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Hotel rewards cards are a cost-effective way to score free stays and elite status benefits at major hotel chains. If you strategize correctly, holding the right card can do more than save you money on stays. Your card can also provide perks and benefits typically only enjoyed by brand loyalists who stay dozens of nights per year with one brand.
The best co-brand hotel cards provide a high-value welcome offer as well as ways to earn plenty of points via bonus spending categories. Many also offer free night certificates on your account anniversary or when you hit a spending threshold. In addition, they typically offer elite status benefits such as room upgrades and free meals.
In this post, we take an in-depth look at some of the best co-brand hotel cards from a variety of loyalty programs and card issuers. We're benchmarking them according to both the perks they provide and their points-earning potential. Here are the ranking criteria we’ve used to determine each card’s value, including the weight given to each item:
- Welcome offer or signup bonus: 20%
- Bonus categories and earning potential: 10%
- Travel, airline, or hotel credit: 15%
- Elite status perks and benefits: 15%
- Anniversary free night certificate: 15%
- Spending threshold bonus: 5%
- Ancillary and insurance benefits: 5%
- Annual fee: 15%
Page Contents
The Best Co-Brand Credit Card for Each Hotel Loyalty Program
If you only stay with one or two hotel chains, then brand loyalty will be the key factor in your rewards card choice. However, if you are a free agent, card benefits and earning potential may substantially impact the brands you choose. In addition, the cards you choose can dictate the number of points you receive and how you are treated during your stay.
Here are the cards that made our list:
- Best card for Choice: Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
- Best card for Hilton: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Best card for Hyatt: The World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Best card for IHG: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Best card for Marriott: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Best card for Wyndham: Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card
Hotel Rewards Card Details and Benefits
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
Bonus categories: Cardmembers earn 4x points at Hyatt properties and 2x points at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting, and on fitness club and gym memberships.
Elite status benefits: Receive Discoverist status and five elite night credits towards the next elite tier each year you hold the card. Additionally, get two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card annually.
Additional benefits: One free night at any Category 1–4 Hyatt property on account anniversary each year. Earn an extra free night when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
Our take: Over the long term, we rank the World of Hyatt Card as the highest-value hotel rewards card available to points and miles fans today. The ability to earn elite night credits via spending that can take you all the way to Globalist status is a fantastic benefit and can help you reach top-tier status when you are short on elite night credits for the year. Most cardholders will have no problem recouping the $95 annual fee via the free night certificate, and an additional free night after $15K of spending is an added bonus.
World of Hyatt points are even more valuable for folks who hold Ultimate Rewards-earning cards. If you need additional Hyatt points for a redemption, you can transfer from Chase, and the points will post to your Hyatt account instantly.
Keep in mind that earning Ultimate Rewards cards may be a better path to Hyatt points than the World of Hyatt Card itself for certain categories of spending. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 3X points on travel and dining, so you should use that card for dining and non-Hyatt travel expenses. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns 5X points at office supply stores (on up to $25,000 of purchases in bonus categories per year, then 1X), so you’d be better off earning 5 Ultimate Rewards than 1 Hyatt point.
Remember, you can transfer points earned from the Ink Cash to Hyatt or other partner programs if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards card with an annual fee. As with all Chase cards, the World of Hyatt Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy, which you need to factor into your application strategy.
Related: World of Hyatt Card full review
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 (Rates & Fees).
Welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
Bonus categories: Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Elite status benefits: Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status; earn Diamond status when you spend $40,000 in a calendar year. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Additional benefits: A free night certificate from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. The certificate is valid at any Hilton property except those in this (reasonably short) list of exclusions.
Our take: The Hilton Surpass features a stellar welcome offer. It also offers fantastic bonus categories for a co-branded card and an elite status level that will earn you free breakfast and potential room upgrades. Depending on your stay patterns, this card could comfortably be interchanged with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
The main caveat is that you need to extract enough value from the Hilton Aspire perks to justify its annual fee. Cardholders receive complimentary Diamond Elite status and Hilton fee and flight credits, enough to offset the $550 annual fee, but these perks require effort to maximize. Plus, the Hilton Aspire lost its Priority Pass lounge membership in October of 2023. If you only stay with Hilton a few times per year, the Hilton Surpass will likely provide a higher return than its premium counterpart, due to the lower out-of-pocket expense.
