Hilton Honors American Express Card Review [2024]: Excellent Rewards with No Annual Fee

Who should get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?

I like the Hilton Honors American Express card because it has no annual fee. Knowing I can earn 7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio helps me feel like I’m getting a great deal when I travel and stay at my favorite hotel brand. Whether traveling for work or pleasure, I find everything I need with this hotel brand. It has hotels in all the desired locations and always makes me feel like I’m at a luxury resort. Whether traveling to the beach, a bustling city, or taking the family to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, I can always count on finding the best accommodations with Hilton.

However, this card may not fit you best if you’re not a Hilton loyalist like me. While you can earn 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, the redemption value is somewhat low compared to other cash back cards. For instance, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card averages one cent per point, while the Hilton Honors Amex averages 0.5 to 0.6 cents per point, which may not provide non-Hilton spenders with valuable rewards.

Card basics

Hilton Honors American Express benefits & perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (offer ends 7/31/2024). Depending on how you redeem your points, Hilton Honors points are worth 0.5 to 0.6 cents apiece on average.
• No annual fee: Annual fees aren’t inherently bad, but they do require you to get enough value out of cards to make up for them. With no annual fee, you can use your card without wondering whether it’s worth it.
• Silver elite status: The card offers complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, which comes with extra benefits regular members don’t have. Examples include a fifth night free at Hilton properties, two bottles of water in your room, and elite tier rollover nights. Enrollment required.
• Path to Gold elite status: If you spend at least $20,000 on your card in a calendar year, you’ll be bumped up to Gold elite status. The upgrade is valid for the calendar year it's earned through the end of the next calendar year. This level provides more perks beyond Silver, including room upgrades, daily food and beverage credit (U.S. hotels only) or complimentary breakfast (non-U.S. hotels), and unlimited milestone bonuses.
• Trip protections: The card doesn’t offer a lot in the way of travel protections, but you will get rental car insurance (secondary coverage) and access to a Global Assist Hotline. There are also no foreign transaction fees, which can save you money when on international travel.¹²

Other card benefits:

American Express experiences

Cardholders get access to ticket presales and exclusive events, including concerts, plays, and sporting events. I enjoy accessing the exclusive tickets for some of the hottest events. Most recently, I was able to purchase Amex Reserved Tickets™ to Carrie Underwood’s Las Vegas residency concert. I’m a big fan of hers, so this was a major benefit to me.

In addition to Amex Reserved Tickets™, I have access to their Premium Events Collection™, which provides exclusive access to premier events, and Amex Presale Tickets™, which offers early access to the hottest tickets to concerts and plays. I enjoy having exclusive access to some of the hottest events.

Send & Split®

American Express makes sharing bills or purchases easy using the Amex app. When your friends or family pay you back with Venmo or PayPal, you can direct the funds to your credit card to pay the balance. I like this feature because it stops me from spending the money that should go to my credit card bill.

I enjoy this feature because it makes splitting bills with my friends easier. I can buy concert tickets with my card to get early access and immediately send them requests to pay their portion of the bill. Amex immediately credits my statement balance, and I earn rewards points for the purchase.

Amex offers

The Amex app is a gateway to exclusive offers. Before you shop or buy tickets, a quick check on the Amex app could provide exciting rewards. By activating the offer before making a purchase, you can earn extra rewards on specific purchases, making the most of your spending.

The offers vary by cardholder, and not everyone is eligible. To get access, you must sign up online or in the Amex app. For example, I currently have offers for up to $30 back on Ray-Ban purchases of $150 or more or up to $20 back by spending $60 or more at Hydroflask.com.

Purchase protection

Purchases made with your Amex have 90 days of purchase protection, covering them from theft or accidental damage.

Earning & redeeming Hilton Honors points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your Hilton Honors points can add up with the Hilton Honors American Express Card. We calculated these values using a point valuation of .006.

Remember, this is an estimation. Your actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories.

Year one earnings: $1,345

Year two earnings: $960

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

Even though this card doesn’t have an annual fee, it’s still important to have a solid strategy to maximize your points.

Like virtually all of the best hotel credit cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Card offers bonus rewards on purchases made with its co-branded hotel partner. You’ll earn 7X points per dollar spent on hotels and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio.

The card also offers 5X points per dollar on purchases at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, as well as 3X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. The more you spend at Hilton hotels and in other bonus categories, the easier it will be to rack up rewards.

Maximizing your redemptions

Like many travel cards, the Hilton Honors American Express card has a dynamic rewards program, so the value of your points varies based on how and where you book. I like this because it gives me control over how I spend my points; I always ensure I get the most bang for my buck to make it worth it.

It’s probably no surprise that the greatest redemption value comes from using points to book Hilton stays. I prefer to use my points this way because it’s like saving money on traveling, and we all know that’s not easy today.

As I said earlier, the average points are worth 0.5 to 0.6 cents each, but this varies widely, depending on how you redeem the points. This includes Hilton hotel stays. For example, if you stay somewhere wildly popular during its busy season, you’ll get less value from your points than if you booked in a less popular area or at a slower time.

To determine whether to use my points, I calculate the redemption value when paying with points versus paying without points. My threshold is 0.6 cents per point, but I try to aim for an even higher value.

To determine the redemption value, I divide the cash price of the hotel stay (or any other redemption option) by the number of points required to redeem. For example, if a hotel stay is 85,000 points and the cash price per night is $400, that’s a value of 0.47 cents per point and not worth the redemption.

There are options to redeem points for non-Hilton hotel stays, but the redemption value is typically low and not worth it, so I believe this card is only for people who are truly loyal to the Hilton brand.

Hilton Honors transfer partners

Hilton Honors travel partners include over 30 airline, rail, and mileage rewards programs, including Amtrak, Hawaiian Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.

If you want to boost your Hilton Honors point balance, transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards or Diners Club. As a U.S. Hilton cardholder, you will receive 2,000 Hilton Honors points for every 1,000 Amex Membership Rewards points you transfer.

FAQs

Other cards to consider

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a solid no annual fee card for anyone who wants to earn rewards with Hilton. However, if you want more flexibility with your travel rewards credit card or more Hilton-specific perks, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card may be a better fit.

As a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder, you get access to the popular Chase Travel℠ program. This loyalty program is widely known for its flexible redemption options. You can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for airfare, hotel stays, gift cards, and more. In some cases, you can maximize the value of your points when you transfer them to one of Chase's 13 airline partners or hotel partners.

For frequent travelers and loyal Hilton guests, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card may be a better option. While the Hilton Honors Surpass does come with an annual fee of $150, this credit card offers a higher rewards rate — 12X points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts; 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.

Generous Rewards and Lucrative Welcome Bonus

Hilton Honors American Express Card

4.5

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (offer ends 7/31/2024)

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• High rewards rates
• Complimentary Silver status
• No foreign transaction fee
• $0 annual fee (Terms apply)

Drawbacks

• Not many premium travel benefits
• High APR
• Need to be loyal to Hilton to maximize value
• Lower redemption value than other credit cards

Card Details

• Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (offer ends 7/31/2024)
• 7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply