USA TODAY 10Best
10 best travel and hotel credit cards for your next getaway
Best Travel & Hotel Credit Card (2024)
Free upgrades, early check-in, and extra nights — these are just a few of the perks for spending on a good hotel or travel credit card.
To find the best of the bunch, USA TODAY 10Best teamed up with a panel of miles-and-points experts to nominate the top options on the market for American travelers, based on perks, redemption rates, and other benefits. Then, our readers voted for their favorites.
Here are the 10 best travel and hotel credit cards.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Choice Privileges Mastercard
- Chase IHG One Rewards Premier
- Wyndham Rewards Earner Card
Photo courtesy of Hilton
No. 10:
The Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express earns travelers a generous number of points for stays at Hilton hotels and resorts, in addition to other purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. An attractive 130,000-point sign-up bonus jump-starts cardholders towards free stays at Hilton properties. There are no foreign transaction fees and cardholders earn automatic Hilton Honors Gold status.
No. 9:
In addition to earning points on every purchase, World of Hyatt Business cardholders get bonus points for the top three categories where they spend the most. They also receive automatic elite status with benefits such as complimentary premium Internet and late check-out. As icing on the cake, new cardholders receive 60,000 bonus points after qualifying purchases in the first 3 months.
Photo courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa
No. 8:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cardholders earn three free night awards after qualifying purchases, as well as 17 points per dollar spent at participating hotels and 2 points per dollar spent everywhere else. Other perks include a free night award each year and no foreign transaction fees.
Photo courtesy of Hilton
No. 7:
Cardholders of the Hilton Honors American Express earn Hilton Honors points on purchases to redeem for free nights, experiences, rental cars, and more. This card also provides complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, granting you perks like bonus points and rollover nights. A sign-up bonus of 70,000 points plus a free night (after qualifying purchases) sweetens this card membership.
No. 6:
For fans of train travel, carrying an Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard offers great perks. Earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points on all purchases and redeem them for train tickets, upgrades, and more. The card also grants a complimentary companion coupon, free upgrade, and a station lounge pass each year on the card anniversary. Cardholders also receive a 5% point rebate when redeeming points for Amtrak travel and a 20% statement credit for onboard purchases.
Photo courtesy of World of Hyatt Credit Card
No. 5:
The World of Hyatt Credit Card earns cardholders 9 points per dollar spent on Hyatt stays, as well as 2 points per dollar spent on restaurants, airfare, local transit, and gym memberships. Members also enjoy a free night every year.
Photo courtesy of Hilton
No. 4:
New Hilton Honors Aspire card members earn 175,000 bonus points after qualifying purchases in the first six months. Other perks include 14 points per dollar on purchases at participating hotels and resorts, 7 points per dollar on qualifying flights, car rentals, and restaurants, an annual $400 Hilton Resort credit, and complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status.
Photo courtesy of Choice Privileges Mastercard Logo
No. 3:
In addition to a generous sign-up bonus with qualifying purchases, carrying a Choice Privileges Mastercard is a great option for earning points on everyday purchases for redemption at Choice Hotels worldwide. Point multipliers are also in force for purchases of Choice Hotels nights. In addition, this card offers automatic Gold Elite membership, granting benefits like late check-out, reserved parking, and room upgrades.
Photo courtesy of Chase IHG One Rewards Credit Cards
No. 2:
With the Chase IHG One Rewards Premier card, members earn up to 26 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and 5 points per dollar for gas stations, travel, and restaurants. Cardholders earn a free night after each account anniversary, 10,000 bonus points with qualifying purchases, and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit.
