Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen a slew of elevated welcome bonuses on hotel credit cards. Both Hilton and Marriott are now offering higher than usual welcome bonuses. With Marriott’s co-branded cards, you can earn up to 185,000 points or 5 free nights at qualifying properties. You can read all the details here. However, not everyone travels as frequently to be in a position to use points and free night certificates. Compared to its more expensive peers, Amex thankfully also offers a no annual fee option with the Hilton Honors card.
HILTON HONORS CARD
I started dipping my toes into the world of miles and points in 2012. I had corporate travel each month, which meant that I had to stay at an Embassy Suites, given its proximity to my office. That’s when I first picked up a co-branded Hilton Honors card by American Express. If you’re looking to get started and want some points to book your Hilton stay, then the Hilton Honors card is a great option.
With this offer on the Hilton Honors card, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 100,000 Hilton Honors points. You’ll earn the welcome bonus after you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months of card membership. This bonus should be easy to attain for most people, since you only need to spend $334 each month.
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EARNING POINTS
With the Hilton Honors card, your points can add up fast. The card offers some really lucrative bonus categories.
- 7x points for every dollar you spend at Hotels in the Hilton portfolio
- 5x points for every dollar you spend on dining/takeout/delivery, grocery and gas in the US
- 3x points for every dollar you spend on all other purchases
Simply put, this is a great card to use for expenses that you would incur during the month. I really like the 5x points category as it’s pretty broad and covers most of the categories I spend on during the month. If you drive to work and eat out on the weekends, then you can really earn a ton of points simply on those expenses.
Let’s say you spend $3,000 in a month in the 5x category. You’ll earn 180,000 Hilton Honors points in a single year if you put all those expenses on your card.
ELITE STATUS
In addition to bonus points, the card grants you Silver Elite status. You’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- No resort fees on award stays
- Digital check-in and check-out
- Free Wifi
- 20% bonus points on stays
- Free bottled water
- 5th night free on reward stays
While it’s not as great as Gold or Diamond status, it’s a good option if you’re just getting started with the Hilton portfolio. However, you can be upgraded to Gold status if you spend $20,000 on your card in a calendar year.
OTHER OPTIONS
Currently, American Express is also offering limited time welcome bonuses on all of their credit cards with Hilton as well. These cards may be a better fit for you if you stay at Hilton properties a few times each year and put a decent chunk of spend on your Hilton cards at those properties.
| Card Name | Welcome Bonus + Application Link | Minimum Spend Required in 6 months |
| Hilton Honors Card | 100,000 points | $2,000 |
| Hilton Surpass Card | 165,000 points | $3,000 |
| Hilton Aspire Card | 175,000 points + 1 free night certificate | $6,000 |
| Hilton Business Card | 175,000 points | $8,000 |
THE PUNDIT’S MANTRA
Overall, the Hilton Honors card is a great option to get started with earning points in the Hilton portfolio. While I’d highly recommend the Hilton Aspire card, it may not be for everyone, depending on your frequency and style of travel.
If you simply want to rack up a ton of Hilton points, then the Hilton Honors card and the Hilton Surpass card make perfect sense.
Which is your favorite co-branded Hilton credit card? Tel us in the comments section.
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Points might be a better deal than nights but I am not sure. I used 3 Marriott 50,000 point nights on the St Regis in Bangkok and the stay was wonderful.
But similar hotels in the US are about 70,000 to 80,000 points a night so you have to take a lesser Marriott brand.
Not always a problem but can be an issue depending on where you want to travel.