There are a few good credit card options to help you earn free hotel rooms.
Free Hotel Rooms ($200-400)
If you are looking for free hotel rooms and you don’t need the biggest and the best, having a low or no Annual Fee Hotel Credit Card is important to have in your arsenal. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is a great card as it gives you benefits to the biggest hotel chain, Marriott Bonvoy. They have plenty of options from affordable to luxurious resorts. You can save your points for a casual stay or save up and use them for a once in a lifetime resort.
The card comes with a huge signup bonus for 3 Free Nights and is a great card for daily spending as it earns lots of points at Marriotts and Grocery Stores, Dining, and Gas Stations. Plus, the card comes with an annual free 35,000 point night certificate. I was able to maximize a free night at a hotel outside of Zion National Park which would have been over $350 to book.
Free Luxury Hotel Rooms ($500+, $1000+)
Booking luxury hotel rooms gives you the most value for your hard earned points. Using 50,000 points for a 300-400 room night is great but using 80,000 points for a $1000+ room is even better. I have been fortunate to book some of the world best hotels in the Maldives by using points and saving thousands of dollars.
Loyalty is key. Decide which brand is best for you. Typically Marriott or Hilton is the best choice as they both have tons of resorts ranging from affordable to ulta luxury resorts.
Option 1: Marriott + Flexibility
If you think you will be loyal to Marriott, get the above Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and pair it with a premium travel card like the American Express Platinum Card.
Option 2: Hilton
If you think you will be loyal to Hilton, then get the Hilton Amex Aspire Credit Card.
Option 1 will cover you on a broader spectrum as Marriott has more properties than Hilton and the American Express Platinum Card is the best travel credit card on the market.
Option 2 is great because you will only have one credit card vs 2 and the Hilton Amex comes with some great travel benefits. The Hilton Amex is one of my favorite cards because it gives you Hilton’s top elite status and has some of the best sign up bonuses as well as it is a great daily spending card.
Option 3: Everything
Get both or all 3 of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, Hilton Amex Aspire Credit Card,and the American Express Platinum Card to cover you for all scenarios. This option isn’t for everyone but if you plan to travel on 2-3 longer trips and a few smaller 1-2 night trips each year, then you can absolutely cover all the fees and then some with all 3 cards.
The low annual fee of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is more than covered by your free annual night and the 3 night bonus for signing up. The Hilton Amex Aspire Credit Card has a higher annual fee but can easily be justified by using your free annual night at a Hilton Property. The resort and airfare travel credits that come with the card are just an added bonus. If you already spend money on Streaming Services and Uber, you will quickly offset the High annual fee of the American Express Platinum Card and earn bonus perks to pair with the Marriott and Hilton Cards. Having all three cards will make for the maximum benefit and flexibility for future points travel.