Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
If you travel three or four times per year and regularly stay at Hilton properties, the Hilton Honors Aspire card can easily justify its $550 annual fee. The combination of a 150,000 (current special 175,000)-point sign-up bonus, an uncapped annual free night award, complimentary Diamond status, and up to $600 in annual credits provides substantial value. We value Hilton points at roughly 0.6¢ each, so the headline bonus is not quite as impressive as it first appears, but the card's ongoing benefits make it one of the strongest hotel cards for frequent Hilton guests.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
The Hilton Honors Aspire card is Hilton's premium credit card, offering the strongest collection of benefits in the Hilton ecosystem. While the $550 annual fee may cause sticker shock, the combination of a 150,000 (current special 175,000)-point sign-up bonus, annual free night award, and ongoing credits can easily offset the cost for frequent Hilton guests.
- Generous sign-up bonus: Earn 150,000 (current special 175,000) points after meeting the $6,000 (currently $6,000) spending requirement in 6 months, providing a solid starting balance for Hilton stays.
- One uncapped free night award each year: Unlike many hotel free night certificates, Hilton's can be used at nearly any standard room property worldwide.
- $400 in Hilton credits: Receive up to $400 in Hilton Resort credits annually, split into two $200 credits every six months.
- $200 in flight credits: The airline credit is split into four $50 quarterly credits, so you'll need to fly throughout the year to maximize its value.
- Complimentary Diamond status: Receive Hilton's top-tier elite status, with a variety of worthy benefits, like Executive Lounge access, room upgrades, bonus points, and daily food and beverage credits.
- Spending multipliers: This card has strong earning rates, including 14x points on Hilton purchases, 7x on flights, car rentals, and restaurants, and 3x on all other purchases.
- Additional perks: Includes a Clear Plus credit and a $100 on-property credit at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties.
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
This card may not be right for you if:
- You don’t regularly stay at Hilton properties
What to Know About Hilton Honors
Quality hotels but points go fast with high per night point cost.
- Amex’s one-card-per-lifetime rule makes it difficult to accrue Hilton points using Hilton cards exclusively.
- Hilton is part of the Amex partner reward system and at 1:2 is a decent transfer value.
- Hilton has high quality hotels and excellent coverage both in the US and internationally.
- We recommend this system as more of a filler. Either as a specific destination or an upscale IHG when no Hyatt stays are available.
How The Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card Fits In The Hilton Honors Ecosystem
The Hilton Honors Aspire sits at the top of Hilton's card lineup and is our preferred option for frequent Hilton guests. If you'll use the annual free night award, Diamond status, and various credits, it can provide significantly more value than the lower-tier Hilton cards.
- Best for most travelers: The Hilton Honors Surpass offers the best balance of cost and benefits for most Hilton guests. It has a $0 annual fee and a 130,000-point welcome offer , complimentary Gold status, and quarterly Hilton credits make it a strong middle-ground option.
- Business owners: The Hilton Honors American Express Business is the only Hilton business card and does not count against your 5/24 limit, making it a useful way to earn Hilton points and Gold status while preserving space for future Chase applications. It has a 130,000-point welcome offer and a $195 annual fee
- No-fee option: The Hilton Honors American Express offers a smaller, 80,000-point welcome offer and fewer benefits but allows you to earn Hilton points without paying an annual fee.
My Experience, No Filter
No one can deny that Hilton knows luxury, which is why when they charge a lot of points or cash for their rooms, you pay for what you get. The annual fee on this card is significant, but it can be reconciled if you play your cards right. I justified my annual fee by booking a luxury hotel room that was considered “standard accommodations,” and because I had the Aspire card, we were automatically Diamond status. That got us a room upgrade, free breakfast, and, because it was a resort, we could use our $200 resort credit, which you actually receive twice a year.
This all sounds wonderful, right? All said and done, it was a good run for us, but I don’t think we would do it again. You can finagle your way into making up for the annual fee, but for me, it was a lot of legwork to make it worthwhile.
Card Information
Differentiating Perks
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Historical Card Offers
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Hilton Honors Aspire Application Rules
You'll be declined if you apply for a third Amex card in 90 days
Amex will decline your application if you already have 5 credit cards (not charge) and apply for a sixth
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
Amex allows only 1 bonus per specific card every 7 years (yours or that version of the card)
After you apply, Amex may show a pop-up saying you're ineligible for the welcome bonus
Best for Series
Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database:
