Link: Apply now for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (review) is Hilton’s most premium co-branded credit card, and there are all kinds of reasons to consider picking it up.
While the card has a steep $550 annual fee, I find that to be easy to justify, thanks to benefits like an annual free night award, up to $400 in annual Hilton resort credits, up to $200 in annual flight credits, and more.
Arguably the biggest selling point of this card is how it can help you earn elite status, as having this card gives you top tier Diamond status in the Hilton Honors program. In this post, I want to take a closer look at how that works.
In this post:
Hilton Honors Aspire Card Diamond status basics
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers Hilton Honors Diamond status for as long as you have the card:
- This is only available to the basic cardmember, and not to any authorized users
- There’s nothing you need to do to register, but rather the status automatically posts to the Hilton Honors account provided at the time of application
- Officially, it can take 8-12 weeks for Diamond status to post to an eligible account, though in reality, most people report the status posting within a few days of account approval, around the same time the card arrives in the mail
- The status is valid year-after-year, for as long as you maintain the card, and there’s nothing you need to do to re-register
- Officially, the Diamond status is cancelled immediately if you cancel the card, though anecdotally many report the status remains valid for 90 days after closing the account
- Diamond status ordinarily requires 60 nights, 30 stays, or 120,000 base points, per year; if you earn status through the card then you receive Diamond status, but you don’t receive the corresponding nights, stays, or base points
- Lifetime Diamond status requires 10 years of Diamond plus either 1,000 elite nights or two million base points (equivalent of $200,000 of spending); while having a credit card can help you toward the requirement of having status for 10 years, it doesn’t help toward the requirement for elite nights or base points
Hilton Honors Diamond status benefits basics
Hilton Honors Diamond is the program’s top tier elite status. It’s pretty great to get that just for having a credit card, though also manage your expectations when it comes to the execution of perks. Here are the most significant Hilton Honors Diamond perks, as I see them:
- Room upgrades subject to availability, including to standard suites; however, these upgrades are at the discretion of the hotel, rather than promised based on availability
- Complimentary breakfast at select brands, or a food & beverage credit in the United States; executive lounge access is also offered at most brands, if available
- A 100% points bonus; with Hilton Honors, points really rack up quickly, especially with the constant global promotions
As is the case with virtually any hotel loyalty program, you’ll find that elite recognition differs greatly around the globe. In the United States, I basically just expect the food & beverage credit, and little more. Meanwhile in the Middle East, Asia, etc., I’ve generally had awesome experiences, with amazing breakfasts, nice club lounges, and generous suite upgrades.
My take on the value of Hilton Aspire Card Diamond status
I’ve had the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card for years, and find that it represents a great value. Quite honestly, I easily recoup the card’s annual fee on the annual free night award alone, as I’m consistently able to redeem it at a property costing well over $550. The up to $400 in Hilton resort credits and up to $200 in flight credits only add even more incremental value.
Then there’s Hilton Honors Diamond status. With my hotel elite status strategy, Hilton isn’t my primary hotel group. It’s not even my backup hotel group, but instead, it’s typically my third pick (after World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy).
To be perfectly honest, I largely avoid Hilton Honors properties in the United States, since elite recognition just generally isn’t good in the US (there’s no full breakfast, late check-out isn’t guaranteed, etc.). So a vast majority of my Hilton Honors stays are in the Middle East and Asia, where I find elite recognition to be excellent.
Not only do you typically receive an amazing breakfast, but I also get suite upgrades more often than not. So while I could ultimately live without Hilton Honors Diamond status, I find it to be worthwhile, especially since it’s costing me virtually nothing, based on how I account for the cost of the annual fee on the card.
If you stay at Hiltons with any frequency, particularly outside the United States, you should find Diamond to be pretty valuable.
Bottom line
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is a lucrative credit card. The card offers a variety of perks, from an annual free night award, to up to $400 in annual Hilton resort credits, to up to $200 in annual flight credits. On top of that, the card offers the program’s top tier Diamond status, which is a pretty awesome benefit just for being a cardmember. If you stay at Hiltons with any frequency, then I think this is a card that’s worth having.
What’s your take on the Diamond status perks offered by the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card?
1/2
Because I have a new Aspire card as well as earned Diamond for the last 22 years do I really lose all my nights earned that should give me DFL this year?
Cont.
Ben. This report made my stomach drop.
I've been HH since 1996, Diamond since 2003 based on private travel and usually the 30 stay requirement obtained through road trips and mattress runs. The expensive of road became excessive so I was paying effectively $6000 a year to keep Diamond. As a non-American I finally got the Aspire fall 2023. I should have been Diamond for Life years ago but Hilton keeps very poor records.
...
Ben. This report made my stomach drop.
I've been HH since 1996, Diamond since 2003 based on private travel and usually the 30 stay requirement obtained through road trips and mattress runs. The expensive of road became excessive so I was paying effectively $6000 a year to keep Diamond. As a non-American I finally got the Aspire fall 2023. I should have been Diamond for Life years ago but Hilton keeps very poor records.