Keep in mind that Amex Membership Rewards transfer to Hilton Honors 1:2. Under the right circumstances, transferring highly valuable Amex Rewards to Hilton may be a valuable use of your points, but that's not true every day.
Related: Hilton Surpass Card full review
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Our Best Offer of 2025! Earn 5 Free Nights
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
Annual fee: $99
Welcome offer: Earn 5 Free Nights after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus categories: Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Elite status benefits: Receive IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status (or Diamond Elite once you spend $40,000 each calendar year).
Additional benefits: Anniversary free night certificate valid at IHG properties costing up to 40,000 points per night. Cardholders may top off the certs with points from their account balance to redeem at properties worth more than 40,000 points. Get a fourth night free when you redeem points for four or more consecutive nights. Receive a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points each calendar year you spend at least $20,000 on purchases. Receive a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit every four years, worth up to $120. Save 20% on points purchases, and receive $50 of United TravelBank credit annually.
Our take: We rank this card's free night certificate as one of the best available, due to many factors. IHG boasts a massive global footprint, an abundance of mid-tier hotels, and you can extend an anniversary free night award's value by topping it up with points. The card provides a balanced array of perks for the $99.
The biggest drawback is that IHG's Platinum Elite status doesn’t quite measure up to mid-tier status with other hotel brands. Still, late checkout, 60% more points on paid stays, and occasional room upgrades are certainly better than nothing. IHG also offers a no-annual-fee card for folks who don’t want to pay the annual fee of the IHG One Rewards Premier Card.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy, plus your application won't be approved if you currently hold an IHG card or you've received a bonus on one in the last 24 months.
Related: IHG One Rewards Premier Card full review
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- WELCOME OFFER: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Annual fee: $125 (Rates & Fees)
Welcome offer: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Bonus categories: Earn 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program, 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping, and 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
Elite status benefits: You'll get ongoing Gold Elite status each year. You also receive 15 elite night credits towards the next elite status tier each year. If you also hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, the 15 elite night credits from this card stack with the 25 earned on that card for 40 Marriott Elite Nights Credits each year.
Additional benefits: Anniversary free-night award valid at any Marriott Bonvoy property up to the value of 35,000 points, plus the ability to add up to 15,000 points to your free night.
Our take: Most folks point to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card as the sweet spot for Marriott co-branded cards. Instead, we take application strategy and annual fees into account, making the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card a better card to target.
Because this is a business card, it won’t count toward your 5/24 status with Chase. In other words, opening this card won’t make it harder to get Chase cards for the subsequent two years. If you don’t have the full lineup of Chase cards you want, this card is a great option. You can open it and still fill your 5/24 slots with Ultimate Rewards-earning cards. Additionally, if you are already over 5/24 (meaning you’re ineligible for Chase cards), you can still get this card since it’s issued by Amex.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 5X points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
- 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and 25,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first 365 days.
Bonus categories: Earn 8X on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases, 5X on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases, plus 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments).
Elite status benefits: Complimentary top-tier Diamond status.
Additional benefits: Receive 15,000 bonus points every account anniversary.
Our take: While Wyndham Rewards isn't the most famous hotel loyalty program, its footprint is huge. And only two hotel cards provide automatic top-tier elite status; this is the only one with an annual fee under $500, however. Paying just $95 annually for top status and enough free points for a free night at a mid-tier property or two nights at a lower-tier property is solid value.
Other perks include impressive earnings on gas purchases and a 10% discount on the number of points needed for free hotel nights.
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 7 reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.
- Earn 10X points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties.
- Earn 5X points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and on phone plan services. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Up to $800 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Receive 20 Elite night credits qualifying for at least Platinum level status each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fee.
