Hilton Honors American Express Card Review
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When I first began traveling, I stayed in hostels. I was on a tight budget and they were affordable. As a traveler, I still enjoy the hostel vibe, but now that I’m running my own business, it is important to have more privacy and space. And I love sticking to one brand because you can get free breakfast, upgrades, and rooms.
Whether you’re a seasoned backpacker or just an occasional traveler, having at least one hotel credit card is a game-changer. It’s a great way to save money on hotel accommodations and improve your experience. This is why I’m highlighting one of the most popular hotel cards available, the Hilton Honors American Express Card. This card is perfect for those who are looking for a low-fee card that offers good benefits. What is the Hilton Honors American Express Card? The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers hotel rewards. You can earn 5x the points in US restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations. All other purchases will earn you 3x points. This card has no annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) It’s perfect for those who are just starting out and don’t wish to pay an annual fee. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
7x points on Hilton hotels and resorts
5x points on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
3x points for all other purchases
Complimentary Hilton Honors(tm) Silver status
No foreign transaction fees
Extended warranty*: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year to an original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
7x points on Hilton hotels and resorts
- 5x points on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 3x points on all other purchases
- Complimentary Hilton Honors(tm) Silver status
- No foreign transaction fees
- Extended warranty*: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year to an original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less.
- Purchase protection*: Purchase protection covers items accidentally damaged, stolen or lost if you paid for them with your card. This benefit covers purchases up to 90-days and up to $1,000 each item (upto $50,000 per year). This benefit is secondary coverage to your own auto insurance and doesn’t include liability.
- Complimentary Card Benefit: Hilton Honors Silver Status
- Being a member of Hilton Honors, Hilton’s loyalty program, offers a lot of perks and benefits (based on elite status of course). Hilton Honors rewards frequent travelers with free stays, upgrades and other benefits. It’s free to join the program, and basic members enjoy waived resort fees on award stays as well as free Wi-Fi.
Without the card, you’d earn higher status via spending a specific number of nights each year at a Hilton property. You can earn 20% more points on eligible stays compared to base members. You can carry over up to two additional nights to earn higher elite status the following year. The fifth free night perk is my favorite. It can be used as many times as you like, though it’s limited to four nights. But who stays at a hotel 20 nights straight? Hilton Honors does not publish a chart of awards. The number of points required to book a hotel room is not fixed. The room rate is determined by supply and demand. This means that the cost of a stay can range from 5,000 to 150,000 points (150k for the Hilton resort on the Maldives). Sometimes, it’s even higher! You’ll still find that the majority of stays are between 30,000 and 60,000 points.
Unfortunately, the lack of an award chart also means it’s a bit more challenging to figure out how to get the best value out of your points. Hilton’s Points Explorer can help you find hotels that accept points. You can also manually search for properties and locations you are interested in. You can filter your results by the number of points you have available, the destination and type of property (such as resorts or boutique hotels).
However I recommend that you use tools such as Awayz to find the best deals, and get the most from your points. Awayz allows you to compare cash prices to points prices to see where you can get the best value for your points. I’ve found some pretty great deals using it!
Pros of the Hilton Honors Card
- No annual fee Complimentary elite status
- Fifth night free on award staysIncreased points earning rates at Hilton properties as well as U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- Cons of the Hilton Honors Card Status perks are pretty basic
- No bonus points earned on general travel purchases
- Who is this Card For? This card is for Hilton fans who are looking to earn free nights using a card without an annual fee. This card is a good choice if you don’t mind a low-level elite status but want to earn decent rates of return on your purchases. If you want more flexibility in your rewards, or if better Hilton benefits are important to you (like free drinks and food or access to the hotel lounge), then I would suggest a premium or mid-tier Hilton card. The card you choose should be matched to your travel style!
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The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers a good option to anyone who wants to get a taste of the hotel loyalty program world. It’s a great way to earn points on Hilton stays without spending extra money.
Stop paying full price for travel!
Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! This is how the pros travel! This guide will show you how to:
How To Pick A Credit Card
How To Earn Up to 10x More Miles On Your Spending
How To Redeem Your Points
And Tons of Other Money-Saving Tips!
Book your Trip: Logistical Tricks and Tips
Book your Flight
- Find Cheap Flights Using Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
- Book Your Accommodation
- You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
- Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- Want to Travel for Free?
- Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Want to travel for free? Travel credit cards let you earn points which can be redeemed for flights and accommodations for no extra cost. Visit my guide on choosing the best card to see my favorite deals and to learn how to get started. Ready to book your trip?
Check out my resource page to find the best travel companies. Here are all the companies I use to travel. You can’t go far wrong with them. They are top-of-the-line and the best you can get.
Card benefits and eligibility levels may vary. Conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
