Credit cards that offer points that can be redeemed for hotel stays are an important part of our points and miles journey.  Sometimes we have a card and don’t want to pay the annual fee after the first year, so we are always sure to evaluate whether it makes sense to keep each card. But did you know that there are some hotel credit cards that can be worth keeping every year? I have several that I get so much value out of that I can’t imagine ever closing them. Between the free nights they offer each year when I pay the annual fee and the benefits I get from being a cardholder, these cards have a permanent place in my wallet. Let’s talk about my favorites and why I keep them.

 

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Chase offers the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. It has an annual fee of $95.  I earn an anniversary night up worth up to 35K points each year when I retain my card. It also provides the cardholder with Silver Elite status, but I don’t find much value in that. I keep this card because I like Marriott hotels and can stay at one every year with my annual free-night certificate, which is worth two to three times the annual fee.  One of my favorite hotels I’ve ever stayed at is the JW Marriott Phu Quoc in Vietnam, and it runs under 50K points/night, so I could stay there with a free night by topping off my certificate with points. It is usually priced at $300 to $400 per night, so it is well worth my $95 annual fee. My husband and I each have this card, so it is worth two free nights a year to us.

All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Points Talk Squad. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is no longer available through Points Talk Squad.

 

 

 

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card (discontinued)

Fortunately for me, I was able to sign up for this card just before it was discontinued. I will keep this card in my wallet because it is no longer available and benefits me greatly. It has a high annual fee of $450, but I have enjoyed the following benefits:

• $300 travel credit (baggage fees, upgraded seats, lounge access, cancellation fees)
• Anniversary night award of 85K-point certificate—this is huge for me!
• Automatic gold status, which can mean room upgrades and sometimes breakfast
• Priority Pass lounge access for myself and an unlimited number of guests (though guests will be limited to two as of January 15, 2026)

I can use the 85K-point certificate for hotels that charge up to $1,000 or more.  I can really make good use of this credit card. You can no longer apply directly for this card, but there is a way you can ask for a product change and still be able to have it.

 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

This card and the next card are offered by American Express. The card_name has a high annual fee of annual_fees. At first glance, that may sound pretty high and not worth paying for. But I really like the 85K certificate, so it may be worth the annual fee. Here’s what else I value with this card:

• $300 credit for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 monthly statement credit)
• Anniversary night award of an 85K-point certificate
• Automatic gold status, which gives me room upgrades and sometimes breakfast
• Priority Pass lounge access
• Application fee credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry
• Elite nights

When you take off the $300 restaurant credit, which I find easy to use, the card’s cost is reduced by a lot and worth it for the other benefits. The 85K point certificate has gotten me a free night at the Wailea Beach Resort in Maui. It is a room that costs about $800/night. I keep it to try to stay at this resort every year and consider my annual_fees annual fee (minus the restaurant credit) a discount for the hotel.

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, See Rates and Fees.  

 

 

 

card_name

The card_name is another credit card my husband and I both have, and we have no plans to cancel it. The annual fee is annual_fees. Each year, I will receive a 35K certificate to spend on a free night.  As I wrote above, this is worth around $300.

With these four credit cards (two for me, two for my husband), we have eight great redemptions a year at Marriott properties. I can’t imagine canceling any of these cards unless Marriott devalues them a lot in the future. They certainly work well for me now. I got the Chase and American Express Marriott cards when you could have both of them. Unfortunately, there have been stricter application rules in place for a few years now, and you won’t be approved for all of these cards simultaneously anymore.

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see Rates and Fees. 

 

card_name

The card_name is another hotel credit card I plan on keeping.  I think it is totally worth the $99 annual fee because of the following benefits:

• Anniversary night up to 40,000 points (I have redeemed for hotels with cash rates from $180 to $350 per night)
• Automatic Platinum Elite status (I have had several upgrades to a suite with this, especially internationally)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit
• Earns five points per dollar spent on gas, travel, and restaurants and three points per dollar on other eligible purchases
• Fourth night free on award stays

For these reasons, my husband and I keep our IHG credit cards year after year. This gives us two more free nights a year, plus great benefits, for a small annual fee!

 

 

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card also offers an annual free-night certificate. Because you can find hotel nights at just 5,000 points, it is a great card to have. Additionally, you earn a free-night certificate at a category 1-4 Hyatt hotel on your cardholder anniversary. With an annual fee of only $95, it is worth keeping each year.

All information about the World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Points Talk Squad. The World of Hyatt Credit Card is no longer available through Points Talk Squad.

 

 

card_name

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

The card_name is a keeper card for me because of the annual free-night certificate I earn as a cardholder. Although the annual fee is annual_fees, it comes with these benefits (among others):

• $400 Hilton resort credit ($200 semiannually; January to June and July to December)
• $50 quarterly flight credit (up to $200 annually)
• $209 CLEAR+ Credit

The Hilton free-night certificate is one of the very best, as it can be used at virtually any Hilton hotel that has standard room availability. That includes the Conrad Bora Bora, one of my favorite hotels.

For rates and fees of the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire See Rates and Fees. 

 

 

Bottom Line

If you think about what benefits you can get, you may find that there are a lot of hotel credit cards worth keeping. I like the annual free-night certificates I earn with each of them, and I find that it’s like getting a hotel for half price or less when I factor in my annual fee. If you travel a lot, it is worth thinking about keeping these cards.

 

Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply.

 

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