8 Hotel Cards That Pay for Themselves

Cobranded hotel credit cards are fantastic travel rewards tools. Not only can the sign-up bonuses sometimes cover an entire vacation, but the best cards come with elite status that can mean valuable upgrades and perks.

Unfortunately, the best credit cards also have high annual fees. When your sign-up bonus is gone and there's a three-digit annual fee on the horizon, that shiny elite status can lose some of its luster.

That's when a bit of strategy is in order. You see, if you choose the right hotel cards, they'll actually pay for themselves in free nights. In fact, with a bit of finesse, you could even double or triple your return with any of these cards.

1. World of Hyatt Card ($95)

The status you get with The World of Hyatt Credit Card is definitely not worth the annual fee, so it's a good thing you get a solid free night certificate. You can redeem it for a night at any category 1-4 Hyatt property. This covers a pretty decent number of mid-range hotels. Even if you redeem on the lower end, you should be able to get $95 worth of value out of the certificate. At the high end, you could get $300 or more in value. (I've always gotten at least $250 from mine.)

2. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ($95)

If you visit any moderately-priced Marriott hotels each year, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card should be easy to maximize. The annual free night certificate is good for a night at any property with available rooms going for 35,000 points or less. Perhaps the coolest part is that you can top off your certificate with up to 15,000 points for higher-value redemptions. It's really easy to get $100 to $300 in value from the cert on its own, and the ability to top off with points gives it more flexibility.

3. Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® Credit Card ($95)

This is a newer card on the market, but it's hitting the ground running. Instead of a free night cert, you'll get 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary. The website says that's enough for at least one free night at any eligible Choice Hotels property. You might have to be a little strategic to maximize those points, but it's possible to cover the fee and then some.

4. Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card ($95)

If you're eligible for a small business credit card, this is a solid hotel option. It doesn't have a free night certificate, per se, but it does give you 15,000 bonus points every anniversary. That should get you a free night at most mid-tier Wyndham properties. Depending on the redemption, you can definitely get back the annual fee, and potentially redeem for two or three times that much.

5. IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99)

You can get some decent value from the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card's free night certificate. It can be redeemed at hotels with availability for 40,000 points or less. You can also add points from your account if the rate is a little over that limit. A little strategy could get you 1.5x to 3x the cost of the card back in value.

6. IHG Rewards Premier Card ($99)

This card is similar to the personal version, but the bonus rewards categories for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card are more business-oriented. The annual free night certificate -- and the annual fee -- are the same, with the same value proposition.

7. Amex Hilton Honors Aspire ($550)

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (see rates and fees) comes with arguably one of the most valuable free night awards, as it doesn't have any points-equivalent limitations. You can redeem at nearly any Hilton property with an eligible room (excluding most Hilton Grand Vacations properties, and a few other "distinctive" properties). When used strategically, the free night could cover the annual fee. If not, the card's various credits -- including an annual airline fee credit and property credit -- can cover the rest. (Terms apply; enrollment may be required.)

8. Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ($650)

While the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (see rates and fees) is the most expensive card of the bunch, it's still fairly easy to cover the cost with card perks. For one thing, you'll get $25 a month in credits towards restaurant purchases. Plus, the annual free night certificate is worth up to 85,000 points, which covers a huge number of Marriott locations -- including many with $350-plus nightly price tags. (Terms apply; enrollment may be required.)

Apply now for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

Honorable mentions

There are a few regular travel rewards cards that are worth a mention in this article thanks to travel credits that help cover their fees. While the credits alone won't pay for these cards 100%, they make a good dent in the fee, and these cards have other perks that make them worth considering:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: The $395 annual fee on this card can be effectively knocked down to just $95 if you can maximize the $300 annual credit for purchases booked through Capital One Travel. The card carries a 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) APR, and cardholders earn 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5x miles on flights booked there; and 2x miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • Apply now for a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. (See rates and fees.)
• U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: This premium card has a hefty $400 annual fee, but you can drop the effective fee more than 75% with the help of up to $325 in annual travel credits. Even better, credits can also be used towards dining purchases, giving you tons of flexibility.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: The $300 travel credit for this card used to be a much better deal, but the $550 current annual fee makes it a bit less valuable. The credits are pretty flexible, however, so they're fairly easy to use.
  • Apply now for a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.

As you can see, you don't need to pay a fortune for a good travel card that will help you enjoy a better travel experience. With the right cards, you can get status, free nights, and more, all with minimal out-of-pocket cost.