Why The Hilton Honors Aspire Is My Favorite Hotel Credit Card, Offers Outsized Value

Yes, Ben, a true no brainer here.
- The free night alone is generally worth the annual fee
- Bonus, Hilton Diamond benefits
- Then, Stack the free nights with the resort benefit
- Flight Credits quarterly - bank them
- Clear - well why not it's free.

Not sure how they make money with this card.

Steve K (and Ben) get it.

(I, too, am worried that they'll soon nerf the card, because it's too good.)

This card makes me loyal to Hilton. I’ve been very happy with Hilton properties for the most part. Have no real reason to go with another brand. Yes, other major brands have unique properties, but none that compels me to choose them over Hilton. I’d only consider if there’s a good deal (example: I saw the Alila Uluwatu available for 35k/night) which I might combine with a stay at the Conrad Bali to enjoy two different areas of the island.

The $200 resort credit works well, especially if you can pre-pay a stay during a time when you otherwise are not going to one of the approved properties. I recently did this with an upcoming stay at the Hilton Whistler. Going in the fall, but prepaid in June.

Yes, the perks are great, but Hilton has shot themselves in the foot on the spend part of the card. Hilton points are now of such low value (0.35), that you shouldn't even use it for the 14x on Hilton stays anymore. You are better off using your CSR for 4x UR points. I suspect we will soon see another fee increase to $650-$750 with some crap coupons added.

Completely agree Ben. Plus 7x on Dining. This card is my go to card. Hard the beat the perks. As soon as they devalue, I'm gone though. It provides the last remaining value in the Hilton program.

I did not stay at a lot of Hiltons until I got this card. Marriott's are my favorite but you can't beat the perks of the Aspire card. I have gotten so much value out of the card and I haven't even had it a year already. We have stays coming up at the Conrad Bora Bora and the Hilton Mo'orea (total of 9 nights) and the breakfast alone will save us so much money ($40-$50 per person per day!). And I used a FNC to book one of the nights at the Conrad which costs over $1000/night. I fund my United travel bank with $50 per quarter, This is a keeper card for me! At least for now.

Valuing hilton at 0.35 is lo tho justifiable. I'm at 0.4 but check out redemptions at all-inclusives or in the UK for far better cpp than even the sale price of 0.5. Rumor is one can pc to an additional aspire from another Hilton cc. Can anyone confirm?

Valuing hilton at 0.35 is lo tho justifiable. I'm at 0.4 but check out redemptions at all-inclusives or in the UK for far better cpp than even the sale price of 0.5. Rumor is one can pc to an additional aspire from another Hilton cc. Can anyone confirm?

Yes - I had 2 Aspires and a Surpass at the start of the year. Product changed my Surpass to a 3rd Aspire about 2 months before renewal, then (this week) downgraded my oldest Aspire to a Surpass, putting me right back at 2 Aspire, 1 Surpass.
Why?
- I hit $15k on Surpass (FNC)
- 2nd FNC when I paid pro rated annual fee after upgrade
- 3rd FNC when I hit $30k spend after upgrade
- 4th FNC when I paid full annual fee on that card
- 5th FNC from Aspire (technically my 2nd Aspire) annual fee
- 6th FNC from oldest Aspire annual fee shortly before downgrade
- 7th FNC when I hit $15k on the downgraded Aspire/now Surpass
I'm almost struggling to find uses for all of them! LOL

The only thing that bit me on this card was using it to by a one way ticket. The trip delay coverage requires a r/t purchase.

Steve K (and Ben) get it.

(I, too, am worried that they'll soon nerf the card, because it's too good.)

Valuing hilton at 0.35 is lo tho justifiable. I'm at 0.4 but check out redemptions at all-inclusives or in the UK for far better cpp than even the sale price of 0.5. Rumor is one can pc to an additional aspire from another Hilton cc. Can anyone confirm?

Valuing hilton at 0.35 is lo tho justifiable. I'm at 0.4 but check out redemptions at all-inclusives or in the UK for far better cpp than even the sale price of 0.5. Rumor is one can pc to an additional aspire from another Hilton cc. Can anyone confirm?