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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant: Battle of the top-tier hotel cards
Chris Nelson is a credit cards writer for TPG. He specializes in budget travel, hotels, earning elite status through minimal spending and redeeming points for maximum value.
also contributed to this story
March 19, 2025 • 12 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Two premium hotel cards are compared, each offering automatic elite status, annual free night certificates and a suite of travel benefits.
Both cards provide statement credits that can offset their high fees, but the ease of using these credits varies.
One card stands out for higher earning rates at its hotel brand, while the other offers more flexible redemption options and a larger hotel portfolio.
The choice depends largely on your preferred hotel loyalty program and travel habits.
What to consider
Statement credits differ in type and redemption flexibility, with some requiring specific bookings or enrollment.
Annual free night certificates have point caps or property exclusions, and some hotels may charge additional resort fees.
Points transfer options vary, with one program offering broader airline transfer partners and better ratios.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed side-by-side comparison of perks, earning structures and redemption strategies for both premium hotel cards.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Both cards carry pricey annual fees — $550 and $650, respectively (see Hilton Honors Aspire rates and fees and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant rates and fees) and come with similar benefits, such as automatic elite status and annual free night certificates.
Is one card better than the other? Let’s look at them side-by-side to see which should earn a place in your wallet.
Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant comparison
Here are the basics of each of these two cards in the major categories:
Perk/benefit
Hilton Amex Aspire
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
Annual fee
$550
$650
Welcome bonus
Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Earning rates
14 points per dollar at Hilton hotels and resorts
7 points per dollar on dining at U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines, through American Express Travel or the Amex Travel App™ and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies
3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
6 points per dollar at Marriott hotels
3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines
2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Credits
Up to $200 statement credit each calendar year (up to $50 per quarter) on eligible flight purchases made directly with an airline, through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
Up to $400 per calendar year (up to $200 semi-annually) in statement credits for eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts
Up to $100 on-property credit for incidentals for eligible, paid two-night stays at Conrad and Waldorf-Astoria locations
Up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year when you sign up for a Clear+ membership (subject to auto-renewal)
Enrollment is required for select benefits
Up to $300 in statement credits for restaurants worldwide per calendar year (up to $25 in statement credits each month)
Up to $100 on-property credit for eligible paid, two-night stays at St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton locations
Elite status
Automatic Hilton Diamond status
Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status after enrollment in the Emerald Club program
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status
Free-night certificates
Annual free night certificate at almost any Hilton property worldwide after opening your account and on your account anniversary each year.
Earn a second free night after spending $30,000 in a calendar year
Earn a third free night after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
Annual free night (worth up to 85,000 points) after card renewal; certain hotels may have resort fees
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit every four years ($120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership)
Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer
With the Hilton Honors Aspire, new cardmembers can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Meanwhile, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, new cardmembers can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
THE POINTS GUY
Based on TPG’s October 2026 valuations, the Hilton Aspire offer is worth $800, compared to $750 for the Bonvoy Brilliant offer. Despite Marriott points being valued higher than Hilton Honors points, the Aspire’s large welcome offer is not something to ignore.
Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant benefits
What makes both cards shine is the extensive perks that they offer.
The Hilton Aspire card comes with several statement credits, which, on their own, more than offset the card’s annual fee. Each calendar year, you’ll get up to $200 in statement credits (up to $50 a quarter) on eligible flight purchases made directly with an airline, through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
Plus, you’ll get up to $100 in credits for incidentals when you book at least a two-night eligible paid stay at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties through HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard. Finally, you’ll get an up to $219 statement credit for a Clear+ membership (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal).
You’ll receive one free night reward at almost any Hilton property worldwide after opening your account and again on your cardmember anniversary. You can earn a second and third reward night by spending $30,000 and $60,000 on the card in a calendar year, respectively.
CAMERON SPEARANCE/THE POINTS GUY
The card’s most valuable travel perk is automatic Hilton Diamond status for the primary cardmember. Diamond status comes with perks like bonus points, executive-floor lounge access, complimentary breakfast and room upgrades. Like many Amex cards, the Hilton Aspire comes with a variety of travel and shopping protections.
As for the Bonvoy Brilliant, you’ll get up to $25 in statement credits for worldwide restaurant purchases charged to your card each month (up to $300 each calendar year).
