While I realize the answer to this question will change depending on various offers, I am wondering how to get the best value on a Hilton booking generally.

—Transfer MR or other cc points from Amex (seems poor value)
—Book through a cc portal (Amex, Cap One Venture X, Chase CSP, etc) and pay for charge with points during booking
—Book through a cc portal (Amex, Cap One Venture X, Chase CSP, etc) and pay for charge with points after it hits
—Other ideas?

Does booking through third party like Amextravel mean status won’t be honored? I am gold so want to preserve that for breakfast etc benefits.