The best hotel credit card is the one that offers you the most travel value for the lowest price. The Finder credit card experts reviewed nearly 100 travel cards to assess and rank the best hotel credit cards on the market to make your choice much easier.
When assessing the best hotel cards, we looked at features like hotel brand, welcome offer value, bonus point earning rates, additional travel perks, annual fees, redemption options and other hotel or travel concerns. The cards that performed best in a given category, or fulfilled a niche need, were selected for our list.
Our list didn’t receive many changes for 2024 as there was less traveling due to the pandemic. We did, however, add the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as a cheap way to take advantage of flexible reward points on both hotels and airlines. Here’s our selection of the best hotel credit cards.
Why trust us? Unlike our competitors, Finder’s credit card experts research and write about all credit cards, including those from providers who aren’t partners on our site. Our trustworthy, unbiased evaluations are solely meant to help you choose the best credit card for your financial needs.
Quick look at the best hotel credit cards
Here are our picks for the top hotel credit cards in the following categories.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card’s strength comes from the number of perks and benefits you get for the price. Though you’ll pay $95 annually, perks like the free anniversary night, Elite Discoverist status and enormous signup bonus bring a value you’d find on much more expensive cards. Plus, World of Hyatt points are currently the most valuable hotel points available — and this card earns them on a wider variety of categories than you’d find on competing hotel cards.
Pros
Reward points. Earn 9x points on World of Hyatt purchases, 2x points on fitness club and gym memberships, local transit and commuting purchases, at restaurants and on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline. Earn 1x points on everything else you buy.
Signup bonus. Earn 35,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months of card membership. You'll also earn 2x instead of 1x points on up to $15,000 (for a total of up to 30,000 additional points) in the first 6 months.
Reward night. Get one reward night each year on your card anniversary. This is enough to offset the annual fee. Also, if you spend $15,000 with your card in each year, you get an additional free night.
Cons
Signup bonus eligibility. You’re not eligible to get the signup bonus if you already own a World of Hyatt, or if you owned a World of Hyatt and received a signup bonus in the last two years.
No intro APR period. Travel rewards credit cards usually have high APR and have no intro APR period. You may want to look for a 0% intro APR card if you want to consolidate your debt.
Annual fee
$95
Purchase APR
21.49% to 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Welcome Offer
35,000 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
There’s a lot to love about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, whether it’s the ability to transfer your points to travel partners or the array of travel perks. Among luxury travel cards, it has the most flexible and valuable annual travel credit, covering up to $300 of your travel purchases automatically each year. Other cards, including the Platinum Card from American Express, offer a lower value and more restrictions on how you can redeem that credit.
Pros
Annual travel credit. Get $300 in statement credit as reimbursement for your travel purchases every year on your card account anniversary.
Signup bonus. Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months when you open your account. This is worth $900 if you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
Rewards points. Earn 5x points on flights booked through Chase, 10x points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase, 3x points on Chase Dining, 3x points on all other travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases. These points are worth 50% more when redeemed through the Chase travel portal.
Cons
Annual fee. You'll pay $550 annual fee for the card.
No intro APR period. Like many other travel cards, you won't get a 0% intro APR period on purchases, balance transfers or both.
Excellent credit score required. Being a premium card, your chances of approval greatly increase with a credit score of 740 or higher.
Annual fee
$550
Purchase APR
22.49% to 29.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is something of a sleeper. The IHG name arguably doesn’t carry the same weight as Hyatt or Hilton, but in terms of worth, its points are more valuable than several competitors, including Hilton. Combine that point value with a card that earns an uncontested number of points on IHG hotel stays as well as several free reward night opportunities and you have a card that can bring more value to the table than a luxury card.
Pros
Rewards points. Earn 26x total points on IHG purchases, 5x points on travel, gas stations and restaurants, and 3x points on all other purchases.
Limited time offer. Earn 140,000 points once you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months of card membership. Combined with the fourth-night-free perk, the signup bonus can easily get you 20 or more rewards nights.
