2020 Review: Hilton Honors American Express Card – Rewards and Amenities for No Annual Fee

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Review) is one of the better cards offered by Hilton.

It does have an annual fee, but it also improves on most facets of the Hilton Honors American Express card. There are improved rewards, better benefits, and a higher welcome offer.

Instead of Silver status, you’ll be enrolled in Gold status, which includes a much larger bonus to Base points, provides room upgrades when they’re available, and offers free breakfast. You’ll also get the opportunity to earn an annual award night, provided you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. And to top it off, you’ll receive Priority Pass Select membership, giving you access to a multitude of airport lounges.

So if you travel frequently enough, this card might give you more bang for your buck.

Members will earn another 18X points per dollar at Hilton thanks to the Hilton Honors Gold membership. That brings the grand total to 30X points from Hilton, and the cash back equivalent to 15%–30%.

• Annual Weekend Night Reward: You’ll get a free weekend night after spending $15,000 on purchases in any calendar year. A redeemable code will be emailed to you after meeting the threshold.
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status: Cardholders get Hilton Honors Gold status, which is two tiers above the basic Member status. It comes with some nice benefits, like an 80% bonus on all Base points earned and complimentary room upgrades when they’re available.
• Fast track to Hilton Honors Diamond status: You’ll be awarded with Hilton Honors Diamond status if purchases for a given year reach $40,000. Diamond status comes with better benefits than Gold, including a 100% bonus on Base points and a 48-hour room guarantee.
• Priority Pass Select access: Cardholders get access to over 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges around the world. This does not grant access to non-lounge Priority Pass experiences. 10 free lounge visits are provided per year. After that, the entry fee will be $32 per person. You’ll need to manually enroll in this benefit.
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Get free membership with ShopRunner, which provides free two-day shipping and returns from some online retailers. Cardholders must enroll in this benefit.
• Amex Offers: You’ll have access to increased rewards at a wide variety of merchants that changes from time to time.
• Entertainment Access: This benefit, also called Membership Experiences, provides pre-sale tickets to a variety of sports, music, and cultural events, as well as access to certain exclusive experiences.
• Travel protections: Global Assist Hotline, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance plan
• Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty
• Purchase APR: 15.74% - 24.74% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $95

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
• $95 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card (Review) offers high rewards and strong amenities for people who frequent InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) hotels and resorts.

You’ll earn a few points less than you would with the Hilton Honors American Express, and you’ll likely see a cash back equivalent of 20%–25%. It might get you a little more back regularly, but it may not reach as high as the 19% you could earn with the Hilton card.

The IHG card does require an annual fee, but it also comes along with an annual free reward night. So if you use that for a room that would normally cost you $89, that fee is effectively negated. Instead of Hilton’s Gold status, you’ll be enrolled into IHG’s Platinum Elite status, which provides a large bonus to Base points, room upgrades when they’re available, and other handy amenities like late checkout. There’s also an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck attached, covering up to $100 every four years.

• Anniversary night: Get a free stay each account anniversary year, starting after your first year. You can redeem your free night at a hotel that has a night redemption value of 40,000 points or fewer. It must be redeemed within 12 months from date of issue.
• Fourth reward night free: When you redeem your points for four nights or more, you’ll get the fourth night free.
• Platinum Elite status enrollment: You’ll automatically be enrolled into IHG’s Platinum Elite status, which provides a 50% bonus to Base points earned, complimentary room upgrades, priority check-in, and extended checkout.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit: Every four years get up to $100 for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees.
• Cell Phone Protection: Your phone is covered against theft and damage up to $600 per claim, and up to $1,000 per year, as long as you pay your phone bill with your card.
• Travel protections: Travel accident insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $89

If you’d rather stay with Marriott Bonvoy than Hilton, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card (Review) is one to consider.

You’ll earn 17X points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, so that’s a little under the 19X you’d earn at Hilton. However, your points will usually be worth more. If you get a point value of 1–2 cents, you’d see a cash back equivalent of 17%–34%, which is better than the 9.5%–19% you’d get with the Hilton card. But there is an annual fee.

On top of a higher cash back equivalent, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless will give you an annual free reward night, after the first year of being a card member. The membership, while still Silver, isn’t as impressive at Marriott compared to Hilton’s Silver status. The Base point bonus is slightly smaller.

If you prefer Marriott Bonvoy hotels, this could be the route to take. You’d earn a little more, and once you have the card for a year, you’ll start getting an annual free night to help you forget about the annual fee.

• Annual free night stay: You’ll get one Free Night Award every year, beginning after your first account anniversary.
• Automatic Silver Elite status: As a cardholder you’ll get complimentary Silver Elite status with Marriott. Normally you’d need to spend 10 qualifying nights at Marriott properties for this status level. This grants you perks like a 10% bonus on Marriott Bonvoy Base points and priority late check-in.
• Path to Gold Elite status: Cardholders get a fast track to Marriott Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 in an account year. Usually it would take 25 qualifying night stays to reach this level.
• 15 Elite Night Credits annually: You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits every year, on or before March 1. Elite Night Credits count towards your Elite status with Marriott.
• Visa Signature Concierge Service: Call 1-800-953-7392 at any time to reach your personal assistant, who can help with non-emergency tasks.
• Complimentary premium in-room WiFi: Cardholders get premium on-property WiFi internet access at participating locations. You must provide your loyalty member account number when checking in.
• Premier Experience Events: Cardholders will occasionally get invitations to exclusive events through the Premier Experience Events program. There are a variety of events, like high-class dining and cooking lessons, rounds of golf, and meetings with exciting people.
• Travel protections: Travel and emergency assistance service, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and rental car insurance
• Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $95

The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card (Review) differs from the others here, as it’s a general-use travel rewards card.

So rather than earning a handsome number of points at a specific hotel, you’ll earn a flat rate on all of your purchases. With no annual fee and few benefits, this card is best used by people who don’t travel frequently and don’t always stay at the same hotel, or who spend on a variety of travel options.

It earns 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, which compared to the Hilton card is quite a bit less. You won’t get any memberships or amenities at a specific hotel either, but you will get the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection. This benefit provides exclusive perks at a wide variety of hotels.

There’s an introductory purchase APR too, so your purchases won’t earn interest for for 12 months (after that your rate will be 15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)). This card can be pretty useful for people who don’t hit the road too much.

• Mile transfers: Most travel partners offer a transfer rate of 2:1.5 (2 Capital One miles for 1.5 partner airline miles or hotel points), but some may vary. Transfers to travel partners will often net you a better point value.
• CreditWise credit monitoring: See your VantageScore 3.0 credit score based on your TransUnion credit report, and check data from your TransUnion report.
• Luxury Hotel Collection: Provides special perks at select hotels around the world
• Shopping discounts: Get discounts at certain retailers. There are usually a few dozen offers available here, for both online and physical stores.
• Fine Wine and Food: This is focused on food, with a bit of wine thrown in too. You’ll get certain perks at wineries and discounts from common merchants.
• Sports and Entertainment Offers: Get exclusive discounts and offers at sports events and a variety of other experiences.
• Travel protections: Roadside dispatch, lost luggage reimbursement, rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, and travel and emergency assistance services
• Shopping protections: Purchase security and extended warranty
• Purchase APR: 0% for for 12 months, then 15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)
• Balance Transfer APR: 15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0