5 Great Hotels for Family Travel With the 100,000 AMEX Hilton Surpass Bonus
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With the limited-time highest ever offers on the Hilton Honors Card from American Express and Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express cards, you can get free award stays in Hilton hotels at many great family vacation destinations!
I’ve chosen the hotels on this list because they’re ideal for families. Each has perks families can appreciate, like free breakfasts, kitchenettes, and kiddie pools!
They’re also close to the areas’ popular attractions. So you can avoid long car rides, in case the kids are driving you bonkers! 🙂
I wrote about good spots for trips to take with friends using Hilton points. So here are ideas about how to use Hilton points for a family trip!
About the AMEX Hilton Card Offers
Link: American Express Hilton Honors Surpass
Link: American Express Hilton Honors
You can earn 100,000 Hilton points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card. The annual fee of $75 is NOT waived for the first year.
Here’s my review of the card.
You can also earn 75,000 Hilton points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the American Express Hilton Honors card. This card has NO annual fee. (EXPIRED.)
You can read my review of the card here.You can earn the sign-up bonus from each card, because these are considered different card products!
And remember, American Express only allows you to earn the bonus once per lifetime, on all its cards. So you can NOT earn the bonus if you’ve had either of these cards in the past.
5 Great Hilton Hotels in the US for Your Family Vacation
Hilton hotels include Conrad, Canopy, Curio, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Home2Suites, Homewood Suites, Tru, and Waldorf Astoria brand hotels.
With ~4,600 hotels worldwide, you can use your Hilton points at one of the largest hotel chains. And some of their brands include great perks, like a free full breakfast buffet. So you can save money on family travel!
You might also want to read my ideas about how to plan an amazing road trip. And check out these exciting spots across the US!
1. Hampton Inn Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Head to Jackson Hole and take the family to 2 amazing national parks! The Hampton Inn Jackson Hole is ~17 miles from Grand Teton National Park, and ~68 miles from the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Folks on TripAdvisor give this hotel 4 stars. They enjoyed the comfortable beds, convenient location, and friendly staff. Stays also include free breakfast!
From October to May, rooms cost ~$200 or 30,000 Hilton points per night.
So with the 100,000 point sign-up bonus from the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card, you’d have enough points for a 3-night stay. Because 3 nights would cost 90,000 Hilton points (30,000 points per night X 3 nights). Saving you over $600 (~$200 per night X 3 nights)!
During the busy summer months (June through September) rates double to 60,000 Hilton points or over ~$350 per night. So you’ll need more Hilton points if you want to stay longer than one night.
Applying for both the AMEX Hilton and Hilton Surpass cards could be a good way to earn more points if you have a specific stay in mind. And read my post for other ways to earn even more Hilton points!
2. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia, is a great spot for a family trip because there’s a Busch Gardens theme park. And you can visit Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum where the whole family can have fun learning and exploring the city!
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Williamsburg would be a good choice for a family trip to the area.
Reviewers on TripAdvisor give it 4 stars. The staff is incredibly friendly and many families have come back for repeat stays!
It’s only ~2 miles from Busch Gardens and a ~10 minute drive to Colonial Williamsburg.
Rooms here during the summer months (May through August) cost ~$162 or 30,000 Hilton points per night. September through April, they’re only 20,000 Hilton points or ~$153 per night.
So, depending on what time of year you visit, the sign-up bonus from either the AMEX Hilton or Hilton Surpass cards could be enough points for 3 to 6 free nights, using the 5th night free perk!
You’ll get Hilton Silver elite status with the American Express Hilton Honors card. And Hilton Gold elite status with the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card. So by opening either one, you’ll be eligible to get the 5th night free on any award stay!
At the higher rate of 30,000 Hilton points per night, if you use the 5th night free perk you’ll get 6 nights for 150,000 Hilton points (5 X 30,000 points per night).
But depending on when you travel, you can get 6 free nights for 100,000 Hilton points (5 X 20,000 points per night).
Note: When I made a test booking to check the points prices on Hilton, they were actually slightly less! It could be temporary glitch on the site.You’ll have at least 109,000 Hilton points after completing the minimum spending requirements on the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card. So that’s enough points to cover the ~$918 ($153 X 6 nights) you’d pay in cash for this stay.
That’s a great deal!
3. Homewood Suites by Hilton Colorado Springs – North
If you’re looking for a trip to the mountains, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a beautiful spot.
There are tons of amazing outdoor activities in the area, from hiking through the Garden of the Gods to summiting famous Pikes Peak. You can also visit the United States Air Force Academy and the National Museum of World War II Aviation!
The Homewood Suites by Hilton Colorado Springs-North would be a great place to stay with your family!
It gets almost all 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, and will be completely renovated by the end of April 2016. Folks love the delicious breakfast and friendly staff, and the fact that every room has a kitchen. This makes it easier for families to cook their own meals to save money!
During the summer months, May through September, a night here costs 30,000 Hilton points or ~$191. The rest of the year, it’s 20,000 Hilton points or ~$156 per night.
So again, just like in the example above, you can get 3 to 6 free nights with the sign-up bonuses from either the AMEX Hilton or Hilton Surpass cards when using the 5th night free perk!
4. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld
Orlando is a very popular destination for families because of the theme parks in the area. Stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld, and you’ll be close to the action!
This hotel gets 4 stars on TripAdvisor because of the friendly staff, convenient location, and family atmosphere.
Cash stays can run between ~$100 and ~$235 per night, depending on the time of year. Or it costs 20,000 or 30,000 points per night, depending on when you stay.
At the higher rate, you get 5 nights for 120,000 Hilton points.
But depending on when you travel, you can get 5 free nights for 80,000 Hilton points using the 5th night free perk.
You’ll have at least 109,000 Hilton points after completing the minimum spending requirements on the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card. Saving you lots of money if you were to pay in cash!
5. Hampton Inn San Diego – Downtown
Take the family for a sunny day at the San Diego Zoo. Relax in Balboa Park, or enjoy the shopping and restaurants in the famous Gaslamp Quarter.
The Hampton Inn San Diego-Downtown gets 4 stars on TripAdvisor.
It’s conveniently located near the San Diego trolley line, making it easy to explore other parts of the city. And the free hot breakfast saves your family money!
Take the trolley or drive to nearby SeaWorld or the San Diego Zoo in ~15 minutes.
During the summer months, June to August, it’s 40,000 Hilton points per night. All other months it’s only 30,000 Hilton points per night.
Cash stays can cost from ~$150 to almost $654 per night during the busy season. So you’d definitely get Big Travel with Small Money using your Hilton points here.
And the bonuses from either the AMEX Hilton or Hilton Surpass Cards would get you 2 to 3 free nights!
Bottom Line
With the sign-up bonus from the AMEX Hilton, the AMEX Hilton Surpass, (or both!), you can earn enough points for a fun, family vacation!
Visit popular destinations like Yellowstone National Park and stay in nearby Jackson, Wyoming, at the Hampton Inn Jackson Hole. Or head to a beach location like San Diego and stay at the popular Hampton Inn San Diego-Downtown. Both include breakfast for the entire family!
Using your Hilton points can easily save you hundreds of dollars.
Let me know if you have a favorite family-friendly Hilton hotel!
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