Our take: The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card gives strong rewards charges, a whole lot of {dollars} price of annual advantages, and VIP therapy with the lodge program’s high elite standing tier. That mentioned, the cardboard has misplaced a few of its luster after an October 2023 revamp.
Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
Intro Bonus
150,000 factors should you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months from account opening.
| Annual payment | $450 |
| Common APR | 20.99%–29.99% variable |
Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card Overview
Card sort: Lodge rewards, Journey rewards
The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card is a top-tier lodge bank card that offers frequent vacationers good causes to go all in on Hilton. The cardboard gives not solely a large welcome bonus and excessive rewards charges but additionally the rewards program’s high elite Diamond standing advantages—one thing you gained’t discover with every other lodge card.
In contrast to bank cards from rival lodge packages, which restrict the worth of their free annual night time reward, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card‘s free night time reward can be utilized at nearly any Hilton property worldwide, giving the perk important potential worth. What’s extra, large spenders could possibly earn a second or perhaps a third free night time reward. The cardboard additionally comes with as much as $400 in Hilton Resort credit annually, cut up into two $200 semi-annual credit, and as much as $200 in annual flight credit, damaged up into 4 $50 quarterly credit.
That mentioned, the cardboard’s construction could make it troublesome for some vacationers to benefit from its spectacular advantages.
Who’s the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card good for?
Take into account the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card if the cardboard’s advantages construction aligns together with your journey habits. Particularly, the cardboard is usually a nice selection for individuals who fly a minimum of as soon as 1 / 4 and keep at Hilton resorts a minimum of twice a 12 months.
It’s particularly price it if you wish to make the most of the Hilton Honors program’s most unique perks as a Diamond elite member. The cardboard may also be nice for large spenders, because the second and third free annual night time rewards require $30,000 and $60,000 in annual spending respectively.
Who shouldn’t get the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card?
For those who’re an informal traveler, and don’t have the means to remain at Hilton resorts with any regularity—there are solely 270 all over the world—then the cardboard won’t be match.
It might additionally not be price it should you desire one other lodge chain, you’re not married to a single lodge model, otherwise you need extra versatile rewards.
Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card: Learn how to earn rewards
The cardboard gives 14X factors per greenback on Hilton stays. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, you’ll additionally get twice as many base factors—as much as 20 factors per greenback as a substitute of as much as 10—on these purchases as common members, for a staggering whole of as much as 34 factors per greenback.
On different spending, you’ll earn 7X factors per greenback on airfare, automobile leases and eating places, and 3X factors per greenback on different purchases.
As a brand new cardholder, you’ll additionally earn 150,000 factors should you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months from account opening.
It’s essential to notice, nonetheless, that whereas the cardboard makes it simple to rack up a ton of factors quick, it additionally requires a number of factors to ebook Hilton stays. Whereas the minimal nightly fee is 5,000 factors, you possibly can typically count on to spend 40,000 factors or extra for a single night time.
Learn how to redeem Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card rewards
As with different lodge bank cards, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card doesn’t provide as a lot flexibility together with your rewards as common journey playing cards. You may, nonetheless, pool your factors with as much as 10nine family and friends members, which might come in useful for group journeys.
Right here’s a fast abstract of how you should utilize your hard-earned factors.
Reward nights
Arguably, the easiest way to redeem Hilton Honors factors is totally free stays at Hilton accommodations and resorts. Luckily, there are greater than 7,000 properties throughout 19 manufacturers all over the world from which you’ll be able to select.
That mentioned, the worth of your factors will range relying on the small print of your keep. One night time in an ordinary room prices between 5,000 and 95,000 factors, however you’ll pay extra for upgraded rooms and particular lodging.
For those who’re planning an extended journey, notice that your fifth night time is free while you pay with factors.
Different redemption choices
For those who don’t have sufficient factors to ebook a free keep otherwise you’re not planning to journey anytime quickly, you may additionally contemplate redeeming your factors in different methods. Choices embody:
| Redemption possibility | Worth per level |
| Store on Amazon | 0.2 cents |
| Experience with Lyft | 0.22 cents |
| Guide a rental automobile with Alamo, Enterprise and Nationwide | 0.21 cents |
| Pay for occasion tickets with Ticketmaster | 0.2 cents |
| Donate your factors | 0.28 cents |
It’s also possible to switch your Hilton factors to a number of completely different home and worldwide airways. Nonetheless, the dialog fee isn’t in your favor. If you wish to switch to Delta, as an illustration, you’ll want to maneuver 10,000 Hilton Honors factors to get 1,000 Delta SkyMiles.
Lastly, when you have a number of factors to spare, you may bid in opposition to different Hilton Honors members for a chance to attend particular occasions, such because the Grammys, or take pleasure in a VIP expertise, reminiscent of a spa therapy at choose resorts and particular eating choices.
Hilton Honors Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card charges and costs
- Annual payment: $450
- International transaction payment: None
- Buy APR: 20.99%–29.99% variable
Further advantages
- Complimentary Diamond standing: Hilton’s high elite tier, Diamond standing gives all the advantages of the decrease tiers plus space-available room upgrades, government lounge entry, premium Wi-Fi, standing gifting, and extra.
- CLEAR Plus credit score: Every year, you’ll get a $189 credit score while you use your card to pay for a CLEAR Plus membership, which might expedite the airport safety screening course of at choose airports. Word, nonetheless, that it doesn’t embody TSA PreCheck or International Entry membership.
