Battle of the mid-tier hotel cards: Which card outshines the others?
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There is an abundance of valuable hotel credit cards on the market right now. Unfortunately, some of the top hotel credit cards come with expensive annual fees that cost cardholders upwards of $550 per year. While frequent travelers who fully utilize the earning rates and benefits that come with those cards, it’s just not always feasible for casual travelers — or even frequent travelers who just have multiple cards with annual fees — to have an ultra-premium hotel card.
The good news is that there are also a number of great mid-level hotel cards (some co-branded and some earning transferable points) out there for you to choose from. Of course, if you’re already loyal to a specific hotel brand, it may not make sense to add a cobranded card to your wallet. But if you’re just getting started in the hotel rewards game with little to no brand loyalty yet, you might be wondering which brand’s cards can give you the most value.
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So today, I’m comparing the top mid-level hotel cards out there to see which one offers the best value to cardholders.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Citi Premier® Card
Annual fee:
| Card: | Annual fee: |
|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | $95 |
| Hilton Honors Surpass | $95 (see rates & fees) |
| World of Hyatt Card | $95 |
| IHG Premier | $89 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | $95 |
| Citi Premier® | $95 |
Which card comes out on top?
The card with the lowest annual fee is the IHG Rewards Club Premier, coming in at $89. But that’s only a $6 difference between the rest of the pack. Realistically, an annual fee isn’t really in comparing these cards since they all hover in the same price range.
Related: The best hotel credit cards of 2020
Sign-up bonus/welcome offer:
| Card: | Sign-up bonus/welcome offer: |
|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Earn 100,000 welcome bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening. |
| Hilton Honors Surpass | Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. . |
| World of Hyatt Card | Up to 60,000 points — Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2x bonus points total on purchases that normally earn 1x bonus point, on up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening. |
| IHG Premier | Earn 125,000 bonus points, plus a reward night after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
| Citi Premier® | 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
Which card comes out on top?
At face value, the Hilton Honors Surpass comes out on top with the highest number of bonus points at the lowest spending threshold. However, keep in mind that not all hotel points are created equal. TPG values Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cents each, which means that 130k bonus is actually only worth $780.
Related: 9 cards currently offering sign-up bonuses of 100,000 points or more
Earning rates:
| Card: | Earning rates: |
|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Up to 17 points per dollar at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores and dining 2 points per dollar on all other purchases |
| Hilton Honors Surpass | 12x at Hilton hotels 6x at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations 3x on all other purchases. Terms apply. |
| World of Hyatt Card | 4x at Hyatt hotels 2x on local transit and commuting, restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly, fitness clubs and gym memberships 2x bonus points total on purchases that normally earn 1x bonus point, on up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening 1x on all other purchases |
| IHG Premier | 10x at IHG hotels 2x at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants 1x on all other purchases |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 5x total points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out 3x points on select streaming services 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 2x points on all other travel 1x point on all other purchases |
| Citi Premier® | 3x points per dollar on airfare, hotels, gas stations, restaurants (including takeout) and supermarkets
1x on all other purchases |
Which card comes out on top?
As a general rule of thumb, cobranded hotel credit cards are typically best suited for hotel spending only — even when they have additional bonus categories. This is because cards with transferable points have more redemption flexibility and typically earn more valuable points. Therefore, I’m going to focus this analysis on which cards earn the most on hotel spending specifically.
The Hilton Honors Surpass outranks the competition here with an impressive 7.2% return on hotel spending.
The World of Hyatt is another top contender, earning a 6.8% on hotel stays while still offering a solid bonus on an array of other categories. Hyatt points are actually the most valuable hotel currency according to TPG valuations and is one of the only cobranded cards I’d recommend using on non-hotel bonus purchases as well.
Related: A guide to navigating COVID card bonuses and benefits
Perks:
| Card: | Perks: |
|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Anniversary free-night award (worth up to 35,000 points) Automatic silver elite status 15 elite-night credits annually One credit towards elite status for every $5,000 you spend. Travel protections |
| Hilton Honors Surpass | Automatic gold status Priority Pass Select lounge access Weekend night reward after spending $15,000 (enrollment required for select benefits). Shopping protections |
| World of Hyatt Card | Annual free night certificate Automatic Discoverist elite status Travel protections |
| IHG Premier | Anniversary reward night Automatic platinum elite status Fourth-night reward 10k bonus points after spending $20,000 20% discount when buying IHG points Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit Travel protections |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 25% bonus when booking through Chase portal Travel protections |
| Citi Premier® | $100 hotel credit on eligible $500 purchase, excluding taxes and fees, through thankyou.com, once per calendar year |
Which card comes out on top?
The perks category is a bit harder to quantify in terms of which card is actually the best. People potentially value certain benefits differently.
The Hilton Honors Surpass is certainly a strong contender, with 10 Priority Pass lounge access passes each year and automatic gold status (which can turn into Diamond status if you spend $40,000 on the card each year). (enrollment required for select benefits). Plus, the annual weekend night award you receive after spending $15,000 can currently be used on any night, as part of recent perks added by Amex to help cardholders during the pandemic. All bonus points earned through the end of December 2020 will also be considered base points that count toward elite tier qualification and Lifetime Diamond Status.
Even still, the IHG Premier comes out on top in this round. You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck in terms of perks (especially since the IHG Premier is also the card with the lowest annual fee). The anniversary reward night is worth up to 40,000 points alone, and Platinum elite status comes with a 50% bonus on paid stays, room upgrades (excluding suites) a welcome amenity and more. Add in the 4th award night perk and the Global Entry/TSA Precheck application fee benefit, and you’ve got an all-star lineup of perks for a mid-tier hotel credit card.
Related: The 5 ways I use my hotel card benefits to travel in luxury
Which mid-tier hotel card is best for you?
Each of the cards on this list has its advantages and disadvantages. On paper, the IHG Premier offers the best benefits and earning rate comparative to its annual fee, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone.
Hilton and Marriott are both larger hotel brands with more luxury property options around the world, so travelers just getting started with hotel points may want to start banking points in one of those programs. On the other hand, Hyatt points are worth the most based on TPG valuations. Even still, Citi and Chase are also strong options for casual travelers and beginners because what they may lack in hotel perks, they make up for in redemption flexibility.
Before choosing a hotel credit card, consider your travel habits and which perks you’ll personally find the most useful. The price difference between these cards is mostly non-existent save for the IHG Premier (which is only $6 cheaper per year than the others), so which card is best for you will really depend on which hotel brand you’ll want to stay at more frequently and which benefits you’ll find the most useful.
For example, if you rarely stay with IHG, won’t buy points and already have Global Entry/TSA Precheck, the IHG Premier won’t be as valuable to you. In that same vein, if you know you won’t spend at least $15,000 on your card each year, that weekend night award at Hilton won’t be earned (which makes that card less valuable from a benefits standpoint).
Bottom line
I know that “there is no right or wrong choice” is kind of a non-answer if you’re asking which mid-tier hotel credit card is the best. But that’s the thing about credit card rewards as a whole — what is valuable to one person may not be to the person next to them.
Related: Why there's no such thing as the 'best' credit card
As with any credit card decision, think about your spending habits and goals for the card. If you’re not loyal to any hotel brands and plan on staying a free agent, a card that earns transferable points like the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better option of these choices (especially since you can transfer points to three hotel brands — IHG, Marriott and Hyatt). If you are more loyal to one of the brands on this list, you should start looking at that specific brand card.
Additional reporting by Benji Stawski.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass, click here.
