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Hilton has announced its first major promotion for 2026 and, frankly, the hotelier may as well not have bothered because what it has announced is about as inspiring and exciting as a rainy day in Oakland (sorry Oakland.)
Ok, now that’s I’ve prepared you for what’s to come, here’s what Hilton’s 1Q 2026 promotion looks like:
- Register here
- Complete an eligible stay* between 15 January and 30 April 2026 (inclusive).
- Earn 2,000 bonus points per stay.
That’s all we’re getting, apparently.
*Includes reward bookings.
Thoughts
The opening paragraph has probably already made my feelings very clear, but for the avoidance of doubt, I think this promotion is laughably bad.
At TFM, we value Hilton Honors points at 0.4 cents each (a value that most people probably won’t consider controversial) and this means that the Hilton 1Q 2026 promotion is offering us an effective bonus rebate of … wait for it … drum roll please … $8 per stay.
Yes, per stay. Not per night.
Who’s going to be incentivised by that?!
Admittedly, this latest non-promotion shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because Hilton’s promotions have been dull and uninspiring for a few quarters, but last year, just three weeks into its 4Q 2025 promotion, Hilton had to boost the number of points it was offering (from 1,500/stay to 2,500/stay) because, presumably, the promotion hadn’t had any effect whatsoever.
That should have been more than a little embarrassing for whomever gave the green light to that promotion, and if it’s the same person this time around, I suspect they’re going to be embarrassed all over again.
Honestly, if you’re going to unveil a promotion that’s as weak as this, it’s probably best to take a leaf out of the Marriott Bonvoy playbook and not bother with a promotion at all – at least that way you save on staff time and people will just think that you’re miserly.
With this promotion Hilton looks both miserly and like it’s taking its members for granted (it also looks like Hilton thinks we’re all a little stupid) and that’s not a good look.
The promotion’s key terms
- Offer valid for stays completed January 15 – April 30, 2026 at any hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
- Hilton Honors members must first register at HiltonHonors.com/PointsUnlimited prior to completing a stay within the promotion period.
- Registered Hilton Honors members will earn 2,000 Bonus Points per stay during the promotion period.
- Registered Hilton Honors members checking in before January 15, 2026, will receive Bonus Points for their stay if the stay is completed on or after January 15, 2026, and prior to or on April 30, 2026.
- There is no limit to the total number of Bonus Points that may be earned during the promotion period with this offer. However, there are restrictions on the number of Base Points that can be earned on a single stay at certain brands.
- Bonus Points do not count toward elite tier qualification. Please allow six to eight weeks from completion of your stay for Bonus Points to appear in your account.
- A ‘stay’ is defined as the total number of consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, whether or not a guest checks out and checks back in again.
- Offer is not valid for groups and cannot be combined with other select offers.
See the promotion page and the FAQ page for full terms and conditions.
Bottom line
Hilton’s global promotion for 1Q 2026 will cover stays completed between 15 January and 30 April 2026 and members who register for the promotion and complete one or more stays during that time frame will earn 2,000 bonus points per stay. Be still my beating heart!
