Much like Marriott (read more here), Hilton offers a very competing team member discount travel program and something for Friends & Family of those employees as well.
Hilton calls the employee discounts “Go Hilton Team Member” and the rates are really low when available, Friends & Family “Go Hilton Family Friends Rate” and “Go Hilton Extra FFTP.”
You can access Hilton’s GO website here and pages explaining the program here and here.
READ MORE: Hilton Honors Rate & Bonus Points Offer
Both Hilton Team Member and Friends & Family rates are eligible rates under the Honors program. You earn elite qualifying nights, you earn all the usual base and promotional points + get to enjoy elite benefits too if you are at the Silver, Gold, or Diamond tier.
Hilton Team Member Rates
The standard employee rates are very low, and each team member is eligible to book 30 nights of them every calendar year:
- $35 USD for Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Tru by Hilton
- $45 USD for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, and Tapestry
- $55 USD for Curio, Canopy, and Hilton Grand Vacations
- $75 USD for Waldorf Astoria and Conrad
Team member rates include breakfast for two outside of the Americas + a 50% discount on F&B expenses globally. In addition, employees don’t need to pay any resort or destination fees, but amenities covered by those charges must be made available to them.
Team members who work a minimum of 20 years are eligible for these rates for the rest of their lives but cannot offer their Friends & Family benefits after leaving Hilton. Those that have worked 10 to 20 years are eligible for the Friends & Family rates for themselves after exiting.
Team members can book a maximum of two rooms under the Team Member and two under the Friends & Family rates for a maximum 7 nights continuous stay or two rooms first under the Team Member rate for the first 7 nights and then another 7 nights under the Friends & Family for up to 14 nights total.
Hilton Team member nights available yearly:
- 30 nights yearly under TEAM MEMBER-rates
- 70 nights yearly under Friends & Family-rates
EXTRA-designated TEAM MEMBER and Friends & Family rates don’t count towards these caps.
Hilton Friends & Family Rates
Here, it gets more interesting to LoyaltyLobby readers who may have Friends & Family members working for Hilton like I now do (a friend who previously worked for Marriott and Accor recently joined a Hilton hotel at a managerial level).
Each team member can add Friends & Family members to their Lobby (yes – Hilton does call it a Lobby) account, who in turn can then log into the Go-website using their usual Honors credentials and make the F&F bookings by themselves.
Friends and Family who book regular F&F rates do count towards the associate’s yearly maximum of 70 nights, but rates designated as EXTRA do not. Therefore, friends & Family members should book, by default, preferably these EXTRA rates.
Friends & Family members can book up to two rooms each for a maximum of seven nights.
The team member can monitor, at least, how many Friends & Family rooms have been consumed. However, I am not sure if they see the EXTRA-designated rooms that don’t count towards the yearly maximum.
The Friends & Family rates should be 50% off, but I have often seen them being less discounted, but usually, the cheapest if available.
Here are some examples
Hilton Garden Inn
Waldorf Astoria
Conrad
Hilton
Code of Conduct
Eligible participants traveling under the Go Hilton travel programs are bound to the Hilton Code of Conduct. Eligible Participants are expected to embody Hilton Values and uphold the exceptional reputation of Hilton during every stay at member properties. Eligible Participants will be held accountable for any undue duress placed on the hosting property. Behavior inconsistent with program rules and our HILTON Values may result in loss of these privileges and disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Family and Friends of Eligible Participants who use the Family & Friends Travel Program are also a reflection of the Eligible Participant. Any inappropriate behavior by Family and Friends may also result in loss of these privileges for the family/friend and the Eligible Participant.
You should be on your best behavior when using these Friends & Family rates like buddy passes on the airlines, or the sponsoring person may lose their rate privileges altogether.
Also, Hilton won’t entertain Guest Assistance complaints about stays that are booked under this rate plan, as our recent Reader Question covered:
Reader Question: Stay Issues When On Hilton Friends & Family Rate?
You should not leave negative public feedback if your stay booked under these rate plans were not up to expectations.
