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What are good hotel credit cards out there?

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SamsungHDTV
Established Contributor

What are good hotel credit cards out there?

I'm looking for ones with a good sign up bonus, and free nights annually. Post the annual fee if any, as I am open to them.

Message 1 of 24
23 REPLIES 23
distantarray
Established Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

Best card for low spenders is Priority club hands down. Low annual fee, and free annual night at ANY interncontinental hotel in the world. Even $800 a night Bora Bora where Hyatt and Hilton restricts you to lower tiers.

 

The sign on bonus is nice at 50k+ but the points aren't worth as much as say Starwood. Starwood is still the best bang for the buck. 25,000 points is easily worth 3 cents a piece when used correctly. For my purposes they're worth about 10.

 

Don't be fooled by things like Hilton Honors points and Priority club, their points are literally worth horse **bleep** if you ask me. 6 point category? at 0.5 cents a piece value I rather have 1 Starwood point anywhere. Only drawback is there is a lot less Starwoods than there are Hilton, but especially with Hilton devaluing their points heavily, and dropping pharmacies as a category it's a no brainer that they're the worst as long as they're not the most convient for your use imo.

 

Not to mention if your already a Amex Platinum holder Starwood becomes really easy since you get automatic Gold Status, I think you can get that with Hilton as well jus for being a card holder, but again, I hate Hilton, and I hate Paris Smiley Happy

 

Hyatt card is meh since they removed 2 free nights for 2013

 

 

Vs Starwood

 

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7*

Starpoints Needed, by Hotel/Resort Category
3,0004,0007,00010,00012,000 - 16,00020,000 - 25,00030,000 - 35,000 

 

Hotel categoryHHonors 

 

 

Hotel categoryHHonors Points required for 1 free night
17,500
212,500
325,000
430,000
535,000
640,000
750,000
Waldorf Astoria™ Hotels & Resorts50,000–80,000

 

breakdown from nerdwallet 

Redemption Option Value of a point (cents) Good idea?

Hotel stay, Category 11.7Great
Hotel stay, Category 30.4Terrible
Hotel stay, Category 70.7Mediocre
Car rental0.3Terrible
Hotel stay, Waldorf0.6Mediocre
Cruises0.2Bad
Entertainment parks0.2Bad
Points for airline miles*0.1-0.2Terrible

 


total credit limits $108,400 Credit scores Ex 728 EQ 738 TU 758
Message 2 of 24
SamsungHDTV
Established Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

Thanks for this very good advice. Any input on Marriot rewards?

Message 3 of 24
distantarray
Established Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?


@SamsungHDTV wrote:

Thanks for this very good advice. Any input on Marriot rewards?


nah haven't looked into it since I have a deal with Mariott I can stay at the Ritz for $75 a night.


total credit limits $108,400 Credit scores Ex 728 EQ 738 TU 758
Message 4 of 24
Chrysostom
New Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

The best hotel credit card is the Amex SPG, hands down - it's also one of the top for travel, period (in addition to Chase Sapphire Preferred, British Airways, and a few others depending on signing bonus from time to time). Starpoints transfer to airlines at a rate of 1:1.25, which makes it a better airline card than all but two co-branded ones. 10k Starpoints after first purchase, 15k Starpoints after $5k in 6 months (a total of 30k SPG including $5k spend).

1 Starpoint per dollar, SPG low-tier elite status, and 2 Starpoints spent at Starwood hotels (plus the 2 from SPG itself for 4 points/dollar total at Starwood hotels) - that makes it in effect 10% off hotels! No blackout dates on normal redemptions, nor on airline travel through the overpriced SPG Flights (separate from transfer to some 300 airline partners), but one of the best redemption options - Cash and Points, allowing one to stay in ridiculously nice hotels for $200 a night, or standard motels/hotels for $40 or so a night - does have blackout dates, and a lot of them (in Rome, at least, which is where most of my overseas travel is, being a Catholic scholar-bureaucrat).

Tier 1-2 hotels (not shabby, just normal hotel rooms) are about 2k points. If you stay four nights at anything class 3-6 you get a fifth one free. Class 4 and up are really nice, and class 7 can be ridiculously nice (suites of three rooms with a private kitchen and a servant at one place in Rome, 35k points, normally $2k a night I think). I reiterate the above poster that most hotel points are worth less than steaming horse **bleep**, and only moderately more than the dried variety. No points on earth - not even Chase UR - are worth as much as SPG (however, Chase UR is the second-place, worth 1.31c for CSP holders, and the most flexible).

$0 first year, $65 thereafter. Starpoints are worth a minimum of 2.5c and a maximum of about 7c under normal circumstances, though in rare situations they can be worth up to 30c. It's essentially a 2.5%+ cash back card, as long as you use the cash back for travel. (Starpoints are only worth about 1.2c when used to redeem for gift cards and **bleep**.)

However, it's useless to you, except for the signing bonus (which is a free roundtrip domestic flight on most any airway) if there aren't any Starwood hotels (Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, St Regis, and a few others) where you travel. Other hotel cards have points that are worth under a cent - some of the point comparisons online put 1 Starpoint as equal to like 7 or 9 HHonors points.

Serious travel bloggers, such as Gary on View From the Wing, agree with my assessment (although they're even more partial to the CSP).


