the U.S. and Canada in early 2027, according to the company’s Oct. 21 announcement.
Hilton expects the feature to reach more than 800 hotels by the end of 2026. Availability and eligible redemption options may vary by property, the company said.
“Loyalty is personal, and every Point a member earns represents a choice they made to stay with us,” said Brad Anderson, Hilton Honors Program’s vice president. “Our Hilton Honors members have told us they want more flexibility when it comes to using those Points.”
How it works
Elite members can review folios and redeem points against eligible charges remotely.Photo credit: iStock
Members with Silver, Gold, Diamond or Diamond Reserve status can review their folio, choose a redemption option and apply points to eligible charges without visiting the front desk. Diamond Reserve is the top Honors tier, which Hilton introduced in January, Asian Hospitality reported.
Hilton said it is the first major hotel brand to offer points redemption against a hotel bill through a fully digital checkout.
The company said it developed the feature in response to member feedback. In company research cited in the announcement, 70 percent of Hilton Honors members surveyed said they were interested in using points for on-property purchases, and about half said the option could make them more likely to stay or book with Hilton. However, Hilton did not disclose the survey’s sample size or methodology.
Hilton’s customized technology platform supports Pay with Points, extending its digital offerings that give members greater control over their stays, including Digital Check-In, Digital Key and Choose Your Room.
Fees outpace revenue
Loyalty fees averaged 2.2 percent of room revenue in 2024, highlighting their growing share of hotel costs.Photo credit: iStock
The launch comes as loyalty fees take a larger share of hotel revenue. In its October 2025 analysis of 4,187 U.S. hotels, CBRE Hotels Research found loyalty fees continued to outpace room revenue growth in 2024.
That outpaced growth in room revenue, at 2.7 percent and rooms occupied, at 1.3 percent. Loyalty fees averaged 2.2 percent of room revenue.
The programs also deliver business. Loyalty members accounted for 52.8 percent of occupancy at the major brand families CBRE tracked in 2024, up two percentage points from 2023. CBRE advised hotels to focus redemptions on filling slower periods and driving ancillary revenue, such as food and beverage credits and spa perks.
Owners also pay for member benefits beyond the fees, including complimentary food and beverage, upgrades and lounge access, according to CBRE.
New expense categories in the industry’s accounting standards will track these costs, and CBRE said it will begin benchmarking them in 2026.
Loyalty drives brand choice
A 2025 Wyndham survey found more than 80 percent consider loyalty programmes vital to hotel success.Photo credit: iStock
Owners rank loyalty programs high when choosing a brand. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which runs the Wyndham Rewards program, surveyed hotel owners and developers for its 2025 Hotel Owner Trends Report, Asian Hospitality reported.
In two surveys of 325 respondents each, more than 80 percent said a strong loyalty program is very important or critical to a hotel’s success. Among those open to joining or switching brands, 62 percent ranked it among their top five factors.
More than 80 percent also said cross-selling and upselling are critical or very important.
Meanwhile, Pay with Points’ long-term value will depend on whether it drives enough additional bookings and on-property spending to offset loyalty costs for owners.
Separately, Hilton will transfer its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq.
