The BEST Affordable Hotel Credit Cards (Which One Is Best?)

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Which one of these Mid-Tier Hotel Credit Cards do you think is BEST? 🎥Check out my Hotel Credit Card Strategy For 2024: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ_VgY2orNSVhck 💳Hilton Surpass: mattwelter.info/hilton-surpass 💳Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: mattwelter.info/bonvoy-boundless 💳Chase World of Hyatt: mattwelter.info/worldofhyatt 💳IHG Premier: mattwelter.info/ihg-premier

[@TampaTravel]

Surpass comes with Gold status which gives you daily$30 F&B Credit at Hiltons. With my $50 quarterly credit, I've had dinner, drinks, and breakfast at no cost. You also get executive status with national rent a car. Lastly, Hilton is running a 2500 bonus per stay through 5/1 and always seems to have a bonus running. I average 10K points for a weekend stay using my surpass. No other card does that. Would I like to see a free night, yes. Is this a keeper card anyway? IMHO 💯%

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Totally understand that. The quarterly credit is definitely a great way to easily break-even since of course you can use it at Hilton properties, and if not, use it at least to buy Gift Cards. Gold Status can definitely be valuable but of course it depends on where you travel to in terms of how valuable it truly can be if you are basing some of that on Room Upgrades. My only counter to that would be you can get Gold Status on the Amex Plat as well, so could nullify the benefit on the Surpass for some people. Thanks so much for watching!

[@yamacreators]

Nice video! The Marriott Bonvoy Business is also a good low annual fee option and our fave.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice, I love the Bonvoy Biz as well! Thanks so much!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Great video Matt! Definitely love the Boundless! I would only say that Hilton FNAs are the best ones because there’s no point cap, but with the Surpass you need $15k to get there so that might not be easy for some people!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Exactly! If you have a FNC then Hilton is by far the best with the uncapped nature of them, it's just a question of whether $15k in spend is worth the upside for sure. Thanks so much for watching Stan!

[@henryfabian3187]

⁠@@MattWelterOfficialone problem for me is that it’s just 1 night with the Hilton on spend. Hyatt FNC is capped, but I can spend 15k for an extra FNC. It makes it easier to use for a weekend getaway somewhere. Next month I’m staying at the Grand Hyatt in San Diego with 2 free nights. What good is 1 night at the Waldorf, I’m not going to spend 1k for an extra night.

[@Paul_seekingthetruth4U]

If two cards tie, they should get second place. The intro bonus does not show the math for what points are worth and the value as well as return on spend. Hyatt has no resort fees when booking with points and so it is obviously the best card with 2 cent point value. I would recommend the Hilton as last because of no free night, and the Marriott the second to last because the resort fees are crazy even on “point stays” which are anything but free. Second place is IHG because of high status and 4 nights for 3, plus free Global Entry.

[@kura_bot]

Hilton and "Affordable" is wild the Choice Privileges or Wyndham cards didn't even make the list

[@headlibrarian1996]

Only Chase and Amex cards made the list. Choice is Wells Fargo and Wyndham is Barclays.

[@funny2thag]

It might just be my opinion, but Choice is too low end to be compared with other hotels. I did learn from Luke’s Points and Miles that Choice has much nicer properties in Europe.

[@danielturner8798]

Great analysis! The one thing I think you missed is the point-earning potential of each card (particularly on everyday spend). This is an area where the Surpass shines and the Boundless falls short.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Totally fair and yes that's definitely another category I probably should have included. Thanks for watching Daniel!

[@Cody.Little]

Loved the video and love all the mid-tier hotel cards! I’m actually about to drop a video on why the IHG Premier is so underrated, I’d rank that card at least tied with the Boundless. The extra benefits with it like platinum status, global entry, 4th night free, and united travel bank credit is nuts! Guess we’re hotel credit card gurus lol

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Yeah I probably didn't rank the IHG Premier Card honestly as high as it actually deserves to be. Like you said, the extra benefits on top of the FNC are pretty incredible for a Hotel Card that has an annual fee less than $100. I'll definitely be interested to watch your video! Thanks so much Cody!

[@jimmyjames6492]

Thanks for the info + video!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much for watching Jimmy!

[@johnwick860]

IHG $99 & WOH $95 for me....both keeper cards (Platinum IHG& even though Explorist at Hyatt, Cat 3 & 4 hotels are top notch) Boundless Silver status suck, Surpass coupon book making you prepay $150 & force you to stay at Hilton (technically FNC since you already prepaid $150)

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Totally fair! I think the counter would be Hyatt devaluation of properties which have made Cat 4 less valuable and with the Surpass you could use that Hilton Credit toward Hilton Gift Cards. Thanks so much for watching though John and can definitely see your argument for the WoH and IHG Premier!

