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Amex Hilton Honors Aspire Review: A VIP Hotel Credit Card Packed With High-Value Perks

Review Updated
Elizabeth Aldrich
By: Elizabeth Aldrich

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Offer Status

The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has quickly become a cult favorite amongst travel rewards junkies. This broad appeal is less common for a cobranded hotel card, given that its rewards are mostly only useful to travelers who stay with Hilton regularly. But with a long list of high-value perks that more than make up for the card's moderately high annual fee (see rates and fees), it's not surprising that people love it. Find out more in this Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card review.

Ratings Methodology

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

20.99% to 29.99%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 14 points per $1 at Hilton properties, 7 points per $1 on flights booked directly with the airline, rental cars booked through certain agencies, and dining in eligible U.S. restaurants, 3 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases

3X - 14x points

Annual Fee

$550

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. 150,000 Hilton Honors points by spending $6,000 in the first six months of card opening

150,000 Hilton Honors points

  • This card comes with a high annual fee, but if you travel frequently and love to stay with Hilton, the benefits of the card can easily outweigh the fee.

    • Big hotel rewards
    • Generous travel credits
    • Automatic Diamond status
    • Annual free night award
    • Airport lounge access
    • Credits can be hard to use
    • Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors points by spending $6,000 in the first six months of card opening.
    • Earn 14 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties.
    • Earn 7 points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with the airline, rental cars booked through certain agencies, and dining in eligible U.S. restaurants.
    • Earn 3 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
    • Earn up to $600 in statement credits.
    • Complimentary airport lounge access
    • Complimentary Diamond status

The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on travel purchases 		Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for travel and points transfers 		60,000 bonus points Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Full Amex Hilton Honors Aspire review

This credit card is a good fit for: Frequent guests of Hilton Hotels who want to significantly upgrade their travels. Consumers who stay at Hilton's higher-end properties will get the most out of this card.

Top perks

These are the top perks of this card:

Big welcome offer

You'll earn 150,000 Hilton Honors points if you can spend $6,000 in the first six months of card opening. You can squeeze upwards of $800 in value out of this welcome bonus. Terms apply.

See more: Best American Express Cards

Earn up to 14 points per dollar

You'll earn 14 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties. Those points add up quickly if you're a Hilton loyalist. This card also gets you 7 points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with the airline or AmexTravel.com, rental cars booked directly with certain companies, and dining in eligible U.S. restaurants. Even given the low value of Hilton Honors points, this is a pretty good earn rate. The same is true of the 3 points you'll earn on all other purchases. Terms apply.

Read more: Best Rewards Credit Cards

Statement credits

As a premium travel credit card, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers generous annual statement credits. Here's a rundown of the various statement credits:

  • Get a $250 airline fee statement credit for incidentals charged by your selected, one qualifying airline. Terms apply
  • Get a $250 Hilton Resort statement credit that can be spent on purchases at participating Hilton Resorts. You must charge purchases to your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to receive the statement credits.
  • Receive a $100 Hilton on-property statement credit. The on-property credit can be applied to qualifying charges on stays of at least two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts properties. Terms apply.

Complimentary airport lounge access

Like most premium travel credit cards, this one also comes with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership with enrollment. The membership grants access into over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide for you and two guests. Terms apply.

See more: Best Credit Cards With Airport Lounge Access

Automatic Diamond status

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is the only major hotel credit card that gives you automatic status at the highest tier possible. With Diamond status, you'll get 100% bonus points on stays, complimentary breakfast, executive lounge access, and suite upgrades, among other perks, when you're enrolled. Terms apply.

Weekend night rewards:

You'll get one free weekend night award on each cardmember anniversary, plus another free night award if you spend $60,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply.

To learn more about the card perks offered, check out our guide on Hilton Honors Aspire Card benefits.

What could be improved

There are some areas that could be improved upon:

Annual fee

At $550, this card is far from cheap. However, it's still lower than other premium travel credit cards. The benefits easily make up for the annual fee. It's only a good card if you stay with Hilton often enough to take full advantage of the rewards, though. (See rates and fees)

Read more: Best Credit Cards

Find the best credit card for your needs

Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

Compare cards

Suggested credit score

You'll need good to excellent credit -- a FICO® Score of at least 670 -- to have a good shot at qualifying for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Aim for a credit score above 700. This is Hilton's premium credit card, so credit score requirements reflect its status. You should also be aware of some important American Express application rules.

The Amex Hilton Honors Aspire is right for you if:

  • You're a frequent traveler.
  • You prefer to stay with Hilton.
  • You can see yourself vacationing at a Hilton Resort every year.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card seems like a no-brainer for Hilton-loyal frequent travelers. Folks who can't see themselves using the Hilton Resort credit or the on-property credit for Waldorf and Conrad properties might find it harder to justify the annual fee. Even then, it can be easily recouped through the automatic Diamond status, free weekend night, and complimentary airport lounge access. As long as you stay with Hilton enough to make use of your Diamond status and the premium points on Hilton purchases, this card may prove valuable.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The minimum starting credit limit for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is $3,100. American Express based your credit limit on your income, credit profile, and other factors, so it's possible to receive a much higher limit. Some applicants have reported limits of $20,000 or more.

  • It's usually not hard to get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card if you have good credit. Applicants should aim for a FICO® Score of 670 or higher.

  • Yes, you can use the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card internationally, and it doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee.

Our Credit Cards Expert

Elizabeth Aldrich
Elizabeth is a personal finance writer specializing in credit cards, debt repayment, and small business. Her work has appeared on The Motley Fool, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, and Business Insider. She’s an avid credit card points collector and perpetual traveler currently living in Costa Rica.