Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Review: Exclusive Benefits for Hilton Enthusiasts

Overview of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is an elite hotel credit card brimming with exceptional benefits. It provides Hilton Diamond status for as long as you hold the card, and you earn 14 points per dollar at participating Hilton hotels. Additionally, you receive up to $200 in statement credits for eligible airline purchases (up to $50 per quarter) and up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits each calendar year (up to $200 every six months). Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*The card rating reflects the opinions of TPG's editors and is not swayed by the card issuer.

While Hilton Honors may feature high award night prices, the credits and complimentary Diamond status make the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card an outstanding choice for regular Hilton guests.

To justify its $550 (see rates and fees) annual fee, the Hilton Amex Aspire provides up to $400 in Hilton property credits (up to $200 every six months) along with $200 in statement credits for flight purchases each calendar year (up to $50 quarterly), car rental elite status, and Hilton Diamond status.

Despite the card's hefty annual fee, the benefits significantly outweigh the costs, including an annual free night reward applicable at nearly any Hilton property. There are few hotel credit cards that offer such a wide array of perks in one package. Your chances of approval are highest if your credit score is 700 or above.

Here's everything you need to know about the Hilton Amex Aspire.

Information for the Hilton Amex Aspire card has been independently gathered by Dinogo. The card details provided on this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

Pros and cons of the Hilton Aspire

Hilton Aspire welcome bonus

With the current welcome bonus for the Hilton Amex Aspire, new cardholders can earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of membership. This offer expires on January 8, 2025.

Those 175,000 points hold significant value — approximately $1,050 based on TPG's September 2024 valuations.

This offer is nearly the best we've encountered and aligns with our guidelines for applying for the card. Keep in mind that Amex limits you to one bonus per card in a lifetime, making it crucial to apply during the card's peak welcome offer (or one close to it).

Benefits of the Hilton Aspire

This cobranded card is packed with numerous perks and value:

• Hilton Honors Diamond status: As long as your account remains active, you’ll enjoy Hilton Diamond elite status as the primary cardholder. This status brings substantial value with benefits like the fifth-night-free feature, bonus points, lounge access, complimentary breakfast, and room upgrades based on availability.
• Up to three reward nights: Earn one night at nearly any Hilton property worldwide upon opening your account and again on your card anniversary each year. Secure a second night after spending $30,000 on the card within a calendar year, and a third night after spending $60,000.
• Up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $400 (up to $200 every six months) in statement credits for eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts. These credits can be applied to dining, activities, spa services, room charges, and taxes.

• Annual airline fee credits of up to $200: Receive up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for airfare purchases made directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com.
• Hilton on-property credit of up to $100: When you book a minimum two-night paid stay at participating Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties through hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com or by calling 855-292-5757, you’ll receive a credit of up to $100 for incidentals during your stay.
• Clear Plus membership: Get up to $199 in statement credits each year when you enroll in a Clear Plus membership and pay with your Hilton Aspire card.
• Rental car elite status: Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status upon enrolling in the Emerald Club program (terms apply).
• Cellphone protection*: Members can claim reimbursement for repairs or replacements of a damaged or stolen device, up to $800 per claim, provided the wireless bill for that cellphone line is paid using the Hilton Aspire card. There’s a limit of two approved claims in a 12-month period, with a $50 deductible for each claim.

Enrollment is necessary for certain benefits; terms apply.

This card also offers various travel protections, including trip delay reimbursement* for delays over six hours and trip cancellation and interruption insurance*.

Additionally, the Hilton Aspire features no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

*Eligibility and benefit levels may vary by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. For more information, visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Earning points with the Hilton Aspire

This card helps you quickly accumulate points in your Hilton Honors account, which is essential for enjoying luxury stays or peak-season award nights at Hilton properties.

The Hilton Amex Aspire card grants 14 points for every dollar spent at Hilton hotels. Based on TPG's September 2024 valuation of Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, this translates to an impressive 8.4% return on your spending.

Additionally, you can earn 7 points per dollar (equating to a 4.2% return) on flights purchased directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, on car rentals from select providers, and at U.S. restaurants.

You will also earn 3 points for every dollar spent (equating to a 1.8% return) on all other purchases made with the card.

Redeeming points with the Hilton Aspire

Hilton provides a variety of options for redeeming your points. While we recommend using them for standard award nights to maximize value, you can also exchange them for merchandise, gift cards, premium room upgrades, and airline transfers (approximately at a 10:1 ratio).

Although Hilton's variable award charts can make it uncertain how many points an award night will cost, you can use Hilton's Points Explorer to get an estimated number of points needed for your chosen property.

You can also apply your points to offset the cost of paid stays using the Points & Money option, which may offer up to 1 cent per point reduction on your total room charge when booking higher-end Hilton properties.

TPG's director of travel content, Eric Rosen, took advantage of the fifth-night-free benefit to enhance the value of his points during a recent visit to the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, where standard award nights were priced at 120,000 points each at that time.

By using his fifth-night-free benefit, he managed to pay only 480,000 points for a five-night stay, saving the equivalent of $720 in Hilton points, based on our assessments.

What other cards rival the Hilton Aspire?

If you're seeking a card with a lower annual fee or one that offers a different kind of rewards, consider these alternatives that might better suit your needs:

• If you’re seeking Hilton benefits at a lower annual fee: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers Hilton perks like complimentary Gold status for a significantly reduced annual fee of $150 (see rates and fees; enrollment is required; terms apply). For more details, check out our full review of the Hilton Surpass.
• If you prefer elite benefits with Marriott: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card stands as the premier card within the Marriott Bonvoy lineup. It provides advantages such as a free night award and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status (enrollment is required for certain benefits; terms apply). For further information, see our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
• If you’re looking for more flexible rewards: The Platinum Card® from American Express allows you to earn rewards that can be transferred to Hilton or any of its other travel partners. It includes features like extensive airport lounge access and elite status with both Hilton and Marriott. However, it comes with a higher annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees). For more insights, check our full review of the Amex Platinum.

For more options, take a look at our lists of the best hotel cards and best American Express cards.

Final thoughts

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers exceptional value for even moderately frequent Hilton guests. It’s a fantastic premium card if you lack another similar product.

Although its $550 annual fee may appear high, it includes a lucrative welcome offer, annual free night certificates, automatic elite status, and several statement credits (enrollment is necessary for select benefits; terms apply). If you can leverage most or all of these perks, you’ll easily justify the Hilton Aspire's annual fee.

If you don’t frequently stay at Hilton properties, you might find better value with a different option.