A few weeks back, I wrote about the limited time welcome bonus offers that Amex is currently running on their co-branded Hilton credit cards. There’s one particular credit card bonus that stands out for me – that’s the one on the Hilton Surpass card. If you’re looking to book a stay at a top tier Hilton property, then now is a great time to sign up for the card.
Amazing credit card bonus slipping under the radar?
Putting those free night certificates to good use #maldives #travel pic.twitter.com/5WAIMbh0KM
— The Points Pundit (Ashish) (@thepointspundit) March 25, 2022
I recently tweeted about how I used my free night certificates in order to book 4 nights at the Conrad Maldives. Thanks to my Hilton Aspire card, I had multiple free night certificates that got rolled over and extended due to Covid-19. I finally put them to good use and booked 4 nights.
I’ve written extensively about some of the games that Hilton properties in the Maldives play. They often show exaggerated points redemption prices and block inventory for points booking even when multiple standard rooms are available for cash stays. However, I was able to snag a Sunrise Water Villa using my free night certificates.
Hilton Surpass Credit Card Bonus
With this current welcome bonus, you’ll earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points and 1 free night certificate after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
So what’s so great about this particular offer on the Hilton Surpass card compared to other offers?
Points v/s certificates
We’ve seen Amex offer bonuses as high as 180,000 Hilton Honors bonus points on the Hilton Surpass card. Here’s why this offer is better. When you book using a free night certificate, you only need to find a standard room available at that property. Let’s take the example of my Conrad Maldives stay. Booking 4 nights would’ve cost me 120,000 x 4 = 480,000 Hilton Honors points. In a nutshell, each free night certificate was worth 120,000 points while booking at an aspirational Hilton property like the Conrad Maldives.
The same room would’ve cost me close to $8,000 in cash for 4 nights
If you sign up for this particular offer, you can easily book a minimum of 2 nights at the Conrad Maldives once you get your free night and 130,000 points welcome bonus. A Sunrise Water Villa costs around $2,000 per night after you add all taxes and surcharges. If you book 2 nights with this bonus, you’ll easily earn $4,000 in value out of your hotel stay.
Stretching out value, mixing and matching
Once Hilton issues a free night certificate, it’s valid for one year. If you want to book a stay, you can mix a points stay with a free night certificate. For example, any hotel that costs 65,000 points per night will help you book a three night stay. You can book the first two nights with points and then the third with your free night certificate. If you look at Hilton’s portfolio, you’ll find a lot of properties in the 60-65,000 points per night range, right from the Hilton Waikiki beach (Hawaii) to Conrad Bali (just 28k points per night).
I’ve stayed at this hotel and I think it’s a great deal at 28k points per night!
Conversely, you can also book the Conrad Singapore, which costs 60,000 points per night. With this welcome bonus, you’ll get three free nights when you add the free night certificate to your booking.
Leveraging Status
With the Hilton Surpass card, you’ll get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. In addition to complimentary breakfast at hotels outside the US, you’ll also get 5th night free while booking with points.
For instance, you can book five nights at Conrad Bali for just 112,000 Hilton Honors points, all from a single card bonus. Moreover, you’ll still have your free night certificate left after booking this trip!
Lower Minimum Spend Requirement
Unlike previous Hilton credit card bonuses, this bonus has a minimum spend requirement of just $2,000 in 3 months. For most folks, spending $667 each month should be pretty straightforward in order to meet the welcome bonus requirement.
The Pundit’s Mantra
Please note that Amex enforces their ‘once in a lifetime’ rule on their while offering a bonus. They may not give you the welcome bonus if you’ve received a bonus on the same card product in the past. Thankfully, Amex’s pop up lets you know if that’s the case.
If eligible, then I’d highly recommend that you jump on this amazing credit card bonus. In spite of its shortfalls, I continue to be a long time Hilton loyalist, thanks to their massive global footprint and some amazing co-branded credit cards.
If you’re not eligible for the Hilton Surpass card, you can also sign up for the Hilton Business Card, which is simply a business version of the Hilton Surpass card. The Hilton Business credit card is also offering a similar welcome bonus of 130,000 points and one free night.
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I completely agree that this is a totally underrated card. With a relative low annual fee, it offers a decent earning structure, the ability to charge your way to Diamond, and the ten priority pass visits.
Exactly. The Aspire gets a lot more attention, but the Surpass is an amazing card for a $95 annual fee.
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