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If you’re thinking about opening a hotel credit card, the first step is to analyze your travel goals.
Are you a road-tripper who wants to book cheap hotels along the highway? Do you mostly use small-town hotels during trips to grandma’s for Thanksgiving? Do you want a five-star vacation in the Maldives? Not every rewards credit card is equally suited to booking hotel stays, so the way you answer these questions will help you find the best hotel card for you.
Find the right hotel credit card for you
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays (4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member). Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning with 2 points per dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
3 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership
Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 6 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 4 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart). Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
It’s also important to consider the card’s welcome bonus offer, recurring benefits, ease of earning free nights via credit card spending, category bonuses, and elite status perks (if any). With that in mind, here are the best hotel credit cards.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Compare the best hotel credit cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Details
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.
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Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.24% – 27.24% Variable
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Details
Rewards
Earn 5x points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.
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Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.24% – 28.24% Variable
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Details
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Annual Fee
$695
See Rates and Fees
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Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
See Pay Over Time APR
Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
N/A
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Details
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.24% – 28.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
Intro offer
2 reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first 6 months
Rewards
Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and collect 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on Hotels.com. When you collect 10 stamps, you’ll get 1 reward night to redeem on future bookings through Hotels.com.
Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
Intro offer
2 reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first 6 months
Rewards
Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and collect 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on Hotels.com. When you collect 10 stamps, you’ll get 1 reward night to redeem on future bookings through Hotels.com.
Details
Rewards
Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and collect 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on Hotels.com. When you collect 10 stamps, you’ll get 1 reward night to redeem on future bookings through Hotels.com.
Intro offer
2 reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first 6 months
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
17.99% to 25.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Details
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
15.74% to 24.74% variable APR on purchases
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
If you stay with IHG with any regularity, this card is an excellent choice for earning IHG points. It comes with valuable benefits like a free night after each account anniversary and automatic elite status, along with generous travel and purchase protections, for a modest annual fee. However, if you’re not interested in IHG-specific benefits, a card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which transfer to IHG at a 1:1 ratio) may be a better bet.
Details
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.24% – 27.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
Intro offer
30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning with 2 points per dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays (4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member). Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
Intro offer
30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning with 2 points per dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays (4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member). Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
Details
Rewards
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays (4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member). Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
Intro offer
30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning with 2 points per dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.24% – 27.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Intro offer
3 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Intro offer
3 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Details
Rewards
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
3 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.24% – 27.24% Variable
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 6 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 4 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart). Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 6 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 4 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart). Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Details
Rewards
Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 6 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 4 points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart). Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
19.99%, 24.24% or 29.24% Variable
Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
0% promo APR for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare purchases and 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The best hotel credit card reviews
If you’re loyal to a specific hotel brand, having a co-branded card makes a lot of sense, as it can get you complimentary elite status, bonus points, and other perks when you stay with that chain. (You’ll see our top card picks for each hotel brand further down in this guide).
But if you care less about brand loyalty and more about earning as many points as possible, a general travel rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred could make more sense. This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points (with 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 2x points on all other travel purchases, including hotels), which you can redeem for travel bookings through the Chase Travel Portal or transfer to partners including Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG to book).
The Chase Sapphire Preferred also offers excellent travel insurance, so it’s a good card to use for hotel bookings and airfare.
Recent updates to the Chase Sapphire Preferred include the addition of up to $50 per year in statement credits for hotels booked through Chase. If you maximize this credit, you can shave off more than half of the card’s $95 annual fee.
Read more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Sapphire Reserve is the higher-end sibling of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, with many of the same benefits except higher earning rates (5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, after earning the $300 travel credit, and 3x points on other travel and dining) and even better travel coverage.
It includes everything from trip cancellation and trip delay insurance to primary car rental insurance. Unlike the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Sapphire Reserve includes emergency evacuation insurance. In exchange for the $550 annual fee, you get up to a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass airport lounge membership, a complimentary two-year Lyft Pink All Access membership, and more.
