Aura vs Hilton Honors: which loyalty program wins?

We score Aura and Hilton Honors on the same five factors — earning rate, redemption value, partner network, ease of use, and point expiry — to help you choose the right program for how you actually spend.

Verdict

Aura is best for Mall shoppers, while Hilton Honors is best for Frequent flyers.

Skip Aura if Budget shoppers outside malls, and skip Hilton Honors if Anyone wanting to earn through daily spend.

Overall rating

	Aura	Hilton Honors
Overall rating	3.4 / 5	3.8 / 5
Earning	4.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Redemption	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Network	3.0 / 5	5.0 / 5
Ease of use	5.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Expiry	2.0 / 5	3.0 / 5

Earning structure

Aura	Members earn 1 point for every 1 SAR spent at participating Alshaya brands, in-store and online. That's a 2% effective return on most purchases. Star tier members earn an additional 1% on top, and VIP members earn an additional 2% - bringing the top return to 4%. Bonus points are also offered during promotional events. Starbucks, Boots medicinal products, and Alshaya gift cards are excluded from earning.
Hilton Honors	Members earn 10 base points per USD spent at most Hilton brand properties (Hilton, Hampton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, and others). Earnings drop to 5 points/USD at Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Spark, Tru, and Apartment Collection brands, and 3 points/USD at LivSmart Studios. Elite tier members receive bonus points: Silver +20%, Gold +80%, Diamond +100%, Diamond Reserve +120%. Points also earned on hotel incidentals (dining, spa, laundry) charged to the room. Saudi users don't have access to a Hilton-branded credit card - Hilton's four Amex cards are US-only. Points can be purchased (up to 160,000 per year).

Redemption structure

Aura	Points redeem at a fixed rate of 50 points = 1 SAR (0.02 SAR per point) directly at checkout in any participating Alshaya store or online site. There's no minimum threshold - points can be applied to any eligible purchase. Members can also redeem for exclusive experiences, member-only prices, and special offers via the Aura app. Points cannot be transferred, converted to cash, or redeemed at non-Alshaya partners. Refunds on items paid partly with points are returned in points.
Hilton Honors	Points redeem for hotel stays at 9,000+ Hilton properties in 142 countries. Standard rooms use variable point pricing (not a fixed award chart since 2020). The Points + Money slider lets members part-pay with cash, useful when short on points. Free Night Rewards from credit cards (US-only) provide alternative redemption. Members can also transfer points to airline partners (10:1 ratio, typically 10,000 Hilton = 1,000 airline miles) - partners include Saudia Alfursan, British Airways Avios, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, ANA, Cathay Asia Miles, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, and more. Experience redemptions (concerts, sports, dining) available. Silver+ members get 5th-night-free on award stays.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Aura	Hilton Honors
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	3	5
Top tier	VIP	Diamond Reserve
First-tier qualification	6,000 points	4 stays
Point expiry	12 months	24 months inactivity (reset on earn)

Open in loyaup