Don’t Overpay For The Wrong Card – Best Hotel Credit Card 

by Daniel | Last Updated Jun 27th, 2024

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Are you a travel enthusiast looking to elevate your hotel stays with luxurious perks and unmatched rewards?

Well in this article, Im going to explore two of the best hotel reward credit cards from two of the most prestigious hotel chains in the world: Marriott and Hilton.

 We’ll be delving into the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

These cards promise to transform your travel experiences with a plethora of benefits, from complimentary elite status to free nights and exclusive access to luxury amenities.

Join me as I break down the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of each card, helping you choose the one that best suits your travel needs.

Whether you’re a frequent business traveler, a vacation lover, or someone who simply enjoys the finer things in life, this review is for you! 

Get ready to discover how these cards can make your stays more rewarding and your travel dreams a reality!

So, sit back, relax and let’s embark on this journey through the top hotel reward credit cards of 2024

https://youtu.be/LPZ8h0xA1O4

Who Are These Cards Good For?

Now these top-tier hotel reward credit cards do actually cater to various types of travelers, each offering unique benefits tailored to different needs and preferences. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

So starting first with the most expensive card in this review the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
And yes, it does have a pretty high annual fee, but if you make use of the benefits that are currently on offer with this card, you will easily make up for this and still have plenty of value left. 

Marriott Loyalists:

If you frequently stay at Marriott properties, this card is an excellent choice. It offers significant perks with Marriott, including free night awards and automatic Platinum Elite status.

Luxury Seekers

It is Ideal for those who enjoy premium travel experiences, this card provides access to Marriott Bonvoy’s luxury hotels and resorts, along with benefits like a $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit and Priority Pass Select membership.

Points Enthusiasts

It’s Perfect for travelers who want to earn and maximize Marriott Bonvoy points through everyday spending and hotel stays.

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

So the second card in this review is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, and it is actually a fair bit cheaper for the annual fee.
But this doesn’t mean it isn’t a fantastic card.

Hilton Regulars

Essentially it is best suited for those who often stay at Hilton properties, this card offers extensive Hilton-specific perks, including Diamond status and a $400 Hilton Resort statement credit.

Frequent Travelers

it is Ideal for frequent travelers who want to enjoy complimentary elite status, Free Night Reward, and other luxury travel benefits.

Value Maximizers

It’s great for those looking to earn a significant amount of Hilton Honors points through everyday purchases, travel, and dining, maximizing their reward potential.

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So whether you favor Marriott’s extensive portfolio of properties or Hilton’s luxurious accommodations, either one of these cards will enhance your travel experiences with exceptional rewards and perks.

Annual Fee And Sign-up Bonus 

Now from here, let’s take look at how valuable the sign-up bonus is and how much the annual fee will cost you each year.
Obviously this is important to consider when choosing any credit card, as you want to try and get a much value as you possibly can.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

And with Marriott points being valued at around 0.8 cents per point, this sign-up bonus is worth $760 which is not too bad.

Now it’s worth noting that this card comes with a $300 Dining Statement Credit which is provided to you in $25 allotments each and every month.
This one benefits helps to lower the cost of the annual fee to a more reasonable $350.

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

And with Hilton Honors points being valued at around 0.6 cents per point, this sign up bonus is worth $1,050, making this signup bonus $400 more valuable than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Cards current signup bonus. 

Now its worth noting that this card comes with a $400 Hilton Resort Credit which is provided to you in $200 semi-annually allotments.
This helps to bring the annual fee down to just $150.

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So both cards offer a  reasonable sign-up bonus, but the Hilton Honors Aspire card easily edges out the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cards current sign up bonus. 

Which Card Has The Best Points Earning Potential?

So now we know how much each card costs on an annual basis and what they are offering as a sign-up bonus, we now need to look at the points earning ability of each card.

This is a really important factor to consider, as earring points via your everyday spending  can potentialy provide you with a ton of additional value. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Right at the top, it is possible to earn 6x points for eligible purchases that are made at hotels that are part of Marriott Bonvoy.
It is then possible to earn 3x points at restaurants worldwide and for flights that are booked directly with airlines. 
Everything else you use the card for will earn you 2x points. 

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Now seeing that you also receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status with this card you will actually be able to earn 50% more points on every paid stay at a Marriott hotel.

So if you do stay at Marriott properties quite often, you will earn a ton of extra points. 

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Right at the top, it is possible to earn 14x points for eligible purchases that are made at hotels and resorts that are part of the Hilton portfolio.

It is then possible to earn 7x points for flights that are booked through AmexTravel.com, and for car rentals that are booked directly with select car rental agencies.

Along with this, it is also possible to earn 7x points at U.S. restaurants, which includes takeout and delivery.  

Everything else that is purchased on the card will earn you 3x points. 

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Now one important factor to take into account is that because you receive complimentary Diamond status you will actually receive 100% bonus points on all Hilton stays.
And best of all, Diamond status is the top tier status level that is offered by Hilton.

So if you do stay at Hilton Hotels on a regular basis you will earn a ton of extra points.

Which Card Has The Best Benefits And Perks?

So now that I’ve covered the annual fee, sign-up bonus and points earning potential of each card, let’s take a look at the benefits that actually come with each card and see how they compare.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Now if you manage to spend $60,000 on this card within a calendar year you will then have access to the ‘Earned Choice Award benefit’.
This essentially allows you to choose one of three different benefits from Marriott.

• The first benefit option is called the ‘5 Nightly Upgrade Awards’
  This basically allows for 5 seperate room upgrades for select premium rooms or suites.
  
• The second benefit to choose from is 1 Free Night Award valued at up to 85K points.
  Just this benefit alone is worth around $680.
  
• The last benefit to choose from is the ability to save $1,000 off a Bed from any Marriott Bonvoy retail brand.

So if you can mange to meet the $60,000 spend requirement to unlock this benefit, this card becomes really quite valuable.  

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As I mentioned earlier there is a $300 Dining Statement Credit that is provided to you in $25 monthly allotments, and it can be used at restaurants worldwide.  

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You will also receive a Priority Pass Select membership that provides you and two guests unlimited complimentary lounge visits to over 1,500 airport lounges world wide.
This in itself is worth $469.

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As a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card holder you will automatically receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status that allows you to earn more points and room upgrades when they are available.

Along with this you will also receive 25 Elite Night Credits each year that can help to bring you to a higher level of elite status. 

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There is then a $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit.
To receive this, all you need to do is book two night or more at either the Ritz Carlton or St Regis.
This credit can then be used for things such as room service, dining, or spa services depending on the property.

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Then finally, you will receive a $100 credit that can be used for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

There is then a $200 Flight Credit that is provided to you in $50 allotment each quarter.
To use this all you need to do is book a flight either directly through an airline or through amextravel.com

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Each year you will receive a $189 CLEAR Plus Credit that can be used to help speed up the process of getting through airport security.
Although from my experience using this benefit, it doesn’t always make that much difference. 

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There is then a $100 Property Credit, and to use this you will need to book a minimum of 2 nights at a Hilton property.
And the booking must be made by calling 855-292-5757 and then referencing the code ZZAAP1.

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As a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card holder you will receive complimentary Diamond Status.
This allows you to earn substantially more points on Hilton bookings, Executive lounge access, room upgrades and your Fifth night free on reward stays.

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There is then a Free Night Reward each and every year that allows you to stay one night at pretty much every Hilton hotel.

Now if you manage to spend $30,000 on the card within a calendar year, you will then receive another Free Night Reward, and if you spend $60,000 on the card in the same year, you will receive a third Free night Reward.

So if you do spend a reasonable amount of money on this card, you will get quite a lot more value. 

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And finally you will receive complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. 

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Final Thoughts

So that covers pretty much everything you need to know about both of these cards, and to be honest they both offer a ton of value. 

Now like any credit card that you are considering, it’s always worth thinking about which benefits you will actually use and take advantage.

If you know you will use at least 50% of the benefit on offer with either card, you will be getting a reasonable amount of value.
But if you only use one or two benefits, it is probably just a waste of money.

So lets just do a quite recap of each section to see how the cards compare.

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Annual Fee 

In terms of the annual fee the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is the cheapest card with an annual fee of $550.
Then the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has an annual fee of $650, which is $100 more.

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Sign-up Bonus

When it comes to the value of the sign-up bonus, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes out on top with a sign-up value of $1,050.
Then the more expensive Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card provides a smaller sign-up value of just $760

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Earning Points

Now in terms of earning points, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has a slightly wider range of options to earn points from.
it also offers slight more value per dollar spent on each category than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Benefits and Perks

So last but not least is benefits and perks, and again, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card provides slightly more value from its wide range of benefits.

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Now when it comes to choosing the best hotel credit card it really depends on what you want from a card and which benefits you will actually use.  

If I were to choose one of these cards, I would personally go for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

First of all the annual fee Is $100 less, and I really Iike the $400 Hilton Resort Credit, it makes it a lot easier to justify the $550 annual fee.
And then the fact that you can earn 3 Free Night Rewards each year by spending $60k on the card is a nice extra benefit to have. 

But that a just my opinion, I still think the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is a fantastic card that provides a huge amount of value.

Now if you want to find out what the best airline credit card is for 2024, make sure to check out this article here.