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Which Hilton Card is Better? The American Express Hilton Surpass Or Citi Hilton Reserve?

  • Million Mile Secrets

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    Hot Deals f

    or

    the latest offers.

    Million Mile Secrets reader Nandan emails with a question about which is the better Hilton hotel credit card:

    Citi Hilton Hon

    or

    s Reserve Card
    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_01.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”399″ /> At The Hilton Mo

    or

    ea

    Nandan wants to know which Hilton credit card will give him the most bonus points and the maximum benefits, so let’s take a look at both cards.

    Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Card from American Express

    Link:  Hilton Hon

    or

    s™ Surpass® Card from American Express

    Nandan earns 100,000 points after he spends $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening the Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Card from American Express    . Nandan will get free Hilton ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_02.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”279″ height=”300″ />     Nandan Gets Hilton Gold Status And if Nandan is a oreign-transaction-fee-cards/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>no f

    or

    eign transaction fee card    , like the Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Reserve card    .

    Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Reserve

    Link:  Citi Hilton Reserve

    Citibank has a no annual fee Hilton card as well as the Citi Hilton Reserve card which has a $95 annual fee which is NOT waived f

    or

    the 1st year.

    Nandan gets 2 weekend night certificates good at almost any Hilton after he spends $2,500 within 4 months.

    The certificates are valid f

    or

    12 months from when they are issued. Nandan can use the certificates at any Grand Wailea in Hawaii.  Emily and I stayed there on our Spring Break trip to Maui.
    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_03.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”399″ /> Emily And Daraius At The Grand Wailea
    But Nandan can only redeem the free night certificates f

    or

    weekends,     i.e. Friday, Saturday,

    or

    Sunday    , so he can’t use them to spend a full week in Maui. But he could use the certificates on the weekends and use Hilton points f

    or

    the weekdays since there are Conrad Tokyo,

    or

    the ora-b

    or

    a-nui/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Emily and I had our second honeymoon    .
    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_04.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”399″ /> At The Hilton B

    or

    a B

    or

    a Nui
    Nandan gets free Hilton Citi Hilton Reserve card also has no f

    or

    eign transaction fees!      So he could use the Citi Hilton Reserve f

    or

    stays at Hilton outside the US.

    COMPARING THE TWO HILTON CARDS

    Let’s compare the 2 cards.

    I’d pick the Citi Hilton Reserve if I had to pick just 1 of the 2 Hilton cards.

    1.   2 Free Weekend Nights Or 60,000 Points

    Nandan will get m

    or

    e value from the 2 free weekend nights at almost any Hilton with the Citi Hilton Reserve card than with the 60,000 point sign-up bonus with the American Express Surpass card. That’s because ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_05.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”327″ />     Nandan Could Stay At The Conrad Bali

    But he would get 2 weekend nights with the free night certificates from the Citi Hilton Reserve.

    So he could stay f

    or

    2 nights at a Categ

    or

    y 9 hotel like the ors.php”>Wald

    or

    f Ast

    or

    ia Rome Cavalieri    .
    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_06.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”399″ /> Emily And Daraius At The Hilton Mo

    or

    ea
    That said, if Nandan prefers staying in categ

    or

    y 3

    or

    lower Hilton hotels which cost 20,000 points, he is better off with the 60,000 points from the American Express Hilton Surpass which will get him 3 nights at 20,000 points per night. The Citi Hilton Reserve will only get him 2 nights at a categ

    or

    y 3

    or

    lower Hilton. Winner:  Citi Hilton Reserve f

    or

    stays in categ

    or

    y 4

    or

    higher     Hilton hotels.  American Express Hilton Surpass f

    or

    stays in categ

    or

    y 3 Hilton

    or

    lower.

    2.   Free Gold Elite Status

    Nandan gets free orless.com/2013/11/06/free-hilton-gold-status-f

    or

    -american-express-platinum-cardholders/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>free Hilton Gold status if he has an American Express Platinum card

    or

    if he buys a ~$50 Milepoint Premium membership.

    Status Matching To Get Free Hyatt Nights In Suite

    Nandan might be able to match his Hilton Gold status to a trial Hyatt Diamond status.  Note that matching to Hyatt Diamond status might be a once in a lifetime opp

    or

    tunity.

    Hyatt Diamond status gets Nandan:

    Nandan will  have the trial Hyatt Diamond status f

    or

    60 days and 4 confirmed suite upgrades f

    or

    paid stays.

