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Best Card For Hotels In Asia
Updated on Tue, 10 Feb 2026
You took the long journey there. Now it’s time to decide where to stay. Asia offers everything from ultra-luxury resorts to budget-friendly hotels that still deliver exceptional value. Whether you prioritize comfort, flexibility, or stretching your points as far as possible, these cards offer some strong options for booking hotels across the region.
Our Rankings
1 | Amex Platinum
The Amex Platinum is the top-tier card for hotel stays in Asia. Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection shine in the region, with a massive footprint for travelers looking for luxury stays after a long flight. The guaranteed 4pm checkout is especially valuable for long travel days, and premium perks like free breakfast, a $100 property credit, and possible early check-in and room upgrades add even more value. You also receive Hilton Gold status with this card, which can be very useful when staying at Hilton properties, a brand with one of the largest footprints across Asia. Add in the large signup bonus with this card, and it's a slam dunk for minimizing out of pocket costs.
2 | Hilton Honors Aspire
As mentioned above, Hilton has one of the largest footprints in Asia, which makes its top-tier card, the Aspire, a strong option. You receive a free night each year you hold the card, along with $400 in Hilton credits issued as $200 twice per year. If you stay at a Waldorf Astoria or Conrad property, you’ll also receive a $100 on-property credit. The card also comes with complimentary Hilton Diamond status, which is especially valuable in Asia, where upgrades, lounge access, and full breakfast are far more consistently honored than in the U.S. When booking award stays, you get a fifth night free, which helps offset Hilton’s higher award prices. You can also top up with Amex points to further reduce out-of-pocket costs.
3 | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
Marriott also has a very large footprint across Asia, which makes the Bonvoy Brilliant a logical addition to this list. You receive a free night certificate worth up to 85,000 points each year, which can be topped up with an additional 15,000 points. Complimentary Platinum Elite status is especially valuable in Asia, where hotels consistently deliver better room upgrades and lounge access, higher-quality breakfasts, and more meaningful elite recognition than in the U.S. Marriott award prices are higher than programs like Hyatt, so we recommend waiting for an elevated welcome offer, particularly since this is an Amex card subject to the 1/7 Rule.
Honorable Mentions
4 | IHG One Rewards Premier
IHG is another chain with a strong presence across Asia, particularly outside major cities. While luxury is certainly possible at some IHG properties, the strength of the program is the variety of solid, lower-cost options for travelers who don’t prioritize top-tier amenities. The IHG Premier card has a much lower annual fee than most cards on this list, and the annual free night easily offsets that cost. When booking with points, you’ll receive a fourth night free, which helps make IHG’s higher award prices more palatable compared to a program like Hyatt. You can also top up with Chase or Bilt points to reduce out-of-pocket costs even further.
5 | Citi Strata Elite
The strength and variety of Citi’s hotel partners earn the Strata Elite a spot on this list. Citi transfers to Choice Hotels at a 1:2 ratio and to Preferred Hotels and Resorts at 1:4, both of which have a strong presence across Asia and can deliver outsized value. Citi’s partnership with Accor is another major advantage, as Accor has one of the largest footprints in the region. While Accor redemptions are fixed, the points function more like a discount, with every 2,000 points equaling a €40 credit toward your stay. In a region where hotel prices are often lower than in Western countries, that fixed-value redemption can still move the needle. The Strata Elite also includes a $300 hotel credit when booking through Citi’s portal, which can stretch even further in many Asian cities.
Honorable Mentions
6 | World of Hyatt
It wouldn’t be a list of best cards for hotel stays without mentioning Hyatt. The World of Hyatt card isn’t used to being this far down a hotel ranking, but its limited footprint outside of major Asian cities is what places it here. If your trip involves hopping from big city to big city, this card can still be very effective, as Hyatt’s award chart applies globally and delivers strong value wherever Hyatt has a presence. If a city has a Hyatt property, you can usually extract excellent value with points. The card’s low annual fee and annual free night certificate easily offset the cost of holding it.
Honorable Mentions
7 | Capital One Venture X
If you value simplicity and flexibility over elite hotel perks, the Capital One Venture X is an easy way to cover hotel stays in Asia. You won’t unlock top-tier status benefits here, but not every trip requires them. The Venture X excels in regions where cash hotel prices are already low. You can erase any travel purchase at a 1:1 rate, use the annual $300 travel credit through the Capital One portal, or transfer points to programs like Wyndham, Accor, Choice, and Preferred Hotels and Resorts. While Capital One’s transfer rates to Choice and Preferred aren’t as strong as Citi’s, the flexibility still makes this a solid option if Venture X points are what you have available.
8 | Chase Sapphire Reserve
While Chase’s The Edit does have a presence in Asia, Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts is far more established in the region, with broader coverage, stronger luxury partnerships, and guaranteed perks that matter on long, multi-city trips. You can still find value with The Edit in certain situations, but it isn’t enough to move the Sapphire Reserve higher on this list. The ability to transfer to Hyatt is always a plus, though it comes with the same footprint limitations discussed above. The $300 annual travel credit is useful since it can be applied to any lodging booked in any way, and Chase’s points boost feature can occasionally deliver good value. The issue is consistency, which keeps this card from standing out for hotel stays in Asia.
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