Lisa Cahill, Credit Cards Moderator
@lisacahill
The best hotel credit card with no annual fee is the Choice Privileges® Mastercard®. It offers 1 - 5 points per $1 spent on purchases, giving you bonus rewards at Choice hotels, gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and more.
You can also earn an initial bonus of 60,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Those bonus points are worth approximately $642 in hotel reservations. Plus, the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® has a $0 foreign transaction fee, in addition to its $0 annual fee.
Best Hotel Credit Cards with No Annual Fee
Initial Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent at Choice Hotels, 3 points per $1 spent at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
- Rates & Fees Terms Apply
Initial Bonus: 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points for spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
Ongoing Rewards: 7 Hilton Honors Bonus Points $1 spent at hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
Initial Bonus: 80,000 bonus points for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent at IHG hotels, 3 points per $1 at gas stations and restaurants, utilities internet, cable, phone services, select streaming services, as well as 2 points per $1 on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
Initial Bonus: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on Wyndham hotel purchases and gas purchases, 2 points per $1 spent on dining and groceries, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
Initial Bonus: up to 40,000 points on qualifying purchases
Ongoing Rewards: 4 points per $1 spent on Best Western stays and purchases and 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
Initial Bonus: 2 Free Night Awards for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Ongoing Rewards: 3 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott hotels, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores and for rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services, 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Score: Good
How to Choose the Best Hotel Credit Card
To choose the best hotel credit card, you will first need to decide on your preferred hotel chains, then compare offers affiliated with those chains. If you don’t want to be tied to specific hotel brands, compare general travel rewards credit cards instead.
In either case, it’s a good idea to compare the value of cards’ rewards and other benefits with their fees. Opting for a hotel credit card or general travel rewards card with no annual fee could help you save hundreds of dollars per year from rewards, but you might be able to save even more with a card that offers higher rewards rates and charges a fee. Ultimately, the best card for you depends on how much you spend overall, what your top spending categories are, and how much cards with and without fees are likely to save you as a result.
Zoeee Parker, Member
@zoeparker_des
Most of the big brands have one credit card with no annual fee. You should pick based on where you stay the most.
Sofia MM, Member
@sofia_mor
Honestly, if you spend enough on hotel rooms to justify getting a hotel’s credit card, get the best one even if it charges an annual fee. The no annual fee versions are usually pretty watered down. If you want general travel rewards more than rewards for a specific hotel, I’d go with Capital One VentureOne to avoid an annual fee.
Michael CC, Member
@mchen_design
From my experience, the Hilton Honors Amex and Marriott Bonvoy Bold Visa are both pretty good. Neither’s a game-changer but they’re decent if you stay at those brands occasionally.
Charlotte Lewis, Member
@char_lewis
Depends where you stay. My favorites are:
- Hilton Honors (Amex)
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold (Chase)
- Wyndham (Barclays)
They don’t automatically offer a bunch of free nights like their premium counterparts, but they’re good for earning points if you want to avoid annual fees.
People also ask
Do you need a credit card for a hotel room?
No, you do not need a credit card for a hotel room. You can book hotel reservations at most major hotel chains using debit cards, and a few of the bigger brands also accept prepaid cards as a form of payment, depending on the location. You may be able to pay in cash, too, but you’ll still usually need to provide a credit or debit card for the hotel to have on record.
Payment...
read full answer by Milvionne Chery Copeland, WriterWhat are the best Capital One hotel cards?
Capital One does not offer co-branded hotel cards. Capital One does have credit cards that are solid options for frequent travelers, though, such as the Capital One Venture (see details, rates & fees), which offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement and great rewards.
General travel credit cards have some upsides when compared to co-branded hotel cards, especially in terms of rewards flexibility. Hotel cards offer incredible rewards and redemption value at very specific locations, but that value doesn’t...
read full answer by Maria Adams, Credit Cards ModeratorWhat are the best hotel credit cards for bad credit?
The best hotel credit card for bad credit is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card. It offers 6% cash back in your choice of categories during the first year, then 3% afterward- on purchases like travel, in addition to 2% back on groceries (up to a total of $2,500 spent quarterly). It also has a $0 annual fee.
Keep in mind that hotel credit card options are limited for people with bad credit. For example, there are no...
read full answer by Rhonda Stewart, WalletHub Loans AnalystDid we answer your question?
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