The Best Hotel Credit Cards of August 2022

All information about the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Comparing the best hotel credit cards

Editor’s picks: Hotel credit card details

Best for Hyatt enthusiasts: World of Hyatt Credit Card

• Best features: You’ll get automatic Discoverist elite status, which entitles you to late checkout, premium Wi-Fi, a free bottle of water every day, room upgrades when available and more. Additionally, you’ll earn 4X points on Hyatt hotel purchases, on top of 5X base points earned by regular World of Hyatt members. You’ll also earn 2X points on restaurants, directly purchased airfare from airlines, local transit, commuting and gym and fitness club memberships, and 1X points on other purchases. As a sign-up bonus, you can earn 30,000 bonus points if you spend $3,000 in your first three months. You’re also eligible for up to 30,000 more bonus points, by earning 2X points on purchases that normally earn 1X point, for up to $15,000 in your first six months.
• Biggest drawbacks: There’s a $95 annual fee, not waived the first year, though you can recoup this in perks if you frequent Hyatt hotels. The Hyatt hotel network isn’t as large as the networks in the Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs.
• Alternatives: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card also has an annual fee of $95 but isn’t affiliated with a hotel loyalty program, which means the points you earn can be used at a broader swath of properties around the world. Points could also be used for a variety of travel purchases, not just hotel stays.
• Bottom line: This is one of the most lucrative hotel credit cards on the market, given the value of World of Hyatt points, the generous welcome offer and the bevy of perks you’ll enjoy as a cardholder.

Read our World of Hyatt Credit Card review.

Best for free night awards: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Best features: This card currently allows you to earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months. You earn 6X points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2X points on general purchases.
• Biggest drawbacks: 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† than the Hilton Honors Surpass.
• Alternatives: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers a similar annual bonus along with Priority Pass airport lounge access (enrollment required), and automatic gold elite status.
• Bottom line: 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.

Read our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless review.

Best for luxury travel perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Best features: You’ll automatically receive Gold status with Hilton Honors. You’ll also receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status, which can net you room upgrades upon check-in, where available (enrollment required for both benefits). Cardholders earn 5X points on flights booked directly with an airline or through American Express Travel (capped at up to $500,000 in these purchases per calendar year), 5X points on eligible prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1X points on general purchases. As a welcome offer, you can earn 100,000 points if you spend $6,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership.
• Biggest drawbacks: The annual fee on The Platinum Card from American Express is a whopping $695, which is higher than some other luxury travel cards.
• Alternatives: The American Express® Gold Card charges a lower annual fee and its high rewards rate means you may be able to earn rewards much faster than with the Platinum card. Cardholders can earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year in U.S. supermarket purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked with amextravel.com or directly through the airline, as well as 1 point per dollar on general purchases.
• Bottom line: 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 and complimentary benefits with Fine Hotels & Resorts. There’s also up to a $200 airline fee statement credit per calendar year (in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline) and up to a $100 statement credit on annual purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue (enrollment required for both benefits).

Read The Platinum Card from American Express review.

Best for occasional hotel guests: Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card

• Best features: Cardholders will enjoy a host of ancillary travel perks, including no foreign currency conversion fees, certain travel protections, and automatic Hotels.com® Rewards Silver status, which provides extras like free Wi-Fi or complimentary breakfast (at select properties).
• Biggest drawbacks: The rewards program can be complex for those new to travel rewards programs as it functions similarly to a small business loyalty program (you earn “stamps” to put toward nights on future Hotels.com bookings). If you’re a more frequent traveler, are loyal to a specific chain or are seeking luxury perks, you’ll find more value from a premium travel credit card.
• Alternatives: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card lets you earn a flat 2 percent cash rewards on eligible purchases which gives you a lot more flexibility. This is in addition to its introductory APR which applies to both purchases and qualifying balance transfers.
• Bottom line: This hotel credit card helps people who travel less frequently and at various chains earn nights on future Hotels.com bookings for no annual fee.

Read Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card review.