Read more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve:
Best for luxury hotel perks: Amex Platinum
The Platinum Card® from American Express
is a great card for booking hotel stays for several reasons. First, it offers complimentary Gold elite status with both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy**. This can get you room upgrades and bonus points on your paid stays — and Gold status with Hilton even gets you free breakfast (currently offered as a food and beverage credit at US hotels.).
Plus, if you have the Platinum Card you can access Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts — a collection of luxury properties booked through Amex that offer benefits like complimentary upgrades, free breakfast, and property credits. The Amex Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but it easily can be worth it thanks to benefits like this.
Read more about the Amex Platinum:
Best if you’re not loyal to a hotel chain: Capital One Venture X
Travelers who aren’t fussy about staying at the same hotel chain every time or don’t care about earning hotel points for stays should have a close look at the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It’s a premium card with a $395 annual fee, but it comes with benefits that more than justify its cost.
Most notably, the card offers up to $300 in statement credits each year toward hotels, airfare, and car rentals booked through the Capital One Travel Portal. That alone negates most of the annual fee, but there’s also a 10,000-mile bonus each card anniversary (worth at least $100 in travel) that essentially offsets the rest.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card starts off strong with a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You can redeem Capital One miles toward travel purchases made on your card (including hotels) at a rate of 1 cent apiece, making this bonus worth $1,275 in stays.
Alternately, you can book hotels with miles through the Capital One Travel portal at the same rate, or pay with your card and earn 10x miles on hotel purchases. Capital One also has three hotel transfer partners — Wyndham, Choice Hotels, and Accor Live Limitless — and by transferring miles to one of these chains, you can potentially get even more value for your rewards.
This card also offers excellent travel and purchase protections, Priority Pass and Capital One airport lounge access, and a credit toward the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
Read more about the Capital One Venture X:
Hotels.com is a third-party online travel site that allows you to book over 500,000 hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals around the world, often at a discount. It’s got its own loyalty program with a simple rewards structure — members earn one reward night for every 10 nights they stay.
If you book a lot of Hotels.com stays, it’s worth considering the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
. It currently has a welcome offer of 2 reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first 6 months. Cardholders collect 1 stamp each time they spend $500 on card purchases, with 10 stamps equal to one reward night.
The Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card comes with decent benefits for a no-annual-fee card, including Hotels.com Silver status for as long as your card is open, cell phone protection, secondary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, and travel accident insurance.
Read more about the Hotels.com credit card:
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card is hands-down the best co-branded hotel credit card out there. For starters, with the welcome bonus offer (150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening), you can book upwards of 30 free nights, depending on the hotel category. The card also comes with top-tier Hilton Diamond status, which gets you free breakfast (currently awarded as a food and beverage credit), lounge access, and a 100% bonus on points earned via paid stays.
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card also offers a free night reward when you renew your card at your account anniversary, plus an extra free night when you spend $60,000 in a calendar year. Travelers will appreciate up to $250 in annual Hilton resort statement credits, up to $250 in annual airline incidental credits**, and Priority Pass Select membership**.
If you don’t stay at Hilton properties frequently enough to justify this card’s $450 annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
, with a $95 annual fee, is a better option. It earns 12x points on eligible Hilton purchases (compared to 14x on the Aspire), and like the Aspire it offers a high welcome bonus.
You can stack the Aspire’s $250 resort credit with the annual night reward at Hilton Resorts to save even more on a luxury stay.
Read more about the Hilton Aspire Card:
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is one of the best hotel cards in terms of value. It’s currently offering a welcome bonus of 175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
In exchange for an annual fee of $99, cardholders get complimentary IHG Platinum elite status, a fourth night free on award bookings of three or more nights, and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $100 every four years. Additionally, cardholders earn a reward night every year, which you can use at any IHG hotel worldwide that costs up to 40,000 points per night.
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card (and its no-annual-fee sibling, the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card) recently received a makeover, including new bonus categories and improved benefits.
