For a limited time, there are 2 new fantastic offers for the American Express Hilton HHonors and American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass cards. And they’re the highest public sign-up bonuses I’ve ever seen!
You’ll earn 75,000 Hilton points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening an AMEX Hilton HHonors card.
And a whopping 100,000 Hilton points with the AMEX Hilton HHonors Surpass card after spending $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
To get the better bonus on either card, you must apply by May 4, 2016.
100,000 Hilton Points Is Enough for an Award Night at ANY Top-Category Hilton, Including the Incredible Waldorf-Astoria Grand Wailea in Maui
I’ll share the details of the offers and give you some ideas on how to use your Hilton points!
What’s the Deal?
American Express has been coming on strong with their improved hotel sign-up bonuses recently! We’ve just seen the highest bonus ever on the AMEX Starwood cards.
And now, both AMEX Hilton cards are offering their best-ever sign-up bonuses! But you must apply by May 4, 2016.
Hilton hotels include Conrad, Canopy, Curio, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Home2Suites, Homewood Suites, Tru, and Waldorf Astoria brand hotels.
These Sign-Up Bonuses Are Worth at Least 7 to 10 Nights at Hilton Category 2 Hotels, Like the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur
You could use these bonuses to splurge on a luxury stay. Or stretch your points for more nights at lower category Hilton hotels.
Remember, these are American Express cards, so you’ll get access to terrific discounts through AMEX Offers and complimentary ShopRunner membership (free shipping from dozens of online retailers).
Keep in mind, American Express only allows folks to earn the bonus once, per person, per lifetime, on all its cards. So if you’ve had either card in the past, you can NOT earn the bonus from that specific card again.
However, these are considered different card products. So you can earn the sign-up bonus from both!
1. American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass
Link: American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass
Link: My Review of the AMEX Hilton HHonors Surpass
With the improved offer on the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass card, you’ll earn 100,000 Hilton points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
That’s more than enough for a night at a top-tier luxury Hilton like the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island where Emily and I stayed. Or 10 nights at category 2 Hilton hotels like the DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing.
You’ll also get:
Free Hilton Gold Elite status (free breakfast at certain hotels, upgrades when available)
Free Hilton Diamond Elite status when you spend more than $40,000 in a calendar year (better upgrades)
12 points for every $1 you spend at Hilton hotels
6 points per $1 you spend at US restaurants, supermarkets & gas stations
3 points per $1 you spend on everything else
Terms and limitations apply
The annual fee of $75 is NOT waived for the 1st year. However, if you’re in the military, you can get it waived.
Keep in mind, this card adds a ~3% foreign transaction fee. So it’s not a good card to use when you’re abroad.
You Could Use the Current Sign-Up Bonus for the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass for a Night at a Luxurious Hilton Category 10 Hotel, Like the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Where Emily and I Stayed
The Most Hilton Points for Paid Stays and Free Breakfast
This card earns the most Hilton points for paid stays. So it’s the best option if you spend a lot of money at Hilton hotels.
And the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass card gets you Hilton Gold elite status, which can save you lots of money (free breakfast!). So for many folks, paying the $75 annual fee is worth it.
This card is a good pick for folks who stay at Hilton frequently and value Gold Elite status. And the sign-up bonus has never been this high!
So if you’ve never had this card before, it’s a terrific opportunity to earn lots of Hilton points!
2. American Express Hilton HHonors
Link: American Express Hilton HHonors
Link: My Review of the American Express Hilton HHonors
If you prefer a card with no annual fee, the American Express Hilton HHonors card also has an all-time-high sign-up bonus of 75,000 Hilton points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
You could use 75,000 Hilton points for a 3-night stay (and have points left over) at a category 4 Hilton hotel, like the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando.
Stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Universal Orlando and You’ll Be Walking Distance to Both Universal Parks!
With this card, you’ll also get:
7 Hilton points per $1 spent at most Hilton hotels
5 Hilton points per $1 spent at US gas stations, US restaurants, and US supermarkets
3 Hilton points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Free Hilton Silver elite status (late check-out, 2 free bottles of water, and 15% points bonus on Hilton points earned)
Free Hilton Gold elite status (free breakfast and better upgrades) after spending $20,000 in a calendar year
Terms & limitations apply
This card has NO annual fee. So it won’t cost anything to keep it to increase the average age of your credit accounts and potentially help boost your credit score.
