How to Make the Most of the Hilton Aspire American Express Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is ideal for travelers who stay at Hilton hotels at least a couple of nights per year and who appreciate the finer things in life.

Sure, you’ll need to pony up a pretty penny to get the card. After all, the annual fee is $550 (see rates and fees). But the more you spend on it — and in particular, the more money you spend with Hilton — the more value you get from it. If you stay at the highest-end Hilton brands like Waldorf Astoria or Conrad even just once per year, the card's annual fee can be worth it.

Then again, if you're more of an Embassy Suites kind of person (aka, someone who doesn't mind a more budget hotel), you might have a tougher time netting value from the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Terms apply.

Here are the top benefits on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, our tips on how to maximize them, and a comparison of this card versus other similar ones available today.

Here’s current welcome offer on this card:

Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

NerdWallet values one Hilton point at 0.6 cent each, which easily makes this welcome bonus worth hundreds of dollars.

Set a reminder in your calendar a month out from the deadline to ensure you’ve spent enough to reach the threshold (or at least to know you’re on track to reach it) so you don’t miss out on those points.

Assuming you don’t have an even better travel or dining credit card, this one is pretty good. Its biggest points earnings are on purchases directly at participating Hilton hotels or resorts, where you'll earn 14 points per dollar spent.

Though, it also functions as a decent card for earning points on other sorts of travel as the card earns 7 points per dollar on flights and car rentals in the U.S. It also earns 7 points on restaurants in the U.S., which also makes it one of the better dining credit cards out there. Terms apply.

Though, it's only meh for general spending. Given that it earns just 3 points per dollar on all other purchases (and NerdWallet values one Hilton point at 0.6 cent each, you might be better off with a cash-back credit card for all those other purchases. Unless you're potentially capable of spending $30,000 per calendar year (which nets you another free night certificate), your rewards earned through everyday spending are generally better off in cash versus Hilton points. shooting for the Terms apply.

» Learn more: 5 things to know about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has several annual credits geared toward travelers:

• $200 for airfare purchases.

• $400 Hilton resort statement credit.

• $100 Hilton on-property credit at select Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties.

• $199 statement credit covering Clear membership.

Terms apply.

If more than one of these credits apply to your usual travel habits, applying for this card is practically a no-brainer.

The $200 airfare credit

Receive up to $50 in statement credits each quarter on eligible airfare purchased directly with an airline or through the AmEx Travel portal for a total of $200 annually when you use your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

The $400 Hilton Resort credit

You receive up to $400 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts. That credit even applies to room rates, as long as it is not a nonrefundable or advance purchase rate. It can also cover incidental charges such as meals in the hotel restaurant and spa or other services. Just be sure they are charged to your room and paid for at the hotel with your card to max out your credit. Terms apply.

And one more note: it doesn't apply to any Hilton hotel, but rather a select list of resorts. If you'd stay at one of those properties each year anyway, then this card alone can go a long way in making it worth it.

The $100 Conrad or Waldorf Astoria property credit (maybe)

This next credit — the $100 Conrad or Waldorf Astoria property credit — is harder to use. You must book a two-night minimum stay at a Conrad or Waldorf Astoria hotel via a dedicated webpage. That means you need to front what will inevitably be a hefty sum of money for those two nights — and $100 will likely end up being just a minor dent in the bill at these high end properties.

And annoyingly, only certain rates are eligible. For example, you won't get it if one of the nights was paid for using your free night certificate (more on that later).

Compare the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card rate versus other publicly available rates to make sure you are not overpaying. Even with the $100 credit, you could find a better rate elsewhere. Terms apply.

The $199 Clear membership credit

Use your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to pay for Clear Plus membership every year and get the airport security program's $199 fee covered in its entirety. Clear allows you to skip the line at security and go straight to the suitcase and body scanners.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with a complimentary night certificate when you first apply for the card and every year on your card anniversary. Of the roughly 6,000 Hilton properties worldwide, only a few dozen do not accept free night certificates.

Sure, you could use it at the $100-per-night Hampton Inn. But you could also use it to book a King Beach Villa at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, which normally goes for around $1,800 per night. That $1,800 saved makes the card’s $550 annual fee feel like peanuts.

The only drawback is finding availability. Hotels have a set amount of rooms available at a standard rate, which is what this certificate allows you to reserve. Some of the most in-demand (and expensive) Hilton resorts book out quickly. If you're flexible with your travel dates, that shouldn't be a big deal. Just realize that everyone else also wants to spend Christmas at the Grand Wailea Maui. If you're trying to use your certificate at a coveted resort like that, either book early or be flexibile with your travel dates.

What about that second (or third) free night certificate?

You can get an additional free night award when you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year. From there, you can earn yet another free night certificate if you spend $60,000 on the card each calendar year, though this might not actually be the smartest move — if you were even going to spend $60,000 annually on your credit card in the first place.

