Is the $100 real estate credit available to some Hilton cardholders worth using?
Hilton Honors offers several co-branded products American Express. the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is a solid mid-level card, but believe me Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the most underrated hotel credit card.
It’s easy to get more than worth the Hilton Aspire’s $550 annual fee each year. After all, the Hilton Aspire offers many perks, including an airline fee credit of up to $200 per calendar year (up to $50 per quarter), up to $400 Hilton Resort Credit per calendar year (up to $200 semi-annually), Hilton Honors free night rewards Every year accounts celebrate and it’s free Hilton Honors diamond status.
An additional benefit of the Hilton Aspire card you may have seen but not investigated is a property credit of up to $100 on qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties (requires deposit Minimum stay of two nights). Let’s take a closer look at this benefit.
Information about the Hilton Aspire card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What is Hilton Aspire Property Credit?
The Hilton Aspire Property Credit gives you up to $100 in credit per booking. However, to receive credit, you must:
- Use your Hilton Aspire card to book through special landing page or by calling Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757.
- Book a minimum two-night stay at a Waldorf Astoria or Conrad hotel.
- Book a room package that qualifies for up to a $100 property credit (refer to ZZAAP1 when booking by phone or look for the “Aspire Card Benefits” level when booking online).
If you meet these three requirements, you’ll receive an asset credit of up to $100 per booking to use toward qualifying charges. Qualifying fees may include eat and drinkspa treatments and golf, but excludes “property fees, taxes, gratuities and room rates”. Check with your hotel front desk for details on which fees qualify for credit.
The hotel will apply a property credit of up to USD 100 to your bill upon payment. You can receive property credits for multiple stays per year. However, if you book multiple rooms during a stay, you will only receive one property credit.
Additionally, consecutive stays within 24 hours at the same property are considered one stay and therefore will only be eligible for one property credit.
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Related: Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire: Which card is right for you?
How to book a Hilton hotel room with property credit
To book a stay at Hilton with up to $100 in real estate credit, visit the special landing page here or call Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757 and refer to ZZAAP1. I recommend searching online via the special landing page, where you can quickly and easily check prices for multiple properties and dates.
Start by entering your Hilton Aspire card number on the landing page.
After entering your valid Hilton Aspire card number, you will reach a page where you need to select your hotel and dates of stay. Remember that this credit is only available to guests staying at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels.
After clicking “Book Now”, you will see the results. Note that you will see them all Hilton brand in these results. To see eligible Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties, look for the words “Aspire Card Benefits” above the “View Rates” button.
Click “See Price” for qualifying Conrad or Waldorf Astoria properties. You’ll see the room types at that property, with Aspire card benefits listed under “Quick Book” for each room type.
Click the “Quick Book” button for one of the Aspire card benefit levels and then complete your booking as usual.
The benefit terms note that you must “use your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to make the reservation.” Since the Hilton Aspire earns 14 Hilton points for every dollar spent directly with participating Hilton hotels and resorts, this is a great deal. card to use when booking a Hilton hotel room.
Related: How much value does Hilton Honors status offer when you book directly?
Is the Aspire card’s rate benefits worth booking in advance?
So now you know what the Hilton Aspire property credit up to $100 is and how to book it. But are the Aspire card’s benefit rates competitive?
To find out, let’s look at a few samples make a reservation with Hilton for a two-night stay from September 9 to September 11. Although you can book accommodations at the Conrad and Waldorf Astoria using other methods, booking directly with Hilton ensures that you will receive elite benefits and income.
Conrad Bengaluru
Let’s start with the Conrad Bengaluru example shown above. A two-night stay will cost $474 using the Aspire card benefit rate.
Meanwhile, the same two-night stay at the Conrad Bengaluru would cost $527 using Honors’ discounted rate:
As you can see, a two-night stay at the Hilton Honors rate is just $53 more. So I was happy to book the Aspire card offer for this stay.
Conrad New York City Center
You can book the Aspire card benefit at Conrad New York Downtown for this two-night stay for $1,868:
The Honors discounted rate at Conrad New York Downtown will run you $2,027 for the same stay:
As you can see, it still makes sense to book the benefits of the Aspire card, as not only is it cheaper, but you also get the benefits of the Aspire.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
If you want to stay in a newly renovated place Conrad Maldives Rangali IslandA two-night stay would cost $1,716 using the Aspire card benefit level:
Meanwhile, an Honors member discount that includes breakfast would cost $1,883 for the same two-night stay at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island:
The Aspire card’s benefit rate is about $167 cheaper. Since both prices are flexible, setting the Aspire price was a no-brainer.
Related: Hotel devaluation again: Hilton increased the price of some properties to 120,000 points/night
Other ways to book accommodations at the Conrad and Waldorf Astoria
Of course, there are other ways to book an ambitious Hilton Honors hotel room. For example, you can book select Conrad and Waldorf Astoria hotels through programs like American Express Luxury Hotels + Resorts And Chase Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collectionproviding additional privileges for the elite.
Doing so will sometimes provide better value than using the Aspire card’s benefit rate. For example, I can book a two-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas for $1,038 through Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which includes daily breakfast for two and a property credit worth $125.
But elite benefits and earnings aren’t guaranteed when you book through Fine Hotels + Resorts, so Hilton elite member may prefer to book directly with Hilton.
You can also book Hilton hotels through Credit card travel portal and online travel agencies. However, you may not receive elite benefits and earnings by not booking directly with Hilton. Additionally, rates not booked through a special landing page or by calling Hilton Honors will not be eligible for the Hilton Aspire property credit up to $100.
Finally, you can also take a look Redeem Hilton Honors points for your vacation. In short, consider your total income, perks, and price point when deciding how to book. Be sure to check for any additional rates you may be eligible for, including AAA rates.
Related: 20 best Hilton hotels in the world
Bottom line
The Aspire card’s benefit rate is definitely worth checking out when staying at the Conrad or Waldorf Astoria if you have the Hilton Aspire. At less expensive properties, such as Conrad Bengaluru, the Aspire card’s beneficial rate may be an easy choice.
But in other accommodations, especially those that can be booked through programs like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts And Chase Luxury Hotels & Resorts CollectionThe decision may be less clear.
Ultimately, the Aspire card’s rate benefits will typically make the most sense for two-night stays. Finally, you’ll only receive a property credit of up to $100 regardless of whether you stay two nights or 10 nights.
Learn more: Hilton American Express Aspire
Related: 7 great ways to use your 100,000 Hilton Honors points and free night rewards