The Best Hotel Credit Cards of September 2025

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Comparing the best hotel credit cards

What are hotel credit cards?

Hotel credit cards reward travelers with points or miles good for hotel stays, and typically offer hotel and other travel perks such as free nights and airport lounge access. Co-branded hotel cards are tied to a specific hotel chain and travel rewards cards offer flexible points you can use across multiple hotel brands.

If you’re loyal to a particular brand, co-branded hotel cards typically offer the most value and may offer brand-specific perks such as room upgrades or late checkout. Many hotel cards earn bonus rewards on hotel, travel, and everyday purchases, so you can use regular spending to earn free hotel stays.

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 think twice before checking in with a new card. See below for the advantages and disadvantages of hotel cards:

Who should get a hotel credit card?

You should get a hotel credit card if:

• You frequently stay at hotels, especially if you’re loyal to a particular brand.
• You want to earn free nights or hotel status faster.
• You can use cardholder benefits such as dining credits, early check-in, late checkout, and room upgrades.

You shouldn’t get a hotel credit card if:

• You don’t travel frequently.
• You usually stay at Airbnbs, campgrounds, or other non-hotel lodging.

How to choose a hotel credit card

Hotel cards often come loaded with attractive benefits and lucrative welcome offers, but before you jump on an offer, consider these key factors:

• How often do you stay in hotels—and with which brands? If you’re loyal to a specific hotel chain or frequently stay in hotels for business or leisure, a co-branded card can offer strong value through bonus points, elite status, and on-property perks. But if your travel habits vary or you prefer flexibility, a general travel rewards card might be a better fit.
• What kind of perks matter most to you? Some hotel cards offer benefits like free breakfast, room upgrades, or annual free night certificates. Others focus more on point-earning potential or elite status boosts. Think about whether you’d use those benefits often enough to justify the card’s annual fee.
• Will you earn enough points to make it worthwhile? Review the bonus categories and everyday earning potential. If you won’t be spending much at hotels throughout the year, make sure the card also rewards your typical spending—such as groceries, dining, or gas—so you’re not leaving value on the table.
• Are you likely to carry a balance? Hotel credit cards typically have higher APRs than low-interest cards. If you won’t pay your balance in full each month, the interest charges could outweigh any travel rewards. In that case, a low-interest card or general travel card with flexible redemptions may be a better choice.

How to make the most of your hotel credit card

• Book directly with hotel brands to earn the highest rewards and qualify for perks such as upgrades, free Wi-Fi, or late checkout.
• Keep track of your benefits, including annual credits or free night awards.
• Earn points with hotel and everyday purchases.
• Sign up for hotel brand offers and bonus point events to earn more for your stays.

Alternatives to hotel credit cards

If a hotel credit card doesn’t align with your travel habits or spending habits, here are a few alternatives that might offer more flexibility or broader value:

• Cash-back credit cards: If you prefer simplicity and versatility, a cash-back card might be a better fit. Instead of travel-specific perks, you earn a percentage of your spending back as cash, often with elevated rewards on categories such as dining, groceries, or gas. You can use those rewards to book any hotel, cover other travel costs, or simply offset your monthly statement.
• Hotel loyalty programs without the card: You don’t need a credit card to join a hotel’s loyalty program. You can still earn points and enjoy some perks — like free Wi-Fi or discounted member rates — just by booking directly with the hotel and using your loyalty number. While you won’t earn as quickly as you would with a co-branded card, it’s a no-cost way to get rewarded for your stays.

How we picked the best hotel credit cards

Our editorial team and expert review board analyzed more than 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 Author

Jessica Merritt

Jessica Merritt is a personal finance writer with 8 years of experience covering credit cards, banking, and financial wellness. She specializes in turning complex financial topics into clear, actionable advice, with work featured in U.S. News, CNN Underscored, and DepositAccounts.com.

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.