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When I first started traveling, I was staying out of a hostel. They were cheap and my budget was tight. Also, as an introvert, they were perfect for meeting fellow backpackers and getting me out of my comfort zone.

I still love the hostel setting, but these days, running a business on the road means I often need more space and privacy. And I like sticking to one brand because you can get free breakfast, upgrades and rooms.

Whether you’re a seasoned backpacker or just an occasional traveler, having at least one hotel credit card is a game-changer. With big bonuses, free nights and extra perks, it’s a great way to save on accommodation and level up your hotel experience.

That’s why today I want to highlight one of the best hotel cards from one of my favorite hotel brands: Hilton honors the American Express Card. This entry-level card is great for people who want a low-fee card with great benefits.

What is the Hilton Honors American Express Card?

This Hilton honors the American Express Card A hotel rewards credit card. With this card, you can earn 5x points at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations. You will also get 3x points on all other purchases. Its annual fee is $0 (View rates and fees), making it great for beginners who don’t want to get a card with an annual fee.

Here’s what the card offers:

• Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
• 7x points at Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• 5x points at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations
• 3x points on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status
• There are no foreign transaction fees
• Extended Warranty*: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year to the original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less.
• Purchase Protection*: Purchase protection covers items that are accidentally damaged, stolen or lost if you paid for them with your card. This benefit covers purchases for up to 90 days and up to $1,000 per item (up to $50,000 per calendar year).
• Car Rental Insurance**: When you use the card to reserve and pay for a car rental and decline the rental company’s insurance, you get up to $50,000 in loss and theft protection. This benefit is secondary coverage to your own auto insurance and does not include liability.

Complimentary Card Benefit: Honors Hilton Silver status

Being a member of Hilton Honors, Hilton’s loyalty program, offers many perks and benefits (depending on higher status, of course). To encourage travelers to always book with Hilton, Hilton Honors offers free stays, room upgrades and other perks that make repeat stays worthwhile. It’s free to join the program, and Basic members enjoy waived resort fees on award stays as well as free Wi-Fi.

Without a card, you’ll earn higher status by spending a certain number of nights at a Hilton property each year. However with the Hilton Honors Amex Card, you’ll get complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status (usually you have to stay at least 10 nights at a Hilton property within a year to earn this level of status).

Silver status includes:

• Earn 20% more points: Earn 20% more points on eligible stays compared to base members
• Fifth night free on award stays: When you book four nights on points, you get the fifth night free (up to a 20-night stay).
• Spa Discount: When staying at an all-inclusive Hilton property, you get a 15% discount on the spa
• Elite Rollover Nights: Carry over any extra nights from the current year to earn higher elite status next year
• Two complimentary bottles of water per stay: Receive a complimentary bottle of water upon check-in (where available)

While Silver is Hilton’s entry-level elite status, it offers particularly good value for infrequent travelers. I especially like the fifth night free benefit, which can be used an unlimited number of times per year (although it’s limited to four free nights at a time, but who stays at a hotel for 20 nights in a row?).

Using your Hilton Honors points

Unlike World of Hyatt, Hilton does not publish an Honors award chart. It means that the number of points required to book a room for a night is not set. Instead, the room rate changes dynamically based on supply and demand. That means a stay can be between 5,000-150,000 points per night (150k for a Hilton Resort in the Maldives) — sometimes even more!

That said, you’ll find that most stays hover around 30,000-60,000 points per night.

Unfortunately, the lack of an award chart also means that figuring out how to get the best value from your points is a bit more challenging. You can always manually search by locations and properties you’re interested in, or use Hilton’s own Points Explorer Tool To help you find stays bookable with points. You can filter by how many points you have, destination, and what type of property you want to book (like a resort or boutique hotel).

However, I recommend using tools like Aways To help you find the best deals and get the most out of your points. Aways helps you compare cash value to point value to determine where you’re getting the most out of your points. I’ve found some pretty cool deals using it!

Benefits of Hilton Honors Card

• There is no annual fee
• Complimentary elite status
• Fifth night free on award stays
• Increased points earning rates at Hilton properties as well as US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations

Cons of the Hilton Honors Card

• The status advantage is pretty basic
• No bonus points earned on general travel purchases

Who is this card for?

This card is great for fans of the Hilton brand who want to get free stays using a card that doesn’t carry an annual fee. If you’re okay with entry-level elite status and decent earning rates on your spending, this card can be a solid choice.

But, if you want more flexibility with your rewards or unlock better Hilton benefits (like free food/beverage credits or hotel lounge access), I’d suggest a mid-tier or premium Hilton card or more versatile travel. Reward card. All this matches the card of how you travel!

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Overall, the Hilton honors the American Express Card A great option for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of hotel loyalty programs. With no annual fee, benefits like automatic Silver status, and solid earning potential on Hilton stays, it’s an easy way to start earning points at no extra cost!

*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Not all types of vehicles or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage provided by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.