The Hilton loyalty program, Hilton Honors, is one of the big names when it comes to hotel rewards programs. With more than 6,500 properties in 119 countries and territories, members have a lot of options for earning and redeeming points.

There are plenty of reasons to like Hilton Honors, including its 18 hotel brands, which span budget to luxury travel styles, and its generous elite program, which includes a fast track to its top-level status via the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Terms apply.

But, as with many things in life, there are a few downsides of the Hilton Honors program, especially when compared with the competition.

Here’s a quick guide to the pros and cons of the Hilton loyalty program so that you can make an informed decision on where to earn and redeem points.

The pros of the Hilton loyalty program

✅ Many (many) hotels to choose from

Hilton’s geographic breadth and impressive diversity of brands mean that the program works for both business and leisure travel on any budget. You can travel for work and stay at Hampton by Hilton or DoubleTree by Hilton, or take a dream vacation at a luxurious Conrad or Waldorf-Astoria property.

One of the best features of a good rewards program is having a plethora of choices where you can earn and redeem points, and Hilton succeeds by this measure.

✅ Elite status accessibility

Because there are a number of Hilton co-branded credit cards that come with automatic elite status, earning status in the Hilton Honors program doesn't necessarily have to involve extensive qualifying stays in a calendar year or a particular spend amount.

Silver status (low tier)

The $0-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with Silver status and the ability to earn Gold status after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year. Terms apply.

Silver status includes perks like a free water bottle, fifth night free on award stays and a 20% points earning bonus on stays.

Gold status (mid-tier)

Hilton Honors Gold status is a built-in perk of The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Gold status comes with a food and beverage credit or lounge access where available, space-available room upgrades, and bonus points when using the card to pay for eligible Hilton stays. Terms apply.

Diamond status (highest tier)

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with automatic Diamond status in the Honors program. Terms apply.

Many benefits are extended to these top-tier members. Diamond members get a food and beverage credit or lounge access at hotels, space-available room upgrades and the ability to gift status to a friend. The credit card offers attractive perks, such as bonus points for staying at Hilton properties (14x points per dollar spent), plus a $250 annual airline fee credit and $100 credit at participating Conrad or Waldorf Astoria properties.