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Best Hotel Credit Cards of 2020

Hotel credit cards can earn you free nights, upgrades and special perks at hotels around the world. Whether you have a preferred hotel chain or you like to stay flexible, you have plenty of options to choose from. Check out our top hotel cards from our partners and find a better way to stay in 2020.

Bankrate.com's Best Hotel Credit Cards for 2020:

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank’s website for the most current information.

Author: Barry Bridges | bbridges@bankrate.com

The information about the Capital One Cards has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Check out how to check in with hotel rewards cards

Hotel credit cards can help you make the most of your travel experience, especially if you tend to stay at the same brand of hotels wherever you travel. Additionally, there are some general travel cards that are also excellent for frequent travelers due to their partnerships with certain brands. Which is best for you? Read through our guide to help you decide.

Compare Bankrate’s top 2020 hotel credit cards

Card Name Bankrate Score Best For
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card (not currently available) 4.6/5 Flexible travel
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card (not currently available) 4.1/5 Earning travel rewards
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 4.5/5 Rewards for Hilton loyalists
Hilton Honors American Express Card  4.3/5 Hilton card with no annual fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express 4.8/5 Premium cardholder benefits
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express  4.7/5 Flexible business travelers
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card 4.5/5 Marriott loyalists

 

How to choose the best hotel credit card for you

There are essentially two types of hotel credit cards: co-branded hotel cards that partner an issuer with a popular hotel brand, and general travel cards that offer hotel-related perks. Choosing the right card for you comes down to how much flexibility you need from your rewards.

For example, the Capital One Venture (not currently available) earns 2x miles on every purchase. Those miles can be used as a statement credit for just about any travel expense. The card also comes with nice perks like a statement credit (up to $100) for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. While the card definitely offers more value for those who tend to travel more, you don’t have to be loyal to a specific brand to reap benefits.

While you’ll have a lot of flexibility with your redemption options, you won’t rack up as many miles or have access to brand-specific perks.

A card like the Hilton Honors Amex, on the other hand, offers 7x points on eligible purchases directly from Hilton, plus bonus points in other categories. Cardholders receive automatic Silver status, plus an upgrade to Gold status through the next calendar year after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year. Elite status offers bonus points on every stay, late check-out, 5th reward night free (when booking a rewards stay for five consecutive nights or more using points), elite tier rollover nights and more.

If you are a beginner traveler or someone who doesn’t always stay in the same hotel brand when you travel, you’ll probably find more value in a general travel card that offers a lot of redemption flexibility. However, those who frequently stay with the same brand might get more out of a co-branded card that offers elite status and additional hotel stay perks.

Questions to ask yourself before applying for a hotel card:

  • How often do you stay at hotels?
  • Which hotel chain(s) do you prefer?
  • Which hotel chain has the most locations in the destinations that you most often travel to?
  • What are your travel goals?
  • What other rewards credit cards do you already have?

The answers to these questions will help you find the right hotel credit card for you. The perfect hotel card will give you benefits you actually use, upgrade your travel experience during every trip and complement the benefits that you get from other credit cards.

Is a co-branded hotel card worth it?

There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to co-branded hotel credit cards. Whether or not one is the right choice for you really depends on your hotel booking habits.

Advantages:

  • Welcome bonuses. Hotel cards regularly offer high welcome bonuses for those who hit qualifying spends. These bonus points are often worth multiple free nights at a hotel, depending on where you’re staying.
  • High rewards rates. A co-branded card will most likely offer a higher-than-average rewards rate compared to a general credit card. Most of the time, they’ll offer anywhere from 5x points to 15x points on brand-specific purchases.
  • Perks you won’t find anywhere else. Late check-in, complimentary breakfast, and room upgrades are pretty standard across co-branded hotel credit cards. Hotel cards also offer expedited pathways to elite status, which can come with even more specialty perks.
  • Rewards increase with spending. Hotels with loyalty program tiers reward customers with greater benefits for greater spending.
  • Convenience. A hotel credit card offers a convenient way to book your hotel stays and earn hotel-specific rewards all at the same time.

Disadvantages:

  • Complicated rewards structures. To get the most from your card, you will have to be a member of hotel loyalty programs. Plus, the award price for free nights varies greatly depending on a variety of factors, including time of year and award availability.
  • Devalued points. It’s easier to rack up a lot of points with co-branded hotel cards, but those points are not worth as much as general travel card points/miles.
  • Limited redemption options. You’re only getting real value from your hotel points when you redeem them for award night stays. Although you can usually transfer hotel rewards points to partnering airlines for discounts on flights, points lose their value dramatically when used that way.
  • Annual fees & high APR. Whether you opt for a co-branded hotel card or a general travel rewards card, you’ll most likely have to pay an annual fee of $95 or more. Make sure you don’t carry a balance either, as APRs are typically on the higher side.

