Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

This card is built for frequent Hilton guests who want their hotel card to do more than just earn points. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is strongest as a premium Hilton travel card, with its biggest value coming from automatic Diamond status, a yearly free night, and recurring travel credits rather than everyday spending outside Hilton.

Welcome Offer

Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points

Annual Fee

$550

Rec. Credit Score

Good

Good For

Frequent Hilton travelers

How to Apply

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Terms Apply. For rates and fees of Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, please visit the American Express website.

Is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card worth it?

This card is great for...

Hilton resort stays

Automatic Hilton Diamond status

Annual free night value

Yes, if Hilton is a regular part of your travel plans. The $550 annual fee is high, but this card gives you several realistic ways to make it back: up to $400 a year in Hilton resort credits, up to $200 a year in flight credits, an annual Free Night Reward, and automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status. If you stay at Hilton properties a few times a year, especially at higher-end hotels or resorts, those benefits can add up quickly and the card starts to feel more like a hotel membership with premium travel perks attached.

It is a weaker fit if you are not loyal to Hilton or you prefer simple travel rewards. Hilton points are not especially valuable on a per-point basis, so the rewards rates matter most when you are booking Hilton stays. Outside that lane, the card is less compelling as an everyday spender. This is a card to keep for Hilton-heavy travel and status benefits, not one to rely on for all of your purchases.

MaxRewards Verdict

The Aspire makes the most sense for travelers who stay with Hilton often enough to use the resort credit, value Diamond status, and redeem the annual free night well. If your hotel stays are scattered across brands, the annual fee will be much harder to justify.

Welcome Offer

Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.

≈ $245–$612

What 175,000 Points could be worth, based on how you redeem

Free Night Reward (hotel stays)
5th night free on award stays of 5+ nights (Silver elite status and above)
≈ $612
≈ 0.35¢ per point
Airline transfers
Generally 10:1 to airlines
$350
0.2¢ per point
Amazon 'Shop with Points'
700 points = $1 at Amazon
$245
0.14¢ per point

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

What's your average monthly spend?

$1,000

You should easily hit the bonus threshold with this spend!

Rewards

Rewards percent based on a valuation of 0.4¢ per Hilton Honors point

Hilton Honors points are worth the most when you use this card for Hilton stays, where the earning rate is clearly strongest. The other bonus categories are useful for travel and dining, but this rewards setup is really designed to support a Hilton-centered travel pattern.

CategoryEst. yearly spendRateRewards

Hotels and Resorts (Hilton)

Est. yearly spend

Rate5.6%

Rewards

Flights (Direct With Airlines), Flights (American Express Travel), Car Rentals (Direct From Select Car Rental Companies), U.S. Restaurants

Est. yearly spend

Rate2.8%

Rewards

All Other Eligible Purchases

Est. yearly spend

Rate1.2%

Rewards

Est. Annual Rewards

Benefits

$0 / $1,159

The main value story here is not just points. The annual credits, free night reward, and built-in Hilton status do a lot of the work in offsetting the fee, especially if you already book Hilton resorts and paid flights each year.

Enrollment is required for select benefits

Automatically track your credits with MaxRewards

Our app automatically tracks valuable credits so you don't miss any rewards.

Get the app

Venue Collection

Autotracked

of $250Every 12 months

Insurance

Baggage Insurance Plan

Can provide coverage for lost, damaged or stolen Baggage when traveling on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship or bus) when the Entire Fare has been charged to your Eligible Card. Coverage limits apply. Please read important exclusions and restrictions.

Extended Warranty

When you use your Eligible Card to make a Covered Purchase, you can get up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of 5 years or less on Covered Purchases in the United States or its territories or possessions. Please read important exclusions and restrictions.

Purchase Protection

Sometimes your favorite new purchase gets stolen, accidentally damaged, or lost. But when you use your Eligible Card for Covered Purchases, your Membership can help protect them for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Up to $10,000 per Covered Purchase, up to $50,000 per calendar year.

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the Rental Company counter, You can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.

Trip Delay Insurance

If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 6 hours, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Status & Access

Global Dining Access by Resy

Add your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to your Resy profile on the Resy app or website and unlock access to exclusive tables and events.

Complimentary National Car Rental Status

Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club program is required. Terms apply.

Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status

Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status with your Hilton Honors Aspire Card.

Amex Special Ticket Access

Card Members can access Amex Presale Tickets and Amex Reserved Tickets to select can’t-miss events and moments across sports, music, and more. Plus, Card Members can enjoy additional perks when attending select events. While supplies last, not all seats may be offered.

Other

Hilton Honors Annual Free Night Reward

Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors every year upon Card renewal.

Hilton Honors Free Night Rewards

Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you can earn an additional Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $60,000 in purchases.

Recommended Minimum Credit

Min: Good

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

Good credit or higher is recommended for this card.

Credit approval is not guaranteed. Meeting the recommended credit range does not ensure approval, and applicants with lower scores may still be considered.

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee

$550

Purchase APR

19.49% - 28.49%

Variable

Cash Advance APR

28.74%

Variable

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Balance Transfer

None

Cash Advance

$10

Late Payment

$40

For rates and fees of Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, please visit the American Express website.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are MaxRewards' alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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