Read more about the IHG Premier Card:
The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
comes with free Discoverist status, which offers benefits like premium internet and 10% bonus points on paid stays. Cardholders aiming for higher status will appreciate the five qualifying night credits issued every year and the ability to earn two additional credits per $5,000 spent on the card.
Cardholders also receive a free night certificate on their account anniversary every year, valid at Hyatt Category 1 to 4 hotels. You can also earn a second free night after you spend $15,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year.
Chase also offers a Hyatt card for small-business owners, too. The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card comes with more perks but charges a higher annual fee — you can find out more in our World of Hyatt Business card review.
Read more:
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card includes solid perks for a mid-tier hotel credit card, including a free night each year after your cardmember anniversary at Marriott Bonvoy hotels that cost up to 35,000 points per night. Marriott has added the ability to “top-off” these certificates with up to 15,000 Marriott points — giving you the freedom to use your anniversary Free Night Awards for hotel nights that cost up to 50,000 points.
Another reason to consider it? It’s currently offering a welcome bonus of 3 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Insider estimates Marriott points to be worth 0.7 cents apiece — making this bonus worth up to $1,050 in travel.
Read more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless:
The Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card
offers good benefits, including Platinum elite status, which comes with benefits like upgrades on Avis car rentals, early check-in, and a status match to the Caesars Rewards program. Each year after your account anniversary, you’ll also receive 7,500 bonus points (with no spending requirement). The annual fee is a moderate $75.
It earns a solid 6 Wyndham points per dollar on eligible Wyndham purchases and at gas stations, 4 points per dollar at Wyndham Timeshare properties and at restaurants and grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), and 1 point per dollar on everything else (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resorts down payments). You’ll also get discounts on both paid and points bookings with Wyndham hotels.
Read more about the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus:
How we chose the best hotel credit cards
Personal Finance Insider analyzed dozens of hotel cards, looking at benefits, annual fees, rewards, and ancillary benefits to arrive at our final list of the very best options.
Many hotel brands offer various “tiers” of credit cards. For example, in addition to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card with a $95 annual fee, there’s the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, which has a $650 annual fee and includes Platinum elite status and up to $25 per month in statement credits for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide. There’s also the new Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card with a $250 annual fee.
When more than one personal credit card was available from a top hotel chain, we chose the card that offers the most value to an average guest, not someone who travels every weekend.
Additionally, some hotel credit cards offer a free night after each account anniversary or for meeting spending thresholds. These nights can be worth much more than the cards’ annual fees, and make them worth keeping year after year.
For instance, we chose the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card as the best credit card for Marriott stays, because it balances a moderate annual fee with a few valuable perks and a great welcome bonus offer. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card has more perks to justify its annual fee, but it’s harder to recommend to everybody — with benefits such as Priority Pass Select airport lounge access, it’s more geared toward frequent travelers.
On the other hand, we named the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, with a $450 annual fee, the best card for Hilton stays, because it comes with several statement credits that can effectively reduce the fee — and it offers the highest level of Hilton elite status as a complimentary benefit to cardholders.
Hotel credit cards frequently asked questions (FAQ)
If you have a good credit score and pay your credit card bills off each month, it makes sense to get a rewards credit card that earns you points on your purchases — including hotel stays.
You’ll have to decide whether you stay with a particular hotel chain frequently enough to opt for a co-branded hotel credit card (such as an IHG card). If you want to earn travel points and enjoy some benefits on your hotel stay but you don’t stay in hotels very often, you’re probably better off with a general travel rewards card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Many of the major hotel chains offer no-annual-fee credit cards, but they typically come with smaller welcome bonus offers, lower earning rates, and fewer perks. That said, if you’re totally against paying an annual fee but are loyal to a certain chain, you may want to consider picking up one of these cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (read our Marriott Bonvoy Bold card review)
- IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening (read our IHG Rewards Traveler card review)
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership (read our Hilton Honors Amex card review)
- Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card
: Earn 32,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days (read our Choice Privileges card review) - Wyndham Rewards® Earner Card
: Earn 30,000 bonus points, worth up to 4 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening
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