Hilton vs Marriott Points: Whose Rewards are Better?

Hilton vs Marriott Points are a great way to save money on your next stay or vacation.  Dive into the details of hotel loyalty programs to learn which is best suited for your travel needs.

Hilton vs Marriott Points: Background

Hotel loyalty programs are very popular for frequent travelers.  The ability to get free nights and other benefits, like free breakfasts, make these programs very popular. Most people like us, who traveled a lot for business, joined multiple programs and saved the points to be used in our vacation and family travel.  I was fortunate and had over two million points saved at the point of my retirement in 2019 and Robin also had a significant number of saved points.  This has helped us reduce the cost of our digital travel nomad lifestyle.

One travel benefit that we avail ourselves of is the fifth night free which is offered by both Hilton and Marriott when traveling on points. You essentially pay for the first four nights with your points and the fifth night is free.  Hence, whenever we can, we book longer five-night stays.

The programs have different membership levels which provide additional benefits to elite members.   One of my favorite benefits is free breakfasts or free stays based on the number of nights you stay each year.   Like airline miles, you are encouraged through the website and other marketing messages to reach the next membership level.   Other factors, such as status in the hotel chains’ vacation clubs can also translate into higher elite status. (see our post on best timeshares for families for more information on this topic).

Hilton vs Marriott Points: Brief Introduction

Both Marriott International and Hilton Hotels have very strong and popular programs. They span the globe with their hotel chain portfolios with brands that serve various travel needs from family-friendly to high-end business travel. But comparing the two programs (Hilton Honors versus Marriott Bonvoy) is not always apples to apples. After discussing the role of credit cards with these programs, we will compare each of the two programs in much more detail. 

Hilton vs Marriott Points: Credit Cards

Thanks to a variety of credit cards between these two loyalty brands, there are plenty of points on the horizon rewarding you for spending using the hotels’ branded credit cards. Both programs also offer a healthy welcome bonus when you first sign up for their cards, and you can spend a minimum amount of money in the first few months that you own the cards.  

However, when it comes to evaluating the differences in the programs, in this one case, Hilton Honors has a leg up on Marriott Bonvoy when it comes to their credit cards.  This is because you can be recognized in Hilton’s highest elite status category just for having the right credit card. 

Hilton Honors Credit Cards

Hilton Honors co-branded credit cards are popular with travelers but hold a special honor when it comes to elite status. This is one of the few hotel credit cards to offer such a speedy path to Top-Tier Diamond Status just for getting approved for its Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. With a $550 annual fee, this can make more sense than staying enough times in Hilton Honors hotels to earn it the hard way. Diamond benefits include potential room upgrades, breakfast credits and executive lounge access. Other Hilton Honors-earning credit cards include:

• The Hilton Honors American Express Card ($0 annual fee).
• The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (formerly the Ascend card and now with an annual fee of $150).
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (annual fee of $95).
• The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (annual fee of $550).

Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

While you won’t climb to the top of the elite status ranks via a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, there are still some benefits worth exploring, including a free anniversary redemption night. These are some of Marriott’s co-branded credit cards:

• The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card ($0 annual fee).
• The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card ($95 annual fee).
• The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card ($250 annual fee).
• The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card ($250 annual fee).
• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ($650 annual fee). Terms apply.

Hilton vs Marriott Points: Using Bank Credit Card Reward Transfers

An interesting way to increase your point total with the hotel reward programs is to transfer points to the hotels from your regular bank credit card programs.  Both American Express and Chase Manhattan programs only transfer points to their affiliate hotel credit card companies.  Thus, American Express Membership Rewards will transfer points to both the Hilton Honors Program and the Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program.  Meanwhile, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are only redeemable with the programs that Chase supports (Marriott Bonvoy, Hyatt, and IHG).

At the current time (Winter, 2023-24), American Express Membership Rewards members will also get a special bonus if they transfer their membership rewards points to the Hilton Honors Program.   AMEX is transferring points at a rate of 2600 Hilton points for 1000 Amex points, which is a 30% bonus over the regular transfer rate.

Hilton vs Marriott Points: Hilton Honors Program

With more than 7,000 hotels, there are lots of Hilton Honors-participating properties around the world (119 countries, to be exact). It has 18 brands covering everything from the budget to luxury sectors. Hilton Honors points can multiply quickly with frequent stays, especially with Hilton’s elite status that can come with benefits like space-available upgrades and food and beverage credits.