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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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Why I love the Hilton Aspire card from Amex — and I'm determined to make it work even harder
Clint Henderson is a managing editor at TPG who has worked in the journalism industry for more than 25 years. He is obsessed with travel and has used points and miles to explore the world.
September 18, 2023 • 7 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.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
One premium hotel card stands out for offering automatic top-tier hotel loyalty status with no stay or spending requirements.
Cardholders receive valuable annual perks, including a free night certificate, a resort credit and an airline incidental credit.
The card delivers high reward rates at hotels in the program's portfolio, making it especially appealing for frequent guests.
Despite rising costs, the combination of elite status and multiple statement credits can offset the card's yearly expense.
What to consider
Annual credits require careful planning and may be limited to select resorts or specific airline fees.
Free night certificates can be redeemed at a wide range of properties, but blackout dates or exclusions may apply.
TPG's valuations peg Hilton points at 0.6 cents each as of June 2024.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of maximizing annual credits, elite status benefits and free night certificates for optimal value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
I have 24 credit cards right now, and it's getting hard to justify continuing to pay for the annual fees for all of them since the costs continue to skyrocket (ahem, The Platinum Card® from American Express).
As hard as it is to keep paying the annual fee on my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, it's one premium card I haven't really considered downgrading. The card's benefits easily make it worth it to keep paying $450 a year.
Not only do you get top-tier Hilton Diamond status, but there are other valuable perks like a $250 annual Hilton resort credit, an up-to-$250 yearly airline credit and a free night award when you open the account and each year on your card anniversary.
Still, even though I've had it for a few years now, I haven't totally maximized it. This year, that's going to change.
Here are some of the main reasons the card stays in my wallet.
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Top-tier status
My favorite perk of the Hilton Aspire card is Hilton Diamond status with zero stay or spending requirements. You get top-tier Hilton status just for holding the card.
That means you're eligible for suite upgrades, executive lounge access and bonus points, among other perks. No other hotel chain offers top-tier status just for keeping its branded card. While Hilton isn't exactly well known for guaranteed upgrades or late checkout, it does happen ... especially if you persistently request those perks at check-in (or via an email ahead of time).
Diamond status level in the Hilton app. HILTON HONORS
While I've never been proactively offered a suite upgrade, I have been upgraded to higher floors with nicer views at several properties. I've heard Diamond members are treated better at Hilton properties abroad, but I haven't experienced that during my limited stays with Hiltons in Europe.
Birthday amenity at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago in September 2022. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Valuable welcome offer
The Aspire card's current welcome offer is 150,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Those 150,000 points are solid — worth $900, according to the latest TPG valuations.
The Aspire card has some awesome earning power for Hilton stays and other travel, though it's otherwise not the best card for everyday spending. You'll earn:
14 points per dollar spent at hotels in the Hilton portfolio
7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies
7 points per dollar spent on select dining
3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Waldorf Astoria in Chicago in September 2022. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Just one example from my stays? A $13 charge at a DoubleTree in June netted me 182 Hilton Honors points, which TPG values at $1.09. At TPG's valuation of 0.6 cents per point, that's equivalent to an 8.4% return. Take that, cash-back card.
As a Hilton Diamond, you get a 100% points bonus (or 20 points per dollar at most Hilton properties). That means you'll be earning a total of 34 points per dollar when you are using the card. The value quickly adds up if you spend hundreds of dollars at Hilton properties over the course of a year.
Since I've had my Aspire card, I've been able to use my annual free night awards at two fun hotels. This summer, I used my free night for the charming Niepce Paris Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. That room would have cost me more than $300 if I had paid cash.
The Niepce Paris Hotel. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Last year, I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago for a night in the fall. If I tried to book that same hotel this year, it would cost me more than $500. That's a pretty valuable perk.
Hilton Honors free night awards. HILTON
$250 annual resort credit
Every year, you'll also receive $250 in statement credits for select expenses charged to your card at participating Hilton resorts. This one has been really tough for me to use since there are only about 250 resorts that will count for you to use the credit.
This year, I got smart, though, and prioritized using the credit. I've booked a stay for later this year at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, knowing it will count. I haven't used the credit for the past two years, so I'm eager to realize the full value.
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
That $250 can be used on dining, activities, spa treatments, room rates and taxes — but it doesn't apply to advance-purchase or nonrefundable rates, so book carefully.
$250 airline fee credit
I love getting a $250 airline incidental credit each year I hold the card. I've already earned the whole amount this year the same way I did last year — by paying for pet-in-cabin fees on American Airlines.
Hilton annual airline fee credit notification. AMERICAN EXPRESS
You have to select an airline ahead of time and use the card for the purchases. The credit is only for incidental fees, such as change or cancellation fees, checked bag fees, pet-in-cabin fees, seat upgrades or lounge passes. Like I said, I use it to ease the pain of paying for my dog Chilly Willy to fly with me.
Bottom line
Keeping the American Express Hilton Aspire card is a no-brainer for me this year. While I haven't had many Hilton stays recently, the few I have were made more comfortable and rewarding just for holding the card. Free Diamond status and a chance to earn a whopping 34 Hilton points per dollar spent at Hilton (and that's before any additional promotions) is a pretty compelling value proposition.
There are other perks, too, that I didn't even mention. Your automatic Diamond status gets you complimentary breakfast on some international stays (on-property credit at U.S. properties), room upgrades and potential early or late check-in. The card also comes with a $100 property credit at select higher-end Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels.
The welcome bonus is great, of course, and the free night reward every time you renew is a great incentive to hold the card for the long haul. I know I will, even if I question the $450 annual fee each time it comes around.
For rates and fees of the Hilton 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.
