Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

We analyzed the hotel rewards credit cards available in the UK in order to find the best value for your wallet. See our recommendations to find the best welcome bonuses, free-night vouchers and overall spending rewards.

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Note: most hotel-based rewards credit cards have been taken off the market. We've left this review up for historical purposes.

  • Learning
    How Does a Hotel Rewards Credit Card Work?
  • Comparing
    Summary of the Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards
  • Choosing
    How To Pick a Hotel Rewards Credit Card for You

Hotel Rewards Credit Cards with Free Nights

Credit cards that are co-branded with a hotel offer some of the best rewards rates in the marketplace—the most sought-after reward being the chance to earn a free night. Selecting the best card for you will depend on your budget, spending patterns, and hotel preferences. With a few very competitive options available, there is a good hotel rewards card for nearly everyone, whether or not you spend a lot of time on the road.

Best Hotel Card with Free Nights: The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express

Consider this if you spend over £25k a year to earn a free weekend night award.
  • Purchase Rate (variable)
    • 22.9%
    • 0% on Purchases for up to
      • n/a
      • 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
        • n/a
        • Initial Balance Transfer Fee
          • n/a
          • FX Fee
            • 2.99%
            • Cash Fee
              • 3% (min £3)

              Note: The welcome bonus on the SPG card fluctuates from time to time, and is currently 30000 Starpoints (May 2019).

              The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is the highest rewarding and most flexible hotel rewards program. Besides 3X or 6X points on your spending, you can earn a 30000 point welcome bonus and a free weekend night in each year you spend £25,000 to use in a Participating Property, up to 40,000 Points, for a standard room. For those who will spend more than £25k a year on their card, the SPG card can be the most valuable hotel rewards credit card. One limitation of the free weekend night award is that it can only be redeemed at a hotel in categories 1 to 4, excluding the higher-end hotels in categories 5 and 6.

              If we value SPG points at around 1.4 pence apiece (the value you get depends on how you redeem), the card has a rewards rate on regular spending of 4.1%. There is a £75 annual fee—the break even analysis shows you'd need to spend at least £1,833 on regular spending a year, or half that at Starwood properties, in order to make up the cost of the annual fee. Starpoints can also be redeemed for flights on over 150 airlines (no blackout dates), usually transferred at a ratio of 1:1. Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and Marriott Rewards have recently merged, giving you access to 6,700 hotels in 130 countries.

              Pros
              • Rewards rates up to 8% on SPG & Marriott purchases and 4% elsewhere
              • Earn 3 points for every £1 spent on general spending (half at warehouse retailers)
              • Earn 6 points for every eligible £1 spent at participating SPG & Marriott Rewards properties, until 31 December 2019
              • Earn 30,000 Starpoints® when you spend £1,000 in the first three months (enough for up to 3 free nights at Starwood hotels)
              • Earn Gold Elite Status (spend £15k each year)
              • Earn a free weekend night each year (spend £25k)
              • Redeem points for flights
              • Travel inconvenience insurance
              Cons
              • Annual fee of £75
              • Free night can't be redeemed at top-tier properties

              IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit Card

              Consider this if you spend at least £10k a year to earn a free night.
              • Purchase Rate (variable)
                • 22.9%
                • 0% on Purchases for up to
                  • n/a
                  • 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
                    • 12 months
                    • Initial Balance Transfer Fee
                      • 3% (min £3)
                      • FX Fee
                        • 2.99%
                        • Cash Fee
                          • 3% (min £5)

                          The IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit Card is another great hotel rewards card. Very competitive rewards rates of 2% on IHG spend (and abroad) and 1% elsewhere in the UK, plus a generous welcome bonus and the chance to earn a free night every year, mean this card has the potential to create a lot of value. You will need to spend £5,000 at IHG properties or £10,000 on general spending to cover the cost of the annual fee. Actually, £10,000 of annual spend is a magic number on this card, as it also entitles you to the free night voucher. One thing we really like about the IHG card is that the free night voucher can be used at any IHG Rewards Club hotel; it is not limited to lower hotel categories. Used at a luxury property like the InterContinental in London or one of the InterContinental properties in Paris, this benefit can be worth hundreds of pounds.

                          Pros
                          • Solid rewards rates around 2% on participating IHG purchases and abroad and 1% elsewhere in the UK
                          • Earn 2 points for every £1 you spend in the UK
                          • Earn 4 points for every £1 you spend in an IHG location in the UK
                          • Earn 4 points for every £1 you spend abroad
                          • One free night voucher each year in which you spend at least £10,000
                          • Welcome bonus of 20,000 IHG Rewards Club points (when you spend £200 in first 3 months)
                          • Platinum Elite status
                          • Contactless
                          Cons
                          • Annual fee of £99
                          • Free night can't be redeemed at top-tier properties

                          Hotel Credit Cards with No Annual Fee: IHG Rewards Club Credit Card

                          Consider this if you want a hotel rewards card with no annual fee.
                          • Purchase Rate (variable)
                            • 22.9%
                            • 0% on Purchases for up to
                              • n/a
                              • 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
                                • 12 months
                                • Initial Balance Transfer Fee
                                  • 3% (min £3)
                                  • FX Fee
                                    • 2.99%
                                    • Cash Fee
                                      • 3% (min £5)

                                      The IHG Rewards Club Credit Card is the free version of the £99 per year IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit Card. For a free card, it offers decent rewards rates of approximately 1% on IHG spend and abroad, and 0.5% elsewhere in the UK, plus a pretty good welcome bonus. As a free card, there's no chance to earn a free night each year. If you think you'll spend at least £10,000 annually on the card, we'd recommend taking at look at the paid card (above) for the chance to earn a free night each year.

