How to maximize the Hilton Amex Aspire Card
The **Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card** is a premium credit card tailored for frequent travelers who prefer Hilton’s hospitality offerings. With an annual fee of $550, the card comes packed with a plethora of benefits designed to enhance the travel experience for Hilton loyalists. A standout feature is its lucrative welcome offer, which allows new cardholders to earn **175,000 bonus points** after spending $6,000 within the first six months of membership. This points haul can translate to an impressive $875 in value, particularly when redeemed for luxury hotel stays or during peak travel seasons. Moreover, the card provides a variety of strategies for maximizing these points, such as utilizing the **fifth-night-free** perk available to all Hilton Honors members, which can significantly stretch the value of your points.
One of the card’s most attractive benefits is the inclusion of **Hilton Honors Diamond status**, the highest tier of Hilton elite status. This status not only offers a 100% bonus on points earned but also provides perks like late checkout, suite upgrades (subject to availability), and access to executive lounges. While suite upgrades and late checkouts are contingent on availability, the benefits associated with Diamond status are substantial, making it a worthwhile addition for regular Hilton guests. Additionally, cardholders can earn up to three free night certificates, allowing for complimentary stays at Hilton properties worldwide, simply by meeting spending thresholds throughout the year. This can lead to significant savings, especially for frequent travelers who often stay at Hilton hotels.
The Hilton Aspire Card also offers unique credits that can further enhance its value. Cardholders receive **up to $200 in annual statement credits** for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts, as well as **quarterly airline credits** of up to $50, totaling $200 a year for airfare purchases. Furthermore, members can benefit from **Clear Plus membership credits**, which facilitate quicker airport security processes. With a robust earning structure that includes **14 points per dollar** spent at Hilton properties and additional points for travel-related expenses, the card is designed to maximize rewards for those who frequently stay within the Hilton portfolio. In summary, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card presents an excellent option for avid Hilton travelers, providing a wealth of benefits that can greatly enhance the travel experience while justifying the annual fee through substantial savings and rewards.
The top-tier
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
packs a number of benefits for frequent Hilton guests, making it a solid choice if you’re in the market for a premium cobranded
hotel card
.
Let’s dig deeper into the unique benefits of the card and discuss strategies for maximizing each, ensuring you get full value from the card in exchange for the $550 annual fee (see
rates and fees
).
Lucrative welcome offer
The
Hilton Aspire
currently offers new cardmembers to earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Jan. 14, 2026.
Those points are worth $875, according to TPG’s December 2025
valuations
. However, this points haul can be worth much more if you use the points to book luxury hotels or expensive stays during holidays and events.
THE POINTS GUY
Here are three ways to
maximize Hilton Honors points
:
Redeem Hilton points
toward stays at luxury properties to maximize their value.
Remember that Hilton points are incredibly valuable in Oman, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia and some South American countries.
Take advantage of the
fifth-night-free perk
(available to all status members) any time you can.
Related:
Check your Hilton bookings: Some standard room reward nights now cost less at high-end properties
Hilton Honors Diamond status
The
Hilton Aspire
includes
Diamond elite status
, the highest tier of Hilton elite status (until next year, when Hilton adds its new Diamond Reserve tier). This status gives you a 100% bonus on points earning, late checkout and suite upgrades (when available) and executive lounge access.
SAMMY TODD DYESS/WALDORF ASTORIA PARK CITY/FACEBOOK
These benefits are great on paper, but you should set your expectations appropriately. There’s no guaranteed avenue to suite upgrades or late checkout as a Hilton Diamond member. As mentioned, these are space-available benefits and are largely at the hotel’s discretion.
To maximize Diamond status, read up on all the benefits, including the fine print. The most important benefits are executive lounge access,
complimentary breakfast
, a 48-hour room guarantee and bonus points.
Related:
6 Hilton Diamond benefits that make the status worthwhile
Free night certificates
Hilton Aspire Card
members can receive up to three reward night certificates. You receive one reward night certificate to use at virtually any Hilton property worldwide after opening your account and on your cardmember anniversary year.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
You can earn a second reward night certificate when you spend $30,000 on the Aspire Card in a calendar year and a third free night certificate when you spend $60,000 within a calendar year.
Frequent travelers can take advantage of this benefit and save hundreds of dollars a year. Best of all, as long as a property is eligible and has room availability, you can book a stay with a few exclusions.
