A great hotel card can help you log free hotel nights, add a touch of luxury to your hotel stays and even take the stress out of travel with convenient perks and upgrades. Many hotel cards combine generous rewards programs with ample perks for loyal guests.
We researched and analyzed 42 hotel cards and 300 general travel credit cards to find you the best recommendations – here are some of the best hotel credit cards from our partners.
A great hotel card can help you log free hotel nights, add a touch of luxury to your hotel stays and even take the stress out of travel with convenient perks and upgrades. Many hotel cards combine generous rewards programs with ample perks for loyal guests.
We researched and analyzed 42 hotel cards and 300 general travel credit cards to find you the best recommendations – here are some of the best hotel credit cards from our partners.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
6X
Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
3X
Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
130,000 points
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
5X
Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
3X
Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
80,000 points
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That’s an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases.
5X
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
5X
5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
75,000 points
Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual Fee
$550
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
You may earn up to a 125,000-point intro bonus offer if you use our CardMatch tool.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
Discover Match®
Unlimited Bonus: Only Discover will automatically match all the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There's no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
2X
Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
Earn up to 60,000 points
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy Hotels.
3X
3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
2X
2 points on all other eligible purchases.
At A Glance
Intro Bonus
125,000 points
Earn 125,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Expires 5/12/2021.
Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by CreditCards.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank's website for the most current information.
All information about Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Comparing Credit Cards for Hotel Points
Hotel credit cards, like airline cards, pair a travel brand with a bank, encouraging loyalty. They are a great way to build points on a specific loyalty brand. But, it’s important to make sure you are going to spend enough to benefit from the card.
Here, we explore what are hotel credit cards and how do they work, which hotel credit cards offer free nights, and more. But first, we’ll take a deeper dive into our favorite hotel credit cards.
Why this is the best hotel credit card for a sign-up bonus
With this card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening your account – that’s a whopping $1,000 if you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. If you’re planning to get out of the house this fall or travel more frequently this holiday season, this card is a good way to rack up points through its generous sign-up bonus.
Pros
Its generous 2X points per $1 spent rewards rate coupled with Ultimate Rewards’ 25% booking boost make Chase’s 1:1 point transfer to hotel partners a choice value for travelers loyal to IHG, Hyatt or Marriott.
Cons
This card offers limited rewards above 1X point on categories other than worldwide travel and dining. However, because all points get a 25% boost when booking through Ultimate Rewards, that 1X point becomes 1.25X point, meaning you can be earning points now on everyday purchases that you’ll be able to use later in the year.
Bottom line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is at the top in flexibility, with a 25% bonus on travel bookings through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 1:1 redemption on many travel partners. Ultimately, Sapphire Preferred is a great long-term rewards card, should you be saving rewards for a future getaway.
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for flexible travel rewards
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express offers exceptional rewards for hotels, flights, homestays and car rentals – making it a favorite for travel features.
Pros
With super high rewards for such quirky categories as homestays, popular streaming services and rideshares, this is a millennial’s dream come true. Also, the sign-up bonus is good for a card with no annual fee.
Cons
It’s hard not to love this card with its general travel rewards, including hotels, but it is not the best for everyday purchases such as groceries.
Bottom line: If you are on the hunt for flexible travel rewards, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express is a fine option, but you may not get the everyday categories you could get with another kind of rewards card.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for Hilton bonus points
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is our top pick for Hilton bonus points. You’ll be awarded a weekend night reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year, and the opportunity to upgrade to Diamond status after a $40,000 spend in a calendar year. You can also earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after making $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of membership.
Pros
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is just full of surprises, including a weekend night reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year, and upgrade to Diamond status after a $40,000 spend in a calendar year. You can also earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after making $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of membership.
Cons
The $95 annual fee isn’t waived the first year, which means you are stuck with a bill the first year for the honor of using this card. Also, Hilton Honors points valuation is only 0.6 cent†.
