Best Hotel Credit Cards of April 2024

Looking for the best credit card for hotel rewards? Find options from your favorite hotel chains or cards with flexible redemption options. 

If you’re dreaming of a honeymoon in the Maldives or a family vacation to the Caribbean, hotel credit cards can be an option to make that dream trip a reality for less. With hotel credit cards, you’ll typically earn a certain number of bonus points when you reach a minimum spend limit within the card’s specified time, usually three months. Depending on the hotel credit card you choose, you could earn hotel bonuses worth up to $750 or even more. Read on to find the best credit card for hotel bookings or free nights here. 

Quick Look: Best Credit Card for Hotel Rewards

• Best for Hyatt Hotels: World of Hyatt Credit Card
• Best for IHG Hotels: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
• Best for Marriott Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
• Best for No Annual Fee: Hilton Honors American Express Card
• Best for Easy Redemption: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for Flexible Points Transfers: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• Best for Luxury Travel: The Platinum Card from American Express

Best Hotel Credit Cards of 2024

The best hotel credit cards for 2024 include branded cards for your favorite hotels or cards that allow you to transfer points to multiple hotels for booking. You can get perks like lounge access, travel insurance, options for cash back, room upgrades and more. 

1. Best for Hyatt Hotels: World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers one of the most valuable redemptions per point. You’ll also get a free night at every card anniversary, which makes the annual fee worth it. Hyatt also offers high points bonuses. 

You’ll earn 9 points per dollar spent at Hyatt properties. You’ll also get Discoverist elite status as long as you have the card. Additional bonus points categories include hotels, gyms, transit and commuting service and airline tickets purchased directly from airlines. 

You can use the points for hotel stays or room upgrades. Hyatt’s points are typically worth 1.7 cents per point, which is one of the most valuable options. 

Why we like it: High-value points for Hyatt hotels

2. Best for IHG Hotels: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

If you plan to stay at IHG hotels, including the InterContinental, Six Senses, Kimpton, Holiday Inn or Iberostar.  You’ll get a free night on your cardholder anniversary, making the annual fee worth it. You’ll also get Platinum Elite status if you have the card. You can earn 10 points per $1 spent when you book a stay at an eligible IHG property,

Why we like it: The IHG rewards card offers many redemption options, from luxury options like Six Senses to budget choices like Holiday Inn Express. 

3. Best for Marriott Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Like similar hotel-branded cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card offers a free night each year that becomes available from your cardholder anniversary. As long as you use this benefit, you can make up the annual fee. Marriott offers a range of hotels from budget to upscale options in the U.S. and around the world. You can use points for flights, car rentals or sell your points for cash.

Why we like it: Redeem points for Marriott hotels worldwide or use them for flights or car rentals. 

4. Best for No Annual Fee: Hilton Honors American Express Card

Hilton Honors American Express Card is a no annual fee option with a solid welcome bonus. You could earn 100,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 within three months of account opening.

Get bonus points on eligible Hilton purchases and complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status. However, other travel cards offer more points flexibility and bigger perks. The Hilton Honors program covers over 7,000 hotels in more than 120 countries, giving you plenty of booking options. 

Why we like it: No annual fee and solid signup bonus with a lower minimum spend. 

5. Best for Easy Redemption: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards credit card offers easy earning and redemption that makes it one of the best options out there. You can redeem miles for hotel stays, flights, cab rides or cruises. 

The Venture Rewards card frequently makes best travel credit card lists for its highly lucrative signup bonus and super-simple rewards redemption. You can earn 2X miles on every purchase and then get reimbursed for travel purchases or book a hotel room or trip through Capital One’s travel portal. 

The 75,000-mile signup bonus when you meet the minimum spend is worth $750 in travel. You can also get reimbursed for TSA precheck, making the annual fee worth it for frequent travelers. 

Why we like it: With a flexible redemption option, you could use the bonus miles for hotel nights, flights, rental cars or a combination of travel rewards. 

6. Best for Flexible Points Transfers: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Another highly-rated travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, gives you the flexibility to earn and transfer points to a variety of travel partners. The signup bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months is worth about $750 in travel booked through Chase Travel. 

You can also earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Why we like it: With 14 transfer partners, Chase gives you a lot of value and flexibility, especially if you can earn the signup bonus. 

7. Best for Luxury Travel: The Platinum Card from American Express

The Platinum Card isn’t cheap but comes with rewards worth hundreds of dollars on luxury travel. You can earn 5 points per $1 on certain flights and hotel stays. The introductory offer — if you meet the minimum spend — gives you 80,000 bonus points. 

