Converting to Hilton Honors points?

[jivebone]

This was mentioned to us as an option but I haven't done it yet. We have 1600 points remaining that expire at the end of this year. Then we still have 1540 bonus points that expire at the end of September 2016. With these low point totals that can't be combined, is converting any or some of them worth looking at all? At first glance, converting didn't look like the best use of points....

 

[presley]

You can't convert your current year's club points. You have to convert by the end of the year of the year preceeding. So, you can convert your 2016 club points to Hotel points if you do so by the end of this year. They will show up in your hhonors account in January.

They won't charge you to convert your bonus points. Even though what you have left won't give you much in hhonors, it is better than losing them and the hotel points do not expire. They do change the hotel points levels, so what you could get for 40K points a couple years ago, you can't get today. So, while the hotel points won't expire, they can depreciate. If you don't already have an hhonors credit card, you can sign up for one of those and get points as a signing bonus. Then, you will probably have enough points combined for a hotel stay.

 

[jivebone]

Can you really find any trips to take for 1600 points or under? I assume 3 night stays somewhere in a studio?

 

[holdaer]

This was mentioned to us as an option but I haven't done it yet. We have 1600 points remaining that expire at the end of this year. Then we still have 1540 bonus points that expire at the end of September 2016. With these low point totals that can't be combined, is converting any or some of them worth looking at all? At first glance, converting didn't look like the best use of points....

You could combine your 1,600 club points with your 1,540 bonus points in RCI and then you'll have 3,140 pts to work with.

You may find something within driving distance.

 

[presley]

Can you really find any trips to take for 1600 points or under? I assume 3 night stays somewhere in a studio?

You can find short stays somewhere, yes. It's more a matter of is it somewhere that you will really go by the end of the year. If there is anywhere you want to go to in RCI, those points can go towards that. You will just borrow some points from 2016 to cover the whole point cost. You do not need to pay to borrow points.

You can pay to bank the points to next year. If you reach the end of November this year and still have those unused points, you may decide to do that. I've been told that you can put a search in RCI for next year and if it matches before the end of this year, it won't charge you to use those points (you won't have to pay to bank them).

 

[Talent312]

For current-year points, by mid-December, either:
(a) "Rescue" them for use in 2016.
(b) Make an RCI booking for 2015-2017, which combines them with future-year points (no rescue-fee).
-- Don't wait until the last week in December. The system gets jammed.

Little known fact: It's possible to use current-year points to book a Hilton Hotel (as if converting).
You call HGVC to book. But the rate is so poor that 1600-HGVC points does not score 1N at a Hampton Inn.
Effectively, for current-year use, 1600 HGVC = 20K HH points.

The standard conversion of next-year's points at 1:25 is better, but still a poor use of points.
Converted 2016 points won't post to HH until the first week of January.

 

[solonas]

Rescue to RCI

You can definitely find stays in RCI for that amount of points. Rescuing to RCI adds another year to their expiration too, so you can actually redeem them for stays in 2016 even though the Club points would have expired at the end of this year. I think you can actually book any date that is available so you could feasibly book something in 2017 if it is available.

 

[tompalm]

If you don't already have an hhonors credit card, you can sign up for one of those and get points as a signing bonus. Then, you will probably have enough points combined for a hotel stay.

I just got the Hilton Surpass card and they give 80,000 points after spending $3000 in three months. I spent $5500 and got more than 90,000 point. The card is worth it.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

You could combine your 1,600 club points with your 1,540 bonus points in RCI and then you'll have 3,140 pts to work with.

You may find something within driving distance.

I don't believe you can combine bonus points and regular club points on the same reservation.. So if you have 1600 club points, and 1540 bonus points those are two different pools of points and you need to find different ways to use the..

You should be able to find something to book with either of the those. Studios go for 110 in Silver season, or 220 per night in Platinum.. Even one-bedrooms go for between 240 to 480 per night during the week.

 

[holdaer]

I don't believe you can combine bonus points and regular club points on the same reservation.. So if you have 1600 club points, and 1540 bonus points those are two different pools of points and you need to find different ways to use the..

You should be able to find something to book with either of the those. Studios go for 110 in Silver season, or 220 per night in Platinum.. Even one-bedrooms go for between 240 to 480 per night during the week.

RCI looks at bonus and club points as one pool. The OP could deposit the points into RCI so that they can be combined and get a 1BR or Studio for 1 week or some other variation if the RCI resort is points based.

You are right that club and bonus points cannot be combined in HGVC reservation systems.