[@newagain9964]

Let’s just keep it real. Marriott and Hilton cards are not good. But not as bad their mediocre loyalty programs and service and overpriced rooms.

[@SledgeIncTeam]

Nice Video Matt. I have to knock a few points off the Hyatt card because the Premium card is only a rumor hahahaha. All my Mid Tier Hotel cards are Business cards but I did have the Surpass at One time. Thanks for the Video

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Haha that's totally fair- it'll be interesting to see if that Premium Hyatt Card actually happens or if it's just smoke haha. Ton of great Business versions of Mid-Tier Hotel Cards for sure! Thanks for watching as always!

[@newagain9964]

@@MattWelterOfficialwhy would Hyatt offer a premium card tho? It can’t come with globalist..and their pts values are already highest in market. It would only make sense to make a new mid tier car to play with reward categories and pt multipliers. And perhaps offer explorist. Would be $250 af card.

[@youtube.experiment]

Would have liked to see a comparison on everyday spend categories for these cards... Also Would have liked to see Best Western, Choice and Wyndham.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Totally fair! I can definitely add in some of those other Hotel brands in future comparison videos. Thanks so much for watching!

[@JakeVanderPloeg]

Great video Matt! Probably gonna dive into the mid tier hotel card space later this year with the WOH card! Might start exploring the Marriott options as well now!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice Jake! I've enjoyed the mid-tier WOH Card so far! Of course, if international travel is a priority for you, then Marriott really can't be beat. Thanks for watching as always!

[@JakeVanderPloeg]

@@MattWelterOfficial Yessir! Have you ever heard of the Platinum challenge through Marriott? I have a bunch of work travel coming up and it’s essentially a fast track to Platinum status. You just have to stay 16 paid nights in 90 days to get it for the rest of the year! Thought I’d share!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Oh wow that's awesome! Didn't know about that so thanks for sharing!@@JakeVanderPloeg

[@JonsCreditAndTravel]

Hey Matt. Good video and interesting take and grades. I got my first hotel card (Hilton Surpass 170K offer in January) and am loving the card. I do agree that the $50 credit per quarter is a bit tedious, but I do love Hilton properties and had an excellent experience at a Hampton Inn when I met Chad of Chads Money Minutes a few weeks ago. Great comparison video!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice Jon! Love that you were able to lock-in the 170k offer on the Surpass, can't really be beat. The Surpass is definitely a great option if you value Gold Status and have a tried and true way to utilize the quarterly credits. Thanks so much for watching!

[@vickiarnold7300]

I personally have ihg and choice privilege credit cards no annual fee. Great job on KZbin ❤

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Vicki :)

[@BasedInBrazil]

I pair my IHG credit card with Top cashback ( Currently 7% ) for my Holiday Inn stays ( Currently10% for Even Hotels ). Fortaleza Brazil has a nice Holiday Inn. Don't forget: the 4th night free when using IHG points, $50 United travel bank credit, 10,000 points & $100 dollars ( Which I use on point sales ) If you spend $20,000 annually, and IHG milestone bonuses starting at 20 nights.

[@densnow4816]

You never evaluate ease of redemption, which is better for domestic or international, etc. Bonvoy would have dropped far lower if so.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Fair enough, thanks for watching!

[@elreyes78]

4th nights free was the clincher for me. I got the IHG card the same day they posted the elevated offer. I take lots of short trips so being able to stay an extra night for free to explore a city awesome. I would not give a card points based off of rumors but great video nonetheless

[@MattWelterOfficial]

That's fantastic! Yeah the 4th night free is huge for being able to travel across multiple different cities or having a shorter trip. Locking in that elevated offer is huge too. Thanks so much for watching!

[@MikeMaye]

Hotel credit card is still something I haven't applied for. I know that I want to get a Marriott card, just not sure which one. Thanks for this information Matt💥

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much for watching Mike!

[@johnmckinstry6057]

These are all great hotel cards, Matt! I have the IHG Premier and the Hilton Honors card right now. I really like having the free night certificate on the IHG card. Eventually, I would like to get the Hilton Surpass card, which I can justify now with the $200 Hilton credit that it offers, since it does not have a free night certificate without spending a lot on the card. More than likely, I will apply for it first so I can get the welcome offer, then if I get an upgrade offer on my Hilton Honors card, I will get the Surpass that way too. In the future, I may also get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card. For now, I am looking at the Marriott Bonvoy Business card because I am over 5/24 and the next Chase card I plan to get when I get back under 5/24 is the Sapphire Preferred card. The only card I am definitely not in a hurry to get is the World of Hyatt card. I think the welcome offer could be better on the card and the only reason I would have it is for the free night certificate.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Great points all-around John! I'm really looking forward to picking up the Personal or Business version of the IHG Premier with that Free Night Award and also IHG Platinum Elite Status, the United TravelBank Credit, etc. Totally makes sense with your Hilton strategy as well to first go for the welcome bonuses and then add in the upgrade offers, the best way to double-dip. Thanks for watching John!