Free nights. Get your fourth night free every time you redeem your points for four or more nights. Plus, every card anniversary, you'll get one free rewards night.
Cons
Annual fee. The card comes with an $99 annual fee. But the card easily pays off as long as you stay at IHG hotels at least few times a year.
No intro APR period. You won't get a 0% intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers, but this is standard with this type of card.
Annual fee
$99
Purchase APR
21.49% to 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Welcome Offer
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
With 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on Hilton hotel purchases, the Hilton Honors American Express Card may look similar to some competitors. The card’s biggest selling point, though, is the high earning rate on other purchases: up to 5x Hilton Honors points at U.S. gas stations, U.S. restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and 3x points on other eligible purchases. You will receive cash back in the form of statement credits. Other cards offer much smaller rates on nontravel purchases.
Pros
$0 annual fee. You won't pay an annual fee to keep this card open.
Welcome offer. Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in the first 6 months of card membership.
Point earnings. You'll earn a base 3x points on eligible purchases. Hilton properties and U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations earn even more.
Cons
No intro APR period. You don't get a 0% intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers.
Annual fee
$0
Purchase APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Welcome Offer
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is one of the few hotel cards that can transfer points to airline travel partners. On top of solid luxury perks and earnings, this makes the card a unique option for those who want to convert their frequent hotel stays into occasional airline reward flights. Marriott Bonvoy points are also worth around 0.9 cents apiece, a good value for a card that earns accelerated rewards on hotel nights, restaurants and flights.
Pros
Welcome offer. Use your card to make $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card ownership and you'll earn 185,000.
Rewards. 6x Marriott Bonvoy points at eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotels. 3x points at restaurants and on direct-book flights. 2x points on other eligible purchases.
Complements. Annual Free Night Award and 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. Terms apply to these offers.
Global entry. Up to $100 statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
Priority pass. Priority Pass™ Select after you enroll.
Cons
Annual fee. Pay a hefty $650 annual fee.
APR. Get a potentially higher than average purchase APR, up to 29.99% variable.
Annual fee
$650
Purchase APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Welcome Offer
Use your card to make $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card ownership and you'll earn 185,000.
While we’ve listed our best picks for the top-performing hotel credit cards on the market, that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily find the right fit. You can compare all hotel credit cards to check how all your options stack up to one another side-by-side.
Hotel credit cards offer a few benefits designed to help cardholders make the most of their hotel loyalty membership. Take a look at some of those specific benefits when picking out a hotel card for your wallet. Here are some considerations to take into account.
Do you care about signup bonuses? Perhaps one of the bigger draws of hotel credit cards are the generous welcome offers. Completing welcome offer requirements within the allotted time could earn you a point bonus worth at least one reward night stay at an eligible hotel property. Both annual fee credit cards and no annual fee credit cards can come with signup bonuses, though you might find bigger bonuses on a card with an annual fee.
Look at your spending versus the card’s reward categories. Hotel credit cards typically offer an increased rewards rate on purchases associated with that hotel loyalty program. These cards also tend to offer a decent rewards rate on non-hotel purchases as well, albeit at a lower rate. Like signup bonuses, earning rates are often higher on cards with annual fees.
Whether the card grants elite status. Some hotel cards grant immediate elite status as soon as you open your account. For many hotel programs, this is a huge boon as you can expect not only improved earning rates with higher tiers but even more complimentary benefits. Credit cards with no annual fees rarely offer complimentary elite status.
Whether the card offers complimentary reward nights. Some hotel credit cards offer reward nights when you spend a minimum amount of money on purchases within a calendar year. Currently, you’ll only find free night rewards on a few hotel credit cards that carry an annual fee.
Concierge services and other perks. Some hotel credit cards come with additional travel perks such as concierge services or travel insurance. These benefits can prove useful for the frequent traveler and even potentially save you some money. You’ll typically only find concierge services and similar perks on cards sporting an annual fee. You’ll also want to check whether the card charges foreign transaction fees in case you’re traveling abroad.
How do hotel credit cards work?
