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Frequent and casual travelers alike could find a new favorite travel companion.
American Express hotel cards offer two loyalty programs for cardholders to choose from.
One is Hilton Honors, which has a suite of three cards. The other is the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Our pick for Amex hotel rewards: Hilton Honors American Express Card
Earn 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands.
Earn 5x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
No foreign transaction fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
Earn 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands.
Earn 5x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
No foreign transaction fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
See Rates & FeesThe no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card doesn’t have many perks, but you can earn good rewards for everyday purchases. The card may be a great choice if you want to save your points for an occasional stay at a Hilton property.
No annual fee.
Hilton Honors American Express Card can help you keep costs low while you accumulate rewards.
Welcome offer: 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points.
To earn them, make $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of your account opening.
Rewards: Up to 7x points.
When you make eligible purchases at participating properties in the Hilton Portfolio, you’ll earn 7x points. Earn 5x points on purchases at US restaurants, US supermarkets and gas purchases in the US, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases.
Complimentary Silver status in the Hilton Honors program.
You’ll receive your fifth night free when you book a stay of five nights or more with all points.
Hilton Honors Silver isn’t a huge step up from basic membership.
Gold status offers more valuable benefits, such as complimentary breakfast and room upgrades.
Watch the APR.
With poorer credit, you may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 26.99% variable. You’ll also want to be careful of the penalty APR for late or returned payments.
Earn 125,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card after you use your new card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year.
Earn 12x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
Earn 6x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
See Rates & FeesThere are three cards in Amex’s Hilton collection, and the mid-tier option brings the most bang for your buck. It costs $95 a year, but you’ll earn strong rewards on Hilton stays and eligible dining, groceries and gas.
Gold status in the Hilton Honors program sweetens the deal. It includes valuable perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades, and you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to earn it.
To earn them, make $2,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months of card membership.
Rewards: Up to 12x points.
Earn 12x Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you spend at a participating property in the Hilton Portfolio. Earn 6x points at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases.
Complimentary Gold status in the Hilton Honors program.
This is the second-highest tier. It offers perks beyond Silver status, like room upgrades upon availability and complimentary breakfast.
10 complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges every year.
The no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card doesn’t offer Priority Pass access.
Annual fee: $95.
This is a common price for a mid-tier travel card.
Must spend $15,000 in purchases on your card each calendar year to earn the Weekend Night Reward.
That’s a high spending threshold to meet for a complimentary night on the weekend.
Be careful of the APR.
You may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 26.99% variable. Also, the card has a penalty APR for late or returned payments.
See Rates & FeesThe Hilton Honors™ Aspire Card is the top-tier option among American Express’s Hilton Honors™ cards.
Welcome offer: 150,000 points.
To earn them, make $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Rewards: Up to 14x points.
Earn 14x points on eligible purchases within Hilton Portfolio hotels and resorts.
Earn 7x points at US restaurants, on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, and on car rentals booked directly through select car rental companies. And earn 3x points on all other eligible purchases.
Weekend Night Award.
You’ll earn one Weekend Night Reward after you receive your card, and every year after renewal. This is a certificate valid for one weekend night standard accommodation at a property in the Hilton Portfolio.
$250 Hilton resort statement credit.
Receive a $250 statement credit for eligible purchases at participating Hilton Resorts. If you take advantage of it, it’ll effectively help you cover more than half of the card’s annual fee.
Annual fee: $450.
The Hilton Honors™ Aspire Card is a premium travel card, and its annual fee reflects that.
Penalty APR.
If you make a late or returned payment, American Express may apply a 29.99% variable APR to all of your balances. This is known as a penalty APR, and it could apply to your account for six months or more.
The annual statement credit offsets a large portion of its yearly fee, and the card’s other flagship perks are worth a lot. One of its best features is the 3x-point tier, which will help you earn points faster on eligible flights and dining.
Welcome offer: 100,000 bonus points.
To earn them, make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of your account opening.
Rewards: Earn up to 6x points.
On eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, you’ll earn 6x points. Earn 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x points on other eligible purchases.
$300 in Marriott Bonvoy statement credit.
You can use this for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties. It’s a fantastic perk that offsets a significant portion of the card’s annual fee.
Annual Free Night Award.
Each card year, you’ll receive a Free Night Award. It’s good for one night worth 50,000 points or less at a participating Marriott Bonvoy hotel.
Complimentary Gold Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
This status tier comes with perks like 2 p.m. late checkout based on availability, an in-hotel welcome gift and enhanced room upgrades based on availability.
Travel perks.
Enjoy benefits like a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, complimentary access to Priority Pass Select lounges, no foreign transaction fees and more.
Annual fee: $450.
The card comes with a steep price. However, the $300 statement credit largely offsets the fee.
Potentially high APR.
You may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 26.99% variable.
Penalty APR.
If you make a late or returned payment, American Express may apply a 29.99% variable APR to all of your balances.
How to compare American Express hotel credit cards
American Express offers more than one card for its partner hotel chains, and it might be difficult to make the right pick. Here are a few factors to consider while comparing products.
Annual fee. Amex sticks to standard annual fees: $0, $95 and $450. Figuring out what you’re willing to pay can be a great starting point.
Rewards. Think about your annual spending and see if it fits with a card’s bonus categories.
Welcome offer. A healthy haul of bonus points can tip the scales if you’re facing a close decision. The welcome offers from all of Amex’s hotel cards are enough to earn you a free night at eligible properties
Hotel loyalty program status. All of Amex’s hotel cards come with complimentary status upgrades in their respective loyalty programs. Check out the differences between Silver and Gold status in the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs and see which perks you want.
Airport lounge access. Consider whether you want airport lounge access. You might not mind forgoing it if you rarely travel. When choosing between the mid-tier and premium cards, consider whether you’re OK with limited lounge access.
Amex’s hotel cards are similar in many ways. However, closely looking at key differences between them can help you make your final decision. Go through the list of comparison factors we’ve discussed, and you’ll be well on your way to picking the winner.
Kevin Chen is a world-travelin', copy-writin', Game of Thrones-watchin' credit cards writer for finder.com. When he's not crunching the numbers on bonus points and comparing APRs, you can find him flying around the world in search of the perfect beer.
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