- 10x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties plus on Choice Privileges point purchases
- 5x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and on phone plan services
- 1x points on other purchases
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 7 reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.
Bonus categories: Earn 10x on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties and Choice Privileges point purchases, 5x on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plan services, plus 1x on other purchases.
Elite status benefits: Complimentary Platinum Elite status
Additional benefits: Earn 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary.
Our take: We’re going out on a limb here and assuming the majority of U.S.-based points and miles fans don’t have this card foremost in their minds. If you crunch the numbers, however, this card stacks up pretty well. You'll enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status and a solid earning rate on Choice Hotels spending. Additionally, you'll earn 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary — easily justifying the annual fee.
It's true: Choice Privileges points aren't as valuable as those from Hyatt or Marriott. But Choice award nights price as low as 8,000 points per night and only top out at 30,000 points per night. And then there are the Sweet Spot Rewards for discounted redemptions.
Choice Privileges hotels are plentiful in some regions with limited options from the big hotel brands. For example, in New Zealand, Choice is prevalent, but Hilton and Marriott only have a few properties.
Alternatives to Hotel Co-Brand Rewards Cards
While points and miles fans can extract a ton of value from co-brand hotel cards, they are not the only way to get free nights in hotels.
- Fixed-value rewards: Fixed-value points are a great way of wiping out the cost of accommodation. This includes both hotels that don’t participate in major loyalty programs and vacation rentals like Airbnb. You can earn fixed-value points with cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card.
- Flexible rewards: A handful of flexible rewards programs offer high-value transfers to hotel loyalty programs. For instance, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG while Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Choice, Hilton, and Marriott.
Final Thoughts
Hotel rewards cards can be a key part of your points and miles strategy. In most cases, free-night certificates, annual-points bonuses, and elite status easily cover the annual fees. Perks like these making many hotel cards easy to keep for the long term.
Determining which hotel cards provide the most value can be tricky. We recommend working backward from your travel goals. Let the destination dictate the hotel chains available to you before you decide on an application strategy. And don’t overlook the benefits of utilizing online travel agencies such as Hotels.com. Tools like it can potentially provide better returns than traditional hotel loyalty programs when you swipe the right credit card at checkout.
Got a favorite hotel card we didn't cover? We would love to hear from you in the comments.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I have seen this quote or something similar in other posts: “You also receive 15 elite night credits towards the next elite status tier each year. If you also hold a Marriott personal card, the 15 elite night credits from this card stack with those for up to 40 nights each year.”
Help me with the math. How do 15 and 15 equal 40?
Esh, that’s certainly not clear. The 40 is from the 25 Elite Night Credits on the Marriott Brilliant Card + 15 ENC on the Marriott Business Card. I updated this post to hopefully make that clear.
Thanks for the good info. Hilton works well and I want to keep it going forward.
It’s a shame that the Capital One Venture card mentioned in this post is going to be discontinued. It has one of the most flexible rewards compared to the other cards mentioned.
We love Hyatt and will continue to hold on to the WOH card for the free night/status. The ability to transfer UR to Hyatt is also a huge plus!
Great summary. We are happy w/ the Marriott/SPG Amex card- glad to know it is still valued!
Thanks
This was a great brake down of all the different hotel awards.
I’ve got the Hilton Ascend card and really like it. The 6x points on groceries, gas, and restaurants make it much more useful for me than the Aspire card.
I recommend Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card.
High welcome gift and elite status.
Good card
Thanks for the comprehensive summary!
Amex Hilton Aspire gives the top tier as a diamond. All others gives only a mid-tier. So, it is worthy to look the aspire.
Thanks for the comprehensive summary.
Annual fees are fine if you get a free night. But SPG Amex rise in fees means the free night will devalue. So sad.
good article
really helped me to choose hotel card.