You’ll also enjoy an on-property credit of up to $100 on eligible two-night paid stays at St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton locations. Primary cardmembers receive automatic Platinum Elite status. Platinum Elite status includes perks like upgrades to suites, free breakfast and lounge access.
Cardmembers can fast-track to a higher status level with 25 complimentary elite night credits per calendar year. The card also comes with an annual free night award worth up to 85,000 points (certain hotels have resort fees).
Like many other premium cards (but not the Aspire), the Bonvoy Brilliant comes with a Priority Pass Select membership (with guest privileges) and will reimburse you with a statement credit every four years when you charge the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck to the card ($120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership). Enrollment required for select benefits.
The Bonvoy Brilliant also comes with a suite of travel and shopping protections.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer a free night certificate and strong travel and shopping protections. Aspire cardmembers receive top-tier elite status, but the Brilliant's statement credits are easier to use.
Earning points on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
With the Hilton Aspire, you’ll earn 14 points per dollar spent at hotels in the Hilton portfolio. However, in actuality, the return on paid stays is even greater.
One of the card's complimentary Hilton Diamond status benefits is a 100% point bonus for Hilton stays (or 20 points per dollar spent at most Hilton properties). That means you’ll actually earn a total of 34 points per dollar on most Hilton stays as a cardmember.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, you’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent at participating Marriott hotels, 3 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
In addition to earning 6 points per dollar spent at participating Marriott hotels, you can earn up to 15 points per dollar on stays thanks to the complimentary Platinum Elite status that comes with the card. In total, you can earn 21 points per dollar on your booking.
We don't recommend using either of these cards for non-hotel spending, as you can get better value with a card that earns transferable rewards. So, the deciding factor here will be based on which card has a better earning rate for hotel purchases.
Winner: Hilton Aspire. It earns more on accommodations than the Bonvoy Brilliant.
Redeeming points on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
With the Hilton Aspire, your Hilton points can be redeemed for Amazon purchases and transferred to airlines (at a roughly 10:1 ratio), but you’ll get the most value out of your points by sticking with hotel stays.
Since Hilton has dynamic pricing, you should get fairly consistent value from your points year-round. However, a property can suddenly increase its standard award price without warning.
An option worth considering when staying at top-tier properties is to use points to subsidize paid stays with the Points & Money option — this will get you an outstanding redemption value of up to 1 cent per point.
ANDREA ROTONDO ST. REGIS PUNTA MITA/THE POINTS GUY
As for the Bonvoy Brilliant, you can redeem points toward free stays at more than 9,000 properties across 30 brands in over 140 countries.
This is by far the best option for redeeming your points, but you can also use them for on-property purchases and transfers to airline partners. The ratio for transferring Marriott points to airlines is typically 3:1, which isn't favorable.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed utilized his Bonvoy points and the program’s fifth free night perk to book a stay at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC in Dubai over the weekend spanning New Year’s Eve.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. Marriott has a larger portfolio and various brands suited for all types of travelers. Marriott points are also worth more than Hilton points, according to TPG's valuations.
Transferring points on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
Marriott points stand out from other hotel-points currencies because there’s also potential for great value when turning points into airline miles. Marriott points can be transferred to almost 40 frequent flyer programs. Points mostly transfer at a pretty solid 3:1 ratio, factoring in the 5,000-mile bonus given for every 60,000 points transferred.
Generally speaking, we recommend using your hotel points for stays instead of transferring them to airlines. The only time transferring out to airlines can be a good idea is if you need to top off your balance for an award flight.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. Whether you’re looking to redeem points for free stays or free flights, there are many ways to get tremendous value out of Marriott Bonvoy points.
Should I get the Hilton Amex Aspire or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant?
The right card for you ultimately depends on which hotel chain you’re more loyal to. If you’re not loyal to either brand, we recommend picking the Hilton Aspire for better earning rates and benefits like top-tier elite status. However, it’s also easy to get value from the Bonvoy Brilliant thanks to its more flexible statement credits and annual free night certificate (certain hotels have resort fees). Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.
Bottom line
Alternatively, given the automatic elite statuses and array of perks across the world’s two largest hotel loyalty programs, you could also make a case for carrying both cards. These cards make maximizing benefits easy and offer statement credits to help offset their high annual fees.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
