Which Is the Best Credit Card for Hotel Stays - 10xTravel

When it’s time to book a hotel room, using the right credit card can make a big difference in how many rewards you earn. Most hotel chains offer their own credit cards, which can offer a huge number of points on hotel stays.

But if you don’t frequently stay at the same hotel brand, or prefer more flexibility in your rewards points, a credit card that earns flexible rewards points and offers bonus points on travel purchases might be a better bet. Certain credit cards also unlock access to special booking websites, which can earn you both bonus points and special perks for your hotel stay.

In This Article

Best Credit Cards to Earn Transferable Points
What About Hotel Credit Cards?
1. Marriott
2. Hilton
3. IHG
4. Hyatt
5. Best Western
6. Choice
7. Radisson
8. Wyndham
Specialty Hotel Programs
Bottom Line

Best Credit Cards to Earn Transferable Points

If you don’t find yourself consistently staying at one hotel chain or you’re looking for maximum flexibility with the points you earn, a credit card that earns flexible rewards points may be the best option.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases, including hotels. Hotel purchases also count toward the card’s $300 annual travel credit, though to avoid double-dipping benefits, you won’t earn points on your first $300 in travel purchases each anniversary year.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $4,000 spend in 3 months

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card credit card earns 2x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases, including hotels.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $4,000 spend in 3 months

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases, including hotels.

Chase Ink Business Preferred^SM Credit Card

100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $15,000 in 3 months

American Express Green

The American Express Green Card earns 3x Membership Rewards points on all travel purchases, including hotels.

American Express Green Card

30,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months

Citi Premier Card

The Citi Premier Card earns 3x ThankYou Points on travel purchases, including hotels. You also get $100 off a $500 hotel purchase through the ThankYou travel website every year.

Citi Premier Card

60,000 points after $4k spend in 3 months

Learn more by visiting our
credit cards page.

Citi Prestige Card

The Citi Prestige Card offers 3x ThankYou Points on hotel purchases. You can also get the 4th night free on stays of 4 nights or more when booking through the Citi ThankYou travel website, up to 2 free nights per year.

Note that travel bookings through the ThankYou travel website do not earn points in hotel rewards programs.

What About Hotel Credit Cards?

The value of hotel points varies quite a bit by hotel chain Often, it makes more sense to use a credit card that earns transferable points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards points instead of hotel points.

However, there are times when using a co-branded hotel credit card can make sense. Here are the options you’ll have with some of the major hotel chains.

Marriott

Marriott has a dizzying array of credit cards, but only four are currently available: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card ($95) and Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card ($0) from Chase, and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card ($450) and Marriott Bonvoy Business Card ($125) from American Express. Many people still have a Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and/or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card from Chase, which are no longer available to new applicants.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

100,000 bonus points after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months

Each card earns 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on Marriott purchases and offers an annual free night certificate, except for the no-annual-fee Bonvoy Bold which only earns 3x points (and does not come with a certificate).

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

75,000 bonus points after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months

In addition, all cards come with automatic elite status – Gold Elite for Bonvoy Brilliant and Ritz-Carlton cardholders, and Silver Elite for everyone else. Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders also get an annual $300 statement credit for Marriott purchases.

Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card

Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Terms apply.

Hilton Waikaloa Village in Hawaii — Hilton Waikaloa Village in Hawaii

Hilton

Hilton offers four different American Express cards, and each earns a different number of points for Hilton stays. The no-fee Hilton Honors Card earns 7x points; the $95 Hilton Honors Business Card earns 12x points; and the $95 Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card and the $450 Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card both earn 14x points.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

130,000 Hilton points after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

130,000 Hilton Honors points after $2,000 spend in 3 months

Each card also comes with Hilton Honors elite status: Silver for the no-annual-fee card, Gold for the Surpass and Business cards, and top-tier Diamond status for the Aspire card. The Aspire also comes with a $250 resort credit, which can be used towards non-prepaid hotel rates.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Earn 150,000 Hilton points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months.

IHG

There are two IHG Rewards Club credit cards from Chase. The $95 IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card earns 10x points on IHG hotel stays, and comes with automatic Platinum elite status and an annual free night certificate.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

125,000 points after $3,000 spend in 3 months

The no-annual-fee IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card earns 5x points on IHG stays and comes with automatic Gold status. Both cards also offer a 4th-night free benefit on award stays of 4 nights or more.

There is also a $49 IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card, which is no longer available to new applicants. That card earns 5x points on IHG stays, comes with automatic Platinum status and an annual free night certificate, and an automatic 10% rebate on points bookings, up to 100,000 points per year.

Hyatt

Hyatt offers just one credit card, the World of Hyatt Credit Card from Chase, which earns 4x World of Hyatt points for purchases at Hyatt hotels. You’ll also receive automatic Discoverist status, and a free night certificate valid for Category 1-4 hotels every year on your card anniversary.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

25,000 points after $3k spend in 3 months, another 25k points after $6k total spend in 6 months

Best Western

Best Western offers two credit cards through First Bankcard. The $59 Best Western Rewards Premium MasterCard earns 10x points on Best Western stays and offers automatic Platinum status, plus 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 on the card during your account anniversary year. The no-annual-fee Best Western Rewards Mastercard earns just 3x points on Best Western stays and offers automatic Gold status.

Best Western Rewards Premium MasterCard

Best Western Rewards® Mastercard No Annual Fee

Choice

The Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card from Barclays earns 15x Choice Privileges points on stays at Choice hotels, as well as 5x when purchasing Choice points or gift cards. It also comes with automatic Gold status and 8,000 bonus points when you spend $10,000 on the card during your account anniversary year.

Radisson

Radisson offers two credit cards from US Bank. The $75 Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card offers 10x points at Radisson hotels and automatic Gold status, while the no-annual-fee Radisson Rewards Visa offers a measly 3x points at Radisson hotels.

US Bank also previously offered a $60 business Radisson Rewards card, but it has not been available for new customers since May 2019. Like the Premier card, it earns 10x points at Radisson hotels and automatic Gold status.

With any of these cards, you can also earn a free night certificate for every $10,000 spent on the card, up to 3 free nights per anniversary year.

Wyndham

Wyndham offers two credit cards from Barclays. Confusingly, both cards are called the Wyndham Rewards Visa Card. The version with a $75 annual fee will earn you 5 points per dollar spent at Wyndham hotels, and comes with automatic Platinum status and a 6,000 annual point bonus on your card anniversary.

Wyndham hotels — The Wyndham Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The no-annual-fee version earns 3 points per dollar spent at Wyndham hotels, and comes with automatic Gold status. While neither card is particularly exciting, they offer one of the only ways to earn Wyndham Rewards points outside of hotel stays.

Specialty Hotel Programs

American Express and Chase both offer access to specialty hotel programs, which offer extra perks and discounts at participating hotels, and in some cases, you’ll also earn bonus points when you pay with your card.

When booking through third-party websites, always check pricing directly with the hotel to make sure that the perks you’re getting are worth more than any price difference compared to booking directly.

American Express Hotel Collection

If you have a Platinum Card from American Express, American Express Gold Card, or Centurion® Card from American Express (personal or business), you have access to The Hotel Collection, which offers room upgrades and a $100 credit toward dining, spa, and resort activities on stays of two nights or more.

Luxury room in fine tropical resort — A shot of guest room in tropical paradise

The Platinum Card from American Express

Earn 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. Terms apply.

American Express Gold Card

10xT Thoughts: A great card for category spenders who want more rewards for their spend! Currently offering 35,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.

While you generally won’t earn credit with hotel loyalty programs when you book through The Hotel Collection, the $100 credit is likely worth more than the points you’d earn, especially for short stays. You’ll also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when paying for prepaid hotels with a Platinum card or 2x Membership Rewards points with a Gold card.

American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts

Exclusive for Platinum, Business Platinum, and Centurion cardmembers, American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) offers a slew of benefits at over 1,000 properties across the globe.

You’ll receive perks like early check-in and room upgrades (both subject to availability), guaranteed late check-out, complimentary Wifi, daily breakfast for two people, and a $100 property-specific amenity like a spa or resort credit. Sometimes there are even 3rd and 4th night free rates available exclusively through FHR.

On top of these perks, you’ll generally earn points in hotel loyalty programs, and you’ll earn 5x Membership Rewards points when paying for prepaid hotels.

Chase Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection

Certain Chase cardholders have access to the Chase Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection (LHRC). When booking through LHRC, you’ll enjoy benefits like daily breakfast for two people, complimentary Wifi, room upgrades (subject to availability), early check-in and/or late checkout (subject to availability), and a unique property-specific benefit (typically a credit worth between $25 and $100).

Access to LHRC is an advertised benefit of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, United Explorer Card, United Club Card, and United Club Business cards, but in practice many other Chase cardholders also have access. You’ll earn the same number of points for LHRC bookings as you would for any other travel purchase, depending on the card that you use. Bookings made through LHRC also generally earn points with hotel loyalty programs.

Bottom Line

Using different credit cards to book at hotels will earn different numbers of points and may even be able to help you score extra perks. It’s worth considering how you like to travel and with which hotel brands you prefer to stay before deciding on a credit card to use at hotels.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card to start with. With a bonus of 80,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months and 2x points on dining and travel, this card truly cannot be beat!