Best for travel miles: Discover it® Miles

• Best features: Not only will Discover match all of the miles you earn at the end of 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.
• Biggest drawbacks: 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.
• Alternatives: Though it earns slightly less, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is similar to the Discover it® Miles except that it allows you to transfer your miles directly to its many international airline and hotel partners.
• Bottom line: With this general-purpose travel credit card, there are a plethora of ways to redeem the miles that you earn, including airline travel, hotels, car rentals and public transportation.

Read our Discover it Miles review.

Best for IHG hotel stays: IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

• Best features: You’ll automatically receive platinum elite status with IHG. That comes with late checkout, guaranteed room availability, a 50%-point bonus on hotel stays, room upgrades when available and more. You’ll also earn up to 26X points on IHG hotel stays. You also earn 5X points on gas station, grocery store and restaurant purchases, and 3X points on other purchases. As part of a big sign-up bonus, you can earn 140,000 points plus 1 Free Night if you spend $3,000 in your first three months. There’s also an annual bonus of 10,000 points available each anniversary year you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase.
• Biggest drawbacks: There’s an $99 annual fee. As with most co-branded hotel credit cards, you won’t really reap the rewards if you don’t frequent IHG hotels.
• Alternatives: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card offers similar perks but, based on our calculations, its 2.37 cents in rewards value for every dollar spent works out to be a much better deal than IHG’s .9 cents per dollar spent.
• Bottom line: This card touts a large sign-up bonus, generous rewards rate and a free night each year at a participating IHG hotel on your membership anniversary, offering a lot of value to the chain’s loyal guests.

Read our IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card review.

Best for luxury Marriott travelers: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

• Best features: You can rack up Marriott Bonvoy points quickly as the card earns 6X points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3X points at U.S. restaurants and on direct airline booked flights and 2X points on other eligible purchases. You can also earn 75,000 points after you make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Plus, you’ll get a Free Night Award with a redemption level up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program each year after your card renewal month (certain hotels have resort fees).
• Biggest drawbacks: You’ll have to use your free anniversary night certificate quickly as it expires after 12 months. There’s a $450 annual fee for this premier Marriott Bonvoy credit card, which is hard to recoup if you’re not a Marriott diehard. Plus, Marriott points are inflated; they’re only worth around 0.8 cents each†.
• Alternatives: For those who want to stick to a Marriott Bonvoy branded card but don’t want to shell out $450 for the annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card makes for an excellent alternative. Cardmembers receive automatic Silver Elite status along with a generous intro bonus.
• Bottom line: This top-tier Marriott Bonvoy credit card touts luxury benefits, including automatic Gold elite status, an up to $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA Precheck, and complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you access to more than 1,200 airport lounges, restaurants and Minute Suites worldwide.

Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card review.

Best for Hilton Honors Silver Status: Hilton Honors American Express Card

• Best features: The welcome offer of this card is bodacious, as are the ongoing rewards, and there’s no annual fee. You’ll earn 80,000 points if you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within your first three months of card membership. For base rewards, you earn 7X points on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5X points on U.S. restaurant, U.S. supermarket and U.S. gas station purchases and 3X points on general purchases.
• Biggest drawbacks: The transfer rate for points to airlines isn’t the greatest. Another potential downside: the free night’s stay certificate can only be used with standard rooms. If no standard room is available on your dates, you’re out of luck.
• Alternatives: For a $95 annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card comes with more benefits than the Hilton Honors American Express card, including a free weekend night each year you spend $15,000, 10 free Priority Pass lounge passes, and automatic gold status.
• Bottom line: The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers complimentary Silver  status, meaning you can automatically receive a 15% bonus on all the Hilton Honors Base Points you earn from Hilton hotel stays. Plus, you get express check-in and late check-out, which is a great perk for any traveler.

Read our Hilton Honors American Express Card review.

Best for Hilton bonus points: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

• Best features: Unique to this card – your non-hotel spending is mightily rewarded, meaning that more than travel categories can help you earn points, but you should still only apply if you’re a frequent guest at Hilton hotels. You’ll also receive automatic Gold  status within Hilton Honors. Plus, you can receive an upgrade to Diamond elite status through the end of the next year after a $40,000 spend in a calendar year.
• Biggest drawbacks: Hilton Honors points valuation is only 0.6 cent†.
• Alternatives: You’ll still get Silver status with the Hilton Honors American Express Card which doesn’t charge an annual fee and still offers a decent rewards rate.
• Bottom line: 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. You can also earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after making $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of membership.

