Why I selected the Hilton Aspire as my first cobranded hotel card — and how I plan to utilize the welcome bonus

I strongly believe in developing a spending strategy when applying for a new credit card. This ensures I don’t miss out on welcome bonuses and avoids unnecessary overspending to earn one.

I also appreciate planning ahead, particularly regarding how I intend to use my credit card rewards, whether they come in the form of points, miles, or cash back.

Therefore, when I made the decision to apply for my latest card, I chose a cobranded hotel card that aligns with my needs as someone not actively pursuing elite hotel status within a major hotel loyalty program, but who wants to build a reserve of hotel points for future use.

After careful consideration for several weeks, I decided to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Here’s why I opted for it over many other excellent choices and how I intend to leverage the generous welcome bonus once I receive it.

The information about the Hilton Aspire card has been gathered independently by Dinogo. The card specifics on this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

Why I selected the Hilton Aspire as my first cobranded hotel card

As a premium offering, the annual fee for the Hilton Aspire is substantial; it will cost you $550 each cardmember year. While there are other Hilton cobranded cards with lower annual fees, I believed that the benefits, perks, and enhanced welcome bonus of the Hilton Aspire justified its significant annual fee.

I selected the Hilton Aspire as my latest card for two primary reasons:

• Enhanced welcome bonus: While searching for my next card, the Hilton Aspire offered an enhanced welcome bonus that made it particularly attractive.
• Complimentary night reward: In preparation for an upcoming family cruise, I’ve been exploring Hilton properties to stay at the night before departure. The annual free night reward included with the Hilton Aspire—along with the welcome bonus to help cover the costs of additional rooms—was another key factor in my decision to choose this card.

Additionally, there are several other benefits that come with being a Hilton Aspire cardholder, such as earning 14 Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent directly at Hilton hotels and resorts, complimentary Diamond status—which includes its own valuable perks—and up to $200 in statement credits every six months (totaling up to $400 per year) for eligible purchases made directly at participating Hilton resorts.

Earning the welcome bonus with the Hilton Aspire card

I applied for the Hilton Aspire card when it featured a limited-time welcome bonus of 175,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $6,000 within the first six months of opening the account.

As of this writing, I'm under $2,000 away from reaching the minimum spending threshold required to unlock those bonus points. I accomplished this by shifting all of my everyday expenses to my Hilton Aspire card, including flights, hotel bookings, groceries, dining, fuel purchases, and various other costs like online shopping and the occasional coffee run.

How I plan to use the welcome bonus from my Hilton Aspire card

Once I made the decision to apply for the Hilton Aspire card, I outlined my upcoming expenses to ensure I would meet the spending requirement within the six-month timeframe. I also planned how I would utilize the welcome bonus once those Hilton Honors points are credited to my account.

My family is set to embark on a New Year's Eve cruise from 2024 to 2025, which will include my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. Since we'll be departing from Miami—and most of us are based in the northeastern U.S.—we’ll be flying down to Florida a day before the cruise departs.

I’ll need to reserve an overnight hotel room for myself and another for family members traveling from New York to Miami.

Since the Hilton Aspire card offers a free reward night at nearly any Hilton property upon account opening and each cardmember anniversary, I plan to use that reward night for one of the three rooms and utilize points from the generous welcome bonus—along with points earned from my regular spending—to cover the other two rooms.

As of August 2024, some Hilton properties near Miami International Airport (MIA) start at 60,000 points per night.

Key takeaways

I’ll be able to extract significant value from the Hilton Aspire, which is why it will stay in my wallet—and as part of my points-earning strategy—for years to come. If you’re interested in a Hilton card but aren’t ready to commit to the substantial $550 annual fee of the Aspire, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Business owners may also find the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card advantageous.

If you’re contemplating which card to choose next, begin with a strategy to determine which card will best meet your needs—whether it’s building a collection of transferable credit card points, airline miles, cash back, or planning for upcoming trips.

Once you’ve selected a card, consider reaching out to friends or colleagues for a referral link, or use the CardMatch tool. This may lead you to elevated welcome bonuses on some of the most sought-after cards available.

My current spending on the Hilton Aspire has already earned me over 30,000 points and counting; by the time I meet the minimum spend for the welcome bonus, I’ll have more than 200,000 Hilton Honors points to utilize for future travel plans.