Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card evaluate: High-tier rewards and perks at Hilton lodges

Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card Overview

Card sort: Resort rewards, Travel rewards

The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card is a top-tier lodge bank card that provides frequent vacationers good causes to go all in on Hilton. The cardboard gives not solely a large welcome bonus and excessive rewards charges but in addition the rewards program’s prime elite Diamond standing advantages—one thing you received’t discover with some other lodge card. 

Not like bank cards from rival lodge applications, which restrict the worth of their free annual evening reward, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card‘s free night reward can be used at just about any Hilton property worldwide, giving the perk significant potential value. What’s extra, large spenders might be able to earn a second or perhaps a third free evening reward. The cardboard additionally comes with as much as $400 in Hilton Resort credit annually, break up into two $200 semi-annual credit, and as much as $200 in annual flight credit, damaged up into 4 $50 quarterly credit.

That stated, the cardboard’s construction might 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. Specifically, the cardboard is usually a nice selection for individuals who fly at the least as soon as 1 / 4 and keep at Hilton resorts at the least twice a 12 months. 

It’s particularly value it if you wish to make the most of the Hilton Honors program’s most unique perks as a Diamond elite member. The cardboard will also be nice for large spenders, because the second and third free annual evening rewards require $30,000 and $60,000 in annual spending respectively. 

Who shouldn’t get the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card? 

In case you’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 a superb match. 

It could additionally not be value it when you choose 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: The right way 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 an alternative 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, automotive leases and eating places, and 3X factors per greenback on different purchases. 

As a brand new cardholder, you’ll additionally earn 150,000 factors when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months from account opening.

It’s necessary to notice, nevertheless, that whereas the cardboard makes it straightforward to rack up a ton of factors quick, it additionally requires plenty of factors to e book Hilton stays. Whereas the minimal nightly price is 5,000 factors, you possibly can usually anticipate to spend 40,000 factors or extra for a single evening. 

The right way to redeem Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card rewards 

As with different lodge bank cards, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card doesn’t supply as a lot flexibility together with your rewards as common journey playing cards. You possibly can, nevertheless, pool your factors with as much as 10nine family and friends members, which may come in useful for group journeys. 

Right here’s a fast abstract of how you should use your hard-earned factors.

Reward nights

Arguably, the easiest way to redeem Hilton Honors factors is without cost stays at Hilton lodges and resorts. Happily, there are greater than 7,000 properties throughout 19 manufacturers all over the world from which you’ll select.

That stated, the worth of your factors will fluctuate relying on the main points of your keep. One evening in a typical room prices between 5,000 and 95,000 factors, however you’ll pay extra for upgraded rooms and particular lodging. 

In case you’re planning an extended journey, be aware that your fifth evening is free once you pay with factors.

Different redemption choices

In case you don’t have sufficient factors to e book a free keep otherwise you’re not planning to journey anytime quickly, you may additionally think about redeeming your factors in different methods. Choices embrace:

You can too switch your Hilton factors to a number of completely different home and worldwide airways. Nonetheless, the dialog price isn’t in your favor. If you wish to switch to Delta, as an example, you’ll want to maneuver 10,000 Hilton Honors factors to get 1,000 Delta SkyMiles.

Lastly, when you’ve got plenty of factors to spare, you might bid towards different Hilton Honors members for a chance to attend particular occasions, such because the Grammys, or take pleasure in a VIP expertise, akin to a spa remedy at choose resorts and particular eating choices.

