I absolutely love luxury resort trips, but there's one drawback: Even when booked with points, they can be pretty pricey thanks to expensive on-site food-and-beverage costs. Of course, all-inclusive resorts can help reduce those costs dramatically — but they're typically not known for standout dining, which is important to me on any trip.
Fortunately, there are a handful of credit cards that offer statement credits to offset spending, specifically at Hilton properties, and for years I've been using these card perks to bring down bills on luxury trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Bora Bora and beyond. But it wasn't until this year, when I was planning a trip to Portugal's Algarve region, that I realized I could use them to eliminate my out-of-pocket costs completely.
In late 2023, both cards got major refreshes that added ultra-useful statement credits to their lists of benefits. Aspire Card holders now get up to $400 annually (up to $200 biannually) in statement credits for eligible purchases made at participating Hilton resorts, while Surpass Card holders now receive up to $50 in statement credits quarterly (up to $200 annually) when using the card for Hilton purchases.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