But, it also has a ~3% foreign transaction fee, so it’s NOT a good card to use overseas.
Consider the AMEX Hilton HHonors card if you don’t want to pay an annual fee, stay at Hilton hotels occasionally, or are looking for a way to quickly boost your Hilton point balance.
Spend to Earn Gold Status for Free Breakfasts…or Skip That and Use This Tip Instead
And if you spend $20,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you’ll get bumped up to Hilton Gold elite status, which gets you free breakfast at certain Hilton hotels, and upgrades when they’re available.
But here’s a tip. For those of y’all who care more about the location than the fanciness of the hotel, try Hilton’s midrange brand, Hampton by Hilton. You get free breakfast and Wi-Fi even with NO status.
For example, a buddy of mine had a very good experience at Hampton by Hilton Warsaw City Centre.
Having trouble deciding? Here’s how to decide which Hilton card is right for you. And don’t forget to read my post on all the ways to earn Hilton points!
What Can You Do With Hilton Points?
Link: Hilton HHonors Points Search Tool
Link: Hilton Award Chart
Link: How to Use AwardMapper
Link: How to Use Hotel Hustle
If you complete the minimum spending ~5 to ~7 days before your account closes for the month, you’ll receive the sign-up bonus at the end of the billing cycle.
Depending on how you like to travel, you could spend your sign-up bonus on 1 or 2 nights in a fancy hotel. Or book lower category hotels to get more award nights!
Remember, with either card, you’ll get Hilton elite status, which qualifies you for the 5th night free when you book an award stay of 5+ consecutive nights. That’s another terrific way to make your points last!
Stay on the Mediterranean at the Hilton Alexandria Corniche Hotel in Egypt! It’s Only 5,000 Hilton Points per Night
For example, you could use 100,000 Hilton points for:
20 nights in category 1 hotels (5,000 points per night)
10 nights in category 2 hotels (10,000 points per night)
5 nights in category 3 hotels (20,000 points per night)
2 or 3 nights in category 6 hotels (30,000 to 50,000 points per night)
1 night in a category 10 (top-tier) hotel (80,000 to 95,000 points per night)
To quickly see which Hilton hotels you can book with points (and how many) in a certain city and month, try Hilton’s points search tool.
Or Use Your Bonus for 2 or 3 Nights at Mid-Range Hotels Like the Category 6 Hilton Toronto
Emily and I always check TripAdvisor before we book a hotel. And to see where we can use Hilton points for hotel stays, we search Hotel Hustle (which even shows if award rooms are available) and AwardMapper.
For more ideas, check out my top 10 hotels to book with Hilton points. And consider these excellent Hilton hotels in Europe, the US, Australia & the South Pacific, Asia, the Caribbean, and on US beaches.
Bottom Line
There are terrific, limited-time improved sign-up bonuses on the American Express Hilton HHonors and American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass cards!
These are the highest sign-up bonuses ever offered for either card. You’ll earn 75,000 Hilton points with the American Express Hilton HHonors and 100,000 Hilton points with the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass after meeting minimum spending requirements.
But you must apply by May 4, 2016, to get the better offers!
If you haven’t received the bonus before on these cards, these are great deals to consider! Because the bonuses have never been this high. So this is a good opportunity to earn a lot of Hilton points!
Would you use the sign-up bonus in 1 shot at a fancy hotel? Or make the most of it by booking award stays at more budget-friendly locations?
* If you liked this post, why don’t you join the 20,000+ readers who have signed-up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 email per day!) or in an RSS reader …because then you’ll never miss another update!
Comments
Amex needs to lift the “once in a lifetime” restriction. ... by Brandon
I've gotten the Amex card for both my wife and myself in the ... by J
Related Stories
5 Hotels Where the 5th-Night-Free Perk With the AMEX Hilton Cards Is a Great Deal
Last Chance to Apply for Best-Ever AMEX Starwood 35,000 Point Bonuses
How to Save Money With Marriott’s New Cash + Points Option