I feel what is missing is an AIRBNB sponsored credit card. With a growing family we have shifted our stays to airbnb type of “entire house” accommodations when possible. more space for the kids to run around, full kitchen, etc etc. hope to see something like that soon
We’re in the same boat. If Airbnb introduced a rewards card I’d jump on it in a heartbeat. Another program to check out is Wyndham Rewards. They offer Airbnb style vacation rentals you can book on points, and the program offers a better than average return. You can see the range of homes and condos on offer here – https://www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com/
You can at least link your Airbnb travel to Delta loyalty program.
Like Jess said, Wyndham great. Also chk out Extra Holidays by Wyndham for awesome deals on condos.
Awesome summary. “Must” read.
Thank you! Great article. I’m always interested in hearing more about maximizing in the hotel field. Hyatt is my favorite but has such a small footprint in America. I wish they had more hotels available.
Helpful info. Thanks for posting
Great explanation. Thank you!
Thanks for the summary. Too bad I missed out on WOH when 5/24 didn’t apply to it.
I can’t say enough how valuable the UR Hyatt transfer has been. Having the IHG card is also an easy way to still get rewards when work has you traveling to small towns where there is only a Holiday Inn Express.
I wish we had such a good range of cards and deals in the UK. IHG only offer 4 points per £ for IHG spend (compared to 2 points per £ for normal spend), and some of the other cards linked to hotels are currently closed to new applications.
So many of these cards have annual fees associated with them now. Asking $450 is a bit high, no?
You have to look at the benefits. Looking at the Hilton Aspire for instance, it’s $450 but you can get up to $250 airline credit (really easy to max out) and a $250 Hilton Resort credit (not the greatest value if it’s not something you would have done anyway but it’s a great perk). You also get Hilton Diamond status, Priority Pass Select, and a free weekend (Fri-Sun) night. It’s a steep entry fee but the benefits far more than outweigh the buy-in.
Think Costco. You can pay for the premier membership but if you use it right, you come out WAY ahead.
thanks for the breakdown, I might need to relook at getting a hotel based credit card sometime.
Nice analysis. I need to decide which Marriott/SPG/Bonvoy card to cut down to now that there is only 1 Elite Night bonus
Really helpful posts, I’ve been looking for hotel cards to compliment my airline miles cards
Great list of hotel reward cc. But I consider Radisson reward card signup bonus pretty weak.
Great article! Thank you!
This is a very helpful summary of all the best hotel rewards cards out there now!
Is there any card for Accor Hotels loyalty program?
Not here in the US, no.
So many of the best cards are from Chase!
Unfortunately, due to their 5/24 rule, just expanded to some of these cards.
Yeah, Amex is the only bank that comes close and for some it could be better and for some it won’t. I’m in the bucket that it won’t. Capital One is trying to enter the game but I don’t even know if you could say they are third. Bank of America has some cards where I might put them in third place.
I signed up here today in order to receive blog Points to my AAdvantage American Airline account, but didn’t realize all the info you have. I wish I had this 2 years ago before I made an excel spread sheet! I have many cards for many different company’s, Marriott has the most point but since i have received the Life Time elite status we don’t have to worry about them expiring, however in all, between my wife and i we have 17. So in ending i want to thank you, i will be using and reading your very useful web site quite frequently from now on. thanks again everyone!
I very much echo your comment. Found this through the points guy (I think) and have found some really good information here too.
Just what I was looking for as I’m looking to switch to a different hotel brand. Great comprehensive overview of all the different programs. Thank you!
It is useful to look up for top Hotel Rewards Cards for Earning Points and Free Nights.
It is too bad that the RC card is closed to new applicants.
I wonder whether the Radisson card allows you to receive preferential treatments at the properties in Scandinavia.
Great info. I don’t have any hotel cards yet but am looking at changing that.
Thanks for the overview!
Something not mentioned here that is related is using the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection (ihrcollection) which provides additional benefits when booking hotels like free breakfast, late checkouts etc. Best is to compare to prices to the prices IHR collection gives. You could be paying $10 additional on the IHR website but be getting a lot more in value. I think you have to have a Chase card to access.
