Hilton Honors

The way that that usually works is that you have a card or the card number. When you make a reservation you give the number. After you stay, the points are added to the account.

If you do that several times you can start using the benefits.

Typically you earn 10 points per dollar spent . You provide your membership number either when you make the reservation or when you check in. Hilton owns Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hampton Inn, etc., so you can earn points at any Hilton-owned hotel. You can then redeem points for free stays with the number of points required varying by location and type of hotel. You can also link it to your frequent flyer program and earn a small number of miles with each stay.

If you travel a lot and use chain hotels, this can work well for you. I have a co-worker who used Hilton points earned on business trips to cover the cost of hotel stays for a week in Germany.

I never stay in a hotel without signing up for their affinity program. Typically, unlike the airlines, the points earned do not expire, and I travel domestically often enough that I stay in the big two chains (Hilton & Marriott) a few times a year anyway. Depending on the hotel, you can book free rooms for as little as 30,000 points and I've used points to stay in hotels that were pretty spendy in dollars.
When I first signed up for Hyatt's program they had a deal that after two separate stays you got a free night. I just happened to have two work trips during the promotion window and used my free night on our personal trip to Sonoma in a $300+ hotel room. Every now and again, the stars align.
There's no harm in signing up, it's free, and the network of hotels within each chain's program is larger than you'd think.

Above and beyond points earned for stays at Hilton properties, I have a Hilton Honors American Express card. It's a regular no annual fee credit card. I signed up for it because we reached the point at work where we had to pay hotels on our own credit cards and then get reimbursed later. I figured if I had to do that, I might as well get some benefit out of it. I think some purchases, for example, dining and gasoline, may equal higher points, but you'd have to read the fine print. In the U.S., Hampton is probably the brand within Hilton I use most often for personal travel. Over time I've gotten a free night here and there--a couple nights in London, a few Hampton stays in the U.S. It takes a while to earn enough points for a free stay but at least I'm getting some return on expenditures!

Thanks all. This really helps me to understand it better.

Like Rachel I also have a Hilton Honors credit card, but I chose the Visa no-annual-fee version. They also have one that carries an annual fee but I chose the one without.

In 2 years I have racked up Gold status and enough points for a week stay at Hilton Paddington. I just use the card for everything I do and pay it off at the end of the month.

I also make a point to stay in Hilton properties and use the Hilton Honors Visa when I travel for business. It helps a lot with gathering points.

I always sign up for the free "special status" programs with hotels. Hilton is one of the better programs because it is possible to earn enough points for free nights and get a high enough status for free upgrades even if you are not a business traveler. We are just normal people who don't amass travel perks from our jobs. Even so, we manage to stay enough nights in Hiltons that we have Gold status, which is good enough for automatic upgrades. We earn enough points to get a few free nights each year. Some tips to maximize the benefits:
1. Always check your online account for "Offers". They usually run something each quarter like "double points for each stay", and that really adds up.
2. Even if you pay for a room with points you get credit for a stay, which helps maintain your status level.
3. Always book directly with Hilton. Not only is it easier to make sure you get credit, but if for some reason you need early departure they will not "ding" you like some hotels do. Their online booking system is very easy to use, and they have one of the most generous cancellation policies of any major chain. (often just have to cancel by 4:00 pm day of arrival)
4. Consider using airport Hiltons for overnight recovery after an international flight. They are often walking distance from the airport, offer clean, reliable and familiar surroundings while you are struggling to maintain focus after a long travel day, and you can often get upgraded to an Executive Level room. This affords you snacks and drinks, and is a nice quiet place to relax. Breakfast is usually included as well as free wifi, so you can start your trip relaxed and refreshed.

For a more casual traveler Hilton may not be best. A big perk with them is status that gives free upgrades and admission to a lounge (free booze and food) at some hotels. Ditto with Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton. If you are looking for the most free stays Hilton is the stingiest program of all. Best for free stays is IHG (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, others) or Choice (Comfort, Quality, Sleep, others). Coincidentally these are the best programs for Europe for sheer number of hotels, along with Best Western.

The points certainly can expire, sometimes in as little as 2 years. I have lost Choice and Hyatt points to expiration.

Agree with others to always sign up for point with chain hotels. I travel a fair amount on business, so am working toward points for 3 nights in Paris next May. Next month, we are traveling to the east coast and I have 3 nights at a Hilton in DC booked using points.

For those who do sign up for hotel points, here's some advice based on my experience

1. If you do stay at chains, pick 1 hotel chain as your priority.
2. Depending on whether you think you'd accumulate enough points for a free stay, you can change your option to earn miles with your primary airline instead of points.
3. Hilton and Marriott offer specials that you need to sign up for in your account. Right now Hilton has triple points special (2x weeknights and 3x weekend nights) through Dec 31 and Marriott has a double your points into January
4. Marriott allows you to make a reservation with points, even though you don't have enough points in your account yet.
   
5. With Hilton, they sometimes offer points and cash. The points amount is pretty low, and the amount of cash is way less than a one night stay, so good option for those that accumulate points slowly. One of nights I have booked in DC used only 16,000 points and $65. (Hotel rate was $265/night)
6. Here's a hint for any soccer families out there. I have a friend whose boys play in a soccer league, and she volunteered for arranging for hotel rooms for the team. She reserves rooms at Marriott hotels on behalf of the team and gets perks (points and status) for bookings made for the team. Points earned paid for 5 nights at a Marriott in Hawaii this year and 4 nights in London next year.