Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Benefits & Review (Is it Worth it in 2024?)

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The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is the ritziest of the three co-brand Hilton Honors hotel credit cards. Some of the benefits you can use immediately include one weekend night award, Diamond loyalty status, and Hilton statement credits. Here’s a closer look at this premium travel credit card.

The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Vacationer. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 

Benefits at a Glance

– Annual Fee: $450 – Current Welcome Bonus Offer: 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months – 14x Points per $1 spent on Hilton purchases – 7x points on qualifying flights and car rentals – 7x points at U.S. restaurants – 3x points on all non-bonus purchases – One Free Night Reward each year (additional night after spending $60,000 in a calendar year) – Up to $250 Hilton Resort Statement Credit – Up to $100 Hilton On-Property Credit (two-night minimum stay for qualifying charges at eligible resorts) – Hilton Honors Diamond Status – Priority Pass Select Airport Lounge Access – Up to $250 Airline Incidentals Fee Credit at one qualifying airline – No Foreign Transaction Fee – Various Travel and Purchase Protection Benefits Rates & Fees

Who is the Hilton Honors Aspire Card For?

Luxury travelers and people who regularly stay at Hilton Honors hotels and resorts will benefit the most from this card. 

The card has a $450 annual fee but features several Hilton and air travel benefits that can be more valuable. The card perks can easily be worth more than the annual fee when you make several trips per year.

You must be comfortable earning Hilton Honors rewards points on purchases if you intend for this card to be your primary spending card.

Featured Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Benefits

These Hilton benefits are the best reason to consider this card. You will need to stay at high-end properties to redeem some of these perks.

150,000 Hilton Honors Welcome Bonus Points Offer

The current welcome bonus offer is 150,000 bonus Hilton Honors points by spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

This bonus offer can be worth approximately 5 nights by staying at entry-level properties. 

You can qualify for this signup bonus even if you have another co-brand consumer Hilton Honors credit card. Before applying, ensure you can meet the spending requirement to earn the bonus

Annual Free Night Certificate

New cardholders receive a free night certificate at account opening and each card anniversary. This free night reward is redeemable at most properties in the Hilton Honors portfolio on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night.

Most cards only award this benefit at the card anniversary. 

Making at least $60,000 in annual card purchases lets you earn a second weekend night certificate each year.

$250 Hilton Resort Statement Credit

You can receive up to $250 in annual statement credits at Hilton Resorts and all-inclusive properties if you enjoy luxury stays.

This statement credit won’t reimburse hotel purchases at the standard hotel brands. However, these stays can still earn 14x Hilton Honors points.

$100 Hilton On-Property Credit

You can also enjoy up to $100 in on-property statement credits per year on qualifying stays. Book a minimum 2-night stay at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts or Conrad Hotels & Resorts to receive the credit.

Hilton Honors Diamond Status

This card provides instant Hilton Honors Diamond loyalty status. This is the highest loyalty tier and the only co-brand Hilton Honors credit card to offer this status level. Read more about the Hilton Honors Loyalty Program.

Some of the membership benefits include:

• Earn 100% bonus points on stays
• Space-available room upgrades
• Executive lounge access
• Daily food and beverage credit
• Fifth night is free on 4+ night stays
• Premium WiFi
• 48-hour room guarantee

Without the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, you must complete 60 nights to reach this status level.

Earn Up to 14x Hilton Honors Points

Each card purchase earns Hilton Honors points. 

The bonus categories include:

• 14x points on Hilton hotels and resorts purchases
• 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com and select car rental agencies
• 7x points at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• 3x points on non-bonus purchases 

These bonus categories can make this card an excellent option for earning points when you travel.

Hilton Honors Aspire Air Travel Benefits

This card offers a few air travel benefits that other premium travel credit cards offer. These perks can help frequent flyers only pay the hefty annual fee for one card.

