Across the major international hotel chains, there are dozens of co-branded hotel credit cards to pick from. But few, if any, provide more value to travelers than the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
From instant top-tier Diamond elite status to an uncapped annual free night certificate (available in your first year), there's a lot to like about this card. But no benefit will help you recoup the card's $550 annual fee (see rates & fees) faster than the up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits. These credits get doled out in $200 increments every six months so using them isn't quite as simple as booking a nice weekend getaway every year – but even so, they provide cardholders with real value.
The only trouble? In the past, using this credit required a bit of trial and error. That's because not every Hilton property with “resort” in the name would qualify … and many without it did. But now, there's an official list of eligible properties where you can redeem this benefit, making it easier to plan ahead in order to score some major savings.
From room upgrades to dining and activities, here are some of our favorite ways to use the Hilton Aspire resort credit.
Read more: Why the Hilton Aspire is the Best Hotel Credit Card, Period
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How the Hilton Aspire Resort Credit Works
Each year you hold the Hilton Honors Aspire card, you get up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits to use at select Hilton properties around the world. It's broken up into two chunks: You'll get $200 in the first half of the year (January through June) and then another $200 in the second half of the year (July through December).
This credit alone eats up more than half of the card's $550 annual fee, and it's incredibly easy to use. It works at hundreds of participating Hilton properties around the globe – and not just spots with the word “resort” in the name. From Waldorf Astoria locations in Las Vegas and Dubai to Conrads in Mexico and the Caribbean, and even some everyday Hilton's across the U.S. and around the world, there are more places to use this credit than you may think.
Check out the full list of eligible properties!
Best Ways to Use the Hilton Aspire Resort Credit
Book a Room (or Pay for an Upgrade)
The most obvious way to make use of this credit is by booking a stay at a Hilton resort property (or paying for an upgrade). But it's important to note that not every resort property will qualify, and you'll want to be sure to book an eligible rate.
With Hilton recently introducing an official list of eligible properties, picking a qualifying resort has gotten a lot easier. But if you prefer to begin your search with a specific destination, you can always select the “Resort” filter on the Hilton homepage and go from there. This should help you narrow down the eligible properties but again, it'll be worth cross-referencing with the official list.
If you're planning to put your Hilton Aspire resort credit to use offsetting your nightly room rate, you'll want to make sure you don't book an advanced purchase or non-refundable rate. The terms of this credit specifically exclude those rate types for being eligible for reimbursement. But beyond that requirement, simply booking a stay at an eligible resort directly through Hilton's website is all it takes. Amex says the credit should appear on your statement within 12 weeks, but in our experience it's usually much quicker than that.
So what if you booked a stay using points? With Hilton, it's not uncommon to be offered a paid upgrade at check-in. This means you can use your card's semi-annual resort credit to help wipe out some of the cost of moving to a better room type and still keep that free(ish) feeling. That's exactly what I did on a recent stay at the Conrad Tokyo, moving from a city-view room to a much pricier bay-view suite for a nominal up-charge. And another member of our team used this tactic at an all-inclusive Hilton in Cancun earlier this year.
So, if you don't score a complimentary upgrade on account of having Hilton's top-tier Diamond status, it could be worth inquiring about paid upgrades and using your resort credit to cover the cost.
Read more: A Complete Guide to the Hilton Honors Program: Free Nights, Credit Cards & More
Save on Transportation Costs
On trips to remote islands in the Maldives or French Polynesia, you'll likely need to cough up some serious change to get to and from the airport … whether that's by boat or seaplane.
Even if you're able to book a top-tier property with Hilton points (like from a Thrifty Traveler Premium Hotel Alert), you'll still be on the hook for these added costs. Luckily, you can wipe these costs away with your Aspire resort credit.
During a stay at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, our executive editor Kyle was able to cover the bulk of his roundtrip boat transfer from the airport directly to the hotel with his Hilton Aspire card's resort credit. And with a little strategy, you might be able to use up both semi-annual chunks of your credit on a single stay.
Read our full Conrad Bora Bora Nui review!
By pre-paying for such costs (as he did), you can put the full $400 towards the cost of transportation by splitting it up into two separate payments. You should be able to do the same for seaplane transfers in the Maldives, car transfers to the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, or any other prepaid cost billed directly to an eligible Hilton resort.
Or if your transportation isn't more than $200, you could pre-pay for that part now and preserve the second $200 to cover drinks, meals, and other expenses during your stay later on.
Read more: How the Hilton Aspire Card Saved Me $866 in Bora Bora
Cover Dinner, Drinks & Other Charges
When you're on vacation, you have to eat. If you're at a five-star resort in a place like Bora Bora (or any isolated island) it's never cheap.
But having $200 in credits allows you to live (a bit) larger while still keeping things relatively thrifty. If you're staying on a remote island, you're sure to rack up a substantial bill of dinners, drinks, snacks, and room service charges.
Just be sure to charge everything to your room and pay with your Hilton Aspire card at checkout. Then watch the $200 credit kick in to erase a decent chunk of it a week or so later. Every bit helps!
Bottom Line
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is arguably the most valuable hotel credit card on the market. While perks like top-tier elite status and an annual free-night award are noteworthy, getting up to $400 to use at Hilton resorts each year can easily make this card a keeper for the long-haul.