Where Hilton 10,000-Point Award Nights Are Located

Before July 1, 2019, we knew there were not many 10,000-point Hilton hotels left in mainland China. But after Hampton Inn properties in mainland China rejoined Hilton Honors (thanks to partner Plateno Group, which had previously expanded Hampton Inn all across China while operating the brand there...), the program got a big injection of new blood, and China instantly became the country with the most Hilton 10,000-point hotels!

We’ll continue using Hilton’s official Pointsexplorer to look at the remaining 10,000- and 15,000-point hotels worldwide (these are selected based on the Max redemption rate, so there’s no need to worry about dynamic pricing; as of August 2019). The distribution is as follows:

Given the quasi-worthless nature of Hilton points, the official site may adjust award pricing caps at any time, so please refer to Hilton’s website for the final redemption rate.

First, a look at the global distribution

United States: 15 properties, mostly scattered across small towns in the South

China: 51+2 properties, spread across eastern, central, and western provinces

Mexico, 20 properties

Turkey, 19 properties, with quite a few in Istanbul

Panama, 3 properties

Russia, 3 properties

Argentina, 1 property

Romania, 2 properties

Poland, 2 properties

Malaysia, 3 properties

Vietnam, 1 property

Guatemala, 1 property

Egypt, 3 properties

United Kingdom, 1 property, permanently closed (Google map)

  • Hampton by Hilton Newport/East

Colombia, 1 property

Brazil, 1 property

India, 2 properties

A Simple Comparison Between Hampton Inn and Similar Hotels From Other Chains

Whether you are redeeming at the 5,000-point level or the 10,000-point level, Hampton Inn comes out ahead across the board.

One of Hampton Inn’s closest comps is IHG’s popular Holiday Inn Express (HIE). Both are breakfast-included, high-value budget-friendly options. Anyone who has stayed at HIE knows that many HIE properties tend to feel cramped most of the time, even in the relatively generous Asia-Pacific region. In single-bed rooms, the bed is usually just a Queen bed, which is not especially comfortable for two people. Hampton Inn does better on this front, and you can also book a King bed room. Breakfast is about the same between the two.

And don’t forget that Hampton Inn also gets a boost from the AMEX Aspire, which gives us complimentary Diamond status. Whether you look at points rebates or elite benefits, it still comes out slightly ahead of HIE.

Keep in mind that Hampton properties in mainland China were operated by Plateno Group before rejoining the Hilton points system on July 1, and a large number of properties opened in a short period of time. So quality may not be quite as high as you might imagine. Still, hotels in mainland China are hotels in mainland China, and overall quality is generally better than in Europe or the U.S.

On the redemption side, at least in mainland China, Hampton Inn now requires fewer points on average than HIE. At the moment, neither program offers especially high point value, and I personally value both at around 0.3-0.4 cents per point. Given Hilton’s usual pattern, it is reasonable to expect that many mainland China properties currently priced at 10,000 points will not stay there for long. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Stacking Opportunities

Elite Status

The hotels covered in this article fall into only 4 categories: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hampton Inn, DoubleTree by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Hilton Garden Inn.
Gold and Diamond members booking award stays receive the following benefits:

  • Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton: 1,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per stay
  • Hampton Inn: 250 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per stay or choice of snack and non-alcoholic beverage
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton: 250 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per stay or two bottles of water and sweet snack per stay
  • Hilton Garden Inn: 750 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per stay or a complimentary Hot Cooked-to-Order Breakfast for you and up to one guest registered to the same room each day of your stay, so it’s a choice between breakfast for two or points

If you do not have Diamond status, the fastest way is to apply for an AMEX Aspire credit card!

If Gold status is enough for you, then for U.S. readers, the quickest route is to enroll via one of the AMEX Platinum cards, or get it directly through the AMEX Hilton Surpass credit card or the AMEX Hilton Business credit card.

