Although I solely keep at Hilton Honors properties a number of instances every year, I am a fan of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Even should you’re an rare Hilton visitor, the cardboard provides way more worth than its $550 annual payment (see rates and fees).
I get pleasure from getting complimentary Hilton Diamond status as a cardmember and have redeemed the annual free night certificate I get every year after renewing my card at spectacular properties. However one perk I have to rigorously plan my journeys to make the most of is the Hilton Aspire resort credit score.
So, this is what it’s best to know in regards to the Hilton Aspire resort credit score, together with the best way to decide which properties are eligible.
Hilton Aspire resort credit score fundamentals
When you’ve got the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, you may stand up to $200 in assertion credit twice a yr while you make eligible purchases immediately with taking part Hilton resort properties. Particularly, you may obtain one credit score of as much as $200 from January by way of June and one other between July and December, totaling $400 again yearly.
Contemplating the Hilton Aspire has a $550 annual payment, totally utilizing these assertion credit at taking part Hilton resorts every year can successfully cowl a good portion of your card’s annual payment. As such, you may need to strategize the best way to use the Hilton Aspire resort credit score throughout every qualifying interval.
Associated: Is the Hilton Aspire Amex card worth the annual fee?
The best way to use the Hilton Aspire resort credit score
To make use of the Hilton Aspire resort credit score, you or a certified consumer in your account ought to keep at an eligible Hilton resort and use your Hilton Aspire card to pay for eligible expenses.
Nonrefundable and advance buy charges don’t rely towards the Hilton Aspire resort credit score. Nonetheless, room charges and different incidental expenses to a room must be eligible while you pay on the property along with your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Associated: 11 best Hilton all-inclusive resorts
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Previously, some customers have had success utilizing their Hilton Aspire resort credit score when making spa or restaurant purchases at taking part properties, even with out staying.
Nevertheless, the terms of the Hilton Aspire resort credit score state, “Incidental expenses (together with expenses made at eating places, spas, and different institutions inside the lodge property) at a taking part Hilton Resort have to be charged to your room and paid for with a Hilton Honors American Categorical Aspire Card to be eligible for assertion credit by way of this profit.”
The phrases go on to state, “your buy is not going to be eligible if it isn’t recognized as being made immediately with a Hilton Resort (e.g., if a purchase order is made at a restaurant or comfort retailer inside a Hilton Resort).”
Some vacationers have additionally had luck getting the Hilton Aspire resort credit score to cowl superior deposits and present playing cards bought immediately with an eligible resort. For instance, TPG director of content material Carly Helfand bought present playing cards within the first half of the yr for a resort she was staying at within the second half of the yr, and TPG contributor Matt Moffitt known as a lodge to make a deposit on a 2025 keep close to the top of 2024.
Associated: Problems using your Hilton gift cards? Try this trick that worked for me
The phrases of the Hilton Aspire resort credit score say you “could not obtain the assertion credit score if we obtain inaccurate data or are in any other case unable to establish your buy as eligible, if a transaction is made with an digital pockets or by way of a 3rd get together (corresponding to an app retailer), or if the service provider makes use of a cellular or wi-fi card reader to course of it.” So, you should definitely have your bodily Hilton Aspire card with you when trying out of an eligible resort to make sure the cost is utilized towards your Hilton Aspire resort credit score.
As with many assertion credit, the credit score relies on the transaction date, which can differ from the date you made the acquisition. I extremely suggest that you do not wait till the previous few days of June or December to make an eligible buy at a Hilton resort. In any other case, the cost may put up after your present credit score expires.
It could take eight to 12 weeks for the assertion credit score(s) to put up to your account after your buy(s). If Amex hasn’t posted the assertion credit after 12 weeks have elapsed, name the quantity on the again of your card to talk with a customer support consultant.
Associated: 7 reasons to get the Hilton Amex Aspire Card
Hilton Aspire resort credit score checklist
The Hilton Aspire’s phrases direct you to view a list sorted by brand or region on the Hilton web site. I like to recommend utilizing the type by area operate, because it allows you to evaluation the presently eligible properties you could possibly embrace in an upcoming journey.
Do not use the search bar on the prime of this web page, although, as doing so may also show properties that are not eligible for the Hilton Aspire resort credit score.
Associated: The 21 best Hilton hotels in the world
How I exploit the Hilton Aspire resort credit score
My husband and I every have a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which suggests we have now two units of Hilton Aspire resort credit to make use of every January by way of June and July by way of December.
So, we discover two Hilton resorts to go to every year — one from January by way of June and one other between July and December — and cut up the invoice between our playing cards at checkout.
In 2024, we used the January by way of June credit on the Hilton Alexandria Corniche in Egypt. Our five-night keep price simply $433, so we used our credit to cowl all however $33. In the meantime, we used our July by way of December credit score for incidentals on the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, the place we used two free evening certificates and 150,000 Hilton factors for our room.
In 2025, we used the January by way of June credit on the Hilton Cartagena Lodge. Our three-night keep price $536, so we coated all however $136 with our Hilton Aspire resort credit. Then, we used the July by way of December credit on the DoubleTree Fallsview Resort & Spa by Hilton Niagara Falls. Our three-night keep plus parking price $457, so we used our credit to cowl all however $57.
We used certainly one of our credit on incidentals throughout a five-night award keep on the Hilton Niseko Village in February 2026. Nevertheless, I have not but determined the place we’ll use our different Hilton Aspire resort credit in 2026.
Associated: The 21 best Hilton hotels in the world
Use a number of credit on one Hilton keep
It is also doable to make use of a number of credit on a single Hilton keep. For instance, TPG contributor Matt Moffitt wrote about stacking benefits from two Amex cards to pay simply $35 per evening for a Hilton keep in Portugal.
In his case, he stacked his Hilton resort credit score with the up to $300 in statement credits he will get biannually (as much as $600 complete every year) on pay as you go Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimal two-night keep required) bookings by way of American Categorical Journey® as a advantage of his American Express Platinum Card®
Nevertheless, there are different credit you could additionally probably use on a single keep.
For instance, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express provides me as much as $200 in statement credits per calendar year (as much as $50 per quarter; enrollment within the Hilton for Enterprise program required) once I use my Amex Enterprise Platinum card to make eligible purchases immediately with a property within the Hilton portfolio.
Likewise, it is price checking whether or not any Chase Offers or Amex Offers apply to your keep. Then, take into account the way you need to cut up your cost to take advantage of all of your credit and provides earlier than you attain the check-in desk. I’ve by no means had a problem asking the entrance desk to separate cost for a keep throughout a number of playing cards.
Associated: How to maximize the statement credits on Hilton’s cobranded credit cards
Backside line
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is without doubt one of the most useful hotel credit cards available on the market. The cardboard’s complimentary Hilton Diamond standing and 14 factors per greenback earnings on eligible purchases made immediately with lodges or resorts inside the Hilton portfolio are simple to maximise.
Maximizing Hilton Aspire resort credit and the annual free evening certificates requires extra planning. However even should you do not totally make the most of these perks, you may probably discover the cardboard provides greater than sufficient worth to justify its annual payment.
And should you do not have already got the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, the cardboard is presently providing new cardmembers 175,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. This supply ends April 15.
To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Hilton Aspire.
Apply right here: Hilton Aspire
For charges and costs of the Hilton Honors Aspire card, click on here.
Trending Merchandise
