Hotel Cards guides

A hotel credit card is co-branded with a hotel chain and earns that chain's points, and it is for you if you stay with one hotel group often enough to use its free nights and elite benefits. Many hotel cards include automatic elite status, and some cards with an annual fee add a yearly free-night award.

Compare the annual fee with the value of the benefits you would actually use, such as a free night you would otherwise pay for. Hotel points are usually worth less each than airline miles or bank points, so compare earning rates on value, not on the headline number. Check which properties a free-night award can be used at, whether points expire after inactivity, and whether a flexible travel card that transfers to hotel programs would suit you better if you do not stay loyal to one brand.

Read the best hotel credit cards for free nights and elite status, and how much a point is worth to value hotel points. Annual fee vs no annual fee helps you decide whether a fee card makes sense, or browse US credit cards.