While it comes with a $695 annual fee, it also offers an impressive suite of perks and credits that make up for that as long as you use them. Bonuses include lounge access at 1,300 lounges worldwide, a 24/7 concierge service, premium status at several major hotel chains and upgrades and special amenities at fine dining restaurants. 

Other credits and benefits include:

• $200 hotel credit
• $240 digital entertainment credit
• $155 Walmart+ credit
• $200 airline fee credit 
• $200 Uber cash 
• $300 Equinox credit
• $100 global entry credit
• TSA precheck at no additional cost.

Why we like it: The perks outweigh the annual fee, as long as you use them in your regular lifestyle. 

How Do Hotel Credit Cards Work?

Hotel credit cards are a type of rewards credit card. You will typically earn between one and five points per dollar spent. Many of these cards also offer a signup bonus of 50,000 to 100,000 points after you meet a minimum spend.

Then, for every dollar you spend, you earn hotel points that accrue in the card's affiliated hotel loyalty program. Not all hotel points are created equal. As a baseline, hotel points are usually worth 1 cent per point. More valuable points could be worth 1.7 to 2 cents per point. 

How much you earn for each dollar depends on the credit card program. Most hotel credit cards offer a higher level of reward points for booking at the related hotel chain. For example, you’ll earn six Marriott Bonvoy points for every $1 spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with the Marriott credit card. 

Some cards also offer additional bonus categories. For example, the Marriott card offers three points for every $1 at gas stations, grocery stores and dining, up to the first $6,000 spent each year. Similarly, the Hyatt card offers bonus points at restaurants, transit, gym memberships and airline tickets. There are also credit cards for consumers with bad credit or no credit history or to help you build credit.

Pros and Cons of a Hotel Credit Card

There are pros and cons of hotel credit cards overall. Before applying for any credit cards, weigh the advantages and disadvantages for your situation. 

Pros

• Earn impressive signup bonuses when you reach each card’s minimum spend
• Get higher status for premium room upgrades, free breakfast, or other bonuses.
• Earn points to use for travel with everyday purchases
• Many hotel credit cards offer extra bonus categories, like a fifth night free when you book for four nights

Cons

• If you don’t stay at one hotel chain, the card's benefits might be limited.
• Many hotel credit cards come with annual fees that are only worth it if you use the other perks. 
• If you’re not flexible with travel dates, rewards nights might require a lot of points. 

Types of Hotel Credit Cards

There are two main types of hotel credit cards: co-branded cards and general travel cards. The list above contains a mix of both. 

• Co-branded: Co-branded hotel credit cards are a collaboration between a specific hotel chain and a credit card issuer. The Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and IHG cards in the list above are examples of co-branded hotel credit cards. 
• General travel: General travel credit cards allow you to earn points or miles and redeem them in a variety of ways, including hotels, flights, rental cars, entertainment or cashback. On the list above, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture Rewards and The Platinum Card from American Express are examples of general travel credit cards that you can use to redeem hotel nights. 

How to Choose the Best Credit Card for Hotel Points

When choosing the best credit card for hotel points, consider:

• Brand: Do you prefer to stay at one hotel chain?
• Availability at destination: If you have a specific trip in mind, which hotels are available in your chosen destination?
• Signup bonus: Is the signup bonus competitive? Can you meet the minimum spend with your regular spending habits?
• Transfer partners: Do you have the option to transfer points or miles to other rewards programs you use regularly? 
• Annual fee: How much is the annual fee? Is it waived for the first year? Do other credits make up for the fee? Will you actually use them?
• APR: What is the annual percentage rate if you have to carry a balance? Avoid carrying a balance to earn points, as the interest will negate the benefits.
• Fees: Are there any other fees associated with the card or redeeming points?
• Everyday earning: What are the base points you’ll earn with everyday purchases like gas and groceries?
• Other perks: Are there specific perks, like free breakfasts or lounge access that you’re looking for in a hotel credit card? Do the cards you're considering offer these benefits?

Should You Get a Hotel Credit Card?

Hotel credit cards offer a lot of value if you travel regularly or want to take more low-cost vacations. You should check available partners, the points you can earn and signup bonuses to choose the best card for your needs. While general travel cards often offer greater flexibility and rewards than a branded hotel credit card, if you’re a regular at one brand, the premium benefits are worth it, especially if the annual fee comes with a free hotel night. 

You can also check out the best Mastercard credit cards and the best airline credit cards or get more great money-saving travel hacks.

Frequently Asked Questions