Bottom Line

If you travel three or four times a year and stay at Hilton properties, the Hilton Honors Aspire card can easily justify its $550 annual fee. With the current 175,000-point sign-up bonus, the card becomes particularly valuable in the first year, even though we value Hilton points at roughly 0.6 cents each. The $400 in Hilton credits ($200 twice per year), one complimentary night each year, and $200 in flight credits together provide more value than the annual fee.

Why You Might Want This Card

The Hilton Honors Aspire card offers the most benefits among Hilton credit cards. Although the high $550 annual fee may cause sticker shock, the perks often offset this cost—especially if you can take advantage of the 175,000-point sign-up bonus. After the first year, it depends on how frequently you stay at Hilton properties and use these perks:

• One free night each year helps justify the fee.
  
• $400 in Hilton Resort credits each year ($200 every six months) further reduces out-of-pocket costs.
  
• The $200 flight credit is split into four $50 credits per quarter, so you’ll need to fly four times per year, spread throughout the year, to use it fully.
  
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status and competitive spending multipliers—14x points on Hilton purchases, 7x points on flights (booked directly with airlines or via amextravel), car rentals (booked directly), and restaurants, plus 3x points on all other purchases—can add significant value.
  
• Additional perks include a Clear Plus credit and a $100 on-property credit for charges at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties.

Exceptions To The Rule

This card may not be right for you if:

• You don’t regularly stay at Hilton properties.
  
• The 175,000-point sign-up bonus is unavailable when you apply.

About Hilton Honors

Hilton is a key component of the points strategy for hotel stays for 3 big reasons:

1. Points are easy to accumulate

2. They have locations in nearly every city globally

3. The perks are great for cardholders

Hilton currently has 4 different cards to choose from -- and they don’t have the strict limitations on carrying different cards as Marriott and Hyatt do. That could easily add up to 500,000 points per person over a few years, which equates to 20-25 hotel nights. The cards also have high multipliers... as high as 30x on Hilton spends, which can be coupled with membership bonuses and 5-7x on select categories and 3x on everyday spending.

Most Hilton cards also come with Gold status. That gives you room upgrades (really nice ones usually) and complimentary breakfast, along with all of the standard hotel membership bonuses.

The downfall of Hilton points is they’re not a good value for transfer. So unless you’re just topping off your points to have enough for booking, it isn’t a good value to transfer Amex Points to Hilton points.

Booking can be a little tricky, so utilize the Points Explorer Tool on their site.

Where Hilton Honors Aspire Fits In This Point Ecosystem

The Hilton Honors Aspire is the most premium option among the four Hilton-branded American Express cards (three personal and one business). It delivers high-value benefits like complimentary Diamond status, an annual free night, and substantial travel credits, which can be particularly rewarding for frequent Hilton guests. If you are uncertain whether these benefits align with your travel habits, comparing the other Hilton cards can help you find a better fit.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business card, which carries a $195 annual fee, does not count against your 5/24 limit and provides moderately appealing perks. Those seeking a minimal-cost entry point may prefer the Hilton Honors American Express with no annual fee, although it has fewer benefits and a smaller sign-up bonus of 70,000 points. The Hilton Honors Surpass card, which has a $150 annual fee, offers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and $200 in statement credits divided into four $50 credits each quarter, along with a sign-up bonus of 130,000 points on $3,000 in spending within the first six months.

Travelers who consistently stay at Hilton properties and will utilize Diamond status and multiple annual credits can justify the Aspire’s higher annual fee through its extensive perks. Those who visit Hilton less often may find more value in the Surpass or Business cards, which strike a balance between lower costs and worthwhile benefits. If you rarely stay at Hilton but still want to accumulate Hilton points, the no-annual-fee option may be sufficient.

Personal Experience