[@Ryan-iq2zd]

What are your thoughts on owning multiple credit cards? I already have the Hyatt and the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, but I’m looking into possibly getting the Hilton Surpass card due to the elevated offer right now. Is that too many? Any thoughts and advice is appreciated.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

I have multiple different hotel cards! I think right now is a great time to take advantage of the Surpass higher welcome offer! Surpass can pay for itself with the quarterly credits too!

[@Ryan-iq2zd]

@@MattWelterOfficial Thanks for the feedback. Actually applying for the card today. Where can I buy the quarterly credit?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@Ryan-iq2zd I'd recommend liquidating it via Hilton Gift Cards!

[@Ryan-iq2zd]

@@MattWelterOfficial you can get those off the Hilton website?

[@PhilMo78]

Thanks for the video Matt! Give me all the low level hotel cards!!! I like having options for my short vacations or overnight stays.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Phil! And absolutely- having the flexibility and options to choose from different hotel chains is key.

[@MuscleB3ach]

Great content!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thank you!

[@kylercredit]

I think the rating for annual fee should be redone or removed maybe. $99 vs $95 is basically the same. Potential upside pretty much covers annual fee category already. Great video! And would love to see similar one for business cards!

[@marklihsu]

Where's the Wyndham earner business?? $95 top tier status, status matches with Caesars 8x on gas and you get 15k points annually not a cert that expires. They are the world's largest hotel chain, great redemptions with vacasa.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Focused on Personal Hotel Cards for this comparison!

[@deluzionconfuzion]

Curious why you went with the Boundless instead of the Bonvoy Business, AF is not much more and you get Gold status, 7% discount, and 4x at gas stations.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

I have the Bonvoy Biz and love that Card! Mainly just went with Boundless because I wanted to keep this video to Personal Card options.

[@jofoto612]

Great video

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thank you!

[@apiitg]

I applied for IHG premier card last year and used the bonus points. Can I cancel my current card and re-apply again for the same card to get new bonus points? If yes, then is there a wait time or I can apply immediately after canceling?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

There's a 24 month wait time until you are able to get a new bonus for a new IHG Premier Card. Thanks so much!

[@apiitg]

@MattWelterOfficial is it 24 months from when I got my bonus or from when I cancle my current card?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@apiitg From when you get your bonus

[@ivan_ochoa]

IHG premier has a $50 credit for United Travel Bank every calendar year

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Yeah that's a great point and I forgot to include that in the video. Definitely an added benefit that when in combination with the FNC can make the IHG Premier super competitive as maybe the best Mid-Tier Hotel Card in the space. Thanks for watching Ivan!

[@Cryptid71]

I think all of these hotel credit cards honestly suck if you want to have the option to transfer points to a hotel I would have to say just go with Chase or American Express because they have the best hotel options outside of that don't even bother

[@elliottnixon-wq6sp]

Hotel cards with FNAs are the easiest AFs to swallow because as long as you plan on spending one night with that brand, you’re good.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Exactly! Automatic FNA's are my favorite Hotel Cards, because for me it's pretty easy to just book one night a year and in a lot of cases double the amount of value I'm getting in comparison to the annual fee. Thanks so much for watching Elliott!

[@newagain9964]

Bruh. Why even have a hotel credit card tho? Pts aren’t worth much compared to alternative CCs. Hotels spend more marketing their hospitality than actually delivering. And booking OTA offers just as good and usually better prices anyways.

[@johnwick860]

3:54 you mentioned Aspire instead of Surpass Matt

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Oh thanks for pointing that out- my bad!

[@SOXGATORS]

👍🏻

[@MattWelterOfficial]

🥇

[@colinyuhl9339]

Only one of these cards is a good earner and it’s also the card that gives you an uncapped (actually valuable) free night for spending on those good earning categories. It is not the Boundless. But, enjoy the one free night in a low-tier property I guess.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

I can definitely see the argument for the Surpass with the uncapped Free Night Cert for sure! Thanks for watching Colin!

[@josephenrique7867]

I will thank you!