Compare hotel credit cards: Which ones are worth it?

Hotel credit cards can help you earn points that can be redeemed for free nights at the hotel of your choice, or they can even propel you through the ranks of a hotel's elite program. Use our table to compare your options and find the best hotel card for you.

1 - 5 of 5

Name	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee
The World of Hyatt Credit Card	30,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus 2x instead of 1x points on up to $15,000 (up to 30,000 more points) in the first 6 months	9x total points at Hyatt hotels as a World of Hyatt member, 2x on gyms, commuting, dining and airlines and 1x on all other purchases	$95	Earn 30,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus earn 2x instead of 1x points on up to $15,000 (up to 30,000 more points) in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card	Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening	Earn up to 17 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.	$0	Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card	Earn 140,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	Up to 26x points total at IHG hotels, 5x points on travel, gas stations and restaurants and 3x points on all other purchases	$99	Earn 140,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card	100,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	Up to 17x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. and 2x points on all other purchases	$95	Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card	60,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	Up to 14x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2x on travel and 1x on all other purchases	$0	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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The best hotel credit cards of 2022

If you’re looking for a run-down of the top performing hotel credit cards on the market, we have you covered. Check out the top best hotel credit cards to give yourself a leg-up when picking a hotel card.

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How to compare hotel credit cards

A great hotel credit card will offer the benefits and perks that offer the most value. Here’s a quick overview of the major card features you’ll want to look at when comparing hotel credit cards:

Loyalty program. If you have a preferred hotel chain, you’ll want to see if they offer a cobranded credit card. Otherwise, a general hotel card might prove more useful.
Signup bonus. Many hotel credit cards offer a sizable signup bonus that you can use toward several free nights.
Earning rates. Beyond the signup bonus, a high earning rate or an earning rate on categories you often spend in are important to keep generating value through the lifetime of the card.
Annual fee. Travel cards that offer perks often require you pay an annual fee to use them.
Travel expenses. A hotel credit card only makes sense if you spend a significant amount of time and money at hotels during your travels.
Perks. In addition to rewards rates, hotel cards often come with additional perks to sweeten the deal, such as complimentary elite status, resort credits and free award nights.

Ask the experts

Nada Nasr Bechwati
Associate Professor of Marketing
Bentley University

Which hotel has the best rewards program? Or is there a best?
There is no best for everyone. However, each individual needs to examine her consumption behavior to decide what is best for her. Cards with no annual fees are favored usually, but some fees can be seen as risk-free too. For instance, a card with a $75 annual fee is perfectly fine if it comes with one-night free stay per year. One needs to be careful about the locations of the hotel though. Does the hotel operate in a location you want to or tend to visit? Some hotels operate in only few places.

Kevin McEvoy
Ph.D., Assistant Professor in-Residence
School of Business at University of Connecticut

When is a hotel credit card worth it?
There are a few circumstances where hotel card could be worth it to a consumer:
1. They travel frequently to the same locations
2. They find a hotel chain with the right balance of room availability, amenities and price
3. They intend to use the hotel program reward points for travel, staying at the same chain at locations that offer the same balance of room availability, amenities and price
4. They choose to stay at the same hotel chain whenever possible

To sum up, the answer is in the usage. If the hotel card is used frequently for stays at that specific hotel chain, the hotel credit cards may be better. If it is used as a more general card, a wider-use general card may be better.

Robert Warren
Instructor
University of North Dakota

What is the best way to earn hotel stays?
Careful planning is the best way to earn hotel stays. Having traveled the world over the past 20 years for business, I’ve come to appreciate being a member of a hotel chain’s rewards program and taking advantage of the free stays that come with it. In selecting the best program for you, it’s important to identify a chain offering properties in locations you frequently visit and at a price point that’s competitive with competing offers. I’ve tried using some of the online aggregator sites but in my mind, they don’t offer the same benefits as sticking with one of the majors. With the majors you get the free nights and other benefits like room location and special checkout times.

Yuping Liu-Thompkins
Professor of Marketing & Director
Old Dominion University

Are hotel cards for a specific chain worth it versus a general travel card?
A general travel card is more flexible, allowing you to earn points wherever you stay or whoever you fly with. However, most chain-specific cards do offer pretty valuable extra benefits, such as:

Elite status upgrade. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card offers enough elite night credits to qualify the cardholder for Silver status.

Higher point ratio for purchases at the chain. An example is the

Hilton Honors American Express Card that offers 7x points for every dollar spent at Hilton properties, compared to 3x points on other eligible purchases.

Tulay Girard
Professor of Marketing
Penn State Altoona

When is a hotel credit card worth it?
I typically try to take advantage of the best offers by any of my credit cards during a given time period. I use the American Express-Hilton Honors cobranded card to earn hotel points and also to take advantage of the additional rewards offered by Amex. For example, I can maintain gold member status regardless of how many nights I stay in a year by just using my Amex.

Bottom line

Hotel credit cards are a nice value-add to your wallet if you frequently stay at hotels during your travels. But if you’re looking for more flexible options, consider a travel credit card designed for general travel to find one that suits your needs.

Thank you for your feedback!

Kevin Joey Chen

Kevin Joey Chen was a credit cards, banking and investments writer for Finder. His work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com.

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