Hotel credit cards work similarly to a standard rewards card. Make eligible purchases with your card and you’ll earn points you can redeem on hotel stays and more. Here’s a quick overview.
Choose your hotel card. You have two primary options: a cobranded hotel credit card, such as a Hilton credit card, or a standard travel card that can also earn points on hotel bookings.
Earn points on purchases. A cobranded hotel card typically earns the most points on purchases from the branded hotel and fewer points on other purchases. A standard travel card tends to earn more points over a wider spread of categories, though less at a specific hotel than you’d find with a cobranded card.
Redeem points on award nights. Once you’ve amassed enough reward points, you can spend those on free nights at the hotel. In some cases, you might be able to spend your earned points on other perks, such as room upgrades or gift cards.
Pros and cons of hotel credit cards
Pros
Earn rewards toward free hotel stays. Depending on your card, purchases on a variety of categories can feed your next free hotel night.
Complimentary elite status. Some hotel cards offer complimentary elite status for the hotel’s loyalty program, which can boost your rewards further.
Perks and features. Many hotel cards come with additional perks, such as early check-in and late check-out, or anniversary free nights.
Cons
Earning categories can prove narrow. If you’re using a cobranded hotel card, you might have trouble building significant points with your card if you’re not using it to pay for hotel purchases.
The best cards are expensive. The hotel credit cards with the best perks and features are often the most expensive.
When is a hotel credit card worth it?
A hotel credit card is worth it if you frequently stay at hotels during travel and want a way to earn some value back on that expenditure. With that said, hotel credit cards tend to prove a little harder to use than a standard travel card, or even an airline card. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on whether or not you should get one.
You should get a hotel credit card if…
You travel frequently and for long periods.
You primarily stay at hotels and not Airbnb or similar housing programs.
You largely want to use your credit card rewards on hotel nights.
You should get a general travel credit card if…
You don’t often stay at hotels.
You want to redeem on a variety of travel purchases.
How do I compare hotel card points?
The higher the monetary value of a hotel point, the more lucrative it is to earn and use those points. Of course, point values can fluctuate based on how you use them — a single point can be worth 2 cents when redeemed on a night stay and just 0.5 cents when redeemed on merchandise, for example.
Credit card and airline rewards points tend to average around 1 to 1.5 cents apiece. Unfortunately, most hotel reward points come in at a lower value than this average. The most valuable hotel reward point as of April 2024 is World of Hyatt, clocking in at 2 cents apiece. The lowest: Radisson Rewards and Hilton Honors, both worth about 0.4 cents apiece.
Finder has calculated the average point value across rewards programs for your convenience. But if you’d like to identify the value of a point on a given redemption, you can divide the monetary cost of a night stay or purchase by the number of points the same night would require for redemption.
You asked, we listened: Top 5 common questions
Unsung heroes in the travel card space, hotel cards have a lot to offer. Here are the 5 most common questions we receive on the subject.
How much are credit card hotel points worth? The average value of your accrued hotel points ultimately vary depending on the specific hotel loyalty program.
Can I get a hotel credit card with bad credit? Generally, most hotel credit cards require a good or better credit score. With that said, there are a few credit cards that may offer rewards on spending that you can obtain with bad credit.
What kinds of hotel cards are there? Hotel credit cards come in two varieties: cobranded, which are released under the umbrella of a specific hotel chain, and general, which can be used on any hotel.
What is the best hotel credit card? The “best” hotel credit card ultimately comes down to your hotel and spending preferences.
What’s the difference between hotel credit cards and travel credit cards? Hotel credit cards offer points, perks and rewards on hotel-related purchases. Travel credit cards offer general reward points that can be used on hotels as well as other travel options, such as airlines and cruises.
Bottom line
If none of these cards are the right fit for you, compare more hotel cards to find out which benefits matter most to you. And if you’re more interested in flexible rewards, check out some rewards cards that offer point transfers.
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Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.
We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.
Kevin Chen is a personal finance expert and a former writer at Finder. His expertise has been featured in CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com, among other top media.
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