I like my IHG card but am bummed they are offering less and less, especially limiting anniversary stay to 40k hotels. It’s really limits choices. I wish they would just give us 40k and then I could supplement. But oh well, I’ll mKe it work. Free is free. Thanks for the comparisons
Yeah, offering up to a max point value would be amazing if you could then use your own points to go over that limit.
Really, really thorough breakdown. Many thanks.
I have plenty of friends who can’t understand paying, say, $75 a year for a hotel credit card. But if I absolutely know I’m going to be staying many nights somewhere, obviously it makes sense to have a card where the fee is cheaper than going rates of any remotely decent hotel — let alone a good hotel.
Such a comprehensive summary. Thank you!
Wish IHG had a business card and the weren’t 5/24
This list just reminds me of how far behind Canada is in the hotel credit card market.
This is a great article. I have been needing so much help with how to maximize posts.
Chase Ritz Carlton is one of the best card which is missing here
While it’s a great card, unfortunately it’s no longer open to new applications.
The RC card can still be product changed to from a Marriott card.
I am not a fan of Airbnb at all.
Didn’t know Capital One Venture offered TSA pre-check credit. Love that perk. Going to consider. Thank you.
For our frequently traveling family of 4, managing ~40 award programs is a big effort. This website and its blog are very helpful in keeping these multiple programs under control, and in discovering new ones.
It would be great to see the best consumer and business card for each program since not everyone can get business cards.
Jess Farley, thanks a lot for the article post. Much thanks again. Fantastic.
Thanks, glad you found it useful.
Great posting! I currently have Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton cards but glad to learn more that there are additional cards to try! Thank you!
Well done. This is the greatest hotel card list out there now.
I need to check out the Radisson card. I noticed they have a lot of international locations.
This is really great info!
Great recap. Personally I still like the SPG card (although a little less since the changes)
I’ve been struggling with using last 5/24 slot for ihg or United (hate United but like partners)
Do you have CSP or CSR? Why get a United card if you have one of those? If not, you should use that as your fifth slot.
Great summary of all the myriad of hotel card options out there.
I’d sign up for any of them – but can’t..
Sapphire Reserve to Hyatt has always been quick easy and problem free
I think this particular advice will prove eye opening for many: “And don’t overlook the benefits of utilizing online travel agencies such as Hotels.com, which can potentially provide better returns than traditional hotel loyalty programs when you swipe the right credit card at checkout.”
I mean, there are benefits to both. Lots of travelers only go to large cities where sticking with any big international hotel chain will be more beneficial. If you’re off-the-beaten-path, Hotels.com might be better though.
Overall I’m loyal to Orbitz and then second to Hilton since my wife has the Aspire. We’ll use that when it make sense – which isn’t often but the card has great benefits and we reaped the 150,000 point signup bonus.
Agreed: especially in mid to smaller international cities where US Chain hotels don’t have much of a presence. Wells Fargo Propel (3%)+ Wells Fargo visa signature combo (4.5%) + hotels.com (10%) + Top cash back portal (4%) and (5%) when you buy a Hotels.com gift card on that portal. And no annual fee.
I have IHG card and in general I’m very happy with it.
Too bad about all those Chase cards, and their 5/24 policy.
I just find it so difficult to choose the right cards these days 🙂
I prefer the Hilton Aspire to the Ascend. The Annual Free Night requires no spending, and along with that, the other benefits like the annual airline credit and annual resort credit significantly offset the elevated annual fee… not to mention perpetual Diamond status. I can see how it still wouldn’t be for *everybody*, but that’s the better card in my book.
Same here. And throw in Priority Pass too and it’s a really good deal for people who travel often and/or live near an airport with a lounge.
awesome post. Too bad the best hotel card annual offer — IHG. Is now gone.
I like my Wyndham Fee card. The free 9k points/yr pays for the AF. The card offers great 5x bonus spend at Wyndhams & 2x on utilities (an often oveelooked category). And Barclays/Wyndham offer challenges throughout the year to rapidly accrue points.
Auto Platinum status at Wyndham Grands & Dolce has resulted in very nice stays.
Yes thats why I’m still paying an annual fee for some credit cards. I have a ihg , hyatt and spg cards.
All these annual fee is less than $300 but I got a free night reward every year and it is more valuable than $300.
Also, they give me a good tier and I enjoy a late check out!!
Nice rundown of the highlight offers.
You really need the credit cards to actually enjoy the hotel loyal program benefits these days.
I’m not sure if the SPG AmEx business card now qualifies as a good card, especially after the increased annual fee to $125. They increased the fee and the only benefit in return is to be able to “earn” an extra free night after $25 K in spending. that’s just lame.
Thank you for for this information. Even though I have the Hyatt and IHG credit cards for the free nights, my go to card is my CSR.
Capitalizing on the benefits of the Hilton Aspire, there is no reason to have the Ascend over the Aspire. It’s VERY easy to max out the airline fee and it’s slightly challenging to use the resort fee. You then get Priority Pass and other benefits.
Truth be told I don’t know if we’ll keep it long term, but we’d downgrade to the free card in that case and not the Ascend.
Thanks. Time to rebalance credit card portfolio.
Thank you for the comprehensive article. The advice about some of the lesser known programs here in the US is great for travel abroad.
Hilton aspire is no brainer. $450 for the fee. But $250 resort and $250 airlines together with 1 weekend free night certificate. It seems that aspire is better than ascend.
Don’t forget Priority Pass and Hilton Honors Diamond status. If you’re in a position to use the $250 credit (the resorts aren’t everywhere), this is truly a keeper card.
Interesting you consider the Hilton Ascend card as the best Hilton card.
That’s the only Hilton card I currently don’t have. :p
I agree the Choice credit card I have never even thought of! Well now another choice of what card to get this year. Or in addition,
I have seen comments about people possibly trying to switch from Marriott to another hotel because of the merger. Where as, I am now just looking at being more loyal to Marriott. With the merger do you belive it’s a better time to focus on Hilton , if I need more intl hotels, until Marriott is more settled or just ride it out during this time with Marriott?
I have the same question. Seems Marriott/SPG merger has included a good deal of devaluation.
If you were loyal to Marriott before, I’d probably ride it out. SPG properties should earn and use points at the same ratio compared to Marriott properties post-merger as pre-merger. Don’t make a knee jerk reaction. Everything will probably be fine.
Hotel rewards cards are something I have been burned with with Marriot taking so much time to transfer points…..good article. Thinking about how to use the free-night certificates…..
This is a great post – very helpful to see these cards compared and contrasted all in one place. Thanks.
I’ve been keeping my eye on the IHG card. I might be applying to one in the near future.
Good breakout of options – the annual fee still bothers us as we’re worried that we don’t travel enough to make up for it.
Great break down of the cards. Thanks.
Thank you very much! Very useful comparison. Though I prefer cards without annual fee but every once in a while I get one with fee when I’ve something particular in mind
Don’t let an annual fee scare you though. It’s like a Costco membership. You pay money to get in the door but you can come out ahead over shopping at Target. On the same hand if used wrong you can come out behind. And it’s fairly easy to justify getting a membership at one warehouse club, but two? Or three? The analogy holds up pretty good.
I am a huge fan of the IHG program with their special programs that they run to earn double aeroplan miles. The other part that I like is they still award points to travel agent special rates.
I’m still not sure about hotel cards. I have one, but it means I can only stay at that chain to get extra points! Using something like Hotels.com seems like a better deal.
Agreed. Getting locked in to a program means you lose. Something like the Amex Plat or CSR proves HIGHLY valuable as you can choose which program you want to transfer to. My wife has the Hilton Aspire and we never use it because Hilton points really just don’t appeal to either of us. We’ll be downgrading in the somewhat near future.
Good article. I’ve been not that happy with SPG/Marriott so back to Hyatt for me.