There are tons of great cobranded hotel credit cards on the market. Some top products, however, have sky-high annual fees, costing cardholders hundreds of dollars each year.
While frequent travelers can fully utilize the earning rates and benefits that come with those cards, it’s not always feasible for casual travelers — or even frequent travelers who hold multiple cards with annual fees — to have a premium hotel card.
The good news is that there are also several great mid-tier hotel credit cards to choose from — let’s dive in and discuss which ones make the most sense for different types of travelers and budgets.
The best mid-tier hotel cards
Our favorite mid-tier hotel cards offer annual fees of $150 or less.
Only one card, the Hilton Surpass, charges more than $100 in annual fees. Our other three options keep the fee below $100.
Before we go further, let’s outline the value of the currency that each of these cards earns, based on TPG’s October 2025 valuations:
- Hilton Honors points: 0.5 cents apiece
- IHG One Rewards points: 0.5 cents apiece
- Marriott Bonvoy points: 0.7 cents apiece
- World of Hyatt points: 1.7 cents apiece
Related: How to decide if a credit card’s annual fee is worth paying
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Welcome offer
Each of these cards provides a welcome offer for new cardholders to earn a haul of points after opening the card.
| Card | Welcome offer | Welcome offer value* |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Surpass | Earn 155,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends Jan. 14, 2026. | $775 |
| IHG Premier | Earn 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $825 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Earn 125,000 points and a free night award worth up to 50,000 points after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees. | Up to $1,225, if you maximize the free night award |
| World of Hyatt card | Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 point, on up to $15,000 spent. Plus, earn 2 total tier-qualifying night credits toward status for each eligible Hyatt stay from Oct. 16, 2025 through Jan. 31, 2026 (on up to 15 nights). | Up to $1,020 |
*Welcome offer value is determined by TPG’s valuations.
Which card comes out on top?
When you factor in TPG’s valuations, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless provides the most value — as long as you maximize the full 50,000-point value of the free night award.
Related: Cards currently offering welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more
Earning rates
You can expect to earn points in each program when you pay with the card. Here are the earning rates to know, along with the return on your spend you can expect to receive.
| Card | Earning rates and return on spending* |
|---|---|
| Hilton Surpass |
|
| IHG Premier |
|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless |
|
| World of Hyatt card |
|
*Return on spending is determined by TPG’s valuations.
Which card comes out on top?
As a general rule of thumb, cobranded hotel credit cards are typically best suited for hotel spending only — even when they have additional bonus categories. This is because cards with transferable points have more redemption flexibility and typically earn more valuable points.
Because of this, let’s focus this analysis on which cards earn the most on hotel spending specifically.
Because TPG values Hyatt points so highly, the 15.3% return you’ll receive when booking Hyatt stays World of Hyatt card outranks the competition.
However, the up to 13% return you’ll receive when booking IHG stays with the IHG Premier and the up to 11.9% return Marriott loyalists receive with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless are also impressive.
Related: How to earn over 300,000 points in a year
Benefits
Each card provides a unique set of benefits that could be useful to loyalists of the specific brand. Here’s what to know.
| Card | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Hilton Surpass |
|
| IHG Premier |
|
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless |
|
| World of Hyatt card |
|
Which card comes out on top?
The perks category is a bit harder to quantify in terms of which card is actually the best. People potentially value certain benefits differently.
The Hilton Honors Surpass is certainly a strong contender, with automatic gold status, which can turn into Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year if you spend $40,000 on the card each calendar year.
Plus, the annual free night award you receive after spending $15,000 can be used on any night.
Even still, we think the IHG One Rewards Premier comes out on top in this round. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of perks for a $99 annual fee.
The anniversary reward night is worth up to 40,000 points alone, and Platinum Elite status comes with a 60% bonus on paid stays, room upgrades (excluding suites), a welcome amenity and more. Add in the fourth-award-night-free perk and the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee benefit, and you’ve got an all-star lineup of perks for a mid-tier hotel credit card.
Related: I use my hotel credit card benefits to travel in luxury — here are 5 ways to do it
Which mid-tier hotel card is best for you?
Before choosing a hotel credit card, consider your travel habits and which perks you’ll personally find the most useful. The price difference between these cards is small, so which card is best for you will really depend on which hotel brand you’ll want to stay at more frequently and which benefits you’ll find the most useful.
For example, if you rarely stay with IHG, won’t buy points and already have Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, the IHG Premier won’t be as valuable to you.
In the same vein, if you know you won’t spend at least $15,000 on your card each year, you won’t earn the free night award with the Hilton Surpass, so that may not be the best option either.
Each of the cards on this list has its advantages and disadvantages. On paper, the IHG Premier offers the best benefits and earning rate compared to its annual fee, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone.
Hilton and Marriott are larger hotel brands with more luxury property options worldwide, so travelers just starting with hotel points may want to start earning points in one of those programs. On the other hand, TPG’s valuations regard Hyatt points as the most valuable hotel currency.
Overall, there are multiple factors worth weighing here, and the decision will differ from traveler to traveler.
Related: 4 reasons you need a credit card with your favorite hotel loyalty program
Other cards to consider for hotel spending
Even still, if you’re a casual traveler or beginner, you could be better off with a transferable rewards card. What they may lack in hotel perks, they make up for in redemption flexibility.
Some of our favorite mid-tier transferable rewards cards for booking hotels include:
Each of these cards unlocks a unique set of transfer partners. When it comes to hotels, you can expect:
| Award currency | Hotel transfer partners and ratios |
|---|---|
| Capital One miles |
|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards |
|
| Citi ThankYou Rewards |
|
Transferring Chase points to Hyatt remains one of the best-value redemption options. Because of this, the Sapphire Preferred is certainly one of our favorite mid-tier transferable rewards cards for hotel bookings.
However, if you’re enticed by the options offered by Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou Rewards, consider a mid-tier travel card from either issuer.
And, if you’re more interested in receiving brand-specific benefits, you’ll want to apply for a cobranded card like the ones discussed earlier.
Related: Why Hyatt continues to be my favorite Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner
Bottom line
As with any credit card decision, think about your spending habits and goals for the card. Plus, consider which brand you like the most, since you’ll want a card that earns rewards that you’ll actually use.
Finally, if you’re not loyal to any hotel brands and plan on staying a free agent, a card that earns transferable points could be a better option. However, if you are loyal to any brand, check out their mid-tier card and see if it makes sense in your strategy.
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass, click here.