$250 Airline Fee Credit

You can get up to $250 in statement credits for incidental expenses such as:

• Checked baggage fees
• In-flight food and beverage
• Flight change fees

This credit doesn’t reimburse the purchase of plane tickets. You will need to designate one airline of choice to receive the fee credit on qualifying purchases.

Priority Pass Select Lounge Access

The primary cardholder and up to 2 guests can enter the 1,200+ Priority Pass airport lounges free of charge.

Baggage Insurance Plan

Each covered traveler can get up to $3,000 in insurance for checked baggage and carry-ons per trip:

• Checked baggage: Up to $2,000
• High-risk items (i.e., electronics and jewelry): Up to $1,000

New York State residents can qualify for up to $2,000 in coverage for each bag or suitcase. The aggregate coverage limit is $10,000 for all covered persons per covered trip.

Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Other Hilton Honors Aspire Benefits

Several other travel and purchase benefits add extra value.

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Most domestic and international car rentals qualify for complimentary car rental collision and theft coverage. This coverage benefit is secondary and you will need to file a claim with your regular auto insurance provider first.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

It’s possible to receive reimbursement for non-refundable travel purchases when qualifying circumstances cancel or delay a trip.

The coverage limit is $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per year.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Trip Delay Coverage

You can receive up to $500 in reimbursement of essential purchases for qualifying travel delays.

Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

No Foreign Transaction Fee

The transaction fee is 0% for international purchases. Compared to competing cards that charge 1-3% for international purchases, this benefit can save you big when traveling abroad.

Premium Global Assist Hotline 

You can call the Premium Global Assist Hotline when traveling at least 100 miles away from home. The service can put you in touch with medical and legal professionals.

This hotline can also assist with medical, legal, financial, travel, and emergency coordination 24/7. American Express doesn’t charge a fee but the third-party service providers can.

You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Plus, we may provide emergency medical transportation assistance and related services. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Purchase Protection

Qualifying purchases that are accidentally lost, stolen, or damaged within 90 days of the original purchase date can qualify for purchase protection.

The maximum coverage amounts are $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 per calendar year.

Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Return Protection

Qualifying purchases from the past 90 days can qualify for return protection benefits of up to $300 per item. The maximum benefit value is $1,000 per calendar year.

With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Extended Warranty Protections

Manufacturer’s warranties initially 5 years or less may qualify for an additional coverage year.

When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

ShopRunner Membership

Cardholders get complimentary ShopRunner membership. Program benefits include free 2-day shipping at participating merchants and free returns.

Redeeming Hilton Honors Points

There are a few ways to redeem your Hilton Honors points in addition to free hotel nights.

Hotel Nights

Hilton award nights are the most valuable way to redeem Hilton Honors points. Each point can be worth approximately 0.8 cents for most reservations.

Hilton uses a variable pricing chart and doesn’t publish a category-based award chart like most hotel loyalty programs.  Award nights can be as low as 5,000 points or as much as 150,000 points.

It’s difficult to precisely estimate the number of points you will need to book a stay.

However, award nights will cost more at luxury properties and during peak travel seasons.

Experiences

Redeeming your points for travel experiences like intimate restaurant experiences or adventure travel can be exciting. However, the redemption value is lower than hotel nights.

Airline Transfers

You can transfer hotel points to participating airlines but the transfer ratio is a dismal 10:1 (10,000 Hilton Honors points equals 1,000 airline miles).

Lyft Rides and Rental Cars

You can redeem your points for Lyft rideshares and rental cars. Also, connecting your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts lets you earn Hilton points on Lyft purchases.

Amazon.com Purchases

It’s also possible to redeem Hilton points for Amazon.com purchases and other online retailers.

Card Fees

Here are the featured Hilton Honors Aspire Card fees:

• Annual Fee: $450 ($0 for secondary cards)
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 0%

Hilton Honors Aspire Compared to Similar Cards

These other cards can be a valuable companion card or a better fit for earning travel rewards.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card shares many of the same traits as the Hilton Honors Aspire Card but can offer more benefits.

