I have 24 credit cards right now, and it's getting hard to justify continuing to pay for the annual fees for all of them since the costs continue to skyrocket (ahem, The Platinum Card® from American Express).
As hard as it is to keep paying the annual fee on my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, it's one premium card I haven't really considered downgrading. The card's benefits easily make it worth it to keep paying $450 a year.
Not only do you get top-tier Hilton Diamond status, but there are other valuable perks like a $250 annual Hilton resort credit, an up-to-$250 yearly airline credit and a free night award when you open the account and each year on your card anniversary.
Still, even though I've had it for a few years now, I haven't totally maximized it. This year, that's going to change.
Here are some of the main reasons the card stays in my wallet.
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.
My favorite perk of the Hilton Aspire card is Hilton Diamond status with zero stay or spending requirements. You get top-tier Hilton status just for holding the card.
That means you're eligible for suite upgrades, executive lounge access and bonus points, among other perks. No other hotel chain offers top-tier status just for keeping its branded card. While Hilton isn't exactly well known for guaranteed upgrades or late checkout, it does happen ... especially if you persistently request those perks at check-in (or via an email ahead of time).
You'll keep Hilton Diamond status for as long as you have the card.
While I've never been proactively offered a suite upgrade, I have been upgraded to higher floors with nicer views at several properties. I've heard Diamond members are treated better at Hilton properties abroad, but I haven't experienced that during my limited stays with Hiltons in Europe.
The Aspire card's current welcome offer is 150,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Those 150,000 points are solid — worth $900, according to the latest TPG valuations.
Related reading: Why Hilton's top credit card has me switching my hotel loyalty
The Aspire card has some awesome earning power for Hilton stays and other travel, though it's otherwise not the best card for everyday spending. You'll earn:
Just one example from my stays? A $13 charge at a DoubleTree in June netted me 182 Hilton Honors points, which TPG values at $1.09. At TPG's valuation of 0.6 cents per point, that's equivalent to an 8.4% return. Take that, cash-back card.
As a Hilton Diamond, you get a 100% points bonus (or 20 points per
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