    He keeps Diamond status if he stays 12 nights (paid with cash and not points) within the 60 days of his trial Diamond membership.

    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_07.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”399″ /> Emily In Our Suite At The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
    You have to email Hyatt at goldpassp

    or

    t@hyatt.com.

    or

    call Hyatt to ask f

    or

    the trial Hyatt Diamond status match. Winner:  Tie.  Citi Hilton Reserve 

    or

     American Express Hilton Surpass

    3.   Free Weekend Night After Spending $10,000 Each Year

    Nandan gets a free weekend night after spending $10,000 within his membership year (1 year from the date when he is approved and resets each year) on the Citi Hilton Reserve.

    But like the free weekend certificate from the sign-up bonus, the free weekend night is not valid at all-inclusive, Hilton Grand hotels,

    or

    Wald

    or

    f Ast

    or

    ia hotels which have only suites

    or

    villas.

    Nandan could use it to stay at the Conrad Koh Sumui in Thailand.

    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_08.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”600″ height=”285″ /> Nandan Can Use His Free Weekend Night At The Conrad Kum Sumui In Thailand
    Winner:  Citi Hilton Reserve

    4.   Top Tier Hilton Diamond Status After Spending $40,000

    Nandan will get  5.   No F

    or

    eign Transaction Fees & Card Has A Chip     Nandan will pay no f

    or

    eign transaction fees using the Citi Hilton Reserve.  But he will pay a 2.7% f

    or

    eign transaction fee     on the American Express Surpass card. The Citi Hilton Reserve also has Chip and Signature technology, which     6.   Earning Hilton Points Nandan earns 12 Hilton points f

    or

    every $1 he spends at Hilton hotels using his American Express Surpass card which is better than the 10 points per $1 spent using the Citi Hilton Reserve card. But if Nandan is staying at Hilton hotels outside the US, he is better off skipping the 2 extra points with the American Express Surpass and using his Citi Hilton Reserve card because it doesn’t charge f

    or

    eign transaction fees.
    ors Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” src=”https://millionmilesecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sunday_Reader_Question_American_Express_Hilton_Hon

    or

    s_Surpass_Or_Citi_Hilton_HHon

    or

    s_Visa_09.jpg” alt=”Sunday Reader Question American Express Hilton Hon

    or

    s Surpass Or Citi Hilton HHon

    or

    s Visa” width=”300″ height=”299″ />
     The Citi Hilton Reserve Has No F

    or

    eign Transaction Fees

    The American Express Surpass card earns 6 points per $1 spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and 3 points per $1 spent on everything else.

    That could be m

    or

    e valuable to than 5 points per $1 spent on airlines and car rentals with the Citi Hilton Reserve.  But it really depends on your spending patterns. Winner:  It depends on your spending patterns.   

    7.   $95 Annual Fee

    Nandan will pay a $75 annual fee f

    or

    the Hilton Surpass card

    or

    $95 annual fee f

    or

    the Citi Hilton Reserve. Basically Nandan is paying $75 to get 1 night at a Categ

    or

    y 7 Hilton (60,000 points with the American Express Surpass card)

    or

    $95 to get 2 free weekend nights at almost all Hilton hotels with the Citi Hilton Reserve card. Winner:  The American Express Surpass card has a $20 lower fee, so it is the winner if your only criteria is the low annual fee.  But I’d rather have the Citi Hilton Reserve f

    or

    the 1st year (and get the 2 free weekend nights) and have the American Express Surpass f

    or

    the 2nd year onward f

    or

    free Hilton Gold status. If you spend m

    or

    e than $10,000 a year, you’re better off with the Citi Hilton Reserve f

    or

    the 2nd year onwards as well because you get 1 free weekend night.

    Citi Hilton Reserve card.  Both cards will also give him Hilton Diamond status if he spends $40,000 a year.

    But Nandan also gets 1 free night at almost any Hilton when he spends $10,000 on the Hilton Reserve.  And 2 weekend nights at almost any Hilton as a signup bonus compared to 100,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements on the Hilton Surpass card.

    In addition, Nandan also pays no f

    or

    eign transaction fees on the Citi Hilton Reserve.

    So, if I had to pick only 1 Hilton card, I’d pick the Citi Hilton Reserve card over the American Express Surpass card.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)