Hilton Honors Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card charges and costs

• Annual charge: $450
• Overseas transaction charge: None
• Buy APR: 20.99%–29.99% variable

Further advantages

• Complimentary Diamond standing: Hilton’s prime 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: Annually, you’ll get a $189 credit score once you use your card to pay for a CLEAR Plus membership, which may expedite the airport safety screening course of at choose airports. Word, nevertheless, that it doesn’t embrace TSA PreCheck or World Entry membership.
• Hilton on-property credit score: While you keep at collaborating Waldorf Astoria Resorts & Resorts and Conrad Resorts & Resorts properties for at the least 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 Government standing with Nationwide, which comes with perks like full-size vehicles at mid-size charges, assured upgrades on full-size by way of luxurious leases, and extra.
• Baggage insurance coverage: You possibly can 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, akin to meals and lodging.
• Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage: In case your round-trip journey is interrupted or canceled on account of coated causes, akin to an sickness, harm or demise, you possibly can stand up to $10,000 in protection for eligible non-refundable bills.
• Buy safety: While you use the cardboard to buy eligible gadgets, you’ll stand up to $10,000 in protection per declare within the occasion that the merchandise is by accident broken, misplaced or stolen inside 90 days from the acquisition date.
• Return safety: If a service provider doesn’t let you 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 way of your card.

Bank cards just like Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card is full of 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 evaluate a number of playing cards to find out which one is greatest suited in your journey habits. Listed below are a pair to contemplate.

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 charge. It additionally gives barely much less spectacular rewards charges, providing you with 12X Hilton Honors bonus factors for every greenback of eligible purchases charged in your card straight 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 identical welcome bonus, providing 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. You can too take pleasure in as much as $200 in annual credit in $50 quarterly increments on Hilton purchases in any respect collaborating properties as an alternative of simply resorts. Word, nevertheless, that you just’ll have to spend at the least $15,000 in a calendar 12 months to earn an annual free evening reward. That stated, the cardboard’s $150 annual charge is way simpler to abdomen.

Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card vs. Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card

In case you’re in search of extra flexibility, think about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which lets you use your rewards for almost any type of journey expense, not only one lodge model. You possibly can e book your journey utilizing miles straight by way of the Capital One Journey portal or e book by yourself and request an announcement credit score inside 90 days of creating the acquisition. You can too switch your Capital One miles, usually at a 1 to 1 ratio to Capital One’s journey loyalty switch companions, which frequently yields higher worth in your rewards.

The cardboard gives 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside 3 months from account opening—that’s value $750 in journey. You’ll additionally earn 5x miles on lodges and rental vehicles booked by way of Capital One Journey and 2x miles on each buy. Different perks that include the cardboard’s $95 annual charge embrace Hertz 5 Star elite standing and an utility charge credit score towards World Entry or TSA membership. That stated, you received’t get elite standing with any lodge rewards applications.

Is the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card best for you?

In case you journey often and like to remain at Hilton properties, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card must be in your radar. In case you aren’t positive in regards to the annual charge, check out your journey and spending habits during the last 12 months or two to get an concept of how straightforward it’ll be to maximise the cardboard’s perks. 

In case you’re unsure about whether or not you may get sufficient worth again to justify the cardboard’s price, take your time to analysis and evaluate different choices to seek out the most effective 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 folks with good credit score or higher. That usually means a FICO Rating of 670 or increased, however the increased your rating is, the higher your odds of approval will probably be.

Happily, Amex’s “apply with confidence” characteristic lets you see when you’re accepted for the cardboard with out requiring a hard credit check.

What’s the credit score restrict on a Hilton Honors American Specific card?

Sadly, American Specific doesn’t present this data publicly. The cardboard issuer will think about a number of components, together with your credit score rating, credit score historical past, revenue, accessible credit score on different Amex bank cards, and extra, to find out your card’s restrict. 

How can I get Hilton Diamond standing without cost?

The Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card comes with complimentary Diamond standing, however as a result of the cardboard fees a $450 annual charge, it’s laborious to argue that as a really free perk. 

One other technique to earn Hilton Diamond standing is to rack up 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 base factors. However until an employer is overlaying the price of these stays, that received’t be free both.

All details about the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™ .

Please be aware that card particulars are correct as of the publish date, however are topic to vary 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 be taught extra.

Eligibility and Profit stage varies by Card. Phrases, Situations, and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Firm.