Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Checking-In to the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is the crown jewel of the Hilton Honors co-branded hotel credit cards. This monster of a card offers huge earning potential and impressive perks, though it also carries an equally hefty price tag. For an annual fee of $450, cardholders can earn up to 14x Hilton Honors points per dollar on purchases and complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status. New account holders also benefit from an introductory offer of 150,000 bonus points when they make $4,000 in purchases with their card within the first three months.  

How it Works 

Earning Points: 

• Hilton Stays: Cardholders can earn 14x Hilton Honors reward points per dollar when they use their Hilton Honors Aspire Card to book stays at participating Hilton properties.
• Travel: Cardholders earn 7x points when they sue their card to book travel directly with amextravel.com, when booking eligible car rentals, or when dining out at U.S. restaurants. 
• Every Other Purchase Cardholders earn 3x points per dollar for all other purchases made with their card. 

Redeeming Points: 

• Hotel Stays: One of the easiest ways to redeem points is for free nights at Hilton properties. 
• Cash Bookings:  Points are also applicable towards part of the total cost of a Hilton stay. 
• Exclusive Experiences: Hilton experiences include dining at exclusive restaurants, tickets to sporting events and concerts, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like camel rides in the Egyptian desert.  These experiences are a unique way to make the most of Hilton Honors points.
• Airline Rewards Programs: Points are transferable to 30 frequent flyer programs. While the transfer rate isn’t great, having the option to use your hotel rewards for booking flights is a nice perk.

Today’s Bonus Offer 

New cardholders earn a whopping 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when they use their card to make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account. While $4,000 in spending in the first three months may seem lofty, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is aimed at those who plan to use their card – as reinforced by the beefy annual fee. For these potential cardholders, 150,000 points equate to roughly $900 in value, more than making up for the yearly fee. 

Getting Under the Sheets with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

• Annual Fee: The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire features a hefty $450 annual fee, though this massive price tag is easily offset by the impressive earning potential and introductory bonus offer of the card. 

Hotel Perks: 

• Hilton Honors Diamond Status: Aspire cardholders rare automatically entitled to Hilton Honors Diamond status with their card membership. Diamond status typically requires a minimum of 120,000 Honors points, 30 stays, or 60 nights at Hilton properties, making this an attractive perk. Diamond status entitles members to complimentary breakfast, lounge access, premium internet access, a fifth night free on bookings, complimentary upgrades (when available), and 100% bonuses on points earning at Hilton properties. 
• Free Weekend Night Award: Cardholders receive one free weekend night reward when they renew their card every year. 

Additional Perks: 

• Statement Credit: Cardholders earn a $250 Hilton Resort statement credit after each year of membership. Statement credits are applicable towards purchases at participating properties in the Hilton portfolio worldwide. 
• Lounge Access: Cardholders receive unlimited complimentary access to over 1,000 airport lounges for themselves and up to two guests when they enroll in the complimentary Priority Pass program. 
• Airline Incidentals: Cardholders also receive a $250 airline fee credit for incidental fees, including baggage, in-flight entertainment, refreshments, or flight change fees. 

Cardholder Protections: 

• Fraud Protection: Cardholders have complete protection from any fraudulent or unauthorized purchases made on their account. 
• Global Assistance: Cardholders receive 24/7 access to AMEX’s Global Assistance hotline, providing emergency, legal, financial, and other coordination and advice when travel takes cardholders more than 100 miles from home. 
• Premium Roadside Assistance: Aspire cardholders receive premium roadside perks, such as towing for up to 10 miles, changing a flat tire, or jump-starting a battery up to four times per year. 
• Insurance: Cardholders receive up to $3,000 per covered person per covered trip in baggage insurance,  car rental insurance, as well as coverage for injuries, dismemberment, or accidental death when traveling with travel accident insurance through AMEX.

“Suite” Perks That Make the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Worthwhile: 

• Sign-Up Bonus: 150,000 bonus points is a mighty haul, with a cash value of around $900. For those who are willing to pay the $450 annual fee and plan to make regular use of their card, this is an achievable reward – and one that more than makes up for the yearly membership fee (at least during the first year).  
• Automatic Diamond Status: The perk of automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status is another great feature of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Diamond status entitles members to an impressive array of benefits, including complimentary breakfast, lounge access, premium internet access, a fifth night free on bookings, complimentary upgrades, a 100% points-earning bonus at Hilton, and more. 
• Free Weekend Night Every Anniversary: Cardholders receive one complimentary weekend night at Hilton properties on every account anniversary. 

“Reservations” About the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card:  

• None, really: There isn’t a whole lot not to like about the Hilton Honors Aspire Card. Sure, the price tag may be a deterrent to many, but for those who can foot the bill, this card is an excellent option. 

Time to Check-Out 

Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is a credit card to carefully consider for those looking for a hotel rewards card that doesn’t skimp on the rewards or perks. This card makes it incredibly easy to earn free-night stay from everyday purchases – not just travel-related ones – and the excellent structure of the Hilton Honors loyalty rewards program. Additionally, once on-site, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card continues to significantly enhance the hotel experience through the complimentary Diamond status, which by itself is a fantastic value. While the $450 annual fee may seem high, those who take advantage of the statement credits and the perks of Diamond status will immediately recover those costs.   

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