Overnight Bellperson

Hilton launches Pay with Points. Owners weigh guest benefits against rising loyalty costs Hilton Worldwide Holdings' digital checkout feature expands points redemption as hotel owners assess loyalty costs and returns. * 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.

$14 million Hampton by Hilton hotel planned for Rocky Mount. by Lily Riden Wed, October 21, 2026 at 9:09 PM 00:00 00:53 A $14 million hotel project is moving forward in Rocky Mount, with town leaders hoping the development will attract more visitors and boost the local economy. (Lily Riden/WSET) Ask WSET anything How many rooms will the Rocky Mount hotel feature? Who is the private investor funding the hotel? Why is the Rocky Mount hotel opening in summer 2028? ROCKY MOUNT, Va. (WSET) - A $14 million hotel project is moving forward in Rocky Mount, with town leaders hoping the development will attract more visitors and boost the local economy. The new Hampton by Hilton is planned for North Main Street, with construction expected to begin in November. The hotel is expected to feature 88 rooms and a conference center. Rocky Mount Mayor C. Holland Perdue III said the hotel will create jobs and provide more lodging options for people visiting Franklin County. "We have a lot of construction workers that are working in the area, a lot of people that are traveling to this area for work, and of course, we have an expanded base of people coming in. Plus, we have events that hotels serve, so this is a good addition to that side of town," Perdue said. Mayor Purdue also explained that this $14 million comes from a private investor, not the town. "People have to remember this is a private investment. Someone is willing to invest $14 million in Rocky Mount, which shows you what Rocky Mount is doing," said Purdue. The hotel is expected to open in summer 2028. SPONSORED CONTENT MORE TO EXPLORE

Forget the front desk: Hilton Honors launches in-app points redemptions for digital checkout. The cards The Points Guy, LLC feature here are from partners who compensate The Points Guy, LLC when you are approved through its site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. The Points Guy, LLC don't cover all available credit cards, but its analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from its editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view its advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Hilton is making it easier than ever to use your points to pay for charges on your stay, and you don't even have to go to the front desk to do it. Hilton has launched the new "Pay with Points" program, offering Hilton Honors members the chance to use points to pay for part their bill while using digital checkout in the Hilton Honors App. But there's a caveat: Pay with Points is only available to elite members with Hilton Honors Silver, Gold, Diamond or Diamond Reserve status. Pay with Points is initially rolling out to 150 properties participating in the program across the United States. At this time, Hilton was unable to share a list of those properties but a Hilton Honors spokesperson said that properties in all categories of the Hilton portfolio, including luxury, lifestyle and resort properties are participating, and that "eligible Hilton Honors members will be notified via prearrival email if the hotel is participating in the Pay with Points test." The program is expected to expand to 800 properties by the end of the year and over 6,000 in 2027 throughout the U.S. and Canada. If folks are eligible to use Pay with Points, any eligible charges on the bill, including food, drinks, spa and more, can be paid for digitally with points. Now the question is: Is this a good use of Hilton Honors points? At the moment, Hilton is not sharing a specific points-to-dollar conversion rate, though the Hilton spokesperson told TPG that the program "gives Hilton Honors members more flexibility to use their Points in the way that works best for them." Hilton, it seems, is the first major loyalty program to offer the chance to use points digitally to pay for incidental charges, but Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt members have ways to do it as well - and with a fixed rate. World of Hyatt members can "redeem points for a pre-determined dollar value award that can be used as a credit toward eligible redemption charges in participating Hyatt outlets," according to Hyatt's website. Hyatt has its own conversion chart where 1,000 World of Hyatt points converts into $10 to use towards the bill at physical checkout. If you need less than $75, each points is valued at 1 cent, with better redemption value at higher tiers (up to a maximum value of about 1.5 cents per point). It's not great and also not terrible; TPG values World of Hyatt points in October 2026 at 1.65 cents per point. Marriott Bonvoy members can do the same, using a fixed chart with pretty low per-point value: 250 Marriott Bonvoy points convert to $1, 2,500 points convert to $10, and 25,000 points convert to $100 for a fixed rate of 0.4 cents per point, which is well below TPG's October 2026 valuation for Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.75 cents apiece. Whether Hilton Honors Pay with Points is a good value or not remains to be seen, but what is good is seeing the program give members more choice for how they pay and a convenient way to do so. "Our Hilton Honors members have told us they want more flexibility when it comes to using those points," Brad Anderson, vice president of Hilton Honors, said in a statement. "They can already redeem them for free night stays or money-can't-buy experiences around the world. Pay with Points introduces another digitally-enabled tool to our members, reducing the friction of travel and providing them with the choice and control that they value." Earn 200,000 IHG One Rewards bonus points. For a limited time, with the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card. Plus, enjoy up to $300 in Food & Beverage Rewards annually at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Member FDIC. Partner offer. Terms apply. Bottom line. Elite Hilton Honors members can now pay for incidental charges at select hotels using points and the Hilton Honors app. While the value of those points is unclear, as is the current list of properties where this option is available, Hilton deserves credit for giving members more flexibility for points redemptions. Related reading: