by Daniel | Last Updated Aug 5th, 2022
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With so many different hotel reward credit cards to choose from it can be a challenge to find one that is suitable for you and meets your needs.
And for this reason I thought that I would be a good idea to review and compare 3 of the best Hotel rewards credits that are available now.
These cards are the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
All of these cards come with some fantastic benefits and user perks, and can quite easily cover the cost of the annual fee if used correctly.
So Who Are These Cards Good For?
All three of these cards are perfect for anybody that is looking to take advantage of the Hotel related benefits that are on offer.
They all provide a free night award which can in some cases cover the cost of the annual fee.
Along with this each card has a wide range of insurance-related coverage that I will talk about later in this review.
Annual Fee
Now when it comes to the annual fee of these cards both Amex cards are the same price, but the Chase card is substantially cheaper.
So starting first with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card it will cost $450 on an annual basis, which works to be $37.50 a month and just over $9.35 each week.
Next up, the World of Hyatt Credit Card will cost just $99 each year, which is $8.25 each month, and just over $2 a week, which is pretty cheap, to be honest.
And finally, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has the same annual fee as the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card which is $450.
So both Amex cards are substantially more expensive on an annual basis that the World of Hyatt Credit Card from Chase, but they do offer more in just about every other aspect as you will see later in this review.
Sign-up Bonus
Now for the next section of this review, I’m going to go over what the current sign-up bonus is for each card, and just remember that these offers do change relatively often.
And starting with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card it is currently possible to earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account.
Now with Hilton Honors Points being worth approximately 0.5 cents per point, this signup bonus is worth about $750.
Next up with the World of Hyatt Credit Card the current sign-up bonus is split into two sections.
The first is the ability to earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card ownership.
Then the second is the ability to earn another 30,000 bonus points if you manage to spend $15,000 on the cards within the first 6 months of opening the account.
So if you meet these requirements it is possible to earn a total of 60,000 bonus points.
Now with World of Hyatt points being worth about 1.8 cents per point, this sign-up bonus is worth approximately $1,080.
Now finally, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card the sign-up bonus is currently 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points.
And with these points being worth 0.8 cents per point, this sign-up bonus is worth about $750, which is the same as the Amex Hilton Honors Aspire card.
So interestingly enough, the cheapest card of the three offers the largest possible sign-up bonus, although you will need to spend a fair amount to receive it.
Earning Points
Now for the next section of this review I’m to go over how each card fairs when it comes to the ability to earn points.
So starting with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card there are quite a decent variety of options to choose from.
The highest points earning potential is 14x points for purchases that are made at hotels and resorts that are from within the Hilton portfolio.
Then it is possible to earn 7x points for flights that are booked either directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com.
Also, car rentals that are booked directly with the car rental company will receive 7x points.
Dining at US restaurants, takeaway and home delivery will receive 7x points.
And then all other purchases will receive 3x points per dollar spent.
Next up, with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, it is possible to earn 9x points for purchases made at Hyatt Hotels.
Purchases made at restaurants, local transit, gyms, and airline ticket booked directly with an airline will receive 2x points.
And then all other purchases will earn 1 point per dollar spent.
Finally, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, it is possible to earn 6x points for purchases made at hotels that are part of Marriot Bonvoy.
Then purchases made at US restaurants, takeout, and delivery will earn 3x points.
Flights booked directly with an airline will also revive 3x points.
Then finally all other purchases will earn 2x points per dollar spent.
So all three cards offer the ability to earn a decent amount of points, especially if you stay at their related hotels quite often.
Benefits and User Perks
So now for one of the more interesting parts of the review, what benefits do these cards actually come with?
And starting with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card there are some pretty good benefits, the first one being the “Weekend Night Reward” which is offered each year of card ownership, and at least until the end of this year (December 31st, 2022), it will be possible to use on any night of the week.
This is a nice option to have as it is usually just for use on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
And if you manage to spend a total of $60,000 on the card within a year, it will be possible to earn a second Weekend Night Reward.
Then each year there is a $250 Hilton Resort Credit that can be used at any participating hotel within the Hilton Resort program.
Similar to this is a $100 Property Credit that can be used at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Conrad Hotels.
And bookings can be made through hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com and must be a minimum of 2 nights to qualify for the credit.
There is then a $250 Airline Fee Credit that can be used on qualifying airlines for incidental fees such as baggage fees, flight changes, and in-flight food and beverage purchases.
Now when you do travel there is a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership that provides unlimited access to over 1,200 airport lounges from around the world, and best of all, it is possible to bring up to 2 guests free of charge, and this benefit is valued at $429.
And finally, there is Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status which gives you the opportunity to earn substantially more reward points when staying at Hilton Properties.
Next up, with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, it is also possible to receive one free night each card anniversary year with a Free Night Certificate.
This can be used at any category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.
Then if you manage to spend more than $15,000 in a calendar year you will receive an additional free night.
And in some cases, these rooms can be worth up to $300 per night, so it’s quite a valuable benefit to have.
Then there is a complimentary 1-year DashPass membership which usually costs $9.99 per month.
And with this, you will receive free delivery on orders that are $12 or more.
Finally, there is complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status.
And this is the second level of Hyatt elite status, of which there are 5 levels:
- Member – Free to join
- Discoverist – 10 nights or 25,000 points
- Explorist – 30 nights or 50,000 points
- Globalist – 60 nights or 100,000 points
- Lifetime Globalist – 1,000,000 lifetime base points
And with this it is possible to receive a few extra benefits when staying at Hyatt properties such as room upgrades, late checkout and increased points earnings.
Now each year the card will reward you with 5 qualifying night credits that basically go towards the next tier level.
And if you manage to spend $5,000 in one transaction it is possible to earn an additional 2 qualifying night credits, so if you tend to make large purchases on the card it is possible to increase your Hyatt elite status quite quickly.
Now with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, there is a Free Night Award that is provided each time you renew your card for the following year.
And this can be used for 1 free night at a participating Marriott Hotel that has a redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Now the next benefit of this card is a $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement credit that can be used at Eligible Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, but it’s worth noting that this benefit will cease to exist after 9/22/22.
This benefit will be replaced with a $300 statement credit that can be used at restaurants worldwide, and it will be provided in $25 allotments each month throughout the year.
Next up there is a $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit that can be used at either The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis on bookings that are 2 nights or more.
Each year as a card member it is possible to receive 15 Elite Night Credits that can be used towards earning a higher level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
Then there is a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership that is worth $429 each year.
And this provides access for you and up to 2 guests to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide.
And finally, there is a $100 credit that can be used towards either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
So as you can see, both Amex cards offer quite a lot more value in terms of benefits than the World of Hyatt Credit Card, but the be fair they are both $351 more on an annual basis.
Insurance Related Benefits
Now all of the cards in this review have some pretty decent insurance coverage, so let’s take a closer look at how they differ.
Starting with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card there is Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance that covers up to $75,000, and this is secondary coverage.
Then there is a Baggage Insurance Plan that covers up to a combined $3,000 for check and carry-on luggage in the event that it is lost, damaged, or stolen.
There is Return Protection that provides 90 days of coverage on new purchases that a merchant won’t take back.
And this covers up to $300 per item and a total of $1,000 per card per year.
Just know that you will need a copy of the original store receipt and proof of payment on the Amex card for it to be eligible.
There is an Extended Warranty of one additional year on warranties that are 5 years or less.
And this covers up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year.
And finally, there is Purchase Protection which provides up to 90 days of coverage for damage, theft, or loss of new purchases, and this covers up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per card per year.
Next up, with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, there isn’t quite as much coverage as the previous card from Amex but it is still quite reasonable.
First of all, there is Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance which covers up $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip if your trip happens to be cut short or canceled for a covered reason.
Then there is Lost Luggage Reimbursement which covers up to $3,000 per passenger if you or an immediate family member has their luggage damaged or lost by the carrier.
There is Baggage Delay Insurance which provides up to $100 per day for up to 5 days if your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours by a passenger carrier.
And finally, with Purchase Protection there is coverage of up to 120 days against damage or theft, and this covers up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Now with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, the insurance coverage is similar to the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, but it actually includes a few extra things which make it the best card in terms of insurance coverage.
So everything that is the same is:
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance that covers up to $75,000.
- Baggage Insurance Plan which covers a combined $3000.
- Return Protection of 90 days that covers $300 per item and $1,000 per year
- Extended Warranty of 1 extra year
- Purchase Protection of 90 days
Now along with all of this you will also get Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance which covers up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per card per 12 consecutive month period.
Then finally Trip Delay Insurance of up to $500 per trip with a total of 2 claims per 12-month period.
And this is valid if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours.
APR
Now for the last part of this review, I’ll just go over the different APRs for each card and any associated fees that are included.
So starting first with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card the APR for purchases is between 17.99% to 26.99%.
Then initiating a Cash Advance will have an APR of 27.49% and will also incur a fee of $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, basically whichever amount ends up being more.
Late payments or returned payments from your bank may result in a Penalty APR of 29.99% and also incur a fee of up to $40 each.
And there are no Foreign Transaction fees associated with this card making it perfectly fine to use overseas.
Next up, with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, the APR for purchases is between 17.49% to 24.49%.
A cash advance has an APR of 26.49% and will also incur a fee of $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, again whichever amount is more.
And just like most other credit cards any late payment or returned payments will result in a Penalty APR of 29.99% and a charge of up to $40 for each.
Then finally, there are no associated fees for Foreign Transactions.
Now with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, the rates and fees are the same as the Amex Hilton Honors Aspire card which are:
- APR for Purchases is 17.99% to 26.99%.
- APR for Cash advance 27.49% and a fee of $10 or 5%
- Penalty APR of 29.99% and a fee of up to $40
- No Foreign Transaction fees
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, that pretty much covers everything you need to know about these 3 credit cards.
And to be honest they all offer a ton of value.
I think you are trying to choose just one card, it makes sense the think about which benefits will suit your needs.
Obviously, if you have a preferred hotel brand, that will make your decision a lot easier.
Then if you are on a bit of a budget then the World of Hyatt Credit Card would make sense as it is quite a bit cheaper on an annual basis.
Now for me, if I didn’t already have the Amex Platinum card I would probably choose the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card as it has a lot of insurance-related coverage which is useful for me as I tend to travel a lot.
Also, I like a lot of the hotels that fall under their brand.
Now if you’re looking for 3 of the best airline credit cards that would go hand in hand with these 3 hotel reward cards, check out this review here where I review and compare the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, and the United Club Infinite Car.