Conclusion
The Hilton Friends & Family rate plan works similarly to Marriott’s that I have previously been eligible for (unfortunately, my Marriott friend was laid off due to the Covid-19 travel slump last year).
You can usually save the most at expensive properties when their occupancy rates are on the softer side and prefer not to discount their public rates (think Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, and LXR).
I have made 20+ nights bookings at five Hilton hotels for August, and all of them at publicly available rates because the difference between those and the Friends & Family was negligible. I have, however, a couple of EXTRA-designated F&F bookings for early September, where the savings are significant.
Nobody should be jealous about the very low employee rates that Hilton grants to their associates or close to free space available tickets airline employees get.
It is good that employees explore various brands within the Hilton portfolio and are also engaged with the Honors guest loyalty program personally. Better for all of us!
Information that Hilton has publicly available pages about this program:
Go Hilton Team Member travel program
Go Hilton is a leisure travel discount program for eligible Hilton Team Members and their authorized family and friends. Eligible participants can take advantage of special room rates and other perks. Team Members should visit the Program Guide on the Go Hilton Lobby pages as the main source for rules, policies, and other information that supersedes any other document, including this summary.
Booking a Go Hilton Stay
Eligible Team Members and their authorized family / friends must each log in at the Go Hilton booking site with their own Hilton Honors sign-in and password to manage their own reservations.
Tips for Finding Go Hilton Rates
Use the Flexible Dates feature
– Search for a 1-night stay and click the ‘My dates are flexible’ box, which will let you see rate availability day-by-day in a calendar view for each hotel you select.
– If 1 night doesn’t have the discounted rate available for a multiple-night search, then the entire search will come back with no results.
– Ex: If you searched for 3 nights, but only 2 of the nights have the discount available, the search would come up empty. If you do a 1-night search and use flexible dates, you could see availability day-by-day and see the discount for 2 of the 3 nights, which you could book separately if needed.Mix and match rates
– Consider making separate bookings for shorter lengths of stay to “mix and match” between rates on different days at the hotel, since 1 type of rate might not be available for several nights consecutively.
– Ex: Team Member rate might be available for 1 night and not the next, but the Family & Friends rate might be available for the other night.
– If searching for 2 rooms doesn’t work, try searching for only 1 room as there may be only one room available at the discounted rate on that particular night.Be flexible
– Try to book as far in advance as possible to take advantage of all potential availability. If you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, come back often. Go Hilton rate availability is based on forecasted occupancy, which can change frequently.
– More rooms might become available closer to the desired stay date, especially within 60 days of arrival, since stay dates farther out in the calendar may be more limited and are often booked quickly.
– Consider searching for popular destinations during various seasons or nights of the week when availability may be more plentiful.
– Plan trips around when you find availability for the discounted rates.Checking in & staying with Go Hilton Rates
– Team Members must be present at check-in and for the duration of Team Member rate and Family & Friends rate stays booked in their name and Hilton Honors account.
– Authorized family and friends must be present at check-in and for the duration of Family & Friends rate stays booked in their name and Hilton Honors account.
– Non-Team Members, family/friends, etc., cannot use Team Member rates.
– Authorized family/friends can travel without the authorizing Team Member when staying under their own Family & Friends rates, but the family/friends do need to make their own reservations by signing into the Go Hilton booking site with their own Hilton Honors account.Number of rooms per stay
– For each hotel stay, eligible Team Members may reserve up to 2 Team Member rate rooms and 2 Family & Friends rate rooms, for a total of up to 4 rooms in their own name and Hilton Honors number.
– Team Members’ approved family / friends may reserve up to 2 Family & Friends rate rooms per hotel stay (family / friends must make their own bookings with their own Hilton Honors account).
– “Extra” Team Member and “Extra” Family & Friends rates are combined with and treated like “regular” Team Member and Family & Friends rates for the maximum number of rooms per stay.
– Program users may not book rooms for themselves at different hotels for the same stay dates regardless of the rate booked.Number of nights per stay
– Eligible Team Members can book up to seven consecutive nights at Team Member rates and up to seven consecutive nights at Family & Friends rates.