Read our Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card review.

Best no annual fee card for Marriott loyalists: Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

• Best features: Marriott loyalists can rack up Bonvoy points via a generous welcome offer and decent base rewards rate without having to pay the pricey annual fees associated with the hotel chain’s other co-branded credit cards.
• Biggest drawbacks: Marriott points are a bit inflated at 0.8 cents each† and redemption options outside of room awards generally have poor value. Depending on how often you travel, you might be better served by one of the premier Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. (Learn how to determine what Marriott card is right for you.)
• Alternatives: The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers a higher rewards rate with 7 points per dollar on Hilton hotel stays, 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases. Plus you still get automatic Silver status without paying an annual fee.
• Bottom line: You’ll earn 30,000 points after a $1,000 spend within the first three months of account opening, which we estimate to be worth around $240 in Marriott stays (based on 0.8 cents per point value). As base rewards, you earn 3X points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2X points on other travel and 1X points on other purchases.

Read our Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card review.

Best for everyday + travel bonus categories: Citi Premier® Card

• Best features: The Citi Premier Card lets cardholders earn extra rewards on a combination of travel and everyday spending. Cardholders receive 80,000 bonus points if they spend $4,000 in their first three months, which is worth $800 in gift cards at thankyou.com. Cardholders also get access to VIP entertainment and concert ticket pre-sales along with concierge services to help book hotel and restaurant reservations.
• Biggest drawbacks: This isn’t a co-branded hotel credit card, so if you’re looking for elite status and the perks it entitles you to, you’ll need to look elsewhere. There’s a $95 annual fee, not waived the first year.
• Alternatives: Travelers may find the Chase Sapphire Preferred to be a better option with its long list of airline and hotel partners. Cardmembers also earn a 25% boosted point redemption rate for travel redemptions made using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
• Bottom line: If you’re torn between a card that offers rewards on travel expenses and a card that offers rewards on everyday spending, this card is a good compromise.

Read our Citi Premier Card review.

Best for sign-up bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Best features: Its generous 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X points on dining and 2X points on other travel, coupled with Ultimate Rewards’ 25% redemption boost, make this card a choice value for travelers. You’ll also receive 1X points on general purchases.
• Biggest drawbacks: Less frequent travelers might not want to pay this card’s $95 annual fee, not waived the first year.
• Alternatives: Very frequent travelers, conversely, might want to consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which comes with beefed-up benefits, including a $300 annual credit for eligible travel purchases, in exchange for a pricey $550 annual fee. (Learn how to decide between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.)
• 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.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

What are hotel credit cards?

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 do hotel credit cards work?

With a hotel credit card, you can get rewarded with points for your purchases and eventually turn those points into discounts, exclusive experiences and a free night here and there. On top of the purchase rewards, loyal travelers can take advantage of numerous hotel benefits with the right card.

Typically, hotel credit cards come with sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards and special perks, depending on the category of membership that you qualify for. Some cards even give annual bonuses to reward their long-standing guests. When it comes time to exchange your points, 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 loyalty, general-purpose travel cards reward you for a variety of spending on a number of airline and hotel brands.

Pros and cons of hotel credit cards

Hotel credit cards can bring a ton of value to the right traveler, but there are reasons some guests should hesitate before checking in with a new card. See below for the advantages and disadvantages of hotel cards:

How to choose a hotel credit card

Hotel cards often come loaded with attractive benefits and seemingly lucrative welcome offers. It can be tempting to leap headfirst at the card with the biggest bonus, but make sure it’s a good match for your financial profile and travel style. Make realistic assessments of how often you travel, reasons for traveling, your budget, and consider hotel chains that align with your needs. If you’re not sure if a hotel credit card is even right for you, consider these traits:

