Best Hilton Honors Category 1 Hotels That Only Cost 5000 Points

The Hilton Honors program has gone through a lot of changes over the past years but there have always been a very small subset of hotels that were incredibly cheap on points.  They’re in areas that you would least expect so without further ado, here are the best Hilton Honors Category 1 hotels that only cost 5000 points.

Top 7 Hilton Honors Category 1 Properties

What other Hilton hotels out there are Category 1 that deserve some attention as ridiculously good offers on points?  I’ve gone through all current 23 Hilton Honors Category 1 hotels for 5,000 Hilton Honors points.  Based on my analysis, here is my curated list of best value hotels according to:

• Uniqueness
• Location
• Amenities
• Cash price of room – all searches done in the post are for March, 2016 (updated in 2019) and in USD currency except for the Hilton Garden Inn Bali
• Cents per point – the higher the better

If you’re looking for a tool to find ALL Category 1 hotels, make sure to head to new Hilton Honors PointsExplorer tool.  I will say that it’s not the most intuitive.  Of course, bring the slider all the way to the left to filter down to 5,000 point stays but what you need to do on top is to sort it from “Lo-Hi”.

1 – Hilton Hurghada Resort

I had the opportunity to stay here 3 nights and I can personally say that this is a beautiful resort to base yourself by the Red Sea if you find yourself in Egypt.  Our 3 nights here was a perfect way to wrap up our trip.  Built in the newer part of town, you still get access to the large pedestrian streets and also the downtown center.

As a beachfront property, you are seconds away from the beach or your next dive trip.  This is a proper all-inclusive resort so expect a high level of service and quality.

While the reward night won’t be full-board, Gold status will grant you access to quite the lovely breakfast.

Sure the paid rates are also low here but a lot of that has to do with the huge downturn in tourism in the country ever since their revolution.  I still can’t believe I only spent 15,000 points for 3 nights.

If you’re planning a trip to Egypt, make sure to read the 10 day Egypt itinerary, my review of the must-do Dahabiya Nile cruise, and tips on what to pack.

Lastly, I’m sure you have questions about whether Egypt is safe or not.  I recently visited in 2019 and have much to say about my experiences and what you need to look out for.

A comparable alternative to this is the Hilton Hurghada Plaza which is in the same area.  The only reason we didn’t stay here was that they were doing renovations there at the time.  This is the same Category 1 with $49 rates if you were to pay by cash.

2 – Hilton Sharm Waterfalls Resort

The trend with hotels in Egypt continue.  You can pretty much plan your trip around the country with these hotels.  Stare out into the Red Sea or the Sinai Mountains from this resort.  Located by the city center of Sharm el-Sheikh, you get access to all of the attractions of the area in addition to your private beach and all the water sports you desire.

3 – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Elazig

This is the only DoubleTree that is a category 1 in the Hilton family.  Located in the small town of Elazig in central Turkey, this is the first 5-star hotel in the city.  Nearby you have the historic bazaar, archeological and ethnography museum, Harput Castle, Hazarbaba Ski Center, and Keban Lake.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Elazig

• Category:  1
• Location:  Elazig, Turkey
• Reward Night:  5,000 Honors points
• Paid Rates:  $37/night
• Cents Per Point:  0.74

Check availability

4 – Hampton by Hilton Bucaramanga

In Colombia is the city of Bucaramanga located between Medellin and close to the bordering Venezuela.  This is a brand new property in the exclusive neighbourhood of Cabecera which has some of the best shopping, dining, and night life in the city.

5 – Hilton Garden Inn Bali Ngurah Rai Airport

So what about outside of Egypt and the Middle East?  Well this one is sure to get you excited.  500 meters from the international airport that you’ll be flying into is this Garden Inn which is joining the Hilton portfolio May 1, 2016.  Fine it’s not a beachfront property on Kuta but you’d be able to stay for free in Bali even if you have a small stash of points.

What’s good to know here is that they offer complimentary shuttles to Kuta which is really only 10 minutes away so you’re not far from the action.  Honestly, you’re coming out on top by staying here because you can then save your money on a good local driver to maximize your experience on the island like I did with my 5 day itinerary in Bali.

For inspiration, you should also check out the reasons you need to go to Bali now.

6 – Hilton Garden Inn Ankara Gimat

Hilton Garden Inn Ankara Gimat is located in the West side of the city, in one of the busiest areas featuring a variety of shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and entertainment. The hotel is also set close to a main road intersection, making it a convenient base from which to explore the city. The subway is a short walk away and Esenboğa International Airport is a 25-minute drive from the hotel.

7 – Hilton Garden Inn Tuxtla Gutierrez

The only other country that has Category 1 Hilton Honors properties is in Mexico.  This modern Garden Inn is located on the main boulevard and bordered by a plaza, banks and restaurants.  The neighbourhood itself is a commercial district but is only 10 minutes from downtown.

Bottom Line

The disparity between the cost of redemption to true level of hotel is so high that these are honestly hotels that are worth building a trip around.  Keep in mind that these only cover Hilton Honors Category 1 hotels.  If you open it up to Category 2 hotels, there are a lot more options but I’ll leave that for another article ;)