The 7 best credit cards for maximizing Hilton stays

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Hilton is one of the largest hotel chains worldwide, with over 7,500 properties globally. This hotel brand offers everything from affordable highway inns to luxurious resorts and suites. If you prefer to stay at a Hilton, it may be worthwhile to maximize your stay through free nights and other perks. 

The right card can unlock free night certificates, room upgrades, resort credits, complimentary breakfast, late checkout, and more. 

We considered co-branded and flexible rewards cards when choosing the best Hilton cards. Factors we weighed in our decision included Hilton-specific benefits, rewards rates, spending categories, welcome bonuses, and annual fees.

Best Hilton credit cards

We selected the top options across categories — from no annual fee to premium perks — to determine which card might best fit your wallet.

• Best for no annual fee: Hilton Honors American Express Card
• Best for frequent Hilton stays: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
• Best for Hilton loyalists: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Best for small business owners: Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
• Best for flexible travel: American Express® Green Card
• Best for dining and groceries: American Express® Gold Card
• Best for VIP travel perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best for no annual fee

Rewards: 

• 7X points on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts 
• 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations 
• 3X points on other eligible purchases 

Annual fee: $0. See rates and fees. 

The Hilton Honors Card offers a nice welcome bonus without an annual fee — making it a sensible choice for occasional stays. 

This card also comes with a nice lineup of additional perks, especially for a card with no annual fee. Cardholders can earn Hilton Honors Silver status with Free Night Awards, digital check-in, and more. 

The downside is that there aren’t elite status perks like room upgrades or lounge access that premium Hilton cards offer. Rewards earnings rates are also lower compared to pricier alternatives.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best for frequent Hilton stays

Rewards: 

• 12X points on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts 
• 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, 
• 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases 
• 3X on other eligible purchases 

Annual fee: $150. See rates and fees. 

The Hilton Surpass Card packs far a punch for travelers devoted to Hilton properties. It comes with an annual fee that can be offset by perks like Free Night Rewards and Hilton Honors Gold status. 

With this card, you’ll get complimentary Gold Status, which comes with room upgrades, free breakfast, a fifth night free on award bookings, and bonus points. You’ll also get 10 free day passes to Priority Pass airport lounges annually. Remember, you must spend $15,000 on the card each year to earn the Free Night Award. 

Other benefits include access to exclusive Amex events and unique dining experiences. The Surpass Card includes travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees for extra peace of mind on trips. 

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Best for luxury Hilton benefits

Rewards: 

• 14X points on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels or resorts 
• 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants 
• 3X points on other eligible purchases 

Annual fee: $550. See rates and fees. 

The premium Aspire Card offers VIP status to Hilton loyalists. It comes with a hefty $550 annual fee, but the ongoing perks can offset the cost for frequent travelers. See rates and fees. 

This card comes with Hilton Diamond elite status, offering premium room upgrades, airport lounge access, free breakfast, and the highest point bonuses Hilton offers. 

As a cardholder, you can also claim up to $250 in Hilton resort statement credits and up to $250 in airline fee statement credits each year. You’ll also get a $100 credit for two nights at the Waldorf Astoria property. Remember, these credits are only redeemable when staying at Hilton, reducing flexibility compared to cards earning transferable points. 

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Best for small business owners

Rewards: 

• 12X points on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts 
• 5X points on other purchases (on up to $100,000 each calendar year, then 3X points)

Annual fee: $195. See rates and fees. 

If you run a small business and use Hilton for work trips, the Hilton Honors Business Card can help you earn free nights faster. 

This card allows you to earn hotel rewards in business spending categories. It also comes with automatic Hilton Honors Gold Status, which comes with room upgrades, extra points, and other perks. 

If you spend more than $40,000 in a calendar year on your card, you may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the calendar year. 

Like other Hilton cards, points are less versatile than flexible travel cards when not redeemed for Hilton hotel stays. 

American Express® Green Card: Best for flexible travel

Rewards: 

• 3X points in select travel categories (including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, travel purchases on third-party travel websites, and amextravel.com). 
• 3X points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. 
• 3X on transit 
• 1X points on all other purchases 

Annual fee: $150. See rates and fees. 

While not specifically branded for Hilton, the Amex Green Card offers flexible rewards and perks for occasional Hilton guests. 

Points can be transferred to Hilton Honors or other travel loyalty programs. You can typically squeeze extra value from transfers over hotel redemption rates. That means each point goes further when booking award nights with Hilton. 

This card also comes with an annual statement credit for CLEAR membership, an annual LoungeBuddy statement credit, and travel protections. 

Of course, points are less valuable for Hilton redemptions compared to a co-branded credit card. But if you want more flexibility from a travel card — without a steep annual fee — this could be a good option. 

American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining and groceries

Rewards: 

• Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points)
• Earn 4X points at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points)
• Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X points spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
• Earn 1X points on all other purchases 

Annual fee: $325. See rates and fees. 