How to make the most of your hotel credit card

• Join hotel loyalty programs. Hotel loyalty programs work similarly to hotel credit cards: Enroll and you can earn points or credits on your stays that you can use to book future stays. Many programs also offer elite status to members after they spend a certain amount at their hotels. An added bonus for signing up? Elite status generally entitles you to free perks and extra benefits, including room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, free Wi-Fi and complimentary water or snacks.
• Rack up credit card rewards. As we mentioned earlier, hotel credit cards let you earn points that you can redeem for free stays. Some of the best hotel credit cards offer a free stay on your account anniversary and many of them come with welcome offers that let you earn the equivalent of one free night or more if you spend a certain amount of money on your card within your first few months. The current welcome offer attached to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, for instance, lets new cardholders earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months. You can also often redeem the rewards you earn with a general-purpose travel credit card, cash back credit card or general rewards credit card for free hotel stays or statement credits that cover the amount of a free hotel stay.
• Pool your points. If you want to earn free hotel stays faster, look into whether you can pool points earned across credit cards. For instance, Chase will let you combine the points you earn across cards in its network through its Ultimate Rewards program. So, if you have points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, for instance, you can combine them with any points earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited before you redeem. More often than not, you can also combine points earned with a travel credit card with points earned through a hotel’s loyalty program to hit redemption thresholds and book awards nights more quickly.
• Stay at least four nights. Many hotel loyalty programs or hotel credit cards also offer a free night to members who book a certain number of consecutive nights with their points. The Citi Prestige® Card, for instance, lets cardholders get their fourth night free on any hotel stay (offer capped at two uses per year). Meanwhile, both Marriott Bonvoy and elite Hilton Honors members are eligible for a fifth night free (terms apply). Sometimes, you don’t need to have a hotel credit card or even belong to a hotel loyalty program to get a fifth or fourth night free. Hotels frequently offer discounts on longer stays. You can look for these deals on their websites or call the hotel directly to inquire about current fourth- or fifth-day-free promotions. Learn more strategies for scoring free hotel stays.

How we picked the best hotel credit cards

With so many branded options, selecting which hotel card best accommodates your spending habits can be difficult. That’s why we analyzed over 340 travel credit cards to identify the top hotel credit card offers currently on the market. The main factors we considered include:

• Base rewards rate and points value: Co-branded hotel credit cards can offer anywhere between 3X and 10X points on brand purchases. General purpose travel cards offer between 1.25X and 2X rewards on general purchases. We looked at where a card’s return rate fell in those applicable categories. We also considered how much points were worth within a hotel’s loyalty program or the issuer’s rewards program.
• Welcome bonus and/or anniversary bonus: The best hotel credit cards often offer extra points worth a free night’s stay or simply a free night’s stay in exchange for spending a certain amount of money on the card within a set timeframe, usually your first three months. Some also offer a free night or big bonus points on your account anniversary. We more heavily weighted cards that touted these benefits.
• Ancillary perks and amenities: Common “extras” associated with top hotel credit cards include elite status within the brand’s loyalty program, which entitles you to room upgrades, free Wi-Fi, late checkout, early check-in, complimentary bottles of water and more.
• Rates and fees: Hotel credit cards are rewards credit cards, which tend to carry higher APRs than low interest credit cards. They also sometimes charge an annual fee for membership. We still considered whether the APR was reasonable for this card category and if an annual fee was justified or easily recouped via the card benefits.

Full criteria used: Rewards rates, rewards categories, welcome 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

Additional information on hotel credit cards

• Tips for choosing a hotel credit card
• All hotel credit card reviews
• Best no annual fee hotel credit cards
• Ways to get free hotel stays

About the Author

Jeanine Skowronski

Jeanine Skowronski is a credit card expert, analyst, and multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience covering business and personal finance. She has previously served as the Head of Content at Policygenius, Executive Editor of Credit.com, Deputy Editor at American Banker, Staff Reporter at TheStreet and a columnist for Inc. Magazine.

About the Editor

Tracy Stewart

Tracy Stewart is a personal finance writer specializing in credit card loyalty programs, travel benefits, and consumer protections. He previously covered travel rewards credit cards, budget travel, and aviation news at SmarterTravel Media. His money-saving tips have appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports, MarketWatch, Vice, People, the Zoe Report and elsewhere.

About the Reviewer

Stephanie Zito

Stephanie Zito is a professional traveler, humanitarian and credit card points collector sharing savvy travel tips she has learned firsthand from more than 20 years of circling the globe as a backpacker, expat and premium traveler in more than 125 countries and all seven continents.