Hotel Reward Credit Cards & Travel Reward Credit Cards

Hotel and Travel Rewards Credit Cards

With hotel and travel rewards cards, you can earn points towards free hotel stays, car rentals, cruises, flights and other travel-related purchases. Hotel prices have been steadily rising over the past few years, so it makes more sense than ever to augment your mile earnings via a frequent flyer card with one that earns points towards your favorite hotel.

Popular hotel rewards cards include Starwood Preferred. Each card offers slightly different benefits, so do a credit card comparison to find out which credit card deal best suits your needs and lifestyle. Most hotel rewards cards come with an attractive sign-up bonus with your first purchase. Some cards also offer annual bonus rewards and automatic elite status in their hotel program.

Each hotel rewards card has its own point system. Generally, you can expect 2 points for every dollar spent on qualifying hotel-related purchases and 1 point on other purchases. It is important to check the “conversion rate” of the hotel rewards card, i.e., the number of points required for a free hotel night and other benefits, as this varies from card to card.

Also keep in mind that the “currency” into which your points convert is more limited with hotel rewards cards than with other types of reward cards. They particularly offer great value if you are a frequent visitor to one particular hotel chain. If that is not the case, you might choose to get one of the many travel rewards cards, which are similar to both airline credit cards and hotel rewards cards, but offer more flexible benefits.

Hotel and travel rewards cards do tend to come with a higher APR. So if you plan to keep a balance on your card, you may prefer a low-interest credit card, as the higher interest rates otherwise can add up quickly, undermining your benefits.

Many frequent flyer miles cards also offer hotel and travel benefits. Or you may find that cards offering 0 apr for an introductory period, cash back, or other types of rewards more suited to your needs. We also feature business credit cards that offer pertinent benefits in each section of our site.