For the same $450 fee, cardholders get top-tier Hilton Diamond status, including free room upgrades and complimentary breakfasts, a free weekend night each year upon renewal, $250 in resort credits across all Hilton properties, an additional $100 toward purchases at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, an annual $250 airline fee credit, and Priority Pass airport lounge access. All together, Aspire’s benefits are comparable to, if not slightly better than, Bonvoy Brilliant’s—the only catch being that Hilton rewards tend to require more points to redeem.
The Mid-Range Options Worth Considering
If earning potential is more important to you than tangible perks, you might prefer a mid-tier card. With better points multipliers, they can compensate for the fact that many hotel loyalty programs have recently devalued their awards charts.
The new World of Hyatt credit card by Chase, for instance, earns four bonus points per dollar at Hyatt properties, instead of just three with the old card. It also nets double points on a broader range of categories that might appeal to younger audiences, such as restaurants, airline tickets, on ride-share services such as Uber, and fitness club memberships, which is unique. (You’ll pay a $95 annual fee for it, up from $75 in its previous incarnation.)
“We continue to see that wellness is a growing focus for business and leisure travelers, which is why we created a specific bonus category for spend on fitness clubs and gym memberships,” explained a Chase spokesperson.
The card also throws in a complimentary night at a mid-range hotel each year, plus a new opportunity to earn an additional free night once you’ve spent more than $15,000 on annual purchases.
Compare that to the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card released nearly a year ago. Its fee almost doubled to $89 but now includes TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credits (worth up to $100) while offering 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels—that’s double the old multiplier—and two points per dollar on such everyday categories as restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations. This earning scheme, along with sign-up bonuses that regularly hit 120,000 points, means you can easily earn free nights at a luxury property such as the InterContinental Paris le Grand by spending just a few thousand dollars strategically.
If points multipliers are your thing, don’t overlook Hilton’s new mid-range card, the $95-per-year Hilton Honors American Express Ascend—it earns 12 points per dollar at Hiltons, six at restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets in the U.S., and three on everything else. (You’ll also get upgraded from Gold to Diamond status after spending $40,000.)
The Bottom Line
If you’re thinking about a premium card, make your choice based on where you actually want to stay, be it the $600-a-night Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, with its extravagant new underwater suite, or a 40th floor suite at the brand-new Times Square Edition. After all, the annual fee is worth it only if you see these cards as replacements for a more general travel product, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve—viable only if you’re ready to commit to their associated loyalty programs.
Not ready for that kind of relationship? The expanded bonus earnings associated with the mid-tier cards is worth the small investment, and the elite benefits they confer can be pretty sweet icing on the cake.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.