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There’s a lot of noise out there when it comes to hotel credit cards. In fact, nearly every hotel chain has multiple credit card options available, so it can be tough to figure out which one provides the best value.
In my personal opinion, it is without a doubt the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
And to be honest? It doesn’t even come close.
The $550 annual fee (see rates and fees) is easy to justify between all of the benefits and perks. It was one of my first hotel credit cards, and the value it provides is just as strong as when I applied a few years ago.
Limited Time Welcome Offer:
With the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, you can earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the card within your first 6 months of card membership. Offer ends 4/15/2026.
While Hilton has been raising award prices, 150,000 Hilton Honors Points can still go a long way.
But to be honest, welcome offers aside, the real value lies in the actual perks and benefits of the card.
Incredible Benefits & Perks with Hilton:
I’d argue that the Aspire card provides the best hotel perks out of any hotel credit card, period. Here are some of my favorite ones:
- Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status: Enjoy complimentary Diamond status with your card. With Diamond status you can get additional perks when staying at Hilton Hotels including perks such as: space-available room upgrades at select properties, executive lounge access as select properties, daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand and region) plus many more perks. Enrollment required.
- Free Night Reward: Enjoy an annual free night reward in your first year of card membership, and every year upon card renewal.
- $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Enjoy up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually on eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts using your Hilton Honors Aspire Card.
- $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter on flight purchases made directly with an airline, through AmexTravel.com, or through the Amex Travel App™ when using your Aspire card.
- $209 Clear+ Credit: Receive up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your Clear+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Aspire card.
- $100 Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts properties when you book a 2 night minimum stay with your Card at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page, or by calling Hilton at 855-292-5757 and providing the booking reference ZZAAP1.
- National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® Status: Receive complimentary status with National Car Rental. Terms Apply.
Earning Rates
As a Hilton Honors card, you’d expect to be able to earn a good amount of points with Hilton, and that’s exactly where this card shines.
- 14x Points On Hilton Hotels & Resorts: on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio.
- 7x Points on Select Travel: includes flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car companies.
- 7x Points on Dining: at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- 3x Points on all other eligible purchases
Pat’s Take
One of my favorite benefits of the card is the complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status. Even if you stay at just a few Hilton properties throughout the year, this benefits from Diamond Status alone can essentially make the annual fee worth it, especially with the daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast, just keep it mind those benefits will vary based on brand and region.
The Free Night Reward is arguably one of the best perks from any travel credit card, period.
Why? Because unlike other hotel brands, Hilton Free Night Reward’s are not capped or restricted to certain categories or point values, and it comes with the card the first year, and every renewal year.
The Free Night Reward can even be used at some of Hilton’s most luxurious properties like the Conrad Maldives or the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos. These properties are regularly $700+ or more per night, making the Free Night Reward incredibly valuable. As long as a standard award room is available to book, you can use your Free Night Reward.
Plus, each calendar year you can earn a 2nd Free Night Reward after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card, and a 3rd Free Night Reward after you spend $60,000 in purchases on your card.
Between these two perks alone, the card is worth it. Even more so when you factor in the $400 Hilton Resort Credit and $200 Flight Credit.
You can do the math here, and quickly see, that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is arguably the best hotel credit card out there.
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Editorial Disclosure: The opinions are Pat’s alone. This content is not reviewed or endorsed by any entities.
