chengcheng2

you can just request a new card with the reason "new design", that's what I just did in app.

wonder if the aspire will be metal?

IIDXias

Posted this in the other thread that got closed but again, based on how I’m reading the current terms & conditions, there should be no issue using the new semi-annual resort credit in one single resort stay in 2024. I see people saying they don’t want to make multiple resort stays in one year but I really don’t see why you would have to. You just need to do one stay in two steps:

1. Book a stay at an eligible Hilton resort by the end of June, for July through December, that costs at least $200 per night. Charge for the first night posts immediately, you get the $200 first half resort credit even though you didn't actually stay at a Hilton resort during the first half of the year.
2. Stay at the resort from July through December, make $200 worth of charges to your room bill (spa, food, whatever). Check out and get charged at least $200 by the resort. Resort credit for the second half of the year posts. Also thinking about it more, I don’t see why this wouldn’t work for simply the rest of your room rate too (if you stayed more than one night) when that gets charged at the end.

I just realized that I really made out well with this resort credit because of this change- my renewal date was like the end of August, I already charged a first night deposit on a resort stay for late October to my card and got the full $250 resort credit for my new membership year, and now apparently it will reset AGAIN to another $200 for January-June 2024, hah.

TXJeepGuy

Got this card to pay for my wedding at a Hilton this year. Based on these changes... probably not something I'll keep. I've got too many premium cards as it is. Did enjoy the massive points earning opportunity on the spend.

Eujeanie

Not on my cards - the Amex logo on all 3 of my Hilton cards is the same shade of blue.

JJeffrey

As I said, YMMV.

Just because you evidently don't get value out of this benefit doesn't mean others don't. I've used it at the Conrad FLL, 2 or 3 times at both the Conrad BKK and Conrad SIN, and most recently 2 weeks ago at the Conrad Sardinia, just to name a few.

Sometimes it makes sense and can provide a decent savings, sometimes it doesn't.

mgo72

So renewal at 450 next month, and directly 400 statement credit next year? :-)

italdesign

That's coz the old Brilliant's benefits sucked compared to Aspire. Even the new Brilliant at $650 AF is still very much inferior to either the old or new Aspire. It only confers Platinum status while Aspire confers higher-than-Platinum status. It only has 1 type of credit (monthly dining) while Aspire has airline AND resort credits. The 85k cert is not as inclusive as Aspire's no-limit cert, though there are more aspirational Marriotts than Hiltons, but you can only top off by 15k so the highest end hotels are off limits. All the while costing $100 more than the new Aspire.

Brilliant's monthly dining credit was in place before the AF increase. I think most people considered it a negative switch from the $300 Marriott credit.

I wish Hilton offered an equivalent of Marriott's 35k or 50k cert or IHG's 40k cert on the Surpass and Business card. There are lots of mid tier Hiltons within a 3 hour drive as a backup, but the aspirational properties that I want to use the Aspire resort credit on are far away.

ChurnieEls

Eh Marriott Platinum is > Hilton Diamond tbh. It's marginal but the guaranteed late check out swings it.

The comment re the cert being unlimited for HH (assuming there's a standard room) is a fair point but it's far easier to wash out $300 of the fee with the $30/month credit, the Aspire needs a lot more work for that even if it makes sense for some people.

italdesign

Late checkout means very little to me. And there are plenty of Marriotts that don't offer the "guaranteed" late checkout. I just stayed in one such last weekend.

I eat out a lot, and it takes effort to use the monthly credit. Times that by 12. Also it's $300 vs $600.

TravelinSperry

Yikes. Removal of Priority Pass is really a loss imo. I used it a lot when traveling Internationally. The AF increase now makes this card a wash for me but I will retain Diamond Status which has some benefit. But lately I've been booking less with Hilton directly and more with OTAs as their rates are much lower for the stays I've been booking. If that doesn't change... I may ditch this card. We shall see.

stanj

Thanks for pointing that out. Might help if I read things more carefully.

Makes it a bit less burdensome.

italdesign

Award fee would be a good option to have, though I generally use cards with better travel insurance. Nonetheless the new credit should work for a lot more options like canceled-to-wallet AS fares. Not sure about AA GC tho.

The new Aspire resort credit is 2x/yr. Surpass is 4x a year (but at any Hilton).

tex1721

I assume most of this thread applied for the card in mid-January when it first opened, so my interpretation is that those with a Jan. annual renewal will be paying $450 for 2024. This gives those with the Jan. renewal a 1 year grace period and a bit of a financial windfall than those with a later renewal.

It will also be interesting to see if airline gift cards and/or other 'gift card like products' (United travelbank) funds will count toward the quarterly credit. Alternatively, you could also book a flight, receive the credit for the quarter, and then cancel the flight and maintain the full credit in your preferred airline.

Any word if we can use the free nights on any day of the week?

zzrayzz

I am a bit confused....

My anniversary is coming up (<1month away), any idea if I would still get the $250 hotel credit if I use it before 1/1/24?

scubadu

Look, clearly it seems you have a little Marriott chip on the shoulder and that is fine. We all have to find what works for us. And Marriott isn't our prime program (Hyatt is). Though I respect your opinion I simply do not agree with you.

I find Marriott Platinum to be far more valuable than Hilton Diamond (frankly, IMHO Hilton Diamond is the weakest of the hotel top tiers). Late check-out absolutely does matter to us and its rarely not honored in our experience.

And with the respect to the dining credit, I just find this statement:
laughable. I mean if you "eat out a lot" how can this credit possibly take effort to use? I don't know where you live but I just had lunch with a friend and I had a glass of water and a chicken sandwich and it was $18 before tax and tip. It's quite literally the easiest to use of all the Amex "coupon book" credits and seems far easier than having to line up two specific "resort" stays twice a year.

Finally, no, the original Brilliant card did not have a dining credit, it was added in lieu of the previous $300 Marriott credit. One can certainly argue that the Marriott credit was preferable to the dining credit, but it most certainly was not a feature of the orginal card. If you are going to come in hot with the negativity, at least make sure you are actually correct. (Source: https://thepointsguy.com/news/marrio...dining-credit/)

Look, I'm not trying to turn this thread into a Marriott vs. Hilton debate, that is off topic from this thread. My only point was that the its a 22% increase in the annual fee with, frankly, not that impressive of changes. Though admittedly, the changes (like most changes) work well for some and not as well for others. Everyone has to do their own calculus.

Regards