Now let’s answer the question in the title about how to stay for half a month: Hilton award bookings include a fifth-night-free benefit, so for a 10,000-point room, you theoretically need only 40,000 points for 5 nights. If you complete the welcome bonus on a 150,000-point Hilton credit card and add in the spending points, you can end up with roughly 160,000 points. Redeeming in 5-night chunks, that gives you 160,000/40,000*5 days = 20 days. A 15-night stay would require only 120,000 points, and with each stay you can also earn back a bit through elite benefits. Spending two weeks in hotels every day while visiting family back home is not just a dream.

Stacking Promotions

Past DPs

  • Hilton promotions can sometimes be very award-friendly, and both free-night certificates and award stays can trigger quite a few promotions. (Note: before Hampton Inn properties in mainland China rejoined the system, these promotions would exclude mainland China Hampton Inns, but that is no longer the case.)
  • Hilton’s quarterly promotions sometimes explicitly allow award stays and free-night certificates. For example, 2018 Q1’s Points Unlimited offered 2,000 points per stay, plus another 10,000 points after 5 stays.
  • For several other stackable offers that I have personally tested, see the DPs I shared in “Where You Can Redeem Hilton Hotels for Only 5,000 Points”

Current Promotions

If you missed those promotions, no worries. Just keep an eye on our site, and we will update these useful Hilton promotions as soon as they appear: Major Hotel Chains + Airbnb Promotions Roundup

Here are a few current offers that you can try registering for. KKU successfully registered for the 7500 points offer, while LD, who has Gold status, was targeted only for the 5000 points version:

Two more offers:

I successfully registered for two separate 7500-point offers at the same time. There is also another LC Multi-Stay 7500 offer. I have no idea whether all three 7500-point offers can stack, which is kind of wild. The first two also do not say that award stays are excluded, so I should try two 10,000-point Hampton stays as soon as possible.

For this kind of promotion, KKU’s advice is simple: if you see one you can register for, just register first. Whether you end up using it or not is secondary, because you never know when it might trigger unexpectedly.

Are Paid Stays Worth It Too?

At the lowest award tiers, cash rates are usually not that expensive to begin with. Hilton points are always relatively low in value, so if there is a good promotion available, paying cash can also be a solid option. At the 10,000-point level, I personally think the hotels in China are pretty good. I have already checked the links one by one, so you can book directly by clicking through in the article.

Hilton and Hilton Elite Status Credit Cards

AMEX and Hilton Co-Branded Cards

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Full review

AMEX Hilton Honors Credit Card

No annual fee

  • Welcome bonus: 80,000 Hilton points (spend $2,000 within six months)
  • Rewards: 7x on Hilton hotel purchases, 5x at supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations, 3x on all other purchases
  • Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Apply now>>

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Full review

AMEX Hilton Surpass Credit Card

Complimentary Hilton Gold status + $200 hotel statement credits!

  • Welcome bonus: 130,000 Hilton points ($3,000 spend in six months)
  • Rewards: 12x at Hilton hotels, 6x at supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations, 3x on all other purchases
  • Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
  • Annual fee: $150
  • Apply now>>

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AMEX Hilton Aspire Credit Card

Complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status! Up to $600 in annual airline and hotel credits, plus a free night reward every year!

  • Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points (spend $6,000 in six months)
  • Rewards: 14x on Hilton hotel purchases, 7x on flights, dining, and car rentals, and 3x on all other purchases
  • Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
  • Annual fee: $550
  • Apply now>>

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Full review

AMEX Hilton Business Credit Card

Complimentary Hilton Gold status + up to $240 in hotel credits each year + premium car rental status

  • Welcome bonus: 130,000 Hilton points (spend $6,000 in six months)
  • Rewards: 12x on Hilton hotel purchases; 5x on other purchases (on the first $100k in purchases, then 3x)
  • Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
  • Annual fee: $195
  • Apply now>>

If you divide the Hilton points from these welcome bonuses by 10,000, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that opening just one card can cover about half a month of hotel stays~

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