Hilton Honors Aspire Card Review: Worth The Fee

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Now is the best time to apply for the American Express aspire card.

I think that hotel credit cards are one of the mostunderappreciated credit cards out there because of the perks that they potentially offer.

I have been loyal to Hyatt and Marriott for a long time, but in the past few years, I have become more fond of the other hotel brands. Many new luxury hotels have joined the Hilton portfolio, and it's easy to earn top tier status with the credit card that I'm about to talk about.

In this post, I wanted to give a detailed review of the most premium card, which is disproportionately rewarding.

One of the most generous hotel credit cards is the American Express Aspire Card, which is one of the highest annual fees. This card should be in your wallet if you know how to use it.

We will discuss why the card is worth it and what you should use it for.

150,000 Bonus Hilton Honors Points

After spending $4,000 in the first three months of the card's existence, the card will give you a 150,000 point bonus. The 150,000 points that I value at $750 are worth 0.5 cents per point. It is an excellent bonus when you consider how much value this card can offer over time.

Eligibility For Welcome Bonus & Amex Application Restrictions

The welcome offer on the hotelier aspire card is not available to people who have had the card If you have any of the other Hilton Amex cards, you are eligible for the bonus, even if you don't have a business card. Amex cards are easy to get approved for for people with good credit.

Keep in mind Amex's general card application rules.

• You can be approved for at most two Amex credit cards in a 90 day period
• You can have at most five Amex credit cards at any point

Amex charge or hybrid cards are not included in either of the two limitations.

Hilton Aspire $450 Annual Fee

There is a $450 annual fee for thehilton aspire card You can add authorized users to the card at no extra cost, since authorized users don't get most of the perks offered by the card, other than earning points at the same rate as the primary cardmember.

Earning Points With The Hilton Aspire Card

There are bonuses on spending in certain categories. Depending on how much you spend, the card offers 3-14x points per dollar.

Not all points of a currency are created equal. Is it a good idea to spend money on the card in which category?

14x Points At Hilton Hotels

14xHiltonHonors points can be used for spending atHilton properties around the world. This includes all of the hotels owned by theHilton brand.

I value the points at 0.5 cents each, which is a great return on hotel spending. The best credit card to use for hotel spending is thehilton aspire card

7x Points Bonus Categories

7xHiltonHonors per eligible dollar spent in the following categories is offered by the hotel.

• Flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com
• Car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies
• US restaurants

I value 7x points at the same rate as a return. There are other good cards for airfare and dining out.

3x Points On Other Purchases

I value the 3x points on all eligible purchases at a return of 1.5%. There are better cards for everyday spending, I think.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

It is an excellent card for purchases abroad because it has no foreign transaction fees.

Hilton Aspire Card Benefits

The long-term perks of thehilton aspire card will more than offset the annual fee in the long run I have been a member of the card for five years and have gotten a lot from it.

The card is worth it. See this post for a rundown of the benefits I think are the most valuable, and this post for an in-depth look at how these benefits work.

Hilton Honors Diamond Status

You can get complimentary Diamond status for having the Aspire Card. It is amazing to get this level of status just for having a credit card. The following perks are offered by theHiltonHonors Diamond.

• Free breakfast and/or executive lounge access (in the United States you receive a food & beverage credit)
• Room upgrades subject to availability (this may include standard suites, at the hotel’s discretion)
• Late check-out, subject to availability
• 100% points bonus
• Fifth night free on award stays

Depending on where you are in the world, the treatment you receive will be different. Diamond recognition is good in Asia, but not so good in the United States.

Annual Free Night Reward Certificate

Every year after your account anniversary, you will receive a free night reward for having thehilton aspire card This is given to you in the year that you get your card.

You can get a stay at a property that costs up to 150,000 points per night. I value this certificate so much that I have used it at several other places.

How The Hilton Free Night Reward Works

There are a number of things to know about the free night reward.

You get a $250 statement credit for eligible purchases made with your card when you use it at a hotel. The 12 month period following when you open the card is used to calculate this. The link will take you to all the resorts.

Virtually any spending at a participating resort will be eligible if you register. You should be able to use this benefit if you spend $250 per year on the card.

You can get a $250 airline fee credit for having the Aspire Card. The definition of a calendar year is that you get one credit through December 31, and then another as of January 1 of the next year.

If you are an existing cardmember, you need to designate an airline for this credit to be applied to in January of each year.

The annual airline credit can only be used for purchases made with airlines.

Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees.

Complimentary Priority Pass Membership

You can get access to 1,300+ lounges around the world with a Priority Pass membership if you have thehilton aspire card. Two guests can be brought with you into lounges. Priority pass restaurants are not included in this benefit.

When you book stays of at least two nights with an eligible rate through this page, you'll get a $100 on-property credit at the two hotels.

I don't think that's worth much What's the reason?

• You have to book a specific rate, so points stays, discounted member rates, etc., don’t qualify
• Most of these hotels also belong through Hilton Impresario or Virtuoso, which offers a similar credit and more

ShopRunner Membership

ShopRunner membership gives you free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of more than 100 online stores if you have thehilton aspire card. Enrolling in your complimentary membership will allow you to take advantage of it.

Amex Offers

Amex offers, which offer savings on purchases with all kinds of retailers, is one of my favorites. Getting as many Amex cards as possible will allow you to get the offers on multiple cards.

Amex offers can save you money. To access these offers, you must log into your account and scroll down to the bottom of the summary page.

Is The Hilton Aspire Card Worth It?

If I want to stay at a hotel that is part of theHilton group, I can use the Hilton Aspire Card to do so.

I redeem the free night certificate at properties that cost over $450 per night, so in and of itself that covers the annual fee. When I stayed at the Los Cabos Pedregal, my certificate would have retailed for over 1,400 per night. This card is too good to be true, because of the resort credit, airline fee credit, and other perks.

This is not a card that I would spend a lot of money on, as there are better cards for that.

Card Showdown: Hilton Aspire Vs. Hilton Surpass

Some people try to decide between a $450 annual fee card or a $95 annual fee card. The two cards are similar.

I think the $450 annual fee card is worth it for a lot of people who only occasionally stay at the hotel.

The card from the hotel is called the surpass card.

• Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as you have the card
• Hilton Honors Diamond status when you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year
• A free night reward when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year

For people who don't want to pay a $450 annual fee, this is a more manageable option.

One of the most rewarding hotel credit cards is thehilton aspire card The card has a $450 annual fee, but it has a number of incredible perks, including a free night reward annually, and up to $500 in credits per year.

This card has given me outsized value. I think that people who don't have a hotel credit card are missing out.

You can learn more about the card by following this link.