                                      Pros
                                      • Solid rewards rates around 2% on participating IHG purchases and abroad and 1% elsewhere in the UK
                                      • Earn 1 points for every £1 you spend in the UK
                                      • Earn 2 points for every £1 you spend in an IHG location in the UK
                                      • Earn 2 points for every £1 you spend abroad
                                      • Welcome bonus of 10,000 IHG Rewards Club points (when you spend £200 in first 3 months)
                                      • Gold Elite status
                                      Cons
                                      • Annual fee of £0

                                      Free Hotel Nights: How to Get Them

                                      Below is a quick overview of how to get free hotel stays through hotel credit cards.

                                      Hotel Credit CardFree Night Details
                                      Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from AmexOne free weekend night (usable in category 1 - 4 hotels) in each year you spend £25,000
                                      IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit CardOne free night voucher each year in which you spend at least £10,000

                                      How Hotel Rewards Credit Cards Compare

                                      To compare the hotel rewards credit cards listed here, we calculated the value the average UK consumer would earn on each one, over two years. First, we gathered data on the average household expenditures across different spending categories (e.g., food, dining, petrol, etc.) based on the "Family Spending, 2015 Edition" report from the Office of National Statistics. We found that the average UK household has about £22,000 of expenses that can be charged to a credit card each year. We allocated £600 of this annual budget to hotel spending. After organizing the data into general and hotel categories, we applied each card's respective rewards rates.

                                      To make the analysis more complete, we also calculated the rewards for slightly larger spend of £25,000 per year, because this level of spending triggers a free night on the SPG card. The chart below illustrates these rewards over the first two years with the cards, for both average and higher spending levels.

                                      A graph showing the rewards over first two years with the 3 best hotel rewards card, the SPG Credit Card, the IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit Card, and the Hilton HHonors Credit Card, for average UK spending and higher spending
                                      Rewards on 3 Hotel Rewards Cards over 2 Years, for both Average UK Household Spend and Higher Spending (Note: Hilton HHonors not currently available to new applicants)

                                      Summary of Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

                                      Below is a summary of hotel credit card across different categories.

                                      For...CardEstimated Ongoing Rewards RatesSpend/Year to Earn 1 Free NightAnnual Fee
                                      Annual Spend > £25,000Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from Amex8% on SPG/Marriot spend; 4% elsewhere£25,000£75
                                      Annual Spend from £10,000 - £25,000IHG Rewards Club Premium Credit Card2% on IHG spend; 1% elsewhere£10,000£99
                                      Low Annual Spend < £10,000Hilton HHonors Platinum Visa1.5% on Hilton spend; 1% elsewheren/a£0
                                      IHG Rewards Club Credit Card1% on IHG spend; 0.5% elsewheren/a£0

                                      How to Choose a Hotel Rewards Card

                                      The three hotel co-branded rewards cards highlighted in this articles can all create value for your hotel and everyday spending. We think choosing the right card for you depends on a few factors. First, how much will you spend on the card per year? Be aware of annual spend triggers for a free night:

                                      Earn a free night with annual spend of...
                                      IHG£10,000
                                      SPG£25,000

                                      With the recent merger between Starwood and Marriott, each of the three credit cards mentioned here offer access to a wide range of hotels around the world. We don't expect you to be limited for choice on any of the cards, no matter where you want to go.

                                      Brands

                                      When choosing between these three hotel rewards credit cards, consider if there are any particular hotel brands you seek out. If you do have a favourite, e.g., InterContinental, W, or The Luxury Collection, see which rewards program it fits into. That way you can save up for free nights on a special holiday.

                                      SPG and Marriott Rewards Brands, Around 7,000 properties
                                      The Ritz CarltonSt. RegisJW MarriottThe Luxury Collection
                                      W HotelsEDITIONMarriott HotelsSheraton
                                      Marriott Vacation ClubDelta HotelsLe MeridienWestin
                                      Autograph CollectionDesign HotelsRenaissance HotelsTribute Portfolio
                                      Gaylord HotelsCourtyard HotelsFour PointsSpringHill Suites
                                      Protea HotelFairfield Inn & SuitesAC HotelsAloft Hotels
                                      Moxy HotelsMarriott Executive ApartmentsResidence InnTownePlace Suites
                                      element
                                      Hilton HHonors Hotels, Around 4,600 properties
                                      Waldorf AstoriaConradCanopy
                                      HiltonCurioDoubleTree
                                      Tapestry CollectionHilton Garden InnHampton
                                      truHome2 SuitesHomewood Suites
                                      Embassy SuitesHilton Grand Vacations
                                      IHG Hotels, Over 5,000 properties
                                      InterContinentalKimptonhotel Indigo
                                      Even HotelsHualuxeCrowne Plaza
                                      Holiday InnHoliday Inn ExpressHoliday Inn Club Vacations
                                      Holiday Inn ResortStaybridge SuitesCandlewood Suites
                                      Erin Yurday

                                      Erin Yurday is the Founder and Editor of NimbleFins. Prior to NimbleFins, she worked as an investment professional and as the finance expert in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business case writing team. Read more on LinkedIn.

                                      Comments

                                      The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.