American Categorical gives two premium cobranded lodge bank cards: The Hilton Honors American Categorical Aspire Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible® American Categorical® Card.
Each playing cards carry dear annual charges — $550 and $650, respectively (see Marriott Bonvoy Sensible charges and charges) and include related advantages, akin to automated elite standing and annual free evening certificates.
Is one card higher than the opposite? Let us take a look at them side-by-side to see which ought to earn a spot in your pockets.
The knowledge for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible comparability
Listed below are the fundamentals of every of those two playing cards within the main classes:
| Perk/profit | Hilton Amex Aspire | Marriott Bonvoy Sensible |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $550 | $650 |
| Welcome bonus | Earn 175,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 within the first six months of cardmembership. This limited-time provide ends April 29. | Earn 185,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership. This limited-time provide ends Could 14. |
| Incomes charges |
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| Credit |
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| Elite standing |
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| Free-night certificates |
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| Different advantages |
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Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible welcome provide
In the meantime, with the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible, new cardmembers will earn 185,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership. This limited-time provide ends Could 14.
Based mostly on TPG’s March 2025 valuations, 175,000 Hilton factors are value $1,050, in comparison with $1,295 for the Bonvoy Sensible provide. Regardless of Marriott factors being valued increased than Hilton Honors factors, the Aspire’s massive welcome provide is just not one thing to disregard.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Sensible. Its welcome provide is barely extra precious.
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Associated: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible Amex definitely worth the $650 annual price?
Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible advantages
What makes each playing cards shine is the intensive perks that they provide.
Plus, you may stand up to $100 in credit for incidentals once you e-book no less than a two-night eligible paid keep at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties via HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard. Lastly, you may get an as much as $199 assertion credit score for a Clear Plus membership.
You will obtain one free evening reward at virtually any Hilton property worldwide after opening your account and once more in your cardmember anniversary. You may earn a second and third reward evening by spending $30,000 and $60,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr, respectively.
The cardboard’s Most worthy journey perk is automated top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond standing for the first cardmember. Diamond standing comes with perks like bonus factors, executive-floor lounge entry, complimentary breakfast and room upgrades. Like many Amex playing cards, the Hilton Aspire comes with quite a lot of journey and procuring protections.
As for the Bonvoy Sensible, you may stand up to $25 in assertion credit for restaurant purchases charged to your card every month (as much as $300 every calendar yr).
You will additionally get pleasure from an on-property credit score of as much as $100 on eligible two-night paid stays at St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton areas. Main cardmembers obtain automated Platinum Elite standing. Platinum Elite standing consists of perks like upgrades to suites, free breakfast and lounge entry.
Cardmembers can fast-track to the next standing degree with 25 complimentary elite evening credit per calendar yr. The cardboard additionally comes with an annual free evening award value as much as 85,000 factors (sure lodges have resort charges).
Like many different premium playing cards (however not the Aspire), the Bonvoy Sensible comes with a Precedence Move Choose membership (with visitor privileges) and can reimburse you once you cost the applying price for World Entry or TSA PreCheck to the cardboard ($120 each 4 years for World Entry or as much as $85 each 4½ years for TSA PreCheck).
The Bonvoy Sensible additionally comes with a collection of journey and procuring protections.
Winner: Tie. Each playing cards provide a free evening certificates and robust journey and procuring protections. Aspire cardmembers obtain top-tier elite standing, however the Sensible’s assertion credit are simpler to make use of.
Incomes factors on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible
One of many card’s complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond standing advantages is a 100% level bonus for Hilton stays (or 20 factors per greenback spent at most Hilton properties). Meaning you may truly earn a complete of 34 factors per greenback on most Hilton stays as a cardmember.
The Hilton Aspire additionally earns 7 factors per greenback on choose journey and eating at U.S. eating places and three factors per greenback on all different purchases.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent at taking part Marriott lodges, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating at eating places worldwide and on flights booked straight with airways and a couple of factors per greenback on all different purchases.
Along with incomes 6 factors per greenback spent at taking part Marriott lodges, you’ll be able to earn as much as 15 factors per greenback on stays due to the complimentary Platinum Elite standing that comes with the cardboard. In whole, you’ll be able to earn 21 factors per greenback in your reserving.
We do not advocate utilizing both of those playing cards for non-hotel spending, as you will get higher worth with a card that earns transferable rewards. So, the deciding issue right here will probably be primarily based on which card has a greater incomes price for lodge purchases.
Winner: Hilton Aspire. It earns extra on lodging than the Bonvoy Sensible.
Associated: 7 causes to get the Hilton Amex Aspire Card
Redeeming factors on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible
Since Hilton has dynamic pricing, you must get pretty constant worth out of your factors year-round. Nevertheless, a property can abruptly improve its normal award worth with out warning.
An choice value contemplating when staying at top-tier properties is to make use of factors to subsidize paid stays with the Factors & Cash choice — it will get you an excellent redemption worth of as much as 1 cent per level.
As for the Bonvoy Sensible, you’ll be able to redeem factors towards free stays at greater than 9,000 properties throughout 30 manufacturers in over 140 nations.
That is by far the best choice for redeeming your factors, however you too can use them for on-property purchases and transfers to airline companions. The ratio for transferring Marriott factors to airways is usually 3:1, which is not favorable.
TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed utilized his Bonvoy factors and this system’s fifth free evening perk to e-book a keep on the Ritz-Carlton DIFC in Dubai over the weekend spanning New 12 months’s Eve.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Sensible. Marriott has a bigger portfolio and numerous manufacturers suited for all sorts of vacationers. Marriott factors are additionally value greater than Hilton factors, in keeping with TPG’s March 2025 valuations.
Associated: Maximizing redemptions with the Marriott Bonvoy program
Transferring factors on the Hilton Amex Aspire vs. Marriott Bonvoy Sensible
Marriott factors stand out from different hotel-points currencies as a result of there’s additionally potential for excellent worth when turning factors into airline miles. Marriott factors might be transferred to virtually 40 frequent flyer packages. Factors principally switch at a reasonably strong 3:1 ratio, factoring within the 5,000-mile bonus given for each 60,000 factors transferred.
Hilton Honors factors will also be transferred to pick airline companions. Nevertheless, the ratio is poorer than Marriott’s (normally 10:1).
Typically talking, we advocate utilizing your lodge factors for stays as a substitute of transferring them to airways. The one time transferring out to airways might be a good suggestion is that if you want to high off your steadiness for an award flight.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Sensible. Whether or not you are trying to redeem factors at no cost stays or free flights, there are numerous methods to get large worth out of Marriott Bonvoy factors.
Ought to I get the Hilton Amex Aspire or Marriott Bonvoy Sensible?
The proper card for you finally relies on which lodge chain you are extra loyal to. When you’re not loyal to both model, we advocate choosing the Hilton Aspire for higher incomes charges and advantages like top-tier elite standing. Nevertheless, it is also straightforward to get worth from the Bonvoy Sensible due to its extra versatile assertion credit and annual free evening certificates (sure lodges have resort charges). Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.
Backside line
Alternatively, given the automated elite statuses and array of perks the world over’s two largest lodge loyalty packages, you can additionally make a case for carrying each playing cards. These playing cards make maximizing advantages straightforward and provide assertion credit to assist offset their excessive annual charges.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluations of the Hilton Aspire and the Bonvoy Sensible.
Apply right here: Marriott Bonvoy Sensible
For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible Amex, click on right here.
