American Express has launched a new credit card: the Hilton Honors American Express Card. You'll earn Hilton Honors points on all your purchases, get an annual lump sum bonus, and even get advanced Hilton Honors status.
Hotel-branded credit cards are rare here in Canada, and Amex issues the only other one. Hopefully, this is the start of more of the major chains offering hotel credit cards.
Here's what this new card is offering, and how it compares to the other hotel credit card offered by Amex – the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.
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Summary of what the Hilton Honors American Express Card offers
Here are the quick details on what the Hilton Honors American Express Card offers:
| Feature | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Up to 70,000 bonus points and a free night award (terms) |
| Earn Rates | * 6 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties * 4 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants * 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Special Features | * Annual 50,000 point bonus
* Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Tier status |
| Insurance | 8 types included |
| Annual Fee | $150 |
Hilton Honors points
Before getting into the card details, consider this quick overview of Hilton Honors:
Free hotel nights are the best value for your points. You can use them in other ways, but none match the value of hotels. This shouldn't be surprising – you likely will want to collect Hilton Honors for free nights anyway. When redeemed for free nights, we value each Hilton Honors point at 0.65 cents per point (CPP).
These points are easy to use. When you go to the main Hilton page, search for a hotel stay. On the results page, there's a box you can click called "Use Points" to show the points needed for your stay.
You can view our Hilton Honors guide for full details on all your redemption options. For quick reference, here's our rewards calculator:
| Redemption Option | Point Value | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 0.65 cents | $65 |
| Experiences | 0.58 cents | $58 |
| Car rentals | 0.26 cents | $26 |
| Lyft credits | 0.22 cents | $22 |
Details on the Hilton Honors American Express Card
Here are the full details on what this card offers:
Rewards
The Hilton points you'll earn on purchases will add up quickly at these rates:
- 6 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties
- 4 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants
- 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Spending $3,000 per month across different categories would earn you around 104,400 points per year, worth approximately $679.
Huge welcome bonus
There's a huge welcome bonus waiting for new cardholders – you can earn <~523 wbf ~/> bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months and $500 in month 13. Plus, get a free night award after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
As for that free night award? It's worth quite a bit. Once you've earned it, Hilton will email you a code. You'll have to call Hilton Reservations, and you can use the code for 1 free night at almost any Hilton worldwide (with a few exceptions).
It's a limited time offer – it ends on January 11, 2027.
Annual bonus
You can also stack an annual bonus on top of the welcome offer. Spend $12,000 per calendar year on your card (a very doable amount), and you'll get 50,000 bonus points.
Fold those into your annual rewards (which is what our calculators will show), and you're up to 154,400 points per year worth a grand total of $1,004.
Once you hit the spending mark, you'll get your points credited on your next billing cycle.
Hilton Honors Gold Tier status
You'll get an elevated status with Hilton simply by holding this card. You'll get Hilton Honors Gold Tier with its bevy of perks. These are probably the biggest ones:
- 80% bonus points on stays
- Free room upgrades if available
- Daily Food and Beverage Credit or Continental Breakfast (varies by brand and region)
Here's where you can learn more about the various Hilton Honors tiers.
One last bonus – if you spend $40,000 per year on your card, you'll get boosted to the Diamond Tier.
Insurance and annual fee
The annual fee for this card is $150.
This card includes a basic purchase and travel insurance package with 8 types included:
Hilton Honors American Express® Card
| Extended Warranty | 1 year |
| Purchase Protection | 90 days |
| Travel Accident | $500,000 |
| Flight Delay | $500 |
| Baggage Delay | $500 |
| Lost or Stolen Baggage | $500 |
| Hotel Burglary | $500 |
| Rental Car Theft & Damage | Yes |
Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.
Comparison to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
American Express issues the other hotel-branded credit card in Canada – the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.
This Marriott product is very similar to the new Hilton card. Which one is better largely depends on your hotel–chain preference – do you prefer Marriott or Hilton?
Rewards
The first thing to highlight about rewards is the point values, and the result is that Marriott points are worth quite a bit more than Hilton's.
Our average for a Marriott point is 1.1 cents, compared to only 0.65 for Hilton. But while Marriott points are worth more, you'll actually earn more Hilton points on your purchases.
Without including the Hilton Honors American Express Card's annual bonus, here's how the rewards stack up, using an average $3,000 in monthly spending:
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards | * 6 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties * 4 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants * 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases | * 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott properties * 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Points earned per year | 104,400 | 77,400 |
| Value | $679 | $851 |
In terms of dollar value, the Marriott card comes out ahead with our numbers. However, as you spend more on groceries, gas, or restaurants, Hilton can catch up in value.
Annual bonuses
Both cards offer annual bonuses. The Hilton bonus is simpler: 50,000 points are added to your bank if you spend $12,000 in a year. There's also no waiting around for them either.
Marriott offers a free night certificate instead. About 8 weeks after you paid your annual fee, you'll get your free night award. It's worth 35,000 points. Search for rooms by points – if 1 night is worth 35,000 points or less, the room is yours. If it's more, you can use up to 25,000 points to cover the difference.
It is a use-it-or-lose-it certificate – you have 1 year to use it once it's been issued to you. And if your room costs less than 35,000 points, Marriott doesn't refund any difference.
15,000 points of the certificate's value is the break-even point where both cards offer the same value in free night stays – use more and Marriott is ahead. However, use less and Hilton catches up.
Status
Hilton is ahead here, offering Gold Tier status, while Marriott only includes Silver Elite. The Gold's perks are much better, including a free room upgrade and far more bonus points on stays.
Annual fee
One area where Marriott is better is the annual fee – it's slightly lower at $120, compared to $150 with the Hilton card.
The verdict
Overall, these cards are evenly matched. Marriott provides better value overall, but Hilton has an easier annual bonus and better automatic status.
Truth be told, you can't go wrong with either card. It really comes down to if you prefer Hilton or Marriott hotels when you travel.
Credit card updates
A lot has changed this year for credit cards in Canada. Our newsletter will help keep you on top of any changes that come.
FAQ
What is the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is the newest hotel credit card in Canada. With it, you'll earn Hilton Honors points on all your purchases, plus get advanced status and more for a $150 annual fee.
What are some of the benefits of the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
There are a couple of benefits beyond earning rewards on purchases, including getting 50,000 points every year if you spend $12,000 in a year. It also includes Hilton Honors Gold Tier status for more benefits on stays.
How does the Hilton Honors American Express Card compare to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card?
These are very similar credit cards, offering points at 2 of the world's largest hotel chains. Each offers an annual bonus as well as advanced hotel status.
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