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I recently had to travel to Vienna on short notice, and my eyes watered when I checked out hotel prices for  the dates I needed. Cash rates for my go-to Hilton in the city centre, the Hilton Vienna Plaza, were a staggering 540 EUR per night and I was staying for 10 nights! It was a similar story for most of the international chains.

A quick search for reward rooms showed that the 4-star Hilton Garden Inn still had standard rooms available. At 10,000 points a night, this former Category 2 hotel is a tremendous sweetspot, especially when rooms are selling for 136 EUR a night. Because status members receive every 5th night free on reward stays, I only had to pay 80,000 Points in total – just 8,000 Points per night!. As a Diamond member, breakfast for two was on the house, too.

With cash rates at 136 Euros per night, 10 nights would’ve set me back 1360 EUR – I think 80,000 Hilton Points was a lot more reasonable!

The location of the Hilton Garden Inn Vienna South isn’t ideal, but the hotel runs a free shuttle service to the city centre between 8am and 7.30pm. I was out and about all day anyway and only really needed a comfy bed to sleep, so it was a decent enough option for my stay.

For those that don’t have 80,000 points, Hilton is currently offering a 100% bonus on purchases. You could therefore buy the required points for $400 or roughly £300. Why pay 136 EUR/ 120 GBP a night when you can get the exact same room for 34 quid through points??

Bottom line

There are still quite a few Hilton options around the world for just 5,000 or 10,000 Points per night, which can provide tremendous value if they suit your plans – keep an eye out for them next time you’re booking a hotel!