Best Credit Card for Hotels in 2026

Other Options to Consider

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Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "438", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "High Travel Rewards" } ]]

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How to Choose a Credit Card for Hotels

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Finding the perfect hotel credit card is a key strategy for any traveler looking to maximize rewards and unlock exclusive perks on their stays.

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When choosing a hotel credit card, it's easy to be swayed by a massive welcome offer, but don't overlook the long-term value. Be sure to weigh the annual fee against the benefits you'll actually use and ensure the card's loyalty program aligns with your personal travel patterns to avoid a costly mismatch.

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Key Factors

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• Annual Fee: Consider the card's annual fee and whether the value of its benefits, such as free night awards or statement credits, outweighs the cost each year.
• Welcome Offer: Evaluate the introductory offer, which often provides a large sum of points or free nights after meeting a minimum spending requirement in the first few months.
• Earning Rates: Look at how many points you'll earn per dollar spent, not just on hotel stays but also on everyday spending categories like dining and groceries.
• Hotel Loyalty Program: Ensure the card is tied to a hotel brand you frequently visit, as the rewards are most valuable when used within that ecosystem.
• Elite Status: Many hotel cards grant automatic elite status, which can unlock valuable perks like room upgrades, late checkout, and complimentary breakfast.
• Annual Free Night Award: Check if the card offers a free night certificate each year upon renewal, as this benefit alone can often justify the annual fee.
• Redemption Flexibility: Understand how and where you can redeem your points, including the value you get per point and whether you can transfer them to other loyalty programs.

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What to Watch Out For

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Don't get so dazzled by a huge welcome offer that you overlook a high annual fee that you can't offset with perks, or a loyalty program for a hotel chain you rarely visit. Many cards also carry foreign transaction fees, which can quietly add up and diminish the value of your rewards on international trips.

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Decision Flow

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If you are loyal to a specific hotel brand, like Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt, your best option is a co-branded card from that chain. This strategy maximizes your rewards within that ecosystem and often comes with automatic elite status, unlocking valuable perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and late checkout.

If you value flexibility and book stays across different hotel brands, including boutique hotels, a general travel rewards card is a better fit. Look for cards that earn transferable points, which can be moved to various hotel partners or used to book travel through the card’s portal, ensuring you’re not tied to a single program.

If you prioritize premium perks and a luxury experience, a high-end travel card is the way to go. Though they come with substantial annual fees, the benefits—such as top-tier elite status, annual free night certificates, and generous statement credits—can easily outweigh the cost for frequent travelers.

If you're a casual traveler who wants to avoid annual fees, focus your search on no-annual-fee hotel or general travel cards. While the perks are more modest, you can still accumulate points on hotel stays and everyday spending without committing to a yearly fee.

If your goal is to rack up points from everyday spending, compare the earning rates on non-travel categories. Some hotel cards offer strong multipliers for purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores, effectively turning your daily expenses into your next hotel stay.

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Maximize Your Return with Hotels

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To get the most value from your credit card rewards when booking hotels, consider these strategies:

• Stack your rewards: Don't just rely on your credit card; book through a shopping portal and ensure you're signed up for the hotel's own loyalty program to earn rewards from multiple sources on a single stay.
• Use transfer partners: Move your flexible credit card points to a hotel loyalty program, as you can often get a superior redemption value compared to booking directly through your card's travel portal.
• Leverage co-branded cards: A hotel-specific credit card can unlock elite status benefits, provide annual free night certificates, and offer the highest earning rates for that particular hotel chain.
• Book longer award stays: Many hotel loyalty programs offer a fifth night free on award bookings, effectively giving you a 20% discount on your points redemption for stays of five nights or more.
• Redeem during the off-season: If your travel dates are flexible, booking award nights during off-peak times can significantly lower the number of points required per night.

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This free app automatically selects your highest-earning credit card at checkout, helping you earn up to $750 more per year. Get started for free.

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Other Things to Consider

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While flexible travel cards offer broad utility, frequent guests of a particular hotel chain might find a co-branded card more valuable for its exclusive perks like automatic elite status and anniversary free nights. Regardless of the card you choose, the most important strategy is to treat it as a tool for earning rewards, not as a source of extra cash. Carrying a balance can quickly negate any points or miles you earn, as credit card interest rates are notoriously high, so aim to pay your statement in full every month. This disciplined approach also applies to other payment methods; while options like Buy Now, Pay Later plans can make booking travel feel more accessible, they represent another form of debt that requires careful management alongside your cash flow and credit card payments.

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Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a co-branded hotel credit card?

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A co-branded hotel credit card is a card issued by a bank in partnership with a specific hotel chain. These cards typically offer brand-specific perks such as elite status and free night awards with that particular hotel group.

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Should I get a hotel credit card or a general travel card?

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This depends on your travel habits; if you are loyal to one hotel brand, a co-branded card is often more valuable. A general travel card offers greater flexibility if you prefer to stay at a variety of properties.

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What does hotel elite status from a credit card get me?

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Hotel elite status granted by a credit card can unlock valuable perks like room upgrades, late checkout, and bonus points on stays. The specific benefits vary depending on the hotel loyalty program and the status tier provided by the card.

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