Dining and shopping are part of the travel experience. The American Express Gold Card turbocharges your earning potential on these common purchases. It’s also one of the best American Express credit cards. 

This card offers elevated rewards on groceries, dining, and Uber Eats. Plus, you’ll get up to $120 in Uber Cash annually and up to $120 in dining credits annually. 

To earn up to $120 in Uber Cash, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States

Like the Amex Green card, points are flexible and can be redeemed for travel with several hotel and airline partners. This is an easy way to maximize everyday spending for hotel guests who dine out frequently. 

The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best overall for travel perks

Rewards: 

• 5X points on up to $500,000 per calendar year spent on directly booked airfare, flights, and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel 
• 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through American Express Travel 
• 1X points on other purchases 

Annual fee: $695. See rates and fees. 

The Platinum Card from American Express offers elite status at hotel brands, including Hilton. Among the many luxury benefits include automatic Hilton Honors Gold Status, providing perks like room upgrades, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and more. 

Cardholders also receive up to a $200 airline fee statement credit, up to $200 in Uber cash savings, and up to $100 per year in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit. You'll also get complimentary airport lounge access and other high-end benefits. 

While the $695 annual fee is steep, frequent travelers can leverage the many statement credits and luxury perks to redeem far more value. See rates and fees. Between the automatic elite status you’ll enjoy at Hilton and other partners like Marriott Bonvoy, this card amplifies your VIP treatment and total trip savings. 

Which is the best Hilton card?

The best Hilton credit card depends on your brand loyalty and travel habits. If you regularly stay at Hilton or it's your preferred hotel brand, getting a Hilton card will unlock hotel benefits and help you earn award nights for future stays. 

Guests looking to earn points on occasional stays may want the Hilton Honors Card. More frequent travelers should compare the mid-tier Surpass Card — which comes with Gold status — against the premium Hilton Aspire card, which comes with Diamond status.

If you want to earn travel rewards without tying yourself to a specific brand, you may want to consider a more flexible travel card. 

Ultimately, it comes down to your travel habits, budget, and how much you value perks like elite status, free nights, and resort credits. 

Should I get a hotel card?

With so many rewards credit cards available, you may wonder if hotel cards warrant a slot in your wallet. But for those committed to Hilton, Marriott, or Hyatt — a co-branded card unlocks serious perks: 

• High welcome bonuses just for signing up and meeting minimum spend 
• Free night awards that can offset annual fees 
• Automatic elite status, which comes with upgrades, late checkout, exclusive amenities, and more 

The downside of hotel cards is that the benefits generally revolve around the brand. This makes them less versatile than a flexible travel card. With flexible travel cards, you can earn rewards across various categories, including other hotels and travel expenses. 

These cards offer the flexibility to redeem your points in different ways. You can book travel through your issuer's portal or transfer points to other hotel and airline loyalty programs. But remember that flexible cards often lack specific hotel benefits, like room upgrades or late checkout.

A hotel card is a great travel companion if you want access to hotel brand perks during your stay. Consider a flexible travel card if you love finding travel deals and don't want to be locked into one specific brand. 

Another option is to pair a hotel card with a flexible travel card to access a wider range of benefits. 

How we rated the best cards for Hilton

To determine the best credit cards for Hilton, we carefully evaluated a wide range of factors, including the card's sign-up bonus, rewards earning rates on purchases, added perks and benefits, annual fees, and overall value for consumers.

Our team analyzed numerous credit card offers and selected the top contenders based on these key criteria. The options on this list represent the best value, rewards, and benefits available.

Here are some of the key factors we considered:

• Rewards: Rewards are the primary reason many people use credit cards, as they allow you to earn valuable points, miles, or cash back on your everyday spending.
• Redemption flexibility: What good are rewards if they're a hassle to redeem? Flexible redemption options allow you to use your rewards in the way that best suits you, whether that's offsetting your bill with statement credits or booking a dream vacation.
• Benefits: Credit card benefits can provide significant value and make your life easier, from saving you money on checked bags to providing peace of mind with travel insurance.
• Annual fee: The annual fee is a key factor because it's a recurring cost that can eat into your rewards earnings. It's important to make sure you're getting enough value from the card to justify the fee.
• Welcome bonus: A lucrative welcome bonus can give your rewards a massive head start, especially in the first year, making it a great way to kickstart your earnings.
• Rates & other fees: High interest rates and fees can quickly negate the value of any rewards you earn, so it's important to understand these costs and how to avoid them.
   

The bottom line 

Finding the right Hilton card boils down to what you want most. Consider the benefits that mean the most to you and how much you’d pay to access Hilton-specific benefits and rewards. Compare cards and look at fees, earning rates, and perks to narrow the field. 

[Disclaimer]: *Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visitamericanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.