When I first started traveling, I stayed in hotels. They were cheap and I was on a tight budget. Plus, as an introvert, they were great for meeting other backpackers and getting me out of my comfort zone.

I still love the hotel atmosphere, but these days, doing business on the road means I often need more space and privacy. I like sticking with one brand because you get free breakfast, upgrades, and rooms.

Whether you’re a seasoned backpacker or an occasional traveler, having at least one hotel credit card can be a game-changer. With huge bonuses, free nights and extra perks, this is one of the best ways to save on accommodation and enhance your hotel experience.

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

What is the Hilton Honors American Express Card?

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a hotel rewards credit card. With this card, you can earn 5x points at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations. You’ll also earn 3x points on all other purchases. It has a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees), making it perfect for beginners who don’t want to get an annual fee card right away.

The card offers the following features:

• Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when you spend $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. Offer ends January 8, 2025.
• 7x points on Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• 5x points in American restaurants, American supermarkets, and American gas stations
• Earn 3x points on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver membership
• No foreign transaction fees
• Extended Warranty*: This card comes with an extended warranty that adds 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 when paying 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 book and pay for a car rental and decline the rental company’s insurance, you’ll receive damage and theft coverage – up to $50,000. This benefit is secondary coverage to your own auto insurance and does not include liability.

Free Card Offer: Hilton Honors Silver Membership

Being a member of Hilton Honors (Hilton’s loyalty program) comes with many perks and benefits (based on elite status, of course). To encourage travelers to always book with Hilton, Hilton Honors offers free nights, room upgrades and other benefits to make frequent stays worthwhile. It’s free to join the program, and basic members enjoy free resort fees on award nights and free Wi-Fi.

Without the card, you can earn higher status by staying at a Hilton hotel for a specific number of days each year. However, with the Hilton Honors American Express Card, you will receive free Hilton Honors Silver status (normally you must stay at a Hilton hotel for at least 10 nights in a year to earn this level of membership).

Silver status includes:

• Earn 20% more points: Earn 20% more points on qualifying stays compared to Basic membership
• The fifth night of your award stay is free: When you book four nights using points, you get the fifth night free (up to 20 nights)
• Spa discount: Get 15% off your spa treatment when you stay at a Hilton all-inclusive hotel
• Elite overnight stay: Carry over any extra nights from the current year to achieve a higher elite level next year
• Two complimentary bottles of water per stay: Complimentary bottled water upon check-in (if available)

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

Use your Hilton Honors points

Unlike World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors does not publish an award chart. This means the number of points required to book a room for that night has not yet been determined. Instead, home prices change dynamically based on supply and demand. This means you can earn between 5,000 and 150,000 points (150k at Hilton Maldives Resort) per night you stay – sometimes even more!

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

Unfortunately, the lack of a rewards chart also means figuring out how to get the most value from your points is more challenging. You can always manually search for places and hotels that interest you, or use Hilton’s own Points Browser tool to help you find accommodations you can book with points. You can filter based on the number of points you have, your destination, and the type of hotel you want to book (such as a resort or boutique hotel).

However, I recommend using a tool like Awayz to help you find the best deals and make the most of your points. Awayz can help you compare cash prices to points prices to determine where you can earn the most points. I’ve found some great deals using it!

Hilton Honors Card Benefits

• No annual fee
• Free elite status
• Award night with fifth night free
• Increased points earning rates at Hilton hotels, as well as U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations

Disadvantages of the Hilton Honors Card

• Status benefits are very basic
• Reward points cannot be earned on general travel purchases

Who is this card suitable for?

This card is best for fans of the Hilton brand who want to get free nights on a card with no annual fee. If you’re happy with entry-level elite status and a decent return on spending, this card might be a good choice.

However, if you’re after more flexible rewards or want to unlock better Hilton benefits (like free food/beverage points or hotel lounge access), I’d recommend a mid-range or premium Hilton card, or even a more versatile travel card Reward Cards. It’s all about matching the card to the way you travel!

Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is a good choice for anyone looking to get into the hotel loyalty program world. With no annual fee, perks like automatic Silver membership, and great earning potential from Hilton stays, it’s an easy way to start racking up points at no extra cost!

Stop paying full price to travel!

Download my free Points and Miles Guide to learn how to use points and miles to travel for free! This is how all professionals travel on a regular basis! In this guide I’ll show you:

• How to choose a credit card
• How to earn up to 10x miles on spending
• How to redeem points
• There are tons of other money-saving tips!

*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policy underwritten by American Express Insurance Company.

**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policy underwritten by American Express Insurance Company. Coverage provided by American Express Travel Related Services.