How I doubled the value of my Hilton points for a college basketball weekend

Dynamic award pricing (pricing redemption rates based on demand rather than a set award chart) has its pros and cons. Sure, it can complicate the booking process, but it can also deliver stellar value during high-demand periods.

I’ve found that some of the best times to lean on my stash of points and miles are when cash rates skyrocket around events. So, when I wanted to find a centrally located hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels basketball game, I figured it was a good time to check my Hilton Honors balance.

Even though TPG’s February 2026 valuations place Hilton points at 0.5 cents apiece, I got more than 1.3 cents per point in value for my game day weekend redemption. Here’s how I booked it — and earned the points to get me there.

How I booked my award stay

I booked the centrally located Graduate by Hilton hotel in Chapel Hill for a home basketball weekend at a great value.

It’s a gorgeous hotel that’s walkable to UNC’s campus and some of my favorite restaurants and bars in town. I’d walked by it countless times and dreamed of staying there with my partner someday.

I knew finding availability for a home basketball weekend could be difficult, but I was stunned to see that a two-night stay cost just over $1,426.

This was an in-conference basketball matchup against the University of Pittsburgh — and Valentine’s Day weekend — so I thought this stay would remain a dream.

That’s when I decided to check in on how much this could cost in points.

I found that I could book a balcony room for 45,000 points on the first night. I knew I already had a little more than 60,000 Hilton Honors points in my account, thanks to spending on my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, so my interest was immediately piqued.

When I selected both nights, I saw that making a Points & Money redemption would bring this night to a cost of 100,000 Hilton points plus about $68.

I only had 60,000 Hilton points on their own, but I do have a healthy balance of American Express Membership Rewards points. Since they transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio, I only had to transfer 20,000 Amex points to complete my award.

Running the numbers, I got 1.3 cents per point in value for this redemption — more than double TPG’s February 2026 valuation of Hilton points at 0.5 cents each.

Related: From the Florida Keys to the Maldives: 7 great ways to use Hilton Honors points and a free night reward

How I earned Hilton points

It is highly recommended that you earn Hilton points through spending with the brand’s cobranded cards and staying at Hilton properties. You can earn Hilton points by spending with the following cards:

• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 70,000 bonus points plus a free night reward after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 15.
• Hilton Amex Surpass: Earn 130,000 bonus points plus a free night reward after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 15.
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 15.
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 175,000 bonus points plus a free night reward after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 15.

My Hilton Surpass gets all of my Hilton spending, of course, since it earns 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made at a hotel or resort within Hilton’s portfolio.

However, I also use the card for purchases at U.S. gas stations since it earns 6 points per dollar spent, as well as on U.S. online retail purchases due to it earning 4 points per dollar spent.

Related: Is the Hilton Surpass Amex card worth the annual fee?

Topping off my balance for the redemption

Since I didn’t have quite enough Hilton points in my account to cover this redemption in its entirety, I had to top off my Hilton account with some Amex points I had.

It is almost always best to earn Hilton points by spending on a cobranded card or staying with the brand rather than transferring points or miles from other programs. Since TPG’s February 2026 valuations deem Amex points to be worth 2 cents each (much more than the Hilton valuation at 0.5 cents each), you’re usually better off transferring them to a higher-value transfer partner. Some examples include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

However, transfers from Amex to Hilton can make sense in circumstances like mine where you just need a few points to reach a dream redemption. Here are some ways you can top off your Hilton balance if you need just a few points to reach your stay.

Transferring from American Express (or Bilt)

As mentioned, I transferred 20,000 Amex points at a 1:2 ratio to reach the 40,000 Hilton points I needed for this stay. We don’t typically recommend this route, but it was a good choice for me. (Plus, there’s no such thing as the “perfect redemption,” anyway.)

However, you can also transfer to Hilton from Bilt Rewards, though we don’t typically recommend this method since they only transfer at a 1:1 ratio, and you can find much better value transferring to another one of Bilt’s partners. These include Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Buying Hilton points

There are times when buying Hilton points can help you save big on a stay. This is especially worth considering if they’re on sale at a rate below TPG’s February 2026 valuation of 0.5 cents apiece. Just be sure to compare the cost of buying points to book a stay to the cost of booking it outright.

Leveraging transfer bonuses

Keep an eye out for transfer bonuses from Amex or Bilt to Hilton that can help you get more value from your points.

Bilt previously offered a transfer bonus of up to 200% to Hilton during March 2025’s monthly Rent Day promotion. We’ve also seen multiple transfer bonuses from Amex across the last few years, so it’s worth checking periodically to see if another comes through.

Related: Credit card transfer bonuses available now

Bottom line

If you’re booking a hotel stay during a high-demand period, whether it’s a college basketball game or a popular concert, checking award rates is an excellent way to save some cash.

I love redeeming my points and miles for stays when I’m traveling for an event. Oftentimes, my concert or game ticket can be expensive on its own, so having points and miles helps offset the cost of travel and lodging.

Add in that many loyalty programs run transfer bonuses to leverage, and you can come out on top (like I did) the next time you’re traveling for an event.

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Card

Apply here: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card