This may sound snobbish, but I have become a connoisseur of the Waldorf Astoria recently. Over the past few years, I’ve successfully achieved six of them—not because I’m part of the 1%, of course, but because I have Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
The Hilton Aspire is one of my favorite travel credit cards because it comes with a host of valuable benefits, provides free elite status at top hotels, and saves me hundreds of dollars every year through annual statement points. Additionally, as a cardholder, I also receive an annual free night award certificate that can be used at most Hilton properties worldwide.
That being said, this card saved me during my recent stay at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon big. Here’s how I maximized the Hilton Aspire to get over $930 in value for a one-night stay.
Hilton room upgrade: I saved $250
Hilton Aspire automatically comes with free Diamond Elite membership – Hilton’s top membership (until 2026). One of the benefits of being a Diamond member is room upgrades (up to a one-bedroom suite).
While I didn’t get a suite upgrade during my stay at Versailles, I did get a noteworthy upgrade upon check-in.
The Waldorf Astoria Versailles is unique in that it consists of two buildings: the four-star Pavillon du Trianon and the five-star Trianon Palace. I booked a room at the Pavillon du Trianon for about $400. Hilton upgraded me to the Trianon Palace, which included a larger room for about $650 a night.
Of course, there’s no way to determine if I’ll upgrade without diamond status – but i doubt it. I confidently attribute the room upgrade to my Aspire card.
Hilton Resort Points: I Saved Nearly $200
Hilton Aspire comes with up to $400 in annual Hilton resort statement credits, with up to $200 in semi-annual increments. Waldorf Astoria Versailles is one of hundreds of Hilton properties around the world that are eligible for this point.
The points can be used toward any resort charge, including room rates, food and spa services, and there is no minimum spend required. If you find yourself staying at a Hilton resort during that time of year, this is essentially free money.
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By paying the above $400 room rate using my Aspire card, I only paid $200 for the room.
American Express Hilton Targeted Deal: I Saved $200
American Express Offers are targeted digital coupons you can use to save money on travel, dining, shopping, and more. You can register your card to these targeted offers from your online account with just one click, and when the terms of the offer are met, you’ll automatically be rewarded (usually bonus points or statement points).
Recently, I had an American Express offer on my account that allowed me to earn $200 in statement points after spending $1,000 at a Hilton luxury brand, such as the Waldorf Astoria. Since Aspire offers up to $200 in resort credits twice a year, I only have to spend $800 out of pocket to trigger the $200 American Express offer.
Combined with the resort points that already saved me $200, the Amex deal basically allowed me to exchange $600 of my own money for $1,000 in value. The room already cost me $400, so I decided to stay.
I booked a massage and my family ordered expensive food at a restaurant that we would never have paid to try otherwise.
Free breakfast as a Hilton Diamond member: I saved $90
Hilton Diamond Elite membership includes dining privileges at Hilton properties (vary by brand and region). For domestic hotels, this means a forgettable $10 to $25 in points, but at international hotels, you’ll get a free continental breakfast. Upscale hotels like the Waldorf Astoria will often serve you a full breakfast and/or let you order from an a la carte menu.
Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles costs €39 per person (approximately $45 USD at the time of writing). For my husband and I, this was about $90 worth.
Hilton Honors Bonus Points: I Saved $190
I spent $1,100 at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles and earned over 38,000 points on my Aspire card. Here’s how:
- Earn 10 points for every $1 spent at most Hilton hotels
- Holding Diamond Elite status allows me to earn 100% of the base points bonus (so an additional 10 points per $1 spent)
- Aspire Card earns 14 points for every $1 spent on Hilton purchases
Earn up to 34 points for every $1 spent on Hilton paid stays. Based on our December 2025 valuation, TPG pegs Hilton points at 0.5 cents each, meaning 38,000 points are worth $190.
If you know how to maximize Hilton Honors redemptions, you can potentially get more value from your points.
Other value-for-money benefits from Hilton Aspire
It’s worth noting that Aspire comes with many other valuable travel benefits that can help offset the $550 annual fee (see rates and fees). It’s one of the most comprehensive hotel credit cards, thanks to:
- Annual free night award: You will receive a free night gift certificate upon account opening and after each cardholder anniversary. You can redeem this free night for a standard room at almost any Hilton hotel in the world (even those that charge 250,000 points per night).
- Up to $200 in annual flight statement credits: Earn up to $50 in points each quarter for flights booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com.
- Clear Plus membership earns you up to $209 in annual bill credits: Clear is a program that helps you skip the lines at many airports and even some stadiums (registration required; auto-renewable).
Read our Hilton Aspire review to find out what other benefits this card offers.
bottom line
During my short stay at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles, I spent $700 out of pocket, but I gained over $900 in value with the Aspire card, saving:
- Room upgrade USD 250
- (Maximum) $200 Hilton Resort Points
- $200 American Express Card Offer
- Free breakfast for two is about $90
- Earn $190 worth of Hilton points
In other words, I got more than half off my stay. I still spent a lot of money ($700 is a lot of money – Especially for one night), but maximize all the benefits Hilton Asbai Hotel Giving my family that brief “living like the 1%” experience that only a travel rewards credit card can provide.
For Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card rates and fees, click here.
