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.

Name	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Card	Earn up to 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. Earn 80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. Also, earn another 50,000 points after spending a total of $5,000 in the first 6 months.	7x points on eligible Hilton purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other eligible purchases	$0	With a massive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card and up to 7x points on eligible Hilton purchases, this is a solid pick for Hilton fans and occasional travelers. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.	6x Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3x at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x points on all other eligible purchases	$450	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
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 Club Premier Credit Card	125,000 points plus a Reward Night after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months	Up to 25x points total at IHG hotels, 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases	$89	Earn 125,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card	Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. Plus 10X total points on up to $2,500 in combined purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants within your first 6 months from your account opening.	Up to 17x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2x points on all other purchases	$95	Earn a unique signup bonus with this hotel card: 3 free nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10x total points on eligible purchases in select categories.	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. You can 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 is a credit cards, banking and investments writer whose work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. He's passionate about helping you get your finances in order by expertly navigating cutting-edge financial tools — including credit cards, apps and budgeting software.

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