Related:
Hilton free night certificates: How to earn them and maximize their value
Airline credit
The
Hilton Aspire
provides up to $50 in quarterly statement credits (up to $200 per calendar year) for airfare purchases on flights purchased directly from the airline or through amextravel.com.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
TPG contributing editor
Matt Moffitt
maximizes this credit by loading his United TravelBank balance with $50 each quarter. This credit can then be used to book any United Airlines or United Express flight.
Related:
The 5 easiest travel credits to redeem
Resort credit
Hilton Aspire Card
members also receive up to $200 in biannual statement credits (up to $400 per calendar year) toward eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton resorts. These purchases include room rates and incidentals.
The resort credit is divided into two semiannual statement credits of up to $200, one from January to June and another from July to December.
HILTON
Charges must be placed on your room, and you must use the Aspire Card for charges during your stay.
This credit is worth up to $400 total per year, not per resort stay. You can use the credit for parking, food, spa services and many activities that the resort can arrange for you during your stay.
Related:
Hilton’s Ka La’i Waikiki Beach LXR resort is getting a $100 million makeover — and TPG has an exclusive first look
Clear Plus credit
Hilton Aspire Card
members receive up to $209 annually in statement credits toward a
Clear Plus membership
(subject to auto-renewal; enrollment required).
CLEAR
Clear is a great perk to have alongside
TSA PreCheck
. If those expedited lanes are closed or backed up, you can use another service to speed through security.
Related:
10 ways to get through airport security faster
Waldorf Astoria and Conrad property credits
If you stay two consecutive nights at the luxury brands in the Hilton portfolio (booked
through the special portal
), you’ll be eligible for up to a $100 property credit for almost anything charged to the room during the stay as a
Hilton Aspire Card
member.
In test searches of the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, the Conrad Tokyo, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the full $100 statement credit was offered. Plus, the eligible rates matched the flexible rates available to non-Aspire Card members.
TANNER SAUNDERS/THE POINTS GUY
Taxes, fees, gratuity and the room rate itself are not eligible. The terms for the offer say to check with your hotel’s front desk to ensure that what you’d like to charge is eligible for reimbursement.
Related:
A taste of luxury in Music City: What it’s like staying at the Conrad Nashville
Car rental elite status
Hilton Aspire Card
members enjoy complimentary
National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status
(enrollment in Emerald Club is required). Benefits include Executive Area access, waived second driver fees and upgrades.
BECKER BREDEL/ULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY IMAGES
If National Car Rental is not your preferred car rental agency, you can easily leverage the automatic elite status and
apply for a status match
to your preferred rental agency.
Related:
Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals
Bonus categories
If you want to rack up Hilton points quickly, you must know when the
Hilton Aspire Card
should come out and when it should stay in your wallet.
The Aspire Card earns 14 points per dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Based on TPG’s December 2025 valuations, this is equivalent to a 7% return on spending.
Hotel del Coronado in California. HILTON
You’ll also earn 7 points per dollar spent (a 3.5% return) on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies and on purchases at U.S. restaurants. Finally, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent (a 1.5% return) on all other purchases made with the card.
You should compare the earning rates for an expense across all the cards in your wallet to see which gives you the most value.
Related:
These boutique hotels around the US are full of character — and are bookable using Hilton Honors points
Hilton stays
Before you decide to earn bonus points for travel spend on another
rewards card
, consider the massive earning rates that will show in your account when you use your
Hilton Aspire
to pay for Hilton stays.
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Here’s a breakdown of how many Hilton points you’ll earn per dollar spent when you stay and pay with your Aspire Card:
10 points per dollar base earning
10 points per dollar with your Diamond bonus
14 points per dollar for Aspire Card earnings
Any promotion or mobile app booking bonus
At a minimum, you’ll earn 34 Hilton points per dollar spent on your Hilton hotel stays. Using our valuations without any promotions, that’s equivalent to a 17% return toward your next Hilton stay.
While the cost of Hilton award nights is relatively high compared to competitors like
World of Hyatt
, you can earn many more points per stay by comparison. Don’t forget to make your Aspire Card your default payment method in your Hilton profile.
Related:
Which credit card should you use for Hilton stays?
Bottom line
Adding the
Hilton Aspire Card
to your wallet can give your award trips a shot of adrenaline.
When you stay with Hilton, you’ll have Diamond status for breakfast and lounge access, receive bonus points, earn property credits and (hopefully) score a room upgrade.
This card is a great option to add if you’re even remotely a frequent Hilton guest or have planned a couple of annual trips to Hilton properties.
To learn more, read our
full review of the Hilton Aspire
.
Apply here:
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click
here
.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