So instead of scrambling every year to keep Diamond I got the Aspire so I would eventually get DFL.
I ASSUMED this worked like the Bonvoy and my stays earned would continue so that when I'm 85 I'll get my DFL.
Your teport says I get no credit? My statements show nights, points and bonuses! This is TRAGIC because I have gone to long stay bookings since I will qualify without 30 stays. Since I got the Aspire I have stayed over 86 NIGHTS which I assumed would put me over the top! I would have qualified for Diamond WITHOUT the card. Because I have tne card DO I REALLY LOSE ALL THOSE NIGHTS, STAYS AND BONUSES AND DFL STATUS?
YE GODS - the damn card costs $900 CDN, they took away Priority Pass and no DFl? Screwed 6 ways.
Is this really how it works?
Thoughts
DPS?
This card used to be amazing with spend counted as base points towards lifetime diamond for Hilton!
I agree with @DCS this is still the best hotel credit card!
I love this card! I get so much value from it. I travel mainly in the USA. Lots of upgrades. Food and Beverage credit Beautiful hotels ( I pick very carefully) Not to mention my husband is a team member and it is combinable with his benefits!
@Tina Your husband works for Hilton, right? Well, of course he gets treated nicely even without the Aspire card. As most readers have pointed out no upgrades and no late or early check in, no welcome amenity or anything extra.
And you get food and beverage credit? (unless it is at select resorts) or is it at non-resorts and they actually give it because of your husband’s status as a Hilton team member. All...
@Tina Your husband works for Hilton, right? Well, of course he gets treated nicely even without the Aspire card. As most readers have pointed out no upgrades and no late or early check in, no welcome amenity or anything extra.
And you get food and beverage credit? (unless it is at select resorts) or is it at non-resorts and they actually give it because of your husband’s status as a Hilton team member. All of these are not because of the Aspire card but because of your husband being a team member of Hilton.
I have a friend who works for Hilton and he does not have an Aspire card as it is only for Americans and he said that he gets lovely upgrades and the rooms at heavily discounted rates as well as lots of freebies. So, you did not even pay the full rate. Also, speaking to someone who works at an executive lounge for IHG, she confirmed it by saying as a member of IHG she always gets upgrades to a suite or just a very nice and spacious room.
That is not the case. I'm a Hilton team member. And have also worked for Marriott for 20 years and IHG. Just because you work doesn't mean you're treated well. In fact many hotels treat us with disdain. Sometimes yes you may be treated better but rarely.
Since you said you generally avoid domestic Hiltons you may not have an option on this, buf if you traveled mainly in the US would you still say the card is worth it?
I meant "opinion" on this.
I suspect that this question was aimed at Lucky, but as somebody who does stay a lot in the United States on multiple road trips, I think this card is well worth it. I have had it for years. Your travel experience may be different. Most of my stays in a year are in small home towns visiting family. There are not a lot of hotel options, but you can earn lots of points staying...
I suspect that this question was aimed at Lucky, but as somebody who does stay a lot in the United States on multiple road trips, I think this card is well worth it. I have had it for years. Your travel experience may be different. Most of my stays in a year are in small home towns visiting family. There are not a lot of hotel options, but you can earn lots of points staying at the local Hampton Inn. I have been to some Hampton Inns I hate, but the one I stay at each month is the nicest option in town, and with bonuses and Diamond Status, it is easy to earn lots points. During tourist season, the prices at the local hotel can be high, but the points redemptions come to about 3 cents per point on a my stay. (which is pretty good for Hilton.). So, if you intend to use the free night cert at someplace like a Waldorf Astoria, and if you spend a lot of nights at highway hotels or in small towns, or just prefer not spending money at very expensive hotels in resorts and big cities, I think this is one of the better cards out there.
@Carl FLA - If you frequently stay at U.S. Hilton properties, the card is definitely worth it. But if you stay at domestic Hiltons infrequently (as in my case), the value of the card will mostly boil down to whether or not you can get enough value from the annual free night award. Are there any Conrad Hotels or Waldorf Astoria properties close to where you live or at destinations you travel to (for work...
@Carl FLA - If you frequently stay at U.S. Hilton properties, the card is definitely worth it. But if you stay at domestic Hiltons infrequently (as in my case), the value of the card will mostly boil down to whether or not you can get enough value from the annual free night award. Are there any Conrad Hotels or Waldorf Astoria properties close to where you live or at destinations you travel to (for work or leisure)? If so (as in my case), you can recoup most of the cost/value of the Amex Hilton Aspire's annual fee right there. Add in the annual flight and/or resort credits plus the complimentary Diamond status, and the net value of having the Aspire should be positive. If, however, you cannot get at least $350-$400 of value out of the free night award and if you rarely stay at Hiltons, then the math probably doesn't/won't work out for you.