Co-branded hotel cards vs general travel cards

General travel cards generally come with a less lucrative rewards structure, but often come with more broad perks and better redemption values. For example, while you’ll only earn 2x miles for most purchases with the Capital One Venture (not currently available), those miles are worth 1.4 cents a piece versus the .6 cents a Hilton Honors point is worth (according to expert valuations). Plus, you can use those miles on flights, hotels and more without worrying about varying redemption values.

If you travel frequently and prefer a certain hotel, opt for their co-branded card. If you’d rather keep a flexible rewards program rolling, go for the general travel card. Pairing a general card and a co-branded card is also an option for those who want the best of both worlds. The Hilton Honors Amex card doesn’t come with an annual fee, which makes it a great card to pair with the Capital One Venture (not currently available) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Do hotel points expire?

Hotel rewards points don’t usually expire if your account is open, active and in good standing. However, exact terms and conditions can vary from loyalty program to program. A recent Bankratre credit card study found that 57 percent of millennials have lost hotel points. Here’s a chart of the most popular hotel loyalty programs and their expiration policies:

Hotel Rewards Program Rewards Expiration Policy
Hilton Honors Rewards expire after 12 months of no qualifying activity.
IHG Rewards Club Rewards expire after 12 months of no qualifying activity
World of Hyatt Rewards expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity
Marriott Bonvoy Rewards expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity
Wyndham Rewards Rewards expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity, and after 48 months regardless of activity

Keep in mind that “qualifying activity” is pretty broad. While the exact terms vary from program to program, usually any sort of account activity will keep your account active — including earning points, redeeming points and transferring points.

How to maximize hotel rewards points

Hotel credit cards are only worth it when you take full advantage of the hotel rewards programs and associated perks that come with earning hotel rewards. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your card and the points you’ll earn:

  • Make sure you’re a member of the associated hotel rewards program. They’re free to sign up for and will provide you with extra resources on how to get the most out of your booking. As a loyalty member and co-branded cardholder, you’ll earn points in two ways for every stay.
  • Pair multiple credit cards. Your new hotel credit card will give you big point totals for hotel purchases, but not necessarily on everything else. Hotel cards are excellent complementary cards—use them in addition to cash back cards and other travel cards with higher rewards rates on spending in other categories.
  • Book directly through the hotel or issuer’s shopping portal. You usually glean extra value by booking your room through the hotel’s website or an issuer’s shopping portal, like Chase Ultimate Rewards. Booking through third-party sites may not qualify for the expected rewards rate.
  • Use your rewards. While it can be tempting to hoard points for a huge payout, it’s actually much smarter to redeem more frequently. Award night pricing changes often, especially for hotels that have dynamic pricing. When a deal comes your way, take advantage of it!

How we chose our list of best hotel cards

Our credit card experts can help you find a top-rated hotel card to help you fund your next family vacation, business trip or overseas getaway.

The best hotel rewards card is one that accommodates your personal travel needs. There’s not much reason to accrue Hilton Honors points if you frequently find yourself in Starwood-Marriott locations. Our 5-star scoring system takes a host of elements into account, but for hotel credit cards, we’ve emphasized:

Rewards value and redemption flexibility

Some cards offer the capability to transfer hotel points to different chains while other cards have their rewards tied to specific loyalty programs, To help you earn the most rewards possible, at the highest redemption value, we comb through the numbers to rank each card on the value that each swipe brings.

Annual fee

A lot of high-end hotel rewards cards charge fees, but offset this cost with luxury benefits like free room upgrades and trip insurance. We examine how each of these add-ons as we determine whether the annual fee is worth the cost.

Sign-up bonus

Sign-up bonuses offer an easy way to earn hotel points. Within three months, you can hit the spending requirement and quickly amass enough points to redeem for a free night. We compare each of these welcome bonuses as we determine which cards deliver the strongest offerings on the market.

Learn more about hotel cards and loyalty programs

When it comes to hotel credit cards and travel tips, Bankrate has a huge collection of resources at your service:

Senior Editor Barry Bridges has been writing about credit cards, personal loans, mortgages and other personal finance products since 2017. Before joining Bankrate, he was an award-winning newspaper journalist in his native North Carolina. Send your questions about credit cards (and fantasy baseball) to bbridges@bankrate.com.

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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.