10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

About the Author

Learn More About Charlie

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Instagram

The American Express Green Card isn’t one of the

The American Express Green Card isn’t one of the most talked-about cards available, but it does offer decent perks for the reasonable $150 annual fee. If you’re not ready for an ultra-premium card, the Amex Green card may be a good choice. 💳 Here are some benefits & perks for why it deserves your attention. Interested in learning more? Click the link in our bio or copy and paste below for our full evaluation! https://10xtravel.com/complete-guide-to-amex-green-benefits-and-perks/

Southwest unveiled a short-term promotion that’s

Southwest unveiled a short-term promotion that’s allowing anyone who books a cash ticket by Thursday (9.24) for travel on or before November 15th to earn a coveted Companion Pass that’s valid for the first two months of 2021.What does this mean? Well, essentially, it means that for every flight you purchase with cash or points, that a plus one can fly with you for free - they just have to pay government taxes and fees which start at $5.60/ one way.This can make already affordable travel, like Southwest’s $99/one way flights to Hawaii even more attainable.Will you be taking advantage of this promo? Let us know in the comments! Want to learn more about the Southwest Companion Pass? Click the link in our bio for the deets!

If you want to travel more while spending less - y

If you want to travel more while spending less - you’ve found the right place! We at 10xTravel are a team of avid travelers whose single mission is to help people turn their travel goals into realities. We started in 2014 as a tiny travel blog and have since grown to become a major player in the travel space.SWIPE for a quick overview of three things you need to do to get started. From there, click the link in our bio to enroll in our free course. Everything you’ll see discussed on this page builds off of this foundational knowledge and is 100% worth it to help you get started with points and miles!Have questions? Feel free to ask away below!

Today, let’s talk about credit card denials. 💳This is one of the most brought up topics in the 10xTravel Insiders Facebook Group. It’s a situation that everyone experiences if they’ve been in this hobby long enough, and eventually, realizes is a normal part of the process. Until you reach that point, it’s understandable to have a few questions. So, let’s dive into some common reasons for credit card denials!Common reasons why you may get denied for a card:-Your credit score-Too many recent applications-Too much/too little credit-Your listed income isn’t high enough�What to do if you get rejected:The first step you should take is to call the bank’s reconsideration line where you can talk to a human rep. Make sure you understand why your application was rejected (banks are required by law to give you a specific reason in your denial email/letter) and then do your best to appeal the decision. This process doesn’t always work, but if there’s a welcome bonus on the line, it’s worth spending a few minutes on the phone trying to salvage the application.If the call doesn’t work, that’s ok. Each bank has its own set of rules and requirements, some of which are pretty strict during these unprecedented times. Hold off 3-6 months before reapplying. Unless there’s a specific mistake you made with your application, you can use this time working to improve your credit score and fix the specific reasons why you were declined. Chances are, you might just need to slow down the new card sign-ups. This can be a great opportunity to consider other cards as well. We have a full list of our favorites at 10xTravel.com and you can reach out to us in the comments or DMs as well. You might not be scoring a Celebration Dinner at Caesars, but you could still be earning extra points back on purchases you’re already making! Again, credit card denials aren’t the end of the world. Over time, the denials will hurt less, and eventually, you’ll know you’re doing it right when you feel absolutely nothing at all when it happens. Read more here -> https://10xtravel.com/the-most-common-credit-mistake

Looking to get away this fall? ✈️ Southwest

Looking to get away this fall? ✈️ Southwest is offering 20% off flights when you book using Rapid Rewards points and use promo SAVE20NOW by Thursday. We found flights in the 2k point range for short-distance domestic, 6k for cross-country, and 8k for international flights. While not part of the sale, select flights to Hawaii are showing up as lower-than-usual points as well, with flights starting at $99 one way from LAX, SFO, and SJO. As a reminder, just because you can travel, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Please follow health officials’ guidance and research with local travel restrictions before booking your next destination vacation.

It’s time to redeem your Hyatt points for an alm

It’s time to redeem your Hyatt points for an almost all-inclusive getaway! ✈️🚗Right now, Hyatt is offering a buy one night get one night free deal at their Austin and Arizona resort & spas, and a B2G1 deal at their Berkshires location. Nightly rates often run $950+ for two people, but with this deal, it’s only 65,000 Hyatt points!This deal, of course, gets even better if you’re planning on staying by October 8th. That’s because the Miraval offer stacks with the current World of Hyatt promotion that offers a 15% rebate on award stays for all members or a 25% rebate on award stays for World of Hyatt credit cardholders. If you have the credit card, your stay will be a more moderate 48,750 points for two nights which is an incredible deal. So what’s included? Stays at these wellness resorts include all meals, unlimited non-alcoholic smoothies/drinks, some complementary activities, $175/pp per paid night resort credit available for additional activities, alcohol, and spa services, along with complimentary airport transfers. Miraval resorts are no-tip properties, so you can leave your cash at home. If you’ve never stayed at one of these resorts before, you’re in for a treat. Miraval properties focus on leaving the cell phone put away and fully relaxing with limited interruptions. In fact, technology is so minimal at these properties, you’ll find more books than televisions, and there are even no-cellphone zones as to not disturb other guests. Here, daily activities include guided meditation, archery, nature walks, hatchet throwing, horseback riding, and more. Interested in learning more? SWIPE to view how you can book this deal!