Bottom line: Unique to this card – your non-hotel spending is mightily rewarded, meaning that more than travel categories can help you earn points.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for free night awards
With 15 Elite Night credits per calendar year, a Free Night Award every year after your account anniversary and a generous rewards structure, this card is fantastic for earning free nights – especially if your account anniversary benefits roll over in time for a summer retreat.
Pros
This card currently has an offer where you earn 75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account. You can enjoy automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year and a path to Gold Status after a $35,000 spend on purchases each account year.
Cons
Like the Surpass, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless doesn’t waive the $95
annual fee the first year, although the point valuation is a little better at 0.8 cent†.
Bottom line: While the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless has a lower rewards value than the Surpass, it still offers excellent rewards for the Marriott enthusiast.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for Hilton Honors Silver Status
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers the complimentary Silver Elite Status, meaning you can automatically receive a 20% bonus on all the Hilton Honors Base Points you earn. Plus, you get express check-in and late check-out, which is a great perk for any traveler.
Pros
The welcome offer of this card is bodacious, as are the ongoing rewards, and there’s no annual fee.
Cons
You’ll do better with the Surpass if you are willing to put down $95 for the annual fee, which isn’t waived the first year.
Bottom line: This card offers a number of excellent hotel features, including express check-in and late check-out, as well as complimentary Silver Status, all with no annual fee.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why this is the best hotel credit card for luxury travel perks
This card is packed with travel features that make it worth your while if you feel the need to travel in style, like airport lounge access.
Pros
From access to the Global Lounge Collection to complimentary benefits with Fine Hotels & Resorts, this card’s benefits are hard to match. There’s the annual $200 airline fee credit and up to $100 on annual purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue (enrollment required).
Bottom line: This card is packed with travel features that make it worth your while if you feel the need to travel in style.
Discover it® Miles
Why it’s the best hotel credit card for best travel miles
Not only will Discover match all of the miles you earn in the first year of account opening automatically, but you can also earn unlimited 1.5x miles for every dollar spent on all purchases, making this card our top pick for best travel miles.
Pros
With the Discover it Miles card, there are a plethora of ways to redeem the miles that you earn, including airline travel, hotels, car rentals and public transportation.
Cons
This card’s value is truly found in its generous first-year bonus, but after the first 12 months, the benefits decrease greatly. Also, you can’t transfer miles you’ve earned to airline frequent-flier programs.
Bottom line: With no annual fee, a flat rate for earning miles, and the exclusive Discover Match, the Discover it Miles has a lot to offer to the avid traveler.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for everyday spending
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns its spot as best for everyday spending due to the generous reward system and the opportunity to earn unlimited miles that won’t expire for the life of the account. Not only that, but Venture Rewards partners with more than ten major airlines, allowing you to transfer your miles.
This card doesn’t have the 25% boost when redeeming for travel on the Citi ThankYou Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards portals that are offered by some cards.
Bottom line: Even with a $95 annual fee that isn’t waived, the card offers a generous sign-up bonus: 100,000 miles after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Why this is the best hotel credit card for no annual fee
Earning travel rewards without having to fork over an annual fee is one of this card’s greatest perks. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is just right for the occasional traveler who wants to enjoy some of the benefits of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
Pros
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards comes in beside the Sapphire Preferred in rewards flexibility for general purchases, with travel without blackout dates and stays at any hotel at any time. But with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, this card is a keeper.
Cons
While you can earn rewards on all types of spending with this card, you can’t count on the rewards racking up quickly.
Bottom line: This card is just right for the occasional traveler who wants to enjoy some of the benefits of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
Compare the top hotel credit card offers:
After analyzing over 40 different hotel rewards credit card offers (and even more general travel cards), here is our list of the 10 best hotel credit cards for 2021. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card tops our list because of its generous 2X miles per dollar on all purchases. For a co-branded hotel credit card, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is our top choice.
Hotel credit cards are often co-branded cards (but not always). That means they are issued by a bank, such as Chase or American Express, and partner with a specific hotel brand. As you can imagine, the hotel card will reward you for loyalty to that brand, as well as reward you for loyalty to airline and car rental partners. In some cases, you are rewarded for using the card on everyday purchases, such as grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants.
How hotel credit cards work
Typically, hotel credit cards come with sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards and special benefits, depending on the category of membership that you qualify for. Then, the rewards programs usually offer a different redemption amount depending on the category of hotel property you choose.
Credit cards that redeem for hotel stays include co-branded cards and general-purpose cards. While co-branded cards reward for loyalty, general-purpose travel cards reward you for a variety of spending on a number of airline and hotel brands.
Who should get a hotel credit card?
If you make the choice to transition to a rewards card, keep in mind that with the right hotel card, you can maximize points through business and personal travel alike.
Wondering if a hotel credit card is right for you? If you are one of these 3 types of people, they might be a good choice.
The business traveler. If you often travel to a specific area, you may have the opportunity to frequent the same hotels. You can maximize your savings by pulling your hotel card out whenever you travel on business.
The loyal traveler. If you are loyal to say, Hilton, then look at the Hilton cards that are available to see which one suits your travel habits best, such as the Hilton Honors suite through American Express.
The luxury traveler. With the right card, you can enjoy the finer benefits, such as complimentary breakfast and refreshments, room upgrades, elite status benefits and free night rewards.
You don’t have to be a frequent jetsetter to reap the rewards that these cards can offer; even just spending the night a few times a year at the same chain may be enough to earn luxurious perks with the right card. However, in order to maximize your benefits, it’s important to determine the rewards structure that will best fit your travel and hotel aspirations.
How to compare two hotel credit cards
Hotel cards come in a choice of flavors, with widely varying benefits, different point valuations and differing expiration rules. Curious how to make it work for you? Here, we look at the different factors to consider, then we compare hotel cards as an example. Here are top factors to consider when choosing a hotel credit card.
How to compare 2 hotel credit cards
Card
World of Hyatt Credit Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
TPG August 2019 points valuation†
$0.017
$0.006
Welcome Offer
*30,000 pts / $3,000 spend in 3 mths = $510
*30,000 pts / $15,000 spend in 6 mths = $510
130,000 pts / $2,000 spend in 3 mths = $780
Spending at properties
$2,000 * 9X pts * $0.017 = $306
$2,000 * 12X pts * $0.006 = $144
Various bonus spending
$500 * 12 mths * 2X pts * $0.017 = $204
$500 * 12 mths * 6X pts * $0.006 = $216
Annual fee
$95
$95
Total end of first year
$1,435
$1,045
As you can see, the Hyatt card is the clear winner because of the superior point valuation – that’s even with the Hilton card’s intro offer. Bottom line: Make sure you look at all moving parts of the cards you are eyeing before making a decision.
*Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points with 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 Bonus Point up to $15,000 in the first 6 months of account opening.
Which is better – hotel credit card, general-purpose travel credit card or cash back credit card?
With so many choices in rewards credit cards, decision-making can be tough. Hotel, travel or cash back – which to choose? Well, it depends on your priorities and spending habits. Here, we break it down for you.
Hotel credit cards. This is a good card for the consumer with a favorite hotel brand and an itch to travel. Last-minute planners are welcome, unlike airline credit cards.
Travel credit cards. A procrastinator or an occasional traveler? A general-purpose travel card may be your best bet, particularly if there is no annual fee. This card is also good for the traveler who likes to shop around.
Cash back credit cards. If you don’t see yourself traveling much or you want simplicity in your rewards, a cash back card may be the right choice. This card often offers a greater variety of categories to earn rewards on.
