For business or frequent travelers, a good hotel credit card can mean a world of difference for your bank account. Yet finding the best hotel credit card for your specific spending habits is not easy task.
There’s not one, singular credit card we can point to definitively as the best. It depends on your needs, and which hotels you choose to frequent. So it’s important to take that into account when deciding which is the best for you.
Here are the top five hotel rewards cards of 2019 for every need and budget.
Capital One Venture Rewards credit card
Best for: Hotels.com users
Those with excellent credit can reward themselves with the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card. This card is made for frequent travelers. It offers no foreign transactions fees and up to $100 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees.
Rewards: Earn two miles per dollar spent on every purchase, plus 10 miles per dollar spent at Hotels.com through January 2020.
Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, $95 after that
Bonus Offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles (equal to $500 in travel rewards) once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
Other Benefits or Drawbacks: Rewards earned on this card can be redeemed for flights and car rentals, as well as hotels. And if you’re not a traveler, rewards miles can be redeemed for cash in the form of a check or account credit or gift cards. The value of rewards, however, is highest when redeemed for qualified travel expenses.
The best news with this card is that the rewards you earn don’t expire, and there is no limit. But if your account is closed, you will lose the unredeemed rewards.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Best for: Those who don’t want to pay an annual fee
For a card with no annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Card bonus offer of 75,000 points is fantastic. While the exact number varies, typically you can exchange 5,000 points for a one night stay. With the bonus offer above, you get up to 15 free nights at a Hilton hotel – all for no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Rewards: Earn seven points for every dollar spent at Hilton hotels or resorts; earn five points for every dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations; and earn three points for every dollar spent on all other purchases
Annual Fee: None
Bonus Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first three months after opening your account
Other Benefits or Drawbacks: Hilton Honors points can be redeemed for a variety of things: Hilton hotel stays, free flights, car rentals, concerts and more.
Users of this card will also receive Hilton Honors Silver status, meaning a 20% bonus on points earned toward free nights and a fifth standard reward night free. If you spend $20,000 per year with this card, you can upgrade to Gold status and enjoy more perks.
Of course, there are other Hilton cards that offer more rewards, bonus points and perks, such as an annual free weekend night or free airport lounge visits. However, these two other cards have annual fees of $95 and $450.
THE MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS CARD*
Best for: Frequenters of Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest hotels
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card (formerly the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus card) offered by Chase has a good bonus offer. According to its website, the 100,000 bonus points offered can get you a stay at Marriotts in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Australia. A standard reward free night starts at 7,500 points. It also offers free premium hotel WiFi, no foreign transaction fees and lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement.
Rewards: Earn six points for every dollar spent at more than 6,500 participating Marriotts, Ritz-Carlton locations and all Starwood-branded hotels that participate in Starwood Preferred Guest. Earn two points for every dollar spent on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $95 per year
Bonus Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months after opening your account
Other Benefits or Drawbacks: This card comes with a lot of perks. Users receive one free night hotel stay every year after their account anniversary with a redemption level up to 35,000 points.
You will automatically receive Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year, and each year that you spend more than $35,000, you will qualify for Gold Elite Status. With Elite status, members can take advantage of certain perks, including late checkout and a 10% or 25% point bonus. In 2019, users can receive credit for 15 nights toward the next level of Elite status.
World of Hyatt Credit Card*
Best for: Frequenters of Hyatt hotels – and bonus point junkies
If you’re someone who lives for bonus points, this is the card for you. The World of Hyatt card offers bonus points on everything from fitness clubs to Ubers. So if you spend $50 a month on Uber, $200 a month on restaurants and $50 a month on a gym membership, you’ll earn 7,200 points – enough for one free night at a Hilton hotel. Free nights start at 5,000 points.
Rewards: Earn four points for every dollar spent at Hyatt hotels, restaurants and spas; two points for every dollar spent restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit and commuting as well as fitness club and gym memberships; and one point per every dollar spent everywhere else
Annual Fee: $95 per year
Bonus Offer: Earn 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months after opening your account. Earn an additional 25,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first six months after opening your account
Other Benefits or Drawbacks: In addition to free Hyatt stays, rewards accumulated on this card can be redeemed for airlines miles at Delta, United and other airlines, and experiences like yoga, cheese tastings and bicycle tours.
You’ll also earn one free hotel stay every year after your cardmember anniversary, and one additional free night if you spend $15,000 each year.
While Marriott does offer more opportunities to advance in status level, this Hyatt card still offers some. You’ll automatically receive “Discoverist” status with this card, meaning you’ll be able to get late checkout and bonus points for Avis car rentals, among other perks. Each year, you will automatically receive credit for five nights toward the next level of elite status, plus two additional qualifying night credits toward the next tier every time you spend $5,000.
The bottom line: Unless you exclusively stay at Hyatt hotels, the credit cards listed above offer better bonus offers.
IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card*
Best for: Frequenters of Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites
The IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card has one of the lowest annual fees for a premier card, but not by much. At $89 per year, it offers the most bonus points per amount spent than any other card on this list.
Rewards: Earn ten points for every dollar spent at more than 5,300 IHG hotels; earn two points for every dollar spent on gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants; and earn one point per every dollar spent everywhere else
Annual Fee: $89 per year
Bonus Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first three months after opening your account. You can earn an additional 40,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months after opening your account.
Other Benefits or Drawbacks: This card offers no foreign transaction fees and up to $100 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees every four years. It also offers a free hotel night every year, as well as a fourth hotel stay night free if you book an IHG hotel for four or more nights.
You can also earn 10,000 bonus points if you spend $20,000 a year, which is a relatively high sum compared to other hotel credit cards. Like most other hotel-branded cards, points can be redeemed for airline miles at more than 200 airlines, rental cars and concerts, as well as free hotel stays.
Card members automatically receive Platinum Elite status, which allows complimentary room upgrades and a 50% bonus earning on top of base points.
If you are discouraged by the $89 annual fee, IHG does offer a cheaper IHG Rewards Club Traveler credit card*, with a $29 annual fee. However, it only offers half of the points on spending at IHG hotels.
