You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.

Advertiser Disclosure

The Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards Of 2019 – Mobile

PE Devs administrator
Editorial Note: Forbes may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page.- test default

This is The First Access Visa Credit Card related article. You can search for more details.

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.

Best Non Affiliate Credit Cards

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

This is a sample tagline

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

This is a sample tagline

Pros

  • Pro 1
  • Pro 2
  • Pro 3
  • Pro 4

Cons

  • Con 1
  • Con 2
  • Con 3
  • Con 4

Regular Apr
15.99% - 24.99% (Variable)

Annual Fee
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that

Welcome Bonus

i

Custom Welcome Bonus Text

Credit Score

i

Excellent, Good

Highlights

  • Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus after you spend $3000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through May 2020.
  • No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Capital One cardholders get access to premium experiences in dining, entertainment and more
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 after that
Rates & Fees

Annual Fee
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that

Intro Purchase Apr
N/A

Regular Apr
15.99% - 24.99% (Variable)

Intro Balance Transfers APR
N/A

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Long Welcome Bonus Text

 

Best Arb Credit Cards
Partner Offer

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

For those who travel and dine enough to justify the $450 annual fee, this card has superior rewards rates and redemption flexibility.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

For those who travel and dine enough to justify the $450 annual fee, this card has superior rewards rates and redemption flexibility.

Pros

  • 300X Points on travel and dining
  • Transfer points to travel partners at 1:1 rate
  • No points limits, points never expire

Cons

  • High regular APR
  • High annual fee of $450, not waived in first year
  • No intro APR offer

Regular Apr
18.74% - 25.74% Variable

Annual Fee
$450

Welcome Bonus

i

50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Credit Score

i

Excellent Credit

Highlights

  • Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • Named “Best Premium Travel Credit Card” for 2018 by MONEY® Magazine
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
  • 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. $0 foreign transaction fees.
  • Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
  • Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select
  • Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
Rates & Fees

Annual Fee
$450

Intro Purchase Apr
N/A

Regular Apr
18.74% - 25.74% Variable

Intro Balance Transfers APR
N/A

View Details

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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.

The Best Overall Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

Frequent business travelers who are loyal to Marriott Bonvoy hotel brands will love this card's generous perks and rewards.

On Chase's Secure Website

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

Frequent business travelers who are loyal to Marriott Bonvoy hotel brands will love this card's generous perks and rewards.

Pros

  • Generous signup bonus
  • High redemption value for rewards points
  • No blackout dates and points never expire

Cons

  • Only frequent travelers can justify the $125 annual fee
  • No non-travel points redemption options
  • No intro APR offer

Regular Apr
17.99% - 24.99% Variable

Annual Fee
$95

Welcome Bonus

i

Earn 75,000 Bonus Points

Credit Score

i

Excellent/Good

Highlights

  • Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • An additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
  • Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 6,900 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
  • 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
  • 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster.
Rates & Fees

Annual Fee
$95

Intro Purchase Apr
N/A

Regular Apr
17.99% - 24.99% Variable

Intro Balance Transfers APR
N/A

View Details

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card!

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.

The Best Overall Credit Card

United Explorer Card

A top choice for casual or moderate United fliers; the perks can easily outweigh the $95 annual fee. If you're prepared to spend on restaurants and hotels in addition to United purchases, you'll earn 2x miles and come out a winner.

United Explorer Card

United Explorer Card

A top choice for casual or moderate United fliers; the perks can easily outweigh the $95 annual fee. If you're prepared to spend on restaurants and hotels in addition to United purchases, you'll earn 2x miles and come out a winner.

Pros

  • Annual fee waived the first year
  • Free First Checked Bag & Priority Boarding
  • Earn unlimited miles with no caps
  • No blackout dates

Cons

  • Seat limitations on Saver Awards
  • Everyday Awards flight pricing is expensive
  • No 0% intro APR offer
  • High regular APR

Regular Apr
18.24 - 25.24 variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Annual Fee
$95

Welcome Bonus

i

50,000 bonus miles

Credit Score

i

Good/Excellent

Highlights

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee
$95

Intro Purchase Apr
-

Regular Apr
18.24 - 25.24 variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Intro Balance Transfers APR
-

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months your account is open. You can use MileagePlus miles toward award travel on United. One-way awards start as low as 12,500 miles within the continental U.S. and Canada, as of April 1, 2019. This bonus offer is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months

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.

Name of Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Spending Requirement (for bonus miles/points) Spending Requirement (for bonus miles/points)
AADvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard 50,000 miles, 1 Companion Certificate and Make any purchase within 90 days Make any purchase within 90 days
AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard 50,000 miles $5,000 in 3 months $5,000 in 3 months
Avianca Vuela Visa 40,000 miles and a 0% introductory APR for 12 months Make any purchase within 90 days Make any purchase within 90 days
Capital One Venture Rewards 50,000 miles and a waived annual fee the first year $3,000 in 3 months $3,000 in 3 months
 Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% cashback in the first year and 0% APR in the first 15 months For every dollar charged to the card, you will get 3% back For every dollar charged to the card, you will get 3% back
HSBC Gold Mastercard 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months None None
SunTrust Prime Rewards Credit Card $100 statement credit and also get 5.50% APR on balance transfers for 3 years $500 in 3 months $500 in 3 months
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa $150 cashback and 0% APR during the first 12 months

$500 in 3 months

$500 in 3 months

Forbes adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Here is a list of our partners who offer products that we have affiliate links for.
lorem
Are you sure you want to rest your choices?