Best Hotel Credit Cards of October 2024

The best hotel credit cards in the market today include Capital One and Chase.

Hotel credit cards offer significant benefits that can greatly enhance your travel experience by making it easier to maximize hotel stays. These cards typically allow holders to accumulate points with each booking, which can be redeemed for free nights, room upgrades, and other exclusive perks. Benefits such as early check-in, late check-out, and complimentary room upgrades elevate the quality of the stay, while bonus points and rewards tailored to specific hotel chains can lead to substantial savings and luxurious accommodations.

When choosing a hotel credit card, you have the option of co-branded hotel cards, which provide tailored benefits and rewards for a specific chain, or more versatile general travel credit cards that offer flexibility in redeeming rewards across various hotels. Ultimately, the best choice will hinge on your travel habits and preferences, making it crucial to evaluate how often you stay at particular hotels versus your desire for broader redemption opportunities.

Enhance your hotel experiences and unlock exclusive perks with the the best hotel credit cards available in the market today. Explore your top options with Benzinga's recommendations for this month.

Quick Look at Best Credit Card for Hotels:

• 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

The Best Hotel Credit Cards

Whether you're a frequent business traveler or a vacation enthusiast, there's a hotel credit card out there that can suit your needs and preferences. Compare and consider the features of each card before making a decision. Here are our top picks for the best credit cards for hotel rewards.

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 of $95 worth it. Hyatt also offers high points bonuses. 

You’ll earn nine points per dollar spent at Hyatt properties and one point on all other purchases. You’ll also get complimentary 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.

Why We Picked It: With its generous rewards program, complimentary elite status and valuable benefits, this card is a must-have for Hyatt enthusiasts. The high-value points for Hyatt hotels enhance their travel experience.

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

You’ll also get a free night on your cardholder anniversary with IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. But if you plan to stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts properties, including the InterContinental, Six Senses, Kimpton, Holiday Inn or Iberostar, the annual fee of $99 makes it worth it. You’ll also get automatic Platinum Elite status if you have the card and one-year complimentary DashPass membership. You can earn 10 points per $1 spent when you book a stay at IHG hotel collection. Travel, dining and gas stations purchases let you earn five points. All other purchases reward you with one point per dollar.

Other perks include travel and purchase coverage such as purchase protection, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance. You'll also receive travel benefits such as statement credit of up to $100 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. Plus, the card offers no foreign transaction fees.

New card members can earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. That is equivalent to up to four nights at over 4,000 IHG® Hotels and Resorts globally.

Why We Picked It: The IHG One Rewards Premier 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 of $95. 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.

Partnership benefits can let you earn up to 10 points from Marriot Hotels, three points for combined purchases on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining (first $6,000), and two points per dollar spent on all other purchases. Cardholders can also enjoy travel and purchase protection, lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement, and DashPass membership, among others. You will not incur foreign transaction fees when using your card for purchases made outside the United States. This benefit applies to all international transactions.

The card has a generous welcome offer of 125,000 bonus points after making purchase of at least $5,000 within the first three months of account membership.

Why We Picked It: This card offers high rewards rate and flexibility in points redemption, which makes it an excellent choice for frequent travelers and Marriott loyalists. Redeem points for Marriott International 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 six months from account opening.

Get bonus points on eligible Hilton purchases and complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status. However, other travel rewards 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 Picked It: With no annual fee, this card offers a range of benefits that can enhance your travel experience and help you earn rewards faster. Plus, the solid signup bonus with a lower minimum spend is worth considering.

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 for the best hotel cards 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 card also offers no foreign transaction fees and no blackout dates.

The 75,000-mile signup bonus when you spend $4,000 within the first three months. You can also get reimbursed for TSA precheck, making the annual fee of $95 worth it for frequent travelers. 

Why We Picked It: This hotel credit card is a great option for those looking for easy redemption options. Whether you prefer to redeem for hotel nights, flights, rental cars or a combination of travel rewards, this card offers flexibility and simplicity in how you can use your rewards.

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

Another highly-rated travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card, gives you the flexibility to earn and transfer points to a variety of travel partners. You can transfer your points to leading frequent travel programs, with the set conversion of 1 to 1 value. This means that each point you transfer will hold equal value in the loyalty programs.

You can also earn five points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, three points on dining and online grocery purchases, plus earn two points per $1 on all other purchases. The Chase credit card comes with an annual fee of $95.

The signup bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months is worth about $750 in travel. But you can get an additional 25% more value when redeemed through Chase Travel. 

Why We Picked It: Chase is known for its valuable rewards and loyalty program, especially when it comes to its transfer partners. With 14 airline and hotel travel partners, Chase provides cardholders with a lot of flexibility and value when it comes to redeeming their points for travel or other rewards. 

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

The Platinum Card from American Express isn’t cheap but comes with credit card rewards worth hundreds of dollars on luxury travel. You can earn five points per $1 on certain flights and hotel stays. The introductory offer — if you meet the minimum spend — gives you 80,000 membership rewards 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 1,400 airport 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 
• $100 global entry credit
• TSA precheck at no additional cost.

Why We Picked It: The perks outweigh the annual fee, as long as you use them in your regular lifestyle. With its premium features, exclusive offers, and outstanding customer service, this card is truly the best choice for luxury travelers.

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

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

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 cash back. 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 Hotels

When choosing a hotel credit card, consider the following factors:

• 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 airport 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 Credit Card for Hotels?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions