How to maximize the Hilton Amex Aspire Card
Editor's Note
The top-tier Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card packs a number of benefits for frequent Hilton guests, making it a solid choice if you're in the market for a premium cobranded hotel card.
Let's dig deeper into the unique benefits of the card and discuss strategies for maximizing each, ensuring you get full value from the card in exchange for the $550 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Lucrative welcome offer
The Hilton Aspire currently offers new cardmembers to earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Jan. 14, 2026.
Those points are worth $875, according to TPG's December 2025 valuations. However, this points haul can be worth much more if you use the points to book luxury hotels or expensive stays during holidays and events.
Here are three ways to maximize Hilton Honors points:
- Redeem Hilton points toward stays at luxury properties to maximize their value.
- Remember that Hilton points are incredibly valuable in Oman, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia and some South American countries.
- Take advantage of the fifth-night-free perk (available to all status members) any time you can.
Related: Check your Hilton bookings: Some standard room reward nights now cost less at high-end properties
Hilton Honors Diamond status
The Hilton Aspire includes Diamond elite status, the highest tier of Hilton elite status (until next year, when Hilton adds its new Diamond Reserve tier). This status gives you a 100% bonus on points earning, late checkout and suite upgrades (when available) and executive lounge access.
These benefits are great on paper, but you should set your expectations appropriately. There's no guaranteed avenue to suite upgrades or late checkout as a Hilton Diamond member. As mentioned, these are space-available benefits and are largely at the hotel's discretion.
To maximize Diamond status, read up on all the benefits, including the fine print. The most important benefits are executive lounge access, complimentary breakfast, a 48-hour room guarantee and bonus points.
Related: 6 Hilton Diamond benefits that make the status worthwhile
Free night certificates
Hilton Aspire Card members can receive up to three reward night certificates. You receive one reward night certificate to use at virtually any Hilton property worldwide after opening your account and on your cardmember anniversary year.
You can earn a second reward night certificate when you spend $30,000 on the Aspire Card in a calendar year and a third free night certificate when you spend $60,000 within a calendar year.
Frequent travelers can take advantage of this benefit and save hundreds of dollars a year. Best of all, as long as a property is eligible and has room availability, you can book a stay with a few exclusions.
Related: Hilton free night certificates: How to earn them and maximize their value
Airline credit
The Hilton Aspire provides up to $50 in quarterly statement credits (up to $200 per calendar year) for airfare purchases on flights purchased directly from the airline or through amextravel.com.
TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt maximizes this credit by loading his United TravelBank balance with $50 each quarter. This credit can then be used to book any United Airlines or United Express flight.
Related: The 5 easiest travel credits to redeem
Resort credit
Hilton Aspire Card members also receive up to $200 in biannual statement credits (up to $400 per calendar year) toward eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton resorts. These purchases include room rates and incidentals.
The resort credit is divided into two semiannual statement credits of up to $200, one from January to June and another from July to December.
Charges must be placed on your room, and you must use the Aspire Card for charges during your stay.
This credit is worth up to $400 total per year, not per resort stay. You can use the credit for parking, food, spa services and many activities that the resort can arrange for you during your stay.
Clear Plus credit
Hilton Aspire Card members receive up to $209 annually in statement credits toward a Clear Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal; enrollment required).
Clear is a great perk to have alongside TSA PreCheck. If those expedited lanes are closed or backed up, you can use another service to speed through security.
Related: 10 ways to get through airport security faster
Waldorf Astoria and Conrad property credits
If you stay two consecutive nights at the luxury brands in the Hilton portfolio (booked through the special portal), you'll be eligible for up to a $100 property credit for almost anything charged to the room during the stay as a Hilton Aspire Card member.
In test searches of the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, the Conrad Tokyo, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the full $100 statement credit was offered. Plus, the eligible rates matched the flexible rates available to non-Aspire Card members.
Taxes, fees, gratuity and the room rate itself are not eligible. The terms for the offer say to check with your hotel's front desk to ensure that what you'd like to charge is eligible for reimbursement.
Related: A taste of luxury in Music City: What it's like staying at the Conrad Nashville
Car rental elite status
Hilton Aspire Card members enjoy complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment in Emerald Club is required). Benefits include Executive Area access, waived second driver fees and upgrades.
If National Car Rental is not your preferred car rental agency, you can easily leverage the automatic elite status and apply for a status match to your preferred rental agency.
Related: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals
Bonus categories
If you want to rack up Hilton points quickly, you must know when the Hilton Aspire Card should come out and when it should stay in your wallet.
The Aspire Card earns 14 points per dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Based on TPG's December 2025 valuations, this is equivalent to a 7% return on spending.
You'll also earn 7 points per dollar spent (a 3.5% return) on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies and on purchases at U.S. restaurants. Finally, you'll earn 3 points per dollar spent (a 1.5% return) on all other purchases made with the card.
You should compare the earning rates for an expense across all the cards in your wallet to see which gives you the most value.
Hilton stays
Before you decide to earn bonus points for travel spend on another rewards card, consider the massive earning rates that will show in your account when you use your Hilton Aspire to pay for Hilton stays.
Here's a breakdown of how many Hilton points you'll earn per dollar spent when you stay and pay with your Aspire Card:
- 10 points per dollar base earning
- 10 points per dollar with your Diamond bonus
- 14 points per dollar for Aspire Card earnings
- Any promotion or mobile app booking bonus
At a minimum, you'll earn 34 Hilton points per dollar spent on your Hilton hotel stays. Using our valuations without any promotions, that's equivalent to a 17% return toward your next Hilton stay.
While the cost of Hilton award nights is relatively high compared to competitors like World of Hyatt, you can earn many more points per stay by comparison. Don't forget to make your Aspire Card your default payment method in your Hilton profile.
Related: Which credit card should you use for Hilton stays?
Bottom line
Adding the Hilton Aspire Card to your wallet can give your award trips a shot of adrenaline.
When you stay with Hilton, you'll have Diamond status for breakfast and lounge access, receive bonus points, earn property credits and (hopefully) score a room upgrade.
This card is a great option to add if you're even remotely a frequent Hilton guest or have planned a couple of annual trips to Hilton properties.
To learn more, read our full review of the Hilton Aspire.
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here.