Credit Cards With Which You Get Free Hotel Stays
Cashback and bonus miles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of using credit cards. Some credit cards also offer free hotel nights in addition to their regular benefits. If you want a free vacation along with the benefits of a credit card, here are the cards for you.
How Free Night Hotel Credit Cards Work
All of the credit cards listed below charge an annual fee, but this is the usual procedure for the most favorable travel credit cards in general, including those that give you free companion plane tickets . The credit cards below are geared towards hotel savings, and they can pretty much pay themselves off, depending on how you use the card and the number of free nights.
This table lists cards that offer a free night every year, as well as free accommodation, subject to spending requirements in the first few months after receiving the card:
As you can see, at prices ranging from $ 50 to $ 95 per year, these cards upgrade your hotel membership status and also provide a free hotel night every year. Since most of them waive the annual fee in the first year, you get 2 nights free hotel stay (or points equivalent) just for opening a credit card account and meeting the minimum spending requirements.
These cards are obviously best if you’re willing to stick with the same hotel chain and credit card for your travels so you can earn more points to spend on longer or longer hotel stays.
How To Compare These Credit Cards
While hotel reward programs look roughly the same, they can vary greatly because status and points in one hotel may be more or less valuable to another hotel brand.
For example, Hilton Gold, which comes with the Citi Hilton HHonors Card, gives you every fifth night of free for stays of 5 nights or more, plus benefits such as late check-out, free access to fitness centers, free bottles of water, and more. And, depending on the hotel, free breakfast or in-room movies. Meanwhile, the Silver status you get with your Marriott card only gives you late check-out, 20% bonus points on paid stays, and a discount at the gift shop – not nearly as valuable as an extra fifth night.
For further comparison, here’s a quick overview of the benefits of each card:
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature : I have this card and it gives you two points for every dollar at restaurants, rather than limiting the reward to just travel. However, Marriott recently recalculated the hotel categories for many hotels, and many hotels have moved up the category. This makes it difficult to use a free night in better-located hotels, as you have to choose a hotel from categories 1 to 5. (For example, a hotel in category 5 will be about 20 minutes from Boston itself or in the suburbs of Queens, not Manhattan.) still costs more than the yearly fee and I’ve used it for hotels that cost around $ 200 a night, but other cards might be more useful.
Fairmont Visa Signature : Fairmont does not have as many hotels as other hotel chains, but they are considered high-end luxury hotels. Two free nights plus breakfast can easily cost $ 600. Fairmont Premier Status gives you a free upgrade and a free third night for a 3-day stay. You must spend at least $ 12,000 on the card to get your free night annually, so you need to figure out the alternative cost of putting that money on that card for the free night versus getting rewarded with another credit card.
IHG Rewards Club Select visa : It has the lowest annual fee of all and you can use your free night at any InterContinental Hotels Group (4,700 hotels worldwide), including Intercontinental, Crown Plaza, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn. With no restrictions on hotel categories or cost requirements, you can technically stay at a hotel that charges $ 900 a night for as little as $ 49 a year. You also earn points for everyday purchases (petrol, groceries and restaurants at 2 points per dollar), not for travel purchases. IHG Platinum status gives you priority check-in, 50% bonus points on paid stays and free upgrades. Overall, this is excellent value for money.
Hyatt Visa : The Hyatt Visa is similar to the Marriott card in terms of reward categories and a free night limited to certain hotel categories – in this case, categories 1 to 4. However, the two free nights you receive as a sign up bonus can be used anywhere the Hyatt hotel, including the posh Park Hyatt hotels in major cities around the world, which can cost $ 800 a night. The anniversary certificate could be booked at hotels that cost between $ 250 and $ 300 per night . A Platinum membership gives you 15% bonus points on paid stays, free internet access, access to preferred rooms when available, and late check-out. However, there are fewer than 600 Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide, compared to over 4,000 other brands.
Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Visa Signature : There is no waived fee for the first year for this card, but after meeting spending requirements for the first four months, you receive two weekend night certificates that can be used at over 4,100 hotels. NerdWallet rates HHonors points lower than other cards, but notes that you can quickly earn Hilton points with the card. The Annual Free Weekend Night can be used at virtually any Hilton hotel, including top-tier hotels that cost up to $ 1200 a night, but you really need to spend $ 10,000 a year to get that free night. Gold status, fifth night free, makes this card more valuable.
Which of these cards is best will depend on your hotel and travel preferences. If you plan on traveling at least once a year and staying at one of these brands, a year’s free night of these cards, check-in bonuses, and a better travel experience through an upgrade could make them worth keeping in your wallet every year.