Best Hotel Credit Cards in 2025

If you’re a frequent traveler who usually stays with one particular hotel chain, getting that chain’s co-branded hotel credit card may make sense for you. On the other hand, if you’re a less-frequent traveler or often stay at different brands, you may not want to be tied down to just one specific chain. In that case, a more general hotel credit card might be a better option.

Co-branded hotel cards typically offer hotel-specific perks that can add significantly to their value. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card offers a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points each year on your card anniversary. This benefit alone could justify the cost of the annual fee for many cardholders.

Keep an eye out for these benefits:

• Annual free night awards
• Automatic elite status
• Elite night credits

One thing that you’ll want to do is look through each of the perks that come with a hotel card and decide how much those perks are worth it to you. For example, if getting your fourth night free on IHG award stays is worth $50 to you each year, that can help offset some of the annual fee of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Now consider the most important factors that’ll impact a credit card’s dollar value: sign-up bonus, earning rate and point value.

First year value = sign-up bonus + (earning rate x estimated annual spend) x redemption value – annual fee

Sign-up bonus

First, look at the number of points or miles you earn, but don’t stop there. Calculate the dollar value of the bonus, while also looking at how many nights the points will cover for the hotel you plan to book.

You should also note the minimum spending requirement you have to meet in order to get the bonus. Make sure you can comfortably meet the requirement while paying off your balance in full each month — you definitely don’t want to pay interest that would cancel out all or part of your bonus.

Earning rate

The earning rate is one of the most important factors in choosing the best hotel rewards credit card for you. Look at how many points you’ll earn for stays at one of the hotels in the brand portfolio, as well as what you’ll earn in other bonus categories and for all other spending. Review your spending patterns to see how much you can earn with each card you’re considering.

Point value

All points are not created equal, and hotel loyalty program points tend to be worth less than the points on general travel cards with transferable points. Don’t just look at the number of points you’ll earn with your everyday spending — consider how much those points are worth in dollars, along with what the points translate to in terms of hotel stays.

Besides the value of the points that you’ll earn, many hotel credit cards offer benefits that you may find useful. This could include items like elite status, travel insurance, statement credits or other perks. Look at the benefits that come with any hotel card you’re choosing (in terms of what it’s worth to you) versus the cost of the card.

For example, how much is rental car insurance or travel delay insurance worth to you? It may be very useful or not that useful at all (for example, if you already have another credit card with overlapping benefits, or if you never rent a car). Factor in the value of these hotel card benefits when deciding how much you’re willing to spend on a card.

One of the fastest and easiest ways to get a free stay at a hotel is to get a hotel rewards credit card. A hotel rewards card typically comes with a sign-up bonus that you earn for spending a certain amount on your card within a certain time. You’ll also earn points from every purchase that you make when you use your card. The points that you earn can be redeemed for free hotel nights.

Another way to earn a free hotel stay is by joining a hotel loyalty program and staying regularly at hotels that are part of that program. Each time you complete a qualified stay, you’ll earn points that can be put towards a free night or stay in the future.

Many hotel credit cards offer a free night certificate when you meet certain criteria. For example, it’s common to offer a free night each year after your cardmember anniversary. You may also earn a free night by spending a certain amount on your card. The details will vary based on the program.

Another great way to get a free hotel stay is to earn elite status with your preferred hotel loyalty program. For example, with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, each elite status level you attain will grant you a higher number of points on Marriott hotel stays that you can then use towards a free hotel stay.

Hotel credit cards help you get hotel perks and earn extra hotel rewards. Some are co-branded hotel credit cards that offer brand-specific benefits, sometimes including elite status. Other hotel cards are usually general travel cards that allow you to earn travel and hotel rewards across brands.

A hotel credit card can absolutely be worth it if you travel even a few times a year. Many hotel cards offer free nights or other perks that can be well worth the card’s annual fee. Frequent travelers who generally stay with the same hotel brand will likely get a lot of value from that chain’s co-branded credit card. But before you get a hotel card, do the math and make sure the benefits you’ll receive outweigh the cost of the card’s annual fee.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is the best Marriott credit card out there. It has a $650 annual fee, but it comes with numerous high-value benefits (see rates & fees). For example, you can earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.

Hotel credit cards often come with excellent benefits for hotel stays, including complimentary elite status, enhanced earning rates and other travel perks. If you’re able to use these benefits, a hotel card makes a lot of sense. However, one big con of co-branded hotel cards is that the points, perks and benefits that you earn are only useful at that specific hotel brand. For example, you can’t use the benefits from a Hilton card if you stay at a Marriott.

All co-branded hotel credit cards allow you to earn hotel points, so you can eventually get a free hotel stay. In addition, some co-branded hotel credit cards also offer benefits like free night certificates, or a free night if you use points to pay for three plus nights in a row. General travel hotel cards also earn points, which you can then use to either transfer to hotel points programs or book directly for a free night at a number of different hotels.

Any frequent traveler — whether you travel solo, with others or for business — is a great candidate for a hotel credit card, since it can help you reduce your overall hotel costs. When choosing a hotel card, look at the perks, benefits and earning structure of the card to make sure you’ll be getting the most value for your specific situation.

Most hotels require a credit card or debit card for booking, though it is possible to pay with cash, a debit card or a prepaid card in some instances. To find out which hotels don’t require a credit card, we recommend calling the hotel directly and asking what their policy is regarding non-credit card payments.

If you’re deciding between a Marriott versus Hilton credit card, consider your personal preferences and travel habits, and choose a card with the brand that you stay with more often. If you stay with both, consider getting a general card that’ll allow you to earn rewards with both brands, or review the benefits to see which card will give you more value. Just make sure that the value of the benefits you receive outweighs the cost of the card’s annual fee.