Photo courtesy of Barclays US
No. 1:
For fans of the Wyndham brand, carrying a Wyndham Rewards Earner Card offers great rewards and value. There is the sign-up bonus of 75,000 points (after qualifying purchases), plus points on everyday purchases to redeem on free hotel nights, gift cards, and more. Cardholders also enjoy automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status, providing perks like preferred room selection and late check-out. This card also has no annual fee.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Cheryl Maguire
Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling... Read More
Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and the mother of twins and a daughter. She writes about travel, mental health, science, and parenting. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, AARP, NatGeo, The Washington Post, Success Magazine, Parents Magazine, and many other publications. She is a professional member of ASJA and an active member of SATW. You can find her on X at @CherylMaguire05.
Cheryl Maguire
Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and the mother of twins and a daughter. She writes about travel, mental health, science, and parenting. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, AARP, NatGeo, The Washington Post, Success Magazine, Parents Magazine, and many other publications. She is a professional member of ASJA and an active member of SATW. You can find her on X at @CherylMaguire05.
Cindy Greenstein
Cindy Greenstein is a mother of three young adults... Read More
Cindy Greenstein is a mother of three young adults and a credit-card points expert who loves to travel for free. During her more than 20 years of marriage, she has used credit card points to travel the world while rarely paying for airline flights and hotel rooms. Some of her five-figure travel savings include trips to Aspen ($26,000); Greece ($23,000) and London ($15,000). Her favorite credit cards for point accumulation include the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X and American Express Gold. Cindy—an attorney and former certified public accountant—founded The Points Mom to share her credit card rewards-program expertise with family friends and small business owners who don’t have the time to learn how to maximize their points. Her services include one-on-one consultations, group consultations, speaking engagements, and reward-program tutorials. She provides the latest offers as well as tons of tips and tricks on Instagram at thepointsmom_ . When Cindy pays for travel or hotels, she is strategic about the credit cards that she uses. For example, on her trips she pays with the card that will earn her the most rewards, gets her the closest to elite status and offers her the most lucrative benefits.
Cindy Greenstein
Cindy Greenstein is a mother of three young adults and a credit-card points expert who loves to travel for free. During her more than 20 years of marriage, she has used credit card points to travel the world while rarely paying for airline flights and hotel rooms. Some of her five-figure travel savings include trips to Aspen ($26,000); Greece ($23,000) and London ($15,000). Her favorite credit cards for point accumulation include the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X and American Express Gold. Cindy—an attorney and former certified public accountant—founded The Points Mom to share her credit card rewards-program expertise with family friends and small business owners who don’t have the time to learn how to maximize their points. Her services include one-on-one consultations, group consultations, speaking engagements, and reward-program tutorials. She provides the latest offers as well as tons of tips and tricks on Instagram at thepointsmom_ . When Cindy pays for travel or hotels, she is strategic about the credit cards that she uses. For example, on her trips she pays with the card that will earn her the most rewards, gets her the closest to elite status and offers her the most lucrative benefits.
Travel Mom Squad
Alex, Pam, and Jess are the women behind Travel... Read More
Alex, Pam, and Jess are the women behind Travel Mom Squad. They are a trio of moms (and one is grandma) who love to travel the world for nearly free, thanks to credit card points and miles. Learning how to leverage credit card points and miles has allowed them to have incredible travel experiences they never imagined were possible. They've traveled to places like Hawaii, Greece, Africa, Italy, Mexico, Bora Bora, and more all for nearly free Using their knowledge of credit card points and miles, they teach others how to do the same so they can see the world for nearly free as well! Find them at travelmomsquad.com, Instagram, or their podcast.
Travel Mom Squad
Alex, Pam, and Jess are the women behind Travel Mom Squad. They are a trio of moms (and one is grandma) who love to travel the world for nearly free, thanks to credit card points and miles. Learning how to leverage credit card points and miles has allowed them to have incredible travel experiences they never imagined were possible. They've traveled to places like Hawaii, Greece, Africa, Italy, Mexico, Bora Bora, and more all for nearly free Using their knowledge of credit card points and miles, they teach others how to do the same so they can see the world for nearly free as well! Find them at travelmomsquad.com, Instagram, or their podcast.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
