Although this is not my first choice card in my wallet, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Easily recoup costs. Year after year I sing the praises of this card to my colleagues. Despite the $550 annual fee (see rates and fees), I still find the card’s benefits, such as annual free night bonuses, Diamond Elite status, and statement points, to be valuable.
Even though I only stay at Hilton properties a few times a year, here are four reasons why I keep this co-branded credit card despite the hefty annual fee.
Annual free accommodation certificate
My favorite benefit of having an Aspire card is the free night voucher every year. With this certificate, you can book a Standard Reward room at nearly all Hilton properties around the world. So if you choose to redeem your free night award at one of Hilton’s top luxury hotels, the value of this benefit can easily exceed $1,000.
For example, I stayed at the ultra-luxurious Conrad Tokyo for over $1,100 a night. With the help of my Aspire card, I redeemed my annual free night voucher at this hotel, which saved me a ton of money out of pocket.
I have also used this rewards coupon before at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Rome Cavalieri; the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Chicago; and other Hilton properties.
Related: Is the Hilton Aspire Amex Card Worth the Annual Fee?
If you hold a Hilton Aspire card, you’ll receive a free night certificate when you open your account and on each cardholder anniversary. In addition, if you frequently use your Hilton co-branded card to spend, you can get a second free night certificate when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, and you can get a third free night certificate if you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
Even though I didn’t spend enough on the card to get two additional rewards certificates, getting just one was still a major perk.
Up to $400 in Hilton Resorts Annual Statement Credit
One of the more cost-effective features of the Aspire Card is up to $400 in annual Hilton Resorts statement credits. You’ll receive two (up to) $200 semi-annual statement credits when you make a qualifying purchase at a participating Hilton Resorts property.
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The only gain? There are a limited number of Hilton resorts where you can use points. However, if you plan accordingly, you can save a ton of change and turn your Hilton Resort stay into an all-inclusive experience.
This bill credit can be spent on dining, activities, spa treatments and more.
I have used my bill points at various locations over the past few years, including the Hilton Tangier Aljuala in Morocco, Resorts World Las Vegas, Roma Cavalieri, Hilton Cancun Caribbean All Inclusive Resort, and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Redeem this semi-annual statement credit to save hundreds of dollars on Hilton hotel stays.
Hilton Honors Diamond Status
Just hold an Aspire card and you can get Hilton Diamond status. With that comes great benefits, such as room upgrades (if available), executive lounge access at select hotels (such as Conrad Seoul), 100% base points bonus earned on stays, and daily dining credits at U.S. hotels (varies by brand) or continental breakfast abroad.
While I wasn’t lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite during my stay at the Hilton, I was assigned a larger room on a higher floor with a better view.
While Diamond will no longer be an official top tier of Hilton status starting in 2026, it will still be a great value.
RELATED: Hilton confirms new Diamond Reserve tiers and confirmable upgrade rewards
airline fee credits
With the Hilton Aspire Card, you’ll earn up to $200 in airline credit points each year (up to $50 per calendar quarter). So every quarter, I make sure to buy a ticket or use my Aspire card to pay for upgrades or seat assignments. Why?
The Aspire Card gives you up to $50 in statement credit each quarter when you use it to pay for airfare or incidentals purchased directly from the airline or through AmexTravel.com.
This year, I earned quarterly statement points by purchasing affordable upgrades on American Airlines.
If you want to save even more money, points can also be used to pay taxes on booking award redemptions.
bottom line
While I don’t use it for everyday purchases, I am a big fan of the Hilton Honors Aspire American Express Card. Every year, I maximize my bill points and free night coupons to save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. By my conservative calculations, I’ll already have $1,700 in value from my Aspire card points in 2025 alone.
Hilton Diamond membership isn’t to be sniffed at either, and the earning rate on Hilton hotel and air purchases is a perk worth noting.
I don’t spend much on the Aspire card, but when I do, the points add up quickly. This year, despite spending very little on my Aspire card, I have accumulated 13,524 Hilton Honors points. Most of those points come from airline and hotel spend.
That doesn’t even take into account the current welcome offer. New applicants to the Hilton American Express Aspire Card can earn 175,000 points after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of membership. Offer ends on January 14, 2026.
Overall, despite the annual fee, I’ve been able to get double (or even triple) the value in return with this card.
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Related reading
For Hilton Aspire Card rates and fees, please click here.
