Who Should Get a Hotel Rewards Card?

Just as there are a host of hotel rewards cards, there are a diverse group of people who use the points they earn for different reasons. While almost every hotel rewards card is either Visa or MasterCard, the rewards, redemptions and annual fees are different.

Who Needs a Hotel Rewards Card? Hotel rewards cards are the most beneficial for frequent travelers. Perhaps you’re in sales and spend the majority of your life in hotel rooms. Or maybe your work for a large corporation and manage employees in various locations. Or you just simply love to travel and get away at every chance. No matter why you travel, if you spend more than one weekend a month away from your own bed, you should be incentivized with a hotel rewards credit card.

Perks of These Cards? The best hotel credit cards reward customer purchases with free nights, while also providing extra perks and annual bonuses that make choosing a specific hotel brand more comfortable. Special amenities such as free breakfasts, free room upgrades, and free Internet service – in addition to the opportunities to earn free night stays. In most cases the perks from these cards make up for fees the card may charge. Considering these benefits, hotel credit cards can be worth several hundred dollars. No two cards are exactly alike, so it is up to you to find the card that best suits your individual needs.

Hotel Cards over Air Miles Credit Cards Most frequent travelers are more concerned with air miles credit cards, but have you done the math? Often times your hotel stay greatly outweighs the cost of your airfare. Let’s take just this one scenario. You’ve been using your air miles card for months trying to rack up enough miles to fly across the country. You’ve finally earned yourself enough to cover the cost of a $700 ticket. But, what if you were using a hotel rewards card instead? Depending on how frequently you use it, you might have built up enough rewards to get multiple nights free at your favorite hotel. On average the cost of a hotel room is $200-$300/night. If you have 4 free nights, that largely outweighs the rewards from the air miles card. Not to mention, that $700 is the price of a single ticket, where you can get a hotel room for your whole family! Add to that some other benefits of program membership, such as room upgrades, complimentary Internet, and free breakfast, now that free flight pales in comparison. This is only one example, you’ll have to be the final judge and tally how you will use your card and how to best maximize rewards.

What type of card should you get: Branded vs. Non Branded There are two different types of hotel rewards cards, the corporate branded card, the broad rewards card for general travelers. Both types of cards have their perks, but you have to ask yourself how you will be using your card and which option will gain you the best rewards. If you are a traveler who likes to have options, and rarely stays at the same hotel twice, you’ll want to get a broad travel card. If you’re a business traveler who always stays at a Hilton, then your loyalty will be rewarded through their branded credit card. Most companies allow their employees to book travel on their own and receive a reimbursement. This is the ideal situation, as your company pays and you still get all the rewards. What can you do with all of those rewards? You can use them on a personal vacation. Your company just literally paid for your vacation; it’s a pretty good deal right?

The best hotel rewards card really depends on the person. It’s difficult to say one card is the best because it depends purely on personal preference. Below we have assembled some of the top rated hotel credit cards.

You can find all of our hotel rewards cards here.