Hilton Aspire Card Review: Why You Should Get This Card Now

Is the Hilton Aspire card the best hotel credit card? Is it worth having, even with the annual fee?

Does it deserve a spot in your wallet? Is the Amex Hilton Aspire card one of the best travel rewards cards available?

Keep reading this Hilton Aspire card review to find out why you should get Hilton Honors American Express Aspire credit card.

The Amex Hilton Aspire is one of the best hotel cards for anyone. From the business traveler, the frequent traveler to the occasional traveler who only travels once or twice a year.

150,000 Point Welcome Offer

Currently it offers one of the largest travel rewards cards bonuses.

You can earn a welcome offer of 150,000 points PLUS a free weekend night after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.

With 150,000 Hilton points you could stay 4 nights in Hawaii, 5 nights in the Dominican Republic or 3 nights at an all-inclusive resort, or spend almost a week exploring Zion and Arches National Parks. 

Or 7 nights at the Disney sound?

You can escape and get away from it all because 150,000 Hilton points gets you 30 days in Bali.

Free Weekend Night

You get a free weekend night when you open your account and every year you have the Amex Aspire card.

Use your free night at almost any of the 575 Hilton hotels in the world without blackout dates! There are only about 20 hotels where you can’t use your award.

We used our free weekend night at the Hilton Prague Old Town.

This perk alone saves you hundreds of dollars!

Pro-tip: You can get a second free weekend night after spending $60,000 a year on the card.

$250 Yearly Resort Credit

You also get a $250 yearly Hilton resort credit to use at any Hilton resort worldwide.

Apply the resort credit to your room rate and all incidental charges like eating at the restaurant or getting a massage or facial at the spa!

Travel Hack This Offer

Maximize this perk by traveling in the off season and you can get your entire vacation for free!

Especially if you combine your resort credit with your free weekend night!

You can get a free vacation to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, you name it!

Hilton Honors Diamond Status

With the Hilton Aspire card, you also get free Hilton Honors Diamond status, Hilton’s highest status level.

To earn this without the credit card, you have to stay 60 nights a year.

The Hilton Aspire is an easy way to get Diamond status. You get Hilton Diamond status for as long as you keep the Amex Hilton Aspire card.

As a Diamond, you get:

• Free breakfast or lounge access
• Upgraded room
• Free premium in-room Wi-Fi
• Early Check-in
• Late Checkout
• Free fitness center access
• 100% bonus on paid stays

Fifth Night Free

You also get the fifth night free when using points to book an award stay.

Remember my example of how to use your 150,000 point welcome offer?

As a Diamond, your 4 night trip to Hawaii turns into a 5 night trip. And Disney becomes 20% cheaper!

All this from having the Amex Hilton Aspire credit card.

$100 Resort Credit

When you book a two night stay at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, you get up to a $100 resort credit when you use promo code ZZAAP1.

This is another valuable perk you get from the Hilton Aspire.

$250 Yearly Airline Credit

You also get a $250 yearly airline credit. But you can’t use it for airline tickets. 😢

Use your airline credit to pay checked bag, seat selection, and pet fees.

Pro-tip: You can use the airline credit to pay for food and drinks on your flight.

Airport Lounge Access

Before your flight, you don’t have to wait in the terminal.

As an Amex Hilton Aspire cardholder you get a Priority Pass membership that includes unlimited free airport lounge access for yourself and two guests at over 1,200 airport lounges around the world.

This is one of several cards that give you free airport lounge access.

Pro-tip: Here’s a few hacks to get into every airport lounge.

14X Points

When you stay at Hilton hotels and pay with your card, you earn 14X points per $1. For a $100 a night hotel you’ll earn 1,400 points.

7X Points

You earn 7X points per $1 paying on flights booked on amextravel.com, directly with the airlines, and at participating car rentals.

When you dine in or get take out from restaurants you’ll get 7 points for every $1 spent.

Pro-tip: Like the airline dining programs, you can extra bonus miles. When you enroll your card in the Hilton dining program you’ll earn up to 8 extra points per dollar.

3X Points

You get 3 points for every dollar on all other purchases.

Pro-tip: There are no foreign transactions fees. So this is a  great card to use when for international travel.

Annual Fee

The $450 annual fee sounds like a lot.

The perks you get easily cover that cost: free weekend night award, $250 resort credit, $250 airline credit, and Diamond status.

Basically, the annual fee is the cost of one vacation a year. You get a free yearly vacation courtesy of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card.