Goal: 760 by End of Year
Current Score: 714 TU (2-3/12); 681 EQ (2-3/12); 714 EX (AmEx Pull: 2-7/12); 777 VantageScore (2-3/12)
AmEx BCE ($4k) - AmEx SPG ($7.5k) - Amex PRG (NPSL) - Citi Forward ($7.6k) - Discover IT ($3k) - BankAmericard Cash Rewards ($5k)
Chase Freedom ($1k) - Chase Amazon ($3k) - PayPal Extras ($6k) - Cap One Cash ($0.5k) - Amazon Store ($2.5k)

Application-Free Since the 14th of the Second May of 2012.
Message 5 of 24
distantarray
Established Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

Starwood then Priority Club for annual free nights imo and call it a day lol


total credit limits $108,400 Credit scores Ex 728 EQ 738 TU 758
Message 6 of 24
pastnow123
Regular Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

would priceline cc be considered as a good hotel card? my reasons: 1. priceline give >=50% off from orginal price-much more valuable than points 2. you earn 5 points on each dollor spent on priceline. Really not sure why no one metions about this card. comments and opiniions welcome 

Message 7 of 24
sengpatt
Regular Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

I think the Priceline card is good for anyone whose main goal is to save as much money as possible on hotel purchases. (And don't forget 2% back on everything!)

On the other hand, different folks are looking to get the most out of their already-planned trips and loyalty to one brand. Priceline is not as good for earning elite status at one chain and the perks that come along with it (e.g. free breakfast/internet, room upgrades). Also, many find rewards in the form of future stays more enticing than plain cash back.

 

ETA: SIGN-UP BONUSES

EX: 758 (10/12), TU: ???, EQ: ???

BankAmericard Travel Rewards // Citi Forward // Amex Blue Cash Preferred // Gap Visa
Message 8 of 24
FutureBillionaire
Established Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?


@Chrysostom wrote:

The best hotel credit card is the Amex SPG, hands down - it's also one of the top for travel, period (in addition to Chase Sapphire Preferred, British Airways, and a few others depending on signing bonus from time to time). Starpoints transfer to airlines at a rate of 1:1.25, which makes it a better airline card than all but two co-branded ones. 10k Starpoints after first purchase, 15k Starpoints after $5k in 6 months (a total of 30k SPG including $5k spend).

1 Starpoint per dollar, SPG low-tier elite status, and 2 Starpoints spent at Starwood hotels (plus the 2 from SPG itself for 4 points/dollar total at Starwood hotels) - that makes it in effect 10% off hotels! No blackout dates on normal redemptions, nor on airline travel through the overpriced SPG Flights (separate from transfer to some 300 airline partners), but one of the best redemption options - Cash and Points, allowing one to stay in ridiculously nice hotels for $200 a night, or standard motels/hotels for $40 or so a night - does have blackout dates, and a lot of them (in Rome, at least, which is where most of my overseas travel is, being a Catholic scholar-bureaucrat).

Tier 1-2 hotels (not shabby, just normal hotel rooms) are about 2k points. If you stay four nights at anything class 3-6 you get a fifth one free. Class 4 and up are really nice, and class 7 can be ridiculously nice (suites of three rooms with a private kitchen and a servant at one place in Rome, 35k points, normally $2k a night I think). I reiterate the above poster that most hotel points are worth less than steaming horse **bleep**, and only moderately more than the dried variety. No points on earth - not even Chase UR - are worth as much as SPG (however, Chase UR is the second-place, worth 1.31c for CSP holders, and the most flexible).

$0 first year, $65 thereafter. Starpoints are worth a minimum of 2.5c and a maximum of about 7c under normal circumstances, though in rare situations they can be worth up to 30c. It's essentially a 2.5%+ cash back card, as long as you use the cash back for travel. (Starpoints are only worth about 1.2c when used to redeem for gift cards and **bleep**.)

However, it's useless to you, except for the signing bonus (which is a free roundtrip domestic flight on most any airway) if there aren't any Starwood hotels (Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, St Regis, and a few others) where you travel. Other hotel cards have points that are worth under a cent - some of the point comparisons online put 1 Starpoint as equal to like 7 or 9 HHonors points.

Serious travel bloggers, such as Gary on View From the Wing, agree with my assessment (although they're even more partial to the CSP).


This is good info.  You just sold me on this card. I'd rather have this card than my Amex PRG.

Gas: Discover It, Penfed Platinum Rewards x2, Chase freedom, Citi TYP
Plane tickets: CSP
Groceries: AMEX BCP, Penfed Platinum Rewards,Citi TYP
Clothes: Express, Amex BCP, Discover IT
Amazon: Citi Forward, Cash +
Restaurants: Citi Forward, Chase Freedom, Discover IT, CSP
Hotels and other travel: Discover Escape, CSP
Movies: BofA travel rewards visa signature(fandango), Discover IT, Citi Forward, Freedom
Bars, clubs, tomfoolery: CSP, Citi Forward, Discover IT, Freedom
Balance transfers: Kroger 123 rewards
Bill Pay: Chase Ink Plus, Citi Forward,
Everyday spending: Bofa Accelerated cash rewards amex, Discover Escape
Message 9 of 24
Chrysostom
New Contributor

Re: What are good hotel credit cards out there?

The Priceline Visa, that gives 5% back on Priceline and 2% everywhere else, I thought was discontinued. If not, it's in a dead heat with the SPG for "best hotel card", not counting signup bonuses. I thought all of them were "upgraded" to Amexes that had lesser benefits. Mine was, at least.


Goal: 760 by End of Year
Current Score: 714 TU (2-3/12); 681 EQ (2-3/12); 714 EX (AmEx Pull: 2-7/12); 777 VantageScore (2-3/12)
AmEx BCE ($4k) - AmEx SPG ($7.5k) - Amex PRG (NPSL) - Citi Forward ($7.6k) - Discover IT ($3k) - BankAmericard Cash Rewards ($5k)
Chase Freedom ($1k) - Chase Amazon ($3k) - PayPal Extras ($6k) - Cap One Cash ($0.5k) - Amazon Store ($2.5k)

Application-Free Since the 14th of the Second May of 2012.
Message 10 of 24
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