– Approved family/friends may book a Family & Friends rate for seven consecutive nights.
– “Extra” Team Member and “Extra” Family & Friends rates are combined with and treated like “regular” Team Member and Family & Friends rates for the maximum number of rooms per stay.Annual allotment of room nights
– Each eligible Team Member can book and / or use up to 30 room nights per calendar year under Team Member rates and up to 70 room nights per calendar year under Family & Friends rates, for a total of 100 room nights per calendar year.
– Each room counts as 1 room night.
– Usage of Family & Friends room nights by approved family / friends counts against the 70 Family & Friends room nights total.
– “Extra” Team Member rates and “Extra” Family & Friends rates do not count against the annual room night allotments.Hilton Honors Points, stay credit, & hotel benefits
Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends rate stays are eligible to earn Hilton Honors Points on both room rates and incidentals and stay credit toward the next tier status, based on Hilton Honors terms and conditions.
Hilton Honors members are eligible for all standard Hilton Honors hotel benefits when staying under Go Hilton rates, including room upgrades at check-in based on tier status and hotel availability.
Hilton Honors Relocation & Recovery (Walk Policy)
Occasionally, a hotel may find itself in an overbooked situation. All Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends rate reservations in such situations are to be honored as any other reservation for a Hilton Honors member; Hilton Honors Relocation & Recovery policies apply the same to Team Member and Family & Friends reservations as to any other reservation type for overbooked situations. The guest should be relocated to another local hotel within a reasonable distance with all the usual Hilton Honors walk benefits based on the guest’s tier status.
Code of Conduct
– Eligible participants traveling under the Go Hilton travel programs are bound to the Hilton Code of Conduct. Eligible Participants are expected to embody Hilton Values and uphold the exceptional reputation of Hilton during every stay at member properties. Eligible Participants will be held accountable for any undue duress placed on the hosting property. Behavior inconsistent with program rules and our HILTON Values may result in loss of these privileges and disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Family and Friends of Eligible Participants who use the Family & Friends Travel Program are also a reflection of the Eligible Participant. Any inappropriate behavior by Family and Friends may also result in loss of these privileges for the family/friend and the Eligible Participant.
– Access to Go Hilton discounts may not be sold, auctioned, bartered, brokered, purchased, or otherwise transferred. Any Go Hilton discounts obtained in this manner will be considered to have been fraudulently obtained and deemed void, resulting in cancellation of the reservations. This applies to Go Hilton Team Member rates and Family & Friends rates. All such activity is strictly prohibited and will result in loss of Go Hilton privileges for the applicable Team Member and/or Family & Friends and can also result in disciplinary action for the Team Member, up to and including termination. Such fraudulent activity will also lead to closure of the applicable Hilton Honors accounts and forfeiture of any Hilton Honors Points, stay credits, or other related rewards associated with those accounts.
– The following actions will be taken by the Program for any Hilton Honors members who are fraudulently added to a Team Member’s Family & Friends list and/or who fraudulently book or use a Team Member’s Family & Friends rate room nights without the Team Member’s knowledge and consent: their Go Hilton / Family & Friends rate reservations will be cancelled by the Program; their Hilton Honors account will be closed; and they will forfeit any Hilton Honors Points, stay credits, or other related rewards associated with that Hilton Honors account. The Program will monitor such fraudulent Hilton Honors members going forward, and such fraudulent activity on any new Hilton Honors account the members open will lead to the same treatment as above on the new accounts.
– Team Members should inform all family and friends they authorize to use the program of the Go Hilton Code of Conduct and all Program Rules.
And:
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.
Learn more about the Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends Travel Programs. These programs are for leisure travel only, not business travel.
- Am I eligible?
Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) can take advantage of all Go Hilton privileges, including Team Member room rates, Family & Friends room rates, and Food & Beverage (F&B) discounts. The following groups are Eligible Participants:
- Active employees at Hilton corporate offices, Hilton owned/managed properties, Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) locations, and active on-property employees at independently owned and operated franchised hotels. This includes all regular full-time and part-time staff and seasonal staff, as long as they are actually employed by Hilton and/or the hotel and work a regular schedule.