Consider the opportunity cost of spending $60,000. Putting that same $60,000 on a card that earns 2% cash back, like the Citi Double Cash® Card card (which rewards you with 1% cash back on all your purchases and an additional 1% when you pay them off), nets you $1,200. That’s more than enough for a night at almost any hotel (and then some).

Terms apply.

Card ownership entails Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest status. It’s automatic — no need to stay a minimum number of nights or do any spending with the card.

Diamond status comes with perks like room upgrades, executive lounge access and daily food and beverage credits. In fact, it's one of the most valuable hotel statuses out there.

The value of those food and beverage credits varies by brand. But at luxury Hilton brands like Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts, you get $25 per person, per day for up to two guests (so a total of $50 per day). Those credits cover meals at most restaurants and bars on the hotel's property. Assuming you'd buy drinks, breakfast or any other food at the hotel anyway, those credits can go a long way in justifying the card's annual fee.

And though not a guarantee, perks like room upgrades can also be super valuable. Room upgrades generally mean less at lower-tier Hilton hotels. Sure, they might get you a higher floor or a view of the pool versus parking lot, but that might only be a slight increase in a dollar value. But at most luxury hotels, you could be upgraded to super-luxury rooms with private pools and full suites worth hundreds of dollars more in value — but free to you with a space-available room upgrade.

Terms apply.

There are a few other minor perks on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, including:

• No foreign transaction fees: Take this card with you abroad to save on fees.

• 90-day return protection: Charge purchases to your card and get up to $300 per item ($1,000 max per year) in refunds if the merchant won’t accept your returned item. Make the most of this by ensuring you put expensive purchases on this card.

• Access to the AmEx concierge: Let AmEx do the legwork for you if you need reservations, tickets or a gift purchased. What’s more valuable than getting your time back?

• Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Sign up for your account to get free two-day shipping from over 100 online stores. You’ll save money on shipping costs and get your purchases fast. Be sure you look at eligible ShopRunner merchants while browsing online. Enrollment required.

Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is worth the hefty $550 annual fee at least in its first year given the welcome bonus. After all, those points alone are worth more than the fee. Terms apply.

As far as the card's value in subsequent years, it comes down to your travel style. The annual resort credits only work at, well, Hilton resorts. Go through the list of eligible hotels and see if those are places you'd stay at anyway. If yes, that alone is practically reason to hold the card. But if no, you have more considerations to make.

The next big factor is that free night certificate. If you'd otherwise book a night at a Hilton at a cash rate close to (or higher than) the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card's annual fee of $550, then again, this card can easily be worth it. Terms apply.

Throw in the automatic Diamond status (and its corresponding perks like dining credits), as well as the quarterly airline credit, and this card has huge value — particularly for travelers who stay at fancy Hilton hotels.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card vs. other Hilton cards

While the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card shares some similarities with the other American Express-issued Hilton credit cards (like earning Hilton points), those other cards pale in comparison to the luxury benefits you’ll find on this one.

For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card provides Hilton Gold status, which is not as high as Diamond status. And with that card, you get your first free night certificate after spending $15,000 annually — not automatically each year as you do with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. It also lacks the airline credit and the broader resort credits.

This card can make sense for Hilton loyalists who stay at lower-tier Hilton brands, as you'll earn big points for your spending at Hilton, without all the superfluous credits that are really only valuable at luxury resorts anyway.

There's also the Hilton Honors American Express Card, which delightfully has an annual fee of $0. But its automatic Silver status doesn't get you much besides a free water bottle, and it has few other perks. We only recommend that card if you're really invested in earning Hilton points but cannot stomach paying an annual fee on a credit card.

Even still, most folks are better earning rewards on a cash-back credit card (and then just using the cash to book hotel rooms). Tying up all your credit card rewards in a currency only accepted at Hilton isn't always ideal.

» Learn more: Hilton credit cards: Which one should you get?

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card vs. other premium travel credit cards

View the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card as a competitor to other premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Those cards offer broader travel rewards and flexible points redemption across various airlines and hotels. If you're not tied to Hilton — or just want flexibility to stay at other hotels when you travel, those might be more freeing. After all, you can't use your Hilton points to book a stay at Hyatt.

But with a general travel credit card, you can use your rewards to book travel at any property within their portal. And those available properties tend to be diverse, ranging from pretty much anything in the portfolios of major chains, all the way to boutique hotels and sometimes even vacation rentals.

Meanwhile, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card's benefits are more niche, focused heavily on Hilton properties. But, if you do stay at a Hilton while holding this card, you'll receive substantial rewards for your dedicated brand loyalty far beyond what a more generic travel credit card can offer.

With even one stay at a Hilton resort, you may be able to combine the benefits of the card's Diamond status, the twice per year $200 Hilton resort credits and Hilton’s fifth-night free on award stays. That could justify the entire annual fee in a single trip. At that point, the $50 per quarter airfare credits would just be icing on the (already well-iced) cake. Enrollment required.

Another way to look at it: If you’re an occasional traveler or going for only one ultra-premium travel card, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is a solid choice. Terms apply.