Top hotel loyalty programs
With many hotel loyalty programs out there, it can be hard to decide which is the best. Well, we do the heavy lifting for you with the help of The Points Guy’s monthly point valuations. Here, we reveal a few of the best hotel rewards programs and what they can offer members:
Free standard wifi, 5X points, as well as complimentary breakfast, early check-in and check-out, 1 category upgrade (SLH hotels)
Source: TPG, CreditCards.com research
Research methodology: how we chose the best cards
With so many branded options to check into, selecting which hotel card best accommodates your spending habits can be difficult. That’s why we analyzed 42 cards to bring you the 10 highest-rated hotel cards. For a list of detailed criteria and more information on our review scores, see our ratings process for hotel credit cards.
Hotel credit cards analyzed: 42
Criteria used: Rewards rates, rewards categories, sign-up bonuses, size of hotel network, transfer partners, point values, other travel benefits, annual fee, other rates and fees, redemption options and flexibility, customer service, credit needed, elite status, ability to upgrade and downgrade.
† All information regarding credit card point valuations is provided by The Points Guy
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, points for hotel-brand loyalty programs can expire if you don’t keep the account active, but there are a number of ways to make sure that doesn’t happen. By keeping your accounts active, the points won’t just go away. Fortunately, many hotel loyalty programs have extended their perks for cardholders waiting to use their rewards. Here are top brands and their expiration policies:
Hotel loyalty programs’ points expiration policies
Hotel brand
Points expiration policy
Wyndham Rewards
18 months of inactivity, or 4 years after the checkout date when obtained
Hilton Honors
12 months of inactivity
Marriott/SPG/Ritz-Carlton
24 months of inactivity
World of Hyatt
24 months of inactivity
Source: CreditCards.com research
You can, in certain cases, transfer your hotel points to an airline partner and fly with those points. There are advantages to marrying airlines with hotel cards, such as bonuses for transferring points and purchasing airline tickets. For example, American Airlines AAdvantage® has partnered with the World of Hyatt to provide their elite World of Hyatt members better benefits and flight rewards. As an elite World of Hyatt member, you can earn 1 World of Hyatt bonus point for every eligible $1 USD spent on certain American Airlines flights. For the qualifying traveler interested in this partnership, this may be a great perk. However, using points for flying can come with disadvantages as the transfer may not be the best redemption option for your hard-earned hotel card points. It’s important to research and be fully aware of the hit that your points could take when transferring them for a flight.
There are a number of ways to earn free hotel stays, including through earning points via sign-up bonuses and ongoing rewards. In addition, some hotel credit cards reward you with free stays by meeting a minimum spend each year or even for keeping the card in your wallet each year. Here are leading hotel cards that reward you beyond the points you earn.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn a weekend night reward after $15,000 spend in a calendar year.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn a free night award (up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
Hilton Honors American Express Card: With Hilton Honors Silver Status, you’ll get your 5th standard reward night free.
World Of Hyatt Credit Card: Receive 1 free night at any category 1-4 hotel each year after your cardmember anniversary. Receive an additional free night at a category 1-4 hotel after spending $15,000 in a year.
Hotel credit cards are notorious for having inflated point systems, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your while.
For example, you’ll often see that welcome offers on hotel cards have sky-high point offerings, even in the hundreds of thousands, yet when you check those programs’ valuations, the points can be easily worth less than 1 cent for each point.
Even with those inflated offers, though, the sign-up and ongoing rewards can be worth the effort, as can the other benefits. If you choose a card that partners with a hotel brand you plan to frequent, those points will add up to something meaningful. Also, free weekend nights, free breakfast, early check-in and late check-out are frequently options.
About the Author
Laura Mohammad
CreditCards.com Senior Editor Laura Mohammad writes, edits and coaches extensively on all things credit cards and works to bring you the most up-to-date analysis and advice. In Laura's 20+ years as a financial and personal finance journalist, her work has appeared in such publications and websites as The New York Times, The Associated Press, StreetAuthority.com and American City Business Journals. You can reach Laura at laura.mohammad@creditcards.com.
About the Reviewer
Emily Sherman
Senior Editor Emily Sherman has several years of experience as a writer and editor in the credit cards space, covering topics from rewards programs to how credit cards work. She is co-founder and consultant of To Her Credit, a series offering financial advice tailored to women.
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