- All active business partners working at Hilton Reservations & Customer Care (HRCC) centers
- Owners Club Members
The following groups are NOT Eligible Participants, so they cannot access Team Member rates or F&B discounts. However, they would be eligible for Family & Friends rates if added as authorized users by an Eligible Participant.
- Family and friends of Eligible Participants
- On-call and other temporary staff who do not work a regular schedule
- Independent third-party contractors employed by Hilton and/or the hotel, even if they have a Hilton e-mail address
- Above property franchisees and management company representatives not working on property
- Are long-serving Team Members eligible for discounts after they leave Hilton and its portfolio of brands?
With the Go Hilton Long Tenure Travel Program , long-serving Team Members will be able to access discounts. Team Members who have 10 to up to 20 years of service can have access to Go Hilton Family & Friends rates for up to 70 room nights per calendar year for life. Team Members who have 20 or more years of service can have access to Go Hilton Team Member rates for up to 30 room nights per calendar year and Family & Friends rates for up to 70 room nights per calendar year for life. The years of service requirements above are for combined service in a Hilton corporate office, Hilton owned/managed hotels or on-property roles at franchised hotels in the Hilton portfolio of brands. The discounted rates only apply to eligible Team Members who have separated from service; discounted rates cannot be offered to their Family & Friends. Eligible Team Members who have separated from service must be present for the hotel stay to utilize these rates, and they will still need their Hilton Honors account to sign into the Go Hilton booking site. All other standard Go Hilton booking rules and conditions will apply. Visit the Go Hilton program page in the Lobby for more information.
- Are my family and friends eligible for any discounts?
Eligible Participants’ approved family and friends are eligible for Family & Friends room rates. The family/friends just need a standard Hilton Honors account and need to be added to the Eligible Participant’s Family & Friends list. See “What do my family and friends need to get started?” for more details.
- How do I get started?
You’re only a few clicks away from enjoying the Go Hilton travel programs. Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) just need a Lobby User ID and Team Member Hilton Honors account (or applicable Owners Hilton Honors account). This will let you set up and access the discounts and approve family and friends. Visit the Go Hilton program page in the Lobby for more information and to get started.
Don’t have a Lobby User ID yet? Contact your manager or Identity Management (IDM) Property Administrator for help.
- What do my family and friends need to get started?
Family and friends just need a standard Hilton Honors account and should ask an Eligible Participant (“Team Member”) to approve them for booking Family & Friends room rates. They should give their name and Hilton Honors number exactly as they appear on their account or the approval will not go through. If family and friends do not have a Hilton Honors account yet, they can sign up at HiltonHonors.com/join.
After your family or friends have been added to your list, they will be able to book Family & Friends rates on the Go Hilton booking site without notifying you. Consider asking them to let you know when they book, or add them before their booking and then remove them once their booking is complete. They only need to be on your list at the time of booking, not at the time of the actual stay. This will help you keep track of how many Family & Friends discounted room nights are remaining from your annual allotment.
- How do I make, change or cancel Go Hilton reservations?
Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) and approved family and friends each log in at the Go Hilton home page with their own Hilton Honors sign in and password to manage their own reservations. All reservations, changes and cancellations must be made online at the Go Hilton web site. The Hilton Reservations & Customer Care (HRCC) center will not be able to assist with reservations for Team Member or Family & Friends rates.
- How do I check in?
Guests staying under Team Member or Family & Friends rates just need to present a photo ID at check-in. Other authorization forms (including the old paper Passports) aren’t required for anyone.
Team Members must be present at check-in and for the duration of Team Member rate stays. Non-Team Members, family/friends, etc., cannot use Team Member rates.
Approved family and friends can travel without the authorizing Team Member when staying under their own Family & Friends rates, but the family/friends do need to make their own reservations by signing into the Go Hilton booking site with their own Hilton Honors account.
- What are the discounted rates per night per room (in US dollars)?
