The idea of having two credit cards from the same hotel brand may seem strange, but it could actually benefit your travels.
If you’re a Hilton loyalist, going all-in with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card will grant you two welcome bonuses, a breadth of earning categories, an automatic free night reward and more.
Assuming you stay at a Hilton property at least a few times each year, you should consider this strategy. Here’s everything you need to know.
Receive valuable points from 2 welcome bonuses
One of the best parts of earning points and miles is the ability to redeem them for high-value hotel stays. Welcome bonuses are a great way to acquire a lot of points or miles quickly.
Together, the Hilton Aspire and Hilton Surpass can supercharge your rewards balance with their welcome offers. With the Aspire, you’ll earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
With the Surpass, you’ll earn 155,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
That’s a grand total of 330,000 bonus points across both welcome bonuses.
According to TPG’s December 2025 valuations, 330,000 Hilton bonus points are worth $1,650. These elevated offers end Jan. 14, 2026, making now a good time to apply.
Those 330,000 Hilton points are enough for a three-night stay on select dates at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya, or you could stretch them across multiple stays by booking with budget options.
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It’s easier to earn a second free night reward
The Hilton Aspire offers cardmembers an automatic free night reward each cardmember year. That’s a very useful benefit for Hilton fans. Since you won’t need to use any points for this free night, you could use it to extend a vacation or take a quick weekend getaway.
While it’s possible to earn a second free night award with the Aspire, it’s even easier to do so with the Hilton Surpass. While this card doesn’t offer an automatic reward each year, cardmembers can earn one by spending at least $15,000 on their card in a calendar year. That should be reasonably attainable for the average spender, especially if you rent.
If you prefer staying at Hiltons over any other brand, putting the extra effort in to earn a second free night reward can make sense. Make it easier on yourself by aiming to earn one on the Surpass.
TPG’s director of content for credit cards, points and miles, Carly Helfand, used the free night rewards she got through her Hilton cards for part of a stay at the Conrad Algarve this year.
Maximize savings with more statement credits
Both the Hilton Aspire and Hilton Surpass offer statement credits to help justify their $550 (see the Aspire’s rates and fees) and $150 annual fees (see the Surpass’s rates and fees), respectively. By combining these benefits across both cards, you can maximize the value you get out of your Hilton stays.
The Hilton Surpass offers up to $50 each quarter (up to $200 in statement credits annually) for purchases made directly at a Hilton property, which is great for covering your room rate, a meal or a spa treatment. Meanwhile, you’ll receive up to $200 biannually (up to $400 in statement credits annually) for eligible Hilton Resorts purchases from your Aspire. Both of these statement credits could be combined if you use them at a participating Hilton Resort. These properties generally offer more amenities than standard Hilton hotels, such as pools and activities.
The Hilton Aspire also offers flight-related statement credits: up to $50 each quarter (up to $200 in statement credits annually) for purchases made directly with an airline or through Amex Travel, and up to $209 in statement credits each calendar year for a Clear Plus membership (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal).
Assuming you use all of the Hilton statement credits and the airline statement credit to their fullest each year, you’ll more than make up for the annual cost of these cards.
Reap the benefits of Hilton Diamond status
If you only hold the Hilton Surpass, you’ll receive Hilton Gold status. While Hilton Gold isn’t bad by any means, the Hilton Diamond status offered by the Hilton Aspire is a much better fit for loyal Hilton fans, who receive:
- Higher priority for space-available room upgrades
- 100% bonus points on stays
- A 48-hour room guarantee
- Executive lounge access
- Premium Wi-Fi
TPG contributing editor for credit cards Matt Moffitt’s favorite benefit of the Aspire is the complimentary breakfast for two that he receives when staying at Hilton properties abroad (thanks to the card’s Diamond status). He values this at at least $20 per person, adding up to at least $200 in value on a five-night stay for two people. (Cardmembers get a food-and-beverage credit when staying at hotels in the U.S.)
If you’re going to go all-in on Hilton, it makes sense to give yourself the best experience possible whenever you stay. Opening the Aspire alongside the Surpass will make sure you get just that, while not forcing you to give up any of the perks you like on the Surpass.
Earn bonus points across many categories
The Hilton Aspire‘s biggest strengths in the earnings department are with Hilton and on dining and select travel. Meanwhile, the Hilton Surpass covers a wide breadth of bonus categories for a hotel card, meaning any gaps in the Aspire’s earning categories can easily be filled.
With both the Aspire and Surpass, you’ll cover the following bonus categories:
| Category | Which card should you use? | Earning rate (points per dollar spent) |
|---|---|---|
|
Aspire |
14 |
|
|
Flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
|
Aspire |
7 |
|
Dining at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
|
Aspire |
7 |
|
Car rentals booked directly (with select car rental companies)
|
Aspire |
7 |
|
Surpass |
6 |
|
|
Surpass |
6 |
|
|
U.S. online retail purchases
|
Surpass |
4 |
Both cards earn 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
By optimizing your strategy across both cards, you’ll ensure you earn the most Hilton points possible toward your next stay.
Bottom line
Many points and miles enthusiasts don’t give much thought to cobranded hotel cards, since many of us believe that transferable rewards are king. But if you stay with Hilton for most or all of your vacations, combining the Hilton Surpass and Aspire cards can seriously elevate your travels.
Just make sure that you keep track of your cards’ statement credits, as they’re key to ensuring you get enough value to justify each card’s annual fee year after year.
To learn more, check out our reviews of the Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire.
Apply here: Hilton Honors Aspire
Apply here: Hilton Surpass
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass, please click here.