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Flights, hotels, points and miles, and the cost of the whole trip. Go further on the same budget.
Open the IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card if you or your employees stay at IHG hotels for work, since automatic Platinum status and a yearly free night can outweigh its $200 fee. If you stay only a few nights a year, the personal IHG Premier card gives you the same free night for $150 instead of $200.
Get the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card if you stay at IHG hotels and will use the free night it gives you each year, good at hotels costing up to 50,000 points. Use it on a room that would cost more than $150 in cash, and that night alone covers the annual fee.
Open the World of Hyatt® Credit Card if you’ll stay at a Hyatt hotel at least one night a year. The free night it gives you every year can justify the $95 annual fee on its own. If Hyatt has few hotels where you travel, choose a Marriott or Hilton card instead.
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card only if you’ll put at least $15,000 a year on it, mostly groceries and dining, and you want Gold Elite status. Spend less and its free night never arrives, while the $95 Marriott Bonvoy Boundless gives you one every year.
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card if you stay at a Marriott at least once a year. After each account anniversary, you get a free night at a hotel charging up to 35,000 points. Use it on a room that would cost more than $95 in cash, and that night alone covers the annual fee.
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card if you stay at Marriott for work and use its yearly free night, which covers the $125 fee when the room would cost over $125 in cash, with Gold status included. If your Marriott stays are vacations, keep them on a personal Marriott card, since this one is for business spending only.
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card only if you’ll use its Platinum Elite status, $25 monthly dining credit, and yearly free night, because those perks pay for the $650 annual fee. If you stay at Marriott once or twice a year, choose the Bonvoy Boundless, which charges $95 a year and still includes a yearly free night.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card if you stay at Hilton throughout the year. Its $50 quarterly Hilton credits cover the $150 annual fee once you use three, and Gold status comes with the card. If you stay at Hilton only once or twice a year, choose the no-fee Hilton Honors card instead.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card only if you’ll use its Hilton resort credit and its yearly free night, because those perks, not Diamond status, are what make the $550 fee worth paying. If you won’t stay at a participating Hilton resort in each half of the year, choose the $150 Hilton Surpass Card instead.
If you stay at Hilton a few nights a year, open the Hilton Honors American Express Card. It charges no annual fee and earns 7 points per dollar at Hilton and 5 at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, so your stays and everyday spending both count toward free nights.
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