The standard Team Member rates are:
- $35 USD for Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton
- $45 USD for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and Tapestry
- $55 USD for Curio, Canopy and Hilton Grand Vacations
- $75 USD for Waldorf Astoria and Conrad
Please note: 1) Team Member rates are per room per night up to the maximum allowed occupancy per room; they are not per person; 2) Team Member rates quoted above are before including any necessary taxes; 3) Any applicable resort fees are to be waived for Team Member rates (resort amenities should still be made available to Team Members); 4) For hotels in the EMEA and APAC regions, the Team Member rate includes breakfast for all guests in each room up to each room’s maximum allowed occupancy; 5) Team Member rates may be higher for certain hotels with above average operating costs or where necessary based on local tax regulations.
The Family & Friends rate is 50% off the Best Available Rate (BAR) / Flexible Rate. BAR /Flexible Rate is the lowest advertised rate that is subject to the hotel’s standard cancellation policy.
Please note: 1) The Family & Friends rate does not include breakfast; 2) The Family & Friends rate might be higher than 50% off BAR in certain locations based on local tax regulations.
- What are “Extra” Team Member rates and “Extra” Family & Friends rates?
“Extra” rates are additional Team Member and Family & Friends rooms that hotels have the option to offer at their own discretion based on business needs. This means availability and search results for these rates will vary widely. The rates are the same as the usual Team Member and Family & Friends rates. The great news is these “Extra” rates do NOT count against your annual room night allotments, so you and your family/friends may want to prioritize these rates for booking first if you see them. The “Extra” rates will appear on the initial search results page as “EXTRA TEAM MEMBER” or “EXTRA FAMILY-FRIENDS” and on the next room details page as “GO HILTON EXTRA TMTP” or “GO HILTON EXTRA FFTP.” The “Extra” rates are combined with and treated like “regular” Go Hilton rates for all other standard Go Hilton booking rules, including the maximum number of rooms per hotel stay and maximum number of consecutive nights per hotel stay.
- When can I book?
You can make reservations up to one year in advance, based on availability. More rooms could be added regularly, so be sure to check back!
- Do you have any tips for finding Go Hilton rates, especially for popular hotels and markets?
Use the Flexible Dates feature — The website offers various ways to filter your searches. Search for a one-night stay and click the “Use flexible dates” checkbox, which will let you see rate availability day-by-day for Team Member rates and for Family & Friends rates for each hotel you select. This is helpful because if even one night does not have the discounted rate available for a multiple-night search, then the entire search will come back with no results. For example, if you searched for 3 nights, but only 2 of the nights have the discount available, the search would come up empty. However, if you do a one-night search and check Flexible Dates, you could see availability day-by-day and see the discount for 2 of the 3 nights, which you could book separately if needed.
Mix and match rates — Consider making separate bookings for shorter lengths of stay to possibly “mix and match” between rates on different days at the hotel, since one type of rate might not be available for several nights consecutively. For example, the Team Member rate might be available for one night and not the next night, but the Family & Friends rate might be available for that other night.
Be flexible —
- Try to book as far in advance as possible to take advantage of full availability.
- If you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, come back often. Go Hilton rates and availability are based on forecasted occupancy, which can change frequently. More rooms might become available closer to the desired stay date, especially within 60 days of arrival, since stay dates farther out in the calendar may be more limited and are often booked quickly.
- Consider searching for popular destinations during various seasons or nights of the week when availability may be more plentiful.
- Plan trips around when you find availability for the discounted rates.
- Where can I stay?
You can receive discounted rates at any Hilton branded hotel globally, based on availability, except for the hotel where you are regularly employed. However, your approved family and friends can book Family & Friends rates at the hotel where you are regularly employed.
Occasionally, a hotel may find itself in an overbooked situation. All Team Member and Family & Friends rate reservations in such situations are to be honored as any other reservation for a Hilton Honors member. Thus, Hilton Honors Relocation & Recovery policies apply the same to Team Member and Family & Friends reservations as to any other reservation type for overbooked situations. The guest should be relocated to another local hotel within a reasonable distance with all the usual Hilton Honors walk benefits based on the guest’s tier status.
- How many rooms can I book for each hotel stay?
For each hotel stay, Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) may reserve up to two Team Member rate rooms and up to two Family & Friends rate rooms, for a total of up to four rooms. Approved Family & Friends may reserve up to two Family & Friends rate rooms per hotel stay. Program users may not book rooms for themselves at different hotels for the same stay dates regardless of the rate booked.
- How many nights can I book for each hotel stay?
For each hotel stay and based on availability, Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) can book up to seven consecutive nights at Team Member rates and up to seven consecutive nights at Family & Friends rates, for up to fourteen consecutive nights total. Approved Family & Friends may stay for up to seven nights in a row under Family & Friends rates.
- How many discounted room nights can I book and/or use each calendar year?
Each Eligible Participant (“Team Member”) can book and/or use up to 30 room nights per calendar year under Team Member rates and up to 70 room nights per calendar year under Family & Friends rates, for a total of 100 room nights per calendar year. Each room counts as one room night. For example, booking two rooms for one night counts as a total of two room nights; booking two rooms for two nights counts as a total of four room nights, etc. Usage of Family & Friends room nights by approved Family and Friends counts against the 70 Family & Friends room nights total.
“Extra” Team Member rates and “Extra” Family & Friends rates do NOT count against your annual room night allotments, so you and your family/friends may want to prioritize “Extra” rates for booking first if you see them. The “Extra” rates will appear on the initial search results page as “EXTRA TEAM MEMBER” or “EXTRA FAMILY-FRIENDS” and on the next room details page as “GO HILTON EXTRA TMTP” or “GO HILTON EXTRA FFTP.” The “Extra” rates are combined with and treated like “regular” Go Hilton rates for all other standard Go Hilton booking rules, including the maximum number of rooms per hotel stay and maximum number of consecutive nights per hotel stay.
- How should I track usage of my Team Member and Family & Friends room nights?
To view the total number of room nights you and your family and friends have booked and/or used, visit the Lobby > My Applications > Go Hilton Account (Enroll/Manage). All Hilton Honors members, including you and your family and friends, can also monitor their own activity by signing into their own Hilton Honors account at www.hiltonhonors.com and looking at Reservations and Past Stays under the My Stays section. Each room counts as one room night. For example, booking two rooms for one night counts as a total of two room nights; booking two rooms for two nights counts as a total of four room nights, etc. Also, nights booked and/or used with “Extra” Team Member or “Extra” Family & Friends rates are not included in your annual room night counts since “Extra” rates do not count against your annual allotments.
- Are there Food & Beverage (F&B) discounts?
Yes. The program offers Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) an F&B discount of 50% globally. The discount applies to restaurants at owned, managed and franchised hotels, but is only for restaurants that are under the same management company as the hotel (i.e., does not include leased restaurants). Please check with the hotel or restaurant staff beforehand to see if the discount applies.
Eligible Participants (“Team Members”) must be staying at the hotel under a Team Member rate or Family & Friends rate and must be present at the restaurant. The F&B discount can be applied for up to six people in a party, including the Eligible Participant (“Team Member”). Just show your photo ID and a current Team Member Hilton Honors card (or Owners Hilton Honors card if applicable) to receive the discount. Either a physical card or a virtual card from the Hilton Honors app is acceptable. If you do not have your physical or virtual Team Member Hilton Honors card yet because you enrolled recently, you must show your Team Member Hilton Honors enrollment confirmation e-mail.
The F&B discount does not apply to minibars or room service. In the United States or locations where not allowed by law, the F&B discount does not apply to alcohol.
- What about Hilton Honors Points?
For stays under Team Member and Family & Friends room rates, Hilton Honors credit will be granted for the stay and Points will be awarded for the room rate and incidentals. (Please note Points will not be earned for incidentals at Hampton, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru.)
Contact Hilton Honors Customer Care at the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses below for general questions about the Go Hilton program. Please note that representatives cannot book, modify or cancel Go Hilton reservations for you. You must take care of your reservations through the Go Hilton booking web site.
