Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Premium Hilton Travel Card with Resort Credits

Annual Fee $550

Earning Rate 14x hotels • 7x flights • 7x dining • 3x everything else

Welcome Bonus 150,000 points after $6,000 spend in 6 months

Card Material Metal card with matte finish • colors: Black

Practical Recommendation

This is the "I actually stay at Hilton" card. The annual free night, Hilton Honors Diamond status, and the two big statement credits (resort and flights) do the heavy lifting. If you can hit the resort credit twice a year and remember the quarterly flight credit, the high annual fee becomes a rounding error.

If you do not visit Hilton resorts, rarely fly, or hate tracking credits, skip this. Bottom line: frequent Hilton guest with even a couple of trips a year? Easy keeper. Otherwise, you will pay $550 to babysit benefits you will not use.

Credits

$400 Hilton Resort Credit – Up to $200 Jan–Jun and $200 Jul–Dec back on eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts when paid with the card. Works on room charges and many on-property purchases that bill to your room. Simple if you already book resorts; zero value if you never do.
$200 Flight Credit – $50 per calendar quarter back on flight purchases made directly with airlines or through Amex Travel. Not incidental fees; it works on airfare. If you buy at least one ticket each quarter, this is easy money.
$100 Waldorf/Conrad Property Credit – Per booking credit on eligible charges during a 2-night minimum stay at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad when you book the "Aspire Card Benefit" rate (or by phone with the specific reference code). Good for dining or spa; does not reduce the room rate.
$209 CLEAR Plus Credit – Up to $209 per calendar year back after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the card. Great if your airports have CLEAR; otherwise it is a shrug.

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Practical Tip

You can edit the amounts in the number fields if you value a credit at less than the full value. For example, if you only use a $10/month Uber credit half the months, you might value it at $60 instead of $120.

Hilton Resort Credit

What It Is:	$400 in statement credits per year, split into $200 Jan–Jun and $200 Jul–Dec, for eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts.
How It Works:	Pay with the card at a participating resort; eligible charges (room, taxes, and many incidentals billed to your room) trigger credits automatically after the charge posts.
Gotchas:	Only participating Hilton resorts count; regular Hilton hotels that are not on the resort list do not. Credits reset on the semiannual schedule (use-it-or-lose-it). Third-party bookings typically do not trigger.
Who Actually Benefits:	Anyone planning one resort stay in each half of the year.
Practical Value:	Very high if you do two resort stays; worth $0 if you never visit resorts.

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Flight Credit

What It Is:	$200 per year as $50 per quarter on flight purchases made directly with airlines or via Amex Travel.
How It Works:	Buy airfare with the card; up to $50 credits back each quarter post automatically after the transaction settles. Unused quarters do not roll over.
Gotchas:	The cap is per quarter, not per year. Has to be flights (not hotels or packages). Some third-party travel sites will not code correctly.
Who Actually Benefits:	People who purchase at least one paid ticket each quarter.
Practical Value:	Easy $200 if you fly semi-regularly; $0 if your timing never lines up.

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Waldorf/Conrad $100 Property Credit

What It Is:	Up to $100 per stay on qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad, with a 2-night minimum booking on the special Aspire rate.
How It Works:	Book at hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com and choose the Aspire Card Benefit rate (or call and use the reference code). Credit applies to eligible on-property charges (think dining or spa) during the stay; it is not a statement credit against the room rate.
Gotchas:	Must use the specific rate; that rate can be higher than other promos. Two-night minimum. Not valid at all brands.
Who Actually Benefits:	Travelers who already book Waldorf or Conrad at flexible rates and want some on-site spend covered.
Practical Value:	Nice sweetener if the rate is competitive; skip it if a cheaper rate saves more than $100.

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CLEAR Plus Credit

What It Is:	Up to $209 per calendar year back after paying for CLEAR Plus with the card.
How It Works:	Pay CLEAR Plus (auto-renewal allowed) with the Aspire; statement credit posts automatically.
Gotchas:	Value depends on your airport having CLEAR lanes. Do not expect it to speed up checked-bag lines. Credits generally post after the charge settles; family add-ons may bill separately.
Who Actually Benefits:	Flyers through CLEAR airports who value shorter ID checks, especially at busy hubs.
Practical Value:	Full value if you use CLEAR a few times; $0 if your airports do not support it.

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Annual Fee: $550

Your Credits: $0

YOUR Annual Fee: $550

This is effectively what you are paying for this card. It is now up to you if the perks, protections, and earning rates are worth this fee to you over other cards.

Perks

Earning rates (the short version) – 14x at Hilton hotels & resorts booked direct; 7x flights booked direct or via amex travel; 7x U.S. restaurants and eligible car rentals; 3x everything else. Simple: use it for Hilton, flights, and dining. Limits: "U.S." categories apply only in the United States; see terms for what counts as direct.
Hilton Honors Diamond Status – Room upgrades (when available), breakfast credit at many full-service U.S. brands, lounge access where lounges exist, better points earnings, and premium Wi-Fi. This pays off if you stay at Hilton a few nights per year; if you do not, it is just a shiny badge.
Annual Free Night Rewards – One Free Night Reward every renewal; earn an additional Free Night Reward at $30,000 calendar-year spend and another at $60,000. Redeemable at almost all Hilton brands, including many high-end resorts, subject to a few exclusions. Book by phone when the certificate appears in your Hilton account.
National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status – Pick from the Executive area and often pay a mid-size rate. Helpful at busy airports; enrollment required.
No foreign transaction fees – Use it abroad without extra currency fees.

Protections

Trip Delay Insurance – If a round-trip paid entirely with the card is delayed 6+ hours, get reimbursed for essentials like meals and lodging, up to $500 per trip (limits apply). Great for weather meltdowns and missed connections.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance – For covered reasons on round-trips paid entirely with the card, non-refundable expenses can be covered up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per 12 months. Use when illness or severe weather ruins plans.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance – Secondary coverage for theft or damage when you pay with the card and decline the rental agency's collision damage waiver. Good for saving at the counter; liability is not included.
Baggage Insurance Plan – Coverage for carry-on and checked bags when travel is paid with the card; useful if the airline loses or damages your stuff.
Purchase Protection – New purchases can be covered for theft or accidental damage for up to 90 days, typically up to $10,000 per claim (caps apply). Handy for phones, gadgets, and furniture mishaps.
Extended Warranty – Adds one year to eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of 5 years or less, up to $10,000 per item (account caps apply). This can save you from buying store plans.
Cell Phone Protection – Pay your monthly wireless bill with the card and get up to $800 per claim, 2 claims per 12 months, $50 deductible. Good backup if you skip AppleCare-style add-ons.