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On the hamster wheel of chasing hotel elite status? Buy it instead
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
February 16, 2025 • 11 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Hotel elite status can be obtained directly through select travel rewards cards, offering perks like late checkout, room upgrades and complimentary breakfast.
Major programs such as Choice Privileges, IHG One Rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and Wyndham Rewards allow some form of elite status access via card ownership or paid memberships.
Top-tier status is generally only available in certain programs, while others provide entry-level or mid-tier status with additional benefits possible through qualifying night credits or spending thresholds.
These statuses can offer tangible value, sometimes exceeding the cost of holding the card, especially when factoring in anniversary bonuses or reward night certificates.
What to consider
Some elite status tiers provide limited incremental perks, so evaluating the benefits at each level is important before pursuing status this way.
Certain programs require enrollment or minimum spending to unlock higher-tier perks or free night rewards, and benefits may be subject to availability or property participation.
Valuations for bonus points or anniversary rewards can vary; for example, 30,000 Choice points are valued at $180 as of February 2025 per TPG's valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of elite status benefits across major hotel loyalty programs and advice on maximizing value through card-linked status.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
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.
Hotel elite status can provide many valuable perks, from late checkout and extra points to room upgrades and complimentary breakfast. If you struggle to earn a specific hotel elite status, jumping off the elite status hamster wheel might be appealing.
Luckily, you can buy some hotel elite status tiers either outright or by adding a new credit card to your wallet. Here's what you should know about the statuses you can buy in some of the most popular hotel loyalty programs.
Choice Privileges
You can get Choice Privileges Gold status as a benefit of the no-annual-fee Choice Privileges® Mastercard® and Platinum status as a perk of the $95 annual fee Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®.
The information for the Choice Privileges and Choice Privileges Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
CAMBRIA HOTEL ANAHEIM RESORT AREA/FACEBOOK
Even at its highest tiers, Choice Privileges elite status may not provide many benefits on most stays. However, both cards offer other useful perks, such as bonus points on purchases at participating Choice Hotels properties and elite night credits each year that let you earn a higher elite status when combined with the nights you stay.
The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard even offers 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary. TPG's February 2025 valuations value 30,000 Choice points at $180, which means these bonus points should provide more value each year than the card's $95 annual fee.
InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
The IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card (see ) charges a $350 annual fee, includes Platinum elite status and an anniversary free night worth up to 60,000 points. The no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Credit Card (see ) offers automatic Silver Elite status. Unfortunately, Silver Elite status doesn't offer many incremental perks over those provided to IHG members without status. The primary incremental perks of Silver Elite status are bonus points on stays and no points expiration.
However, you'll enjoy complimentary upgrades (subject to availability), early check-in (subject to availability) and a welcome amenity at check-in once you reach Platinum Elite status.
Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport in South Africa. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Hilton Honors is one of the few programs in which you can effectively buy top-tier elite status by having a credit card. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has a $550 annual fee but offers various perks in addition to Hilton Diamond status that make it possible to get enough value from the card even if you aren't a frequent guest at Hilton hotels and resorts.
Conrad Punta de Mita in Mexico. HILTON
For example, Hilton Aspire cardmembers get an up to $400 Hilton resort credit each year that's provided as up to $200 in statement credits semiannually on eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton resorts. Cardmembers also get up to $200 back per year — provided as up to $50 in statement credits each quarter — on eligible flight purchases. These two benefits total up to $600 back each year, but the card also offers other benefits, such as an annual free night reward that you can use for a standard award night at almost any Hilton hotel or resort. Check out our Hilton Aspire card review for more details.
If you want to take the easy route to elite status, you can snag Marriott elite status as a benefit of the following cards (enrollment may be required):
If you're looking to buy Marriott Bonvoy status by having a card, you'll likely want the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex. After all, valuable perks like lounge access, elevated welcome amenity options and suite upgrades are only available at the Platinum Elite tier and above. See our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card review for more details.
Fairfield by Marriott New York Manhattan Times Square in New York City. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Most Marriott cards also offer elite night credits each year that can help you earn a higher elite status tier. I have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, which each offer 15 elite night credits per year. So, I can get 30 elite night credits each year from these cards and then stay 20 nights to earn Platinum Elite status.
World of Hyatt only offers its lowest elite status tier, Discoverist, as an automatic perk of having a cobranded credit card. Specifically, if you have the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see ), you'll get complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status. Meanwhile, if you have the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (see ), you'll get complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for you and up to five employees.
Overwater villa at the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
The primary benefits of Discoverist status are 2 p.m. late checkout at most properties, upgrades to preferred rooms within the same category and 10% bonus points on stays. These perks may be enough for you, but if you want to earn Explorist or Globalist status, know that the World of Hyatt Credit Card gives you five elite night credits each year toward higher Hyatt elite status tiers. You'll also earn two additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card.
Meanwhile, cardmembers of the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card can earn five tier qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year. This means that you could buy Explorist or even Hyatt Globalist status by spending on your card to earn the qualifying night credits you need.
Wyndham Rewards doesn't offer the most rewarding elite status tiers. However, if you frequently stay at Wyndham properties, you may find it useful to have Wyndham elite status. Luckily, you can get automatic Wyndham elite status as a perk of several credit cards:
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card and Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The primary perks of Wyndham Gold status are a 10% points bonus, late checkout and a preferred room choice. Wyndham Platinum status offers a 15% points bonus and early checkout, while Wyndham Diamond status offers a 20% points bonus, suite upgrades and a welcome amenity choice at check-in.
Wyndham Alltra Cancun All Inclusive Resort in Mexico. KRISTY TOLLEY/THE POINTS GUY
All of the cards — including the no-annual-fee Wyndham Earner Card — let you redeem 10% fewer Wyndham points for free nights. The $75 annual fee Wyndham Earner Plus Card offers 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year after payment of the renewal fee, while the $95 annual fee Wyndham Earner Business Card offers 15,000 bonus points each anniversary year. These bonus points each anniversary year should easily offer more value than each card's annual fee.
If you had to do mattress runs or hustle to earn the last few elite qualifying nights or points for your hotel elite status last year, now might be the perfect time to jump off the hotel elite status hampster wheel and buy the status you want. Of course, you can't buy every hotel elite status, but you may find that having elite status through carrying select travel rewards cards provides adequate perks with much less hassle.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex, click . For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass, click . For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business, click .
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Aspire, click .
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click .
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click .
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Bevy, click .
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Business, click .
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant, click .
