Best Card for Hotel Stays

Hyatt points are the most valuable hotel points and are also the best hotel transfer partner for Chase Ultimate Rewards. The sign-up bonus on this card might seem small at first glance. But then you go to book an extremely gorgeous Hyatt brand hotel -- or a weekend in one of their off the charts all-inclusive resorts -- and realize you don’t really need that many points. It really is quality over quantity here. You get super quality with a fraction of the points you would need elsewhere. Plus, you'll get an annual free night certificate to extend your stay that one extra night (as long as it’s a Category 1-4 Hyatt property).

This card has a sweet sign-up bonus. Plus you’re going to get complimentary Gold Status, which qualifies you for room upgrades and the 5th night free. You can also use this card guilt-free while traveling abroad because there is no foreign transaction fee. And you’ll receive 10 free lounge passes annually to use on your layovers. So, while this is a great hotel card, it also comes in handy during your voyage.

Hilton points are easy to accumulate -- and the brand has locations in nearly every city around the world. The sign-up bonus is very nice with this particular card and includes a free weekend night. During your stay, the complimentary Gold status comes in handy to get your room upgrades and complimentary breakfast. And if you need to buy something during your stay, make sure to use this card to get 12x the points. Booking can be a little tricky, so utilize the Points Explorer Tool > on their site. If you find yourself still needing more points or just want more flexibility, you always have the option to book using points and money.

Bonvoy points are a solid value and transfer to tons of other point systems. This credit card packs a big punch, especially for a relatively new card (2019). If you like flexibility, your Bonvoy points can be used at any of the properties available from the largest hotel chain in the world -- all thanks to Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood properties. You’ll get a free night award every year. And you automatically get Silver Elite status. This one makes our top 10 list because of the ease of getting the sign-up bonus, the ease of finding hotels (even in small towns) and the ease of continually earning points.

Along with the sign-up bonus, you get an annual free night award, a $300 statement credit for Marriott purchases and complimentary Gold Marriott status. Remember this important detail, though: because it’s an Amex, and you only get a once per lifetime bonus per card, you’ll want to wait until the welcome offer for this particular one is irresistible. Once it is, snatch it up and keep it around. Even with the high annual fee, it's offset if you utilize the perks that come with this card.

Getting your sign-up points is fairly easy... using them, even easier. This may not be your high-end luxury card, but you can use it in almost any city. The hotels are super clean, the customer service is exceptional, and if you go for their Candlewood or Holiday Inn Suites, you practically get your own little apartment. Some hotels offer free breakfast, most offer free parking, all offer a small welcome gift (very small, but still…). Something we have found to be particularly useful is the lovely annual anniversary night.

The website for Wyndham hotels boasts that it's the “Best Hotel Rewards Program” by U.S. News & World Report for a number of consecutive years. When it’s time to book you have 3 options: hotels at 7,500 points, 15,000 points and 30,000 points. We used to love that every single hotel was 15,000 points. But with the new 7,500-point hotels, maybe it’ll be a welcome change. Plus, they have 9,000+ locations -- so wherever you plan on going, you’re sure to find a Wyndham brand.

We like this one because the no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Get this particular Hilton card for the sign-up bonus and then just keep it around to use on future Hilton stays to earn 7x points. Or use it at restaurants, grocery stores and gas for 5x points. And because this card gives you automatic Silver status, when you book 5 nights or more with points, your 5th night is complimentary. This particular credit card is baby-stepping you to the bigger sign-up bonuses and bigger annual fees. It's a great starter card if you favor Hilton brands because you can collect points quickly and only stay in a hotel once every year or two. If you’re a frequent traveler -- but don’t particularly care what hotel you end up in -- this may not be the right fit for you.

This one is pretty comparable to the Hilton Honors Amex. It really just comes down to which hotel brand you like better -- Marriott or Hilton. This one also has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. There is no free annual anniversary night... but with this card you’ll get the 5th night free if you’re booking 5+ nights with points at the same property. This is a great starter card. Or if you already have another Bonvoy card in your wallet, this is a nice addition to get you a lump of extra points. This one will count toward Chase’s 5/24 rule, but if you don’t mind -- and you favor Marriott -- it’s really a decent option. And if you end up canceling your other Marriott cards, you can keep this one around guilt-free to continue racking up those Marriott points.