Why I chose the Hilton Aspire as my first cobranded hotel card — and how I'll use the welcome bonus

27.08.2024 - 19:50 / thepointsguy.com

I'm a big proponent of creating a spending strategy when applying for a new credit card. That way, I never miss out on a welcome bonus and don't overspend trying to achieve one.

I'm also a fan of planning ahead, especially when it comes to how I'll use my credit card rewards, whether they take the form of points, miles or cash back.

As such, when I decided to apply for my latest card, I opted for a cobranded hotel card that would best suit my needs as someone who isn't particularly striving for hotel elite status within a major hotel loyalty program but wants to establish a stash of hotel points for future use.

After deliberating for several weeks, I applied for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Here's why I chose it over several other great options and how I plan to use the hearty welcome bonus once I've earned it.

The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: How to maximize the Hilton Amex Aspire Card

As a premium card, the Hilton Aspire's annual fee is steep; this card will set you back $550 per cardmember year. While there are other Hilton cobranded cards that offer lower annual fees, I felt that the perks, card benefits and elevated welcome bonus on the Hilton Aspire outweighed its hefty annual fee.

I chose the Hilton Aspire as my newest card for two main reasons:

Plus, there are a couple of other perks that come with being a Hilton Aspire cardholder, including earning 14 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent directly with Hilton hotels and resorts, complimentary Diamond status — which comes with valuable perks of its own — and up to $200 in statement credits semiannually (up to $400 back per year) on eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton resorts.

Related: Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant: Battle of the top-tier hotel cards

I applied for the Hilton Aspire card when it offered a limited-time welcome bonus of 175,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $6,000 within the first six months of opening an account.*

*Note that this welcome bonus offer has expired, and the Hilton Amex currently offers 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases with the card within your first six months of card membership.

At the time of publishing, I'm less than $2,000 away from hitting that minimum spend threshold needed to get the stash of bonus points. I did this by pivoting all of my everyday spending to my Hilton Aspire card. This includes flights, hotel reservations, grocery and dining expenses, fuel purchases and other miscellaneous expenses like online shopping and the occasional coffee