Hilton Honors members earn points redeemable for hotel nights at more than 6,500 properties spanning 18 brands in 119 countries — but redeeming points can be confusing.

There’s no chart specifying how many Hilton Honors points you need for a night at any specific hotel. Until recently, the best way to figure out if you had enough points for a stay was by picking a hotel and searching for your specific dates at its website. If you wanted to compare rates at different times of the year, you had to run multiple searches. And if you didn’t know whether you had enough points for an overwater villa in the Maldives, a basic room at an affordable Hampton by Hilton or something in between, you had to do some digging to find a property that fit your points budget.

Hilton’s Points Explorer tool changed all that. Now, it’s a lot easier to find an ideal redemption.

Here’s what you need to know about the Hilton Honors program, including how to use the Hilton Points Explorer tool to find the perfect place to redeem your points.

How do you earn Hilton Honors points?

The Hilton Honors program is free to join. Once you sign up, you earn points on every qualifying stay at a Hilton-family property. Basic level members earn 10 points for every dollar spent, and elite members earn more.

You can earn Silver status by staying five nights in Hilton Honors hotels. Earn Gold by staying 20 nights and Diamond by staying 30 nights. Or you can get Gold status without actually staying in a hotel by carrying The Platinum Card® from American Express or earn top-tier Diamond status with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Hilton-branded credit cards, like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, also pay you bonus points on Hilton stays and on everyday spending, helping you work toward an award stay faster. Terms apply.

How many points do you need for a free night?

The number of points you need for a hotel night varies according to property and demand. The cheapest Hilton hotels have standard rooms starting at just 5,000 points a night, while a standard room at the most expensive hotels can go for 150,000 points per night.