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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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5 ways my hotel credit cards help me travel in luxury
Matt Moffitt is a contributing editor and expert in getting the most out of credit cards and points (he carries at least 25 cards in his wallet at any given time). Originally from Sydney, Australia, he won the Green Card Lottery and lived in Austin, Texas for 10 years before relocating to Spain in 2025.
August 23, 2024 • 7 min read
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Quick summary
Hotel credit cards can provide significant value through free night awards, elite status and statement credits for dining and travel.
Holding multiple hotel cards can help travelers access upgrades, discounted stays and other perks across major hotel chains.
Free night certificates are especially useful for high-cash-value properties or one-night stays at airport hotels.
Transferring flexible points to hotel loyalty programs, particularly for certain brands, can maximize redemption value per TPG's August 2024 valuations.
What to consider
Some hotel cards and benefits are not available to new applicants, and eligibility for perks like free nights or elite status may vary by card or loyalty program.
Discounted award stays, such as a free night on longer bookings, depend on the hotel chain and specific card or status held.
Flexible points transfers are generally most valuable with select hotel partners, as point values differ significantly per TPG's August 2024 valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed strategies for maximizing hotel card benefits, including how to combine free nights, elite status and statement credits for optimal value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Many people newer to points and miles initially gravitate toward airline programs. That isn't a huge surprise — the ability to get to your destination for almost free is a logical first step. But what about once you arrive?
Over the past decade of being in the points and miles world, I have tweaked my credit card strategy to not only fly in style but also stay at luxurious properties.
Here's how my hotel credit cards — which make up almost a third of my portfolio — help me get free nights, suite upgrades and statement credits for dining and travel.
My hotel credit cards
Eight of the 27 credit cards — about one in three — that I currently have open are cobranded hotel cards. They cover four major hotel chains, with five from Chase and three from American Express:
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees)
*The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
^These cards are not open to new applicants.
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
Between these eight cards, I pay over $1,700 in annual fees, which is a substantial amount. However, as I explain below, I do get a lot of value from them, especially from the free nights and elite status.
We recommend holding between three and 10 credit cards if you are interested in travel rewards. TPG director of content Eric Rosen suggests the average traveler cover their bases with one transferable points card, one cash-back card with different bonus categories for everyday expenses, one airline card and one hotel card if they stay with a chain more than a couple of times a year.
Free nights
One of the top two hotel credit card benefits I value most are the free night awards (also known as free night certificates) that come with several cobranded options.
This benefit often makes the annual fee worth paying year after year. I aim to use these free nights at properties where cash prices are high and on one-night stays at airport hotels.
CARO & SELIG
For example, I used the 35,000-point certificate I got on my Marriott Premier Plus Business Card to book an award stay at an upscale Bavarian mountain town property called Caro & Selig, Tegernsee, Autograph Collection this summer. Rates were 37,000 points a night, so I topped it off with 2,000 points to complete this redemption.
In my opinion, the best credit card for this is the Hilton Aspire Card, which grants you Diamond status just for having it.
This spring, I was upgraded to a huge suite with a plunge pool at the highly rated Hilton Yala Resort on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Between safari rides through the adjoining national park, my friend and I enjoyed lazying by our own private pool.
Marriott is the most generous, offering a fifth night free on award stays of five nights or longer — and it's available to all Marriott Bonvoy members, regardless of status.
Hilton offers the same benefit but only to those with elite status. That said, Hilton Honors Silver status is easy to get, even with a no-annual-fee Hilton card.
IHG offers eligible cardholders a fourth free night on award stays of four nights or longer.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
At the start of the year, I took advantage of this perk by booking four nights at the Kimpton Margot Sydney, where I was attending a wedding. Cash prices were high as it was the peak summer travel season in Australia, but I was able to book the first three nights for 35,000 IHG One Rewards points each and got my fourth night free.
While not the most exciting hotel credit card benefit, statement credits can help offset the annual fee.
The up to $25 monthly dining credit on the Marriott Brilliant is simple to maximize. You only need to use the card at any restaurant worldwide — including food delivery and takeout — to receive the credit, giving you an effective $300 off the card's high $650 annual fee each calendar year (see rates and fees).
TOM WERNER/GETTY IMAGES
I use the up to $50 (up to $200 each calendar year) quarterly flight statement credit on my Hilton Aspire to load up my United TravelBank balance, which I then use to book positioning flights from Austin, where I live, to major United hubs like Houston.
Transferable points
Finally, I convert my flexible points currencies into hotel points — but usually only with one partner. One of the best uses of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points is transferring them to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Hyatt points are worth at least double the other major currencies (Marriott, Hilton and IHG), according to TPG's August 2024 valuations, so it's usually only Hyatt I will consider transferring my flexible points to (unless I need to top up my Marriott account with a couple thousand points for a redemption, for example).
HYATT
I love finding Hyatt Category 1 properties during off-peak dates to stay at hotels for as few as 3,500 points. I did this recently to stay four nights at the highly recommended Hyatt Place Krakow in Poland for a total of only 14,000 Chase points (transferred to Hyatt).
Bottom line
Hotel credit cards are pivotal in my travel rewards strategy, providing me with free and discounted stays, elitelike benefits and the ability to stay at highly rated properties.
I advise starting with a mid-tier hotel card with an annual fee of around $100 and getting a taste of its benefits. Then, you can diversify to other hotel brands and higher-tier hotel cards.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
