Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pay annual fees topping $695 to get the best travel credit card. If you don’t travel enough to use all the benefits that come with a top-tier card — or simply don’t have room in your budget to justify these fees each year — there are still plenty of no annual fee cards that might suit your needs.
When it comes to hotel credit cards, the good news is that a no-annual-fee card can offer you more benefits than you might expect. Some cards come with complimentary elite status, while others set up a pathway toward earning it through spend.
Depending on the product you choose, no-annual-fee cobranded hotel cards can help you earn perks specific to certain hotel chains. This is thanks, in part, to the elevated earning rates they feature when you book a stay or make an on-property purchase.
The best no annual fee hotel card will vary from person to person, but some of the best options currently available are the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card (see rates and fees).
Both hotel chains offer properties all over the world, meaning you have tons of opportunities to earn and redeem points almost anywhere.
The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Here are our top picks for the best annual fee hotel cards.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparing the best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
| Card | Earnings rate | Welcome bonus | Bonus value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card |
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points plus 1 free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening; certain hotels have resort fees | Up to $935 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within your six months of card membership | $480 |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card |
|
Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening | $500 |
| Choice Privileges Mastercard |
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases within three months of card membership | $360 |
| Wyndham Rewards Earner Card |
|
Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 within 90 days from account opening |
$330 |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card |
|
Earn a bonus of 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening | $370 |
*Bonus value is based on TPG’s August 2024 valuations and not the card issuer.
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The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card: Best card for Marriott
Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus 1 free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening; certain hotels have resort fees.
Bonus value: Up to $935
Earnings rate: 3 points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores, on ride-hailing services, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Other benefits: You’ll become an automatic Silver Elite member as a cardholder, which gets you perks such as priority late checkout and 10% bonus points on stays. Therefore, you’ll have the ability to earn up to 14 points per dollar on eligible Marriott stays (3 points per dollar with this card, 10 points per dollar for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and 1 point per dollar for Silver Elite).
You’ll also have the opportunity to improve your elite status the more you stay with Marriott. This card comes with several travel and purchase protections, including baggage loss and delay insurance and more. To top it all off, there’s no annual fee (and no foreign transaction fees).
Why we like it: As you build up your credit card portfolio, you’ll eventually want to have a card that earns transferable points, along with an airline card and a hotel card. If Marriott is your hotel chain of choice (we don’t blame you since there are more than 7,000 properties worldwide), the Bold is the perfect place to start. With a complimentary jump-start to Silver Elite status, the possibilities of reaching higher tiers of Marriott elite status are endless.
For more details, check out our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bold
Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best card for Hilton
Current welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within your six months of card membership.
Bonus value: $480
Earnings rate: 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 5 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
Other benefits: It’s not often that a no-annual-fee card (see rates & fees) provides you with as many perks as the Hilton Honors Amex card does. For starters, enjoy complimentary Silver Elite status to get 20% bonus points on stays and a fifth free night benefit. In addition to a lucrative rewards rate on Hilton and everyday purchases, you’ll have secondary rental car coverage and no foreign transaction fees (see rates & fees).
Why we like it: The Hilton Honors Amex proves you don’t have to pay an annual fee to get top-notch perks. Its welcome bonus offers a healthy stash of Hilton Honors points and ample ways to continue earning on your everyday spending. We recommend this card for those who enjoy staying at Hilton properties but want to keep costs as low as possible.
For more details, check out our full review of the Hilton Honors American Express card.
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Best no-annual-fee card for IHG Hotels
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Bonus value: $500
Earnings rate: Up to 17 points per dollar spent at IHG Hotels & Resorts (broken down as 5 points per dollar spent for being an IHG Traveler cardholder, up to 10 points per dollar spent on stays for being an IHG One Rewards Member and up to 2 points per dollar spent on stays with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this card). Cardholders also earn 3 points per dollar spent on utilities, internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services, gas station and restaurant purchases and 2 points per dollar spent on everything else.
Other benefits: This hotel card comes with the unique benefit of a fourth-night reward, meaning you’ll pay the price of three nights to stay for a total of four nights. Plus, you’ll get a 20% discount on points purchases when you pay for those points with your card.
Why we like it: By being strategic with this card, you can get a ton of value without ever paying an annual fee.
For more details, check out our full review of the IHG One Rewards Traveler card.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler card
Choice Privileges Mastercard: Best for Choice Hotels
Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases within three months of card membership.
Bonus value: $360
Rewards rate: 5 points per dollar spent at eligible Choice Hotels, 3 points per dollar spent at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services and 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
Other benefits: You’ll get automatic Gold Elite status, which unlocks benefits such as an elite welcome gift, early check-in and late checkout. You’ll also get up to $800 of cellphone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly bill with this card (subject to a $25 deductible) as well as Mastercard World Elite benefits.
Why we like it: Being a Choice Hotels elite member will enhance your hotel experience, and with this card, you’ll be granted this status for free. While not the most lucrative no-annual-fee hotel card out there, this card offers simplicity — a reason to keep it in your wallet each year.
Related: Choice Privilege cards welcome offers
For more details, check out our full review of the Choice Privileges Mastercard.
Apply here: Choice Privileges Mastercard
Wyndham Rewards Earner Card: Best for Wyndham
Current welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 within 90 days of account opening.
Bonus value: $330
Earnings rate: 5 points per dollar spent on hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases, 2 points per dollar spent on dining and grocery stores (excluding Target® and Walmart®) and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
Other benefits: With this card, you’ll enjoy no foreign transaction fees, exclusive member room rates and complimentary Gold status, which guarantees you 10% bonus points for your eligible stays, free WiFi, preferred room selection and late checkout. Additionally, you get the ability to redeem 10% fewer Wyndham Rewards points for go free® awards points for your eligible stays. Plus, you earn 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases.
Why we like it: For a card with no annual fee, those who stay at Wyndham properties regularly can get considerable value from the welcome bonus and ongoing Gold elite status.
Related: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card: Best for all hotels
Current welcome bonus: Earn a bonus of 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening.
Bonus value: $370
THE POINTS GUY
Earnings rate: 1.25 miles per dollar spent on all purchases.
Other benefits: While the hotel cards above can get you elite perks or other exclusive benefits, sometimes limiting yourself to one brand doesn’t make sense. That’s why the VentureOne is our favorite for all hotel stays, as it offers a simple earning scheme (unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases) plus an even simpler way to redeem. You can redeem your miles at 1 cent each for any hotel (or other travel) charges on your card. If you’re an advanced award traveler, you’ll be happy to know that you can transfer your Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to find even more potential value.
Why we like it: We like the flexibility that the VentureOne offers. You won’t get hotel elite status with this card, but you can use this card to pay for hotels from any brand. If all you’re looking for is a way to earn and redeem your travel rewards, this is a good card for you. Plus, with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), you can take the VentureOne with you anywhere.
For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One VentureOne card.
Apply here: Capital One VentureOne
Bottom line
Almost all of the no-annual-fee hotel cards in this guide get you automatic elite status. The best pick for you will first depend on the hotel chain you prefer, but take a deeper look at the ongoing rewards rate and any additional benefits you can get from the card (such as no foreign transaction fees or any travel and purchase protections).
And remember: Since you’re not paying an annual fee on any of these cards, you won’t have to worry about if you’re stretching enough value to justify the cost each year.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex card, click here.
