#The Best Hotel Credit Cards for 2015

Part 4 of 4 in our 'Best Rewards Credit Cards' series

In Part 4 of this series, I write about the best hotel credit cards. If you missed the other parts, I already covered the best all-around rewards credit cards. best airline credit cards. and the best cash-back credit cards .

In 2015, the best hotel credit cards still offer impressive perks and rewards for frequent travelers. Our list of top cards remains largely unchanged, but we have tweaked one of our picks: The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card has made the list as a smart pick for travelers who value a wide variety of hotel choices. Marriott’s card offers a wider range of hotel types, comparable perks, and no foreign transaction fees abroad. And we re not the only ones who hold Marriott s reward program in high esteem: U.S. News World Report recently ranked Marriott as the No. 1 hotel loyalty program for both leisure and business travelers.

Our advice on getting hotel credit cards remains the same in 2015. Hotel credit cards are a lot like the airline credit cards I wrote about in Part 2 of this series. For most people who don t travel ALL the time, your best strategy for travel credit cards is a general travel card plus cash back.

The same rules for getting an airline credit card apply for a hotel card, except my rules for getting a hotel reward card are more strict.

Four Rules for Getting a Hotel Credit Card

Rule #1: Don’t get a hotel credit card as your primary card

Just like the airline cards, hotel cards won’t earn you many rewards on your common purchases. It’s best to get an all-around rewards card as your primary card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card is a good option for your main card because you can transfer points to Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt.

Rule #2: Don’t get a hotel credit card as your second card if you fly on one airline often.

The earning potential for the best airline credit cards is higher in most cases, and the point conversions are much easier to understand. So if you re loyal to a particular airline, you ll usually get more bang for your buck with their branded card.

Rule #3: Don t get a hotel credit card as your second card if you spend a lot on gas and groceries.

Your best bet is a cash-back card, like the Chase Freedom® Credit Card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express® (which offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases [1% thereafter], 3% at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% on all other purchases), or the Discover it®. which offers 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter.

Rule #4: Get a hotel credit card if you consistently stay at the same line of hotels wherever you travel.

Hotel credit cards are directly connected with the rewards program of the hotel. You earn more by staying at these hotels, and your points have more value when redeemed for hotel rooms. While some cards offer rewards on purchases away from the hotel, none are significant enough to warrant using the card for all your purchases.

A Look at the Best

The best hotel credit card really depends on the person. If you’re a budget traveler who wants the option to stay at nicer properties occasionally, you’re better off with IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card. If you occasionally stay at properties of all levels, the The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card may be a stronger choice. It’s difficult to say one card is the best for everyone because it depends on where you want to stay.

If you’re looking for the best rewards rate, the best hotel credit card is the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. However, we take several other factors into consideration.

I don’t feel confident saying this is the card everyone should get. Not everyone wants to stay at Starwood hotels, which encompass mostly higher-end chains, nor can they afford to stay at Starwood hotels. In addition to this card, I have a solid list of quality hotel credit cards that are worth your consideration.

Here are my top hotel credit cards:

These three cards cover the spectrum of budget hotels, mid-range hotels, and higher-end hotels. In addition, there are other cards that have lower rewards rates but are still worth consideration because of their benefits and other features.

The other top hotel credit cards are:

While choosing the best hotel credit cards, I considered these important factors:

• Rewards rate for making purchases through the hotel
• The number of points it costs to redeem through the hotel
• Variety of hotel options (also known as category levels)
• Ability to redeem rewards outside of the hotel
• Opportunity to earn points on purchases outside of the hotel

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express: The High Rewards Rate Hotel Card

Estimated Rewards Rate

At about 2.3 cents per point (when redeemed at Starwood hotels), the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express has the highest estimated rewards rate of any hotel credit card. In fact, it has the highest rewards of any rewards credit card I studied (if you use the points at Starwood hotels). If you’re interested in what hotels qualify, check out this full list of Starwood hotels .

Additionally, you can use this card in conjunction with our top pick for best airlines card, the Gold Delta Skymiles® Credit Card from American Express to double dip on points. Starwood and Delta collaborate with their Crossover Rewards Program. This allows you to earn both Starpoints and Delta Skymiles when you fly Delta or stay at a Starwood property.

Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card: A Versatile Pick at Home and Abroad

Estimated Rewards Rate

The rewards rate works out to be roughly 0.8 cents for each point. That means you get about 4.0 cents per $1 spent on hotel stays; 1.6 cents on plane tickets, car rentals, and restaurants; and face value for everything else.

Who’s it good for?

• Travelers who want to be able to stay at all types of hotels, whether that’s a budget property or a high-end resort
• Foreign travelers who want smart-chip technology and no foreign transaction fees

IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card: The Flexible Hotel Card

I estimate the rewards rate for this card to be between 0.6 cents and 1.5 cent, depending on where you redeem. One point is worth about 0.8 cents, but you can get the value of up to 1.5 cent if you choose the right property. If you do pay for stays out of pocket from time to time, you can also expect to earn 5 points/$1 spent at IHG properties when you use your IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card .

Who’s it good for?

• People who want to earn free stays at both low-end and high-end properties
• Road warriors who stay in hotels for just one night
• Families who love the family atmosphere offered at Holiday Inns

Other Hotel Credit Cards To Consider

The cards mentioned above should cover most people’s hotel tastes. Some of the other hotel cards I mention below are very solid cards as well.

The Club Carlson Credit Cards

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes properties such as Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inn Suites, and other hotels. The group has over 1,300 hotels around the world.

Club Carlson points are worth around 0.4 cents per point, which puts the rewards-earning potential at the lower end of the spectrum. However, these cards should be on your radar because they come with some great bonus perks that extend the value beyond rewards. You get bonus points just for renewing each year and a free bonus night after redeeming for two nights.