Update: The credit card offer in this post is no longer available. The current offer is 130,000 points – learn more. Check our travel rewards card page for the latest offers.
Planning on staying at Hilton hotels? Consider using Hilton HHonors points instead of cash. The Amex Surpass 85,000 point offer is back. You can earn 85,000 Hilton points with the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass card when you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening your account.
The normal welcome offer/bonus on this card is 60,000 Hilton points. The Amex Surpass 85,000 point welcome offer/bonus was offered last year. I haven’t seen a bigger bonus.
I love a big welcome offer/bonus, but is this card worth it? Let’s take a look.
Just a reminder, I’m not a credit card affiliate. No commission is earned if you use the credit card link.
American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass
For a limited time, you can get the largest welcome offer/bonus offered on the Amex Surpass card: 130,000 Hilton points. Offer expires 8/28/19.
The Amex Hilton HHonors Surpass card gets you:
- Hilton Gold elite status (free breakfast, internet, room upgrades, and 2 bottles of water)*
- Hilton Diamond elite status when you spend $40,000 in a calendar year*
- Free Priority Pass Select membership (airport lounges)*
- 12 Hilton points for every $1 you spend at Hilton hotels
- 6 Hilton points for every $1 you spend at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations
- 3 Hilton points for every $1 you spend on all other purchases
- Terms and limitations apply
If you’ve had this card in the past you can not get the welcome offer/bonus again.
*Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Where You Can Stay for 85,000 Hilton Points
One of the nice things about Hilton is they have lots of hotels worldwide. Here are a few possible ways you can use 85,000 Hilton points.
1. 4 Nights at the Hampton Inn Closest to Universal Orlando
If you’re planning a trip to Disneyworld and/or Universal Orlando with the family, those 85,000 Hilton points gets you 4 nights at the Hampton Inn closest to Universal Orlando. And they offer a free shuttle service to the theme parks.
I like Hampton Inns because you get free breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Some hotels even offer free parking.
2. 4 Nights at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
And if want to travel to Asia, 85,000 points can get you 4 nights at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa.
3. 2 Nights at the Hilton Waikiki Beach
Or if you’re craving a little tropical paradise closer to home, you can stay 2 nights at the Hilton Waikiki Beach 80,000 points (depending on when you go).
You can check the Hilton Award chart to give you a general idea of how many points you need to stay at a hotel.
But if you want to know exactly how many points you need, use the Hilton Standard Room Rewards Point Pricing tool.
What About the Citi Hilton Reserve Credit Card
If you’ve already had the Amex Surpass card or want to stay at more expensive hotels, the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card might be a better fit for you.
You earn 2 free weekend nights at almost any Hilton hotel in the world after you spend $2,500 in purchases in the first four months of opening your account.
The Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve gets you:
- Hilton Gold status (free breakfast, internet, upgrades, and 2 bottles of water)
- Free weekend night certificate when you spend $10,000 in a calendar year
- Hilton Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year
- 10 Hilton points per $1 spent at Hilton hotels
- 5 Hilton points per $1 spent on airline tickets and car rentals
- 3 Hilton points per $1 spent everywhere else
- No foreign transaction fees
And unlike personal American Express credit cards such as the American Express Surpass, you can get the sign-up bonus multiple times on the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card.
Conclusion
For a limited time, you can earn 85,000 Hilton points from the American Express Surpass card after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months of opening your account.
85,000 points can get you 4 nights in Thailand or 2 nights in Hawaii.
But you can only get the welcome offer/bonus on a personal American Express card once. So if you’ve had this card before, you won’t get the welcome offer/bonus again.
That’s why the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card might be a better option. Because you can get the 2 free weekend night sign-up bonus several times.
Where will you stay using 85,000 Hilton points? Or you 2 free nights?
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All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected independently by TravelingWellForLess. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is no longer available through TravelingWellForLess.
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