- Hilton on-property credit score: Whenever you keep at taking part Waldorf Astoria Accommodations & Resorts and Conrad Accommodations & Resorts properties for a minimum of two nights, you’ll stand up to $100 in credit for qualifying on-property fees.
- Nationwide Automobile Rental standing: You’ll get complimentary Emerald Membership Govt standing with Nationwide, which comes with perks like full-size vehicles at mid-size charges, assured upgrades on full-size by luxurious leases, and extra.
- Baggage insurance coverage: You may stand up to $3,000 in protection for misplaced, broken or stolen baggage.
- Journey delay insurance coverage: In case your round-trip journey is delayed by six hours or extra, you possibly can stand up to $500 in reimbursements for eligible bills, reminiscent of meals and lodging.
- Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage: In case your round-trip journey is interrupted or canceled because of coated causes, reminiscent of an sickness, harm or demise, you possibly can stand up to $10,000 in protection for eligible non-refundable bills.
- Buy safety: Whenever you use the cardboard to buy eligible objects, you’ll stand up to $10,000 in protection per declare within the occasion that the merchandise is by chance broken, misplaced or stolen inside 90 days from the acquisition date.
- Return safety: If a service provider doesn’t assist you to return an eligible merchandise you bought together with your card inside 90 days of buy, you’ll have as much as $300 per merchandise in protection by your card.
Bank cards much like Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card is filled with worth, however its excessive price makes it much less interesting for something however die-hard Hilton loyalists. As such, it’s a good suggestion to buy round and examine a number of playing cards to find out which one is finest suited on your journey habits. Listed below are a pair to think about.
Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card vs. Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card is a toned-down model of the Aspire Card and is usually a better option for informal Hilton followers, with a neater to abdomen $150 annual payment. It additionally gives barely much less spectacular rewards charges, supplying you with 12X Hilton Honors bonus factors for every greenback of eligible purchases charged in your card instantly with a lodge or resort inside the Hilton portfolio, 6X factors for every greenback of purchases in your card at U.S. eating places, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gasoline stations, 4X factors for every greenback on U.S. on-line retail purchases, and 3X factors for all different eligible purchases in your card. It additionally gives an analogous welcome bonus, supplying you with 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus factors after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of card membership.
You’ll additionally get Gold elite standing—which is one tier decrease than Diamond—however you possibly can earn Diamond standing with $40,000 in annual spend. It’s also possible to take pleasure in as much as $200 in annual credit in $50 quarterly increments on Hilton purchases in any respect taking part properties as a substitute of simply resorts. Word, nonetheless, that you just’ll must spend a minimum of $15,000 in a calendar 12 months to earn an annual free night time reward. That mentioned, the cardboard’s $150 annual payment is far simpler to abdomen.
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card vs. Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
For those who’re in search of extra flexibility, contemplate the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, which lets you use your rewards for almost any type of journey expense, not only one lodge model. You may ebook your journey utilizing miles instantly by the Capital One Journey portal or ebook by yourself and request an announcement credit score inside 90 days of creating the acquisition. It’s also possible to switch your Capital One miles, usually at a 1 to 1 ratio to Capital One’s journey loyalty switch companions, which frequently yields larger worth on your rewards.
The cardboard gives 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside 3 months from account opening—that’s price $750 in journey. You’ll additionally earn 5x miles on accommodations and rental vehicles booked by Capital One Journey and 2x miles on each buy. Different perks that include the cardboard’s $95 annual payment embody Hertz 5 Star elite standing and an utility payment credit score towards International Entry or TSA membership. That mentioned, you gained’t get elite standing with any lodge rewards packages.
Is the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card best for you?
For those who journey incessantly and like to remain at Hilton properties, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card ought to be in your radar. For those who aren’t certain concerning the annual payment, check out your journey and spending habits over the past 12 months or two to get an thought of how simple it’ll be to maximise the cardboard’s perks.
For those who’re undecided about whether or not you will get sufficient worth again to justify the cardboard’s price, take your time to analysis and examine different choices to search out the very best card for you.
Incessantly requested questions
What credit score rating do you want for the Hilton Honors Aspire card?
American Specific doesn’t disclose a minimal credit score rating requirement, however like most premium journey bank cards, the cardboard is mostly marketed to individuals with good credit score or higher. That usually means a FICO Rating of 670 or larger, however the larger your rating is, the higher your odds of approval will likely be.
Luckily, Amex’s “apply with confidence” characteristic lets you see should you’re authorised for the cardboard with out requiring a onerous credit score examine.
What’s the credit score restrict on a Hilton Honors American Specific card?
Sadly, American Specific doesn’t present this info publicly. The cardboard issuer will contemplate a number of elements, together with your credit score rating, credit score historical past, revenue, out there credit score on different Amex bank cards, and extra, to find out your card’s restrict.
How can I get Hilton Diamond standing totally free?
The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card comes with complimentary Diamond standing, however as a result of the cardboard fees a $450 annual payment, it’s onerous to argue that as a very free perk.
One other option to earn Hilton Diamond standing is to rack up 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 base factors. However until an employer is protecting the price of these stays, that gained’t be free both.
All details about the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™ .
Please notice that card particulars are correct as of the publish date, however are topic to alter at any time on the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the cardboard issuer to confirm charges, charges, and advantages earlier than making use of.
Phrases apply to American Specific advantages and gives. Enrollment could also be required for choose American Specific advantages and gives. Go to americanexpress.com to study extra.
Eligibility and Profit degree varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances, and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Firm.