You might also prefer this card if you don’t stay at luxury hotels as the Marriott card statement credits apply to entry-level and mid-level Marriott Bonvoy properties too.

Some of the best card features include:

• Up to $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) at eligible restaurants worldwide.
• Up to $100 on-property statement credit at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis (two-night minimum and must book direct)
• 1 free night award each card anniversary (up to 85,000 points)
• 25 Elite Night Credits
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status  
• Priority Pass Select airport lounge access
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. Specifically, receive either a statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry application fees ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck® application fees (up to $85)

The annual fee is $695 for the primary card.

Further Reading: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Benefits

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Infrequent Hilton Honors guests will benefit the most from the $0 annual fee.

This card provides basic benefits, including:

• Hilton Honors Silver status
• Earn 7x points per $1 spent on purchases (at hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio)
• No foreign transaction fees

You won’t have the opportunity to earn free night rewards. However, this card is an effortless and free way to prevent expiring Hilton Honors points and earning some bonuses on Hilton stays.

Further Reading: Hilton Honors American Express Card Benefits

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express is an be a better option if you want frequent flyer benefits first and hotel perks second. It’s also a great option if you want the opportunity to redeem your points for non-Hilton rewards. 

Several valuable benefits include:

• Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit per calendar year on incidental fees. Enrollment required.
• Up to $200 Hotel Statement Credits for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings. (two-night minimum stay)
• Up to $200 Uber Cash for rides and eats (in the U.S.) orders with monthly credits ($15 per month and $35 in December). Renews annually.
• Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. Specifically, $100 statement credit every four years for Global Entry (includes TSA PreCheck) application fees or an $85 statement credit every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck application fees.
• CLEAR® Plus application fee credit (up to $189 per year and subject to auto-renewal)
• Hilton Honors Gold status (enrollment required)
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (enrollment required)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel

Award flights can be the most valuable way to redeem your Membership Rewards. You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to airlines or hotels, including Hilton Honors.

The annual fee is $695 for the primary card and $195 for each additional card.

Further Reading: Amex Platinum Card Benefits

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is another premium credit card to consider. It balances airline and hotel rewards while the American Express Platinum caters to frequent flyers.

You won’t be able to transfer credit card points directly to Hilton Honors, but it’s possible to get a 50% redemption bonus on most award travel bookings.

Travel benefits include:

• Up to $300 annual travel statement credit
• 50% redemption bonus for award travel bookings
• 1:1 airline and hotel point transfers
• Priority Pass Select lounge membership
• Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Reimbursement
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection on-property benefits
• Earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel (after earning the $300 annual travel statement credit) and dining purchases directly from the merchant.

Each point is worth 50% more (1.5 cents each) when booking award flights, hotel nights, and car rentals on the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. This redemption value can be double the value when booking directly through Hilton.

This card doesn’t offer upgraded hotel loyalty status.

The annual fee is $550 or the primary card and $75 for each additional user.

Further Reading: Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card doesn’t pack as many perks as the Hilton Honors Aspire Card. 

Despite its fewer features, this card has a lower annual fee ($95) and lets you maximize one of the best hotel loyalty programs.

Card benefits include:

• 1 free night award each card anniversary (Category 1-4 properties)
• World of Hyatt Discoverist status
• 5 qualifying night credits
• Earn 4x World of Hyatt points per $1 spent on Hyatt hotel purchases

The $95 annual fee can be another reason to consider this card, even if you only use it for the free night award.

Further Reading: World of Hyatt Card Benefits

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has many hotel and air travel benefits that can help frequent travelers. 

Hilton guests that routinely stay at Hilton Resorts and luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad are the best fit for the card as the annual Hilton statement credits only apply to high-end properties. 

Travelers who infrequently dabble in luxury travel might be able to find enough value in the Weekend Night Certificate, Diamond loyalty status, and air travel benefits.

Otherwise, another travel credit card or hotel credit card with flexible redemption options or another Hilton Honors credit card will be a better choice.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.