Hotels.com Rewards Credit Card review: A case for ditching traditional hotel loyalty programs
The Hotels.com Rewards Visa credit card earns a "stamp" toward a hotel night reward for every $500 you spend, with no annual fee.
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Review: Is the Hotels.com Rewards Visa the best credit card for you?
We all have varying goals for what we want our credit card rewards to achieve for us — from cash back to cheap flights to free cruises. If your primary credit card rewards goal is not discounted hotel stays, the
If discounted hotel stays is your goal, this card still may not be the best option for your wallet. It certainly offers a nice upside when compared to many other hotel credit cards in that you can stay in almost any hotel instead of being tied to a specific hotel loyalty program. You can even stay in other forms of accommodation, such as apartments and home rentals.
Hotels.com lets you book at more than 500,000 properties around the world, whereas even a huge hotel loyalty program like Marriott only has 7,600+ properties worldwide. This means the rewards you earn with the
The one thing this card doesn't offer that you'll find with other hotel credit cards is a way to achieve outsized value for your rewards. If your goal is to stay in luxury (or even four-star) hotels, this card isn't your best bet. Instead consider cards like the
Comparison: Hotels.com Rewards Visa vs other no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on card purchases (10 stamps = 1 rewards night) | 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels 5 points per dollar spent at eligible US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases | 5x points at IHG Hotels and Resorts 3x points on monthly bills, gas stations, and restaurants 2 point per dollar on everything else |
Welcome bonus | |||
Card benefits | Hotels.com Silver status for as long as your card is open Cell phone protection Secondary car rental insurance Trip interruption and cancellation insurance Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement | Hilton Silver elite status Upgrade to Gold status after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year Secondary car rental insurance Global Assist Hotline Purchase protection Extended warranty Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers No foreign transaction fees | Fourth reward night free on award stays of three or more nights IHG Gold elite status when you spend $10,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise) Cell phone protection Trip cancellation/interruption insurance Travel accident insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Baggage delay insurance Travel and emergency assistance services Purchase protection Extended warranty 20% discount on IHG point purchases with your card No foreign transaction fees |
Review | Hilton Honors American Express card review | IHG Rewards Traveler card review |
Hotels.com Rewards Visa vs other Wells Fargo credit cards
Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on card purchases (10 stamps = 1 rewards night) | 2% cash back on all purchases | 1x points on rent purchases (on up to $50,000 every year) 2x points on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, car rentals, or cruise lines 3x points on dining (including food delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub) 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
Welcome bonus | |||
Card benefits | Hotels.com Silver status for as long as your card is open Cell phone protection Secondary car rental insurance Trip interruption and cancellation insurance Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement | Cell phone protection Visa Signature Concierge Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement Access to the Visa Signature Hotel Collection | World Elite Mastercard benefits including: Cell phone insurance Purchase assurance Lyft, Doordash, and Shoprunner discounts Mastercard Luxury Hotel & Resorts World Elite Concierge |
Review | Wells Fargo Active Cash card review |
How to earn rewards from the Hotels.com Rewards Visa
Once you sign up for the
Beyond the initial offer, you'll earn another "stamp" on your card worth $110 for every $500 you charge to your credit card. These stamps accumulate until you've earned 10, at which point you'll earn a reward night valued at the average number of all 10 stamps.
The reason this is important is because there are other ways to earn stamps — namely, booking stays through Hotels.com. For example:
- If you spend $2,000 on your card, you'll receive four stamps worth $110 each
- If you book four nights at a rate of $150 per night, you'll get three stamps worth $150 each
- If you book two nights at a fancy hotel costing $350 per night, you'll get two stamps worth $350 each
Once you reach your tenth night, you'll receive a the average value of these above nights, which is $174.
It's certainly possible to earn "free" nights without ever stepping foot in a hotel by just using your card. For every $5,000 you spend, you'll get a credit worth $110 toward a hotel stay. But this return rate amounts to just 2.2% back. There are many cash back credit cards that also come with a $0 annual fee which can compete or exceed this return for everyday spending — and cash back can be used for more than just hotels.
How to use rewards
You can redeem your reward nights for any of the 500,000 properties listed on Hotels.com without blackout dates or restrictions. This makes the process remarkably easy, which adds value to the rewards that come from the Hotels.com program.
Even better, Hotels.com lets you book more than just hotels. You can use your rewards to book vacation homes, apartments, all-inclusive resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, etc. You'll get a lot more variety than had you invested in a traditional hotel loyalty program.
Benefits and features
Cell phone protection
When you pay your phone bill each month with the
Hotels.com Silver status
You'll qualify for a Hotels.com Silver membership for as long as you keep the card open.
Silver membership can get you free breakfast, free airport transfers, free internet access, and other perks at select VIP properties. Benefits vary depending on the hotel you stay at — not all hotels participate in this Hotels.com program, after all.
Rental car insurance
When renting in the US, you'll receive secondary rental car insurance covering you for theft and damage (up to the actual cash value of the car) when using your
When renting outside the US, your coverage will be primary. In other words, if you ding your car, your personal insurance doesn't have to know anything about it — your credit card will cover you for theft, damage, and valid loss-of-use charges.
Travel accident insurance
When you pay for travel with this card, you're covered for up to $150,000 for travel accident insurance when the accident is caused by the common carrier. A common carrier is defined as a motorized land, water, or air conveyance such as airlines, cruises, etc.
Accidents such as bodily injury, loss of speech, loss of sight, loss of a hand or foot, etc.
Travel and emergency assistance services
If you experience an emergency during your travels, you've got local emergency and assistance resources available to you 24/7 with this card. You can get assistance with things like:
- Medical referrals
- Legal referrals
- Emergency transportation
- Lost luggage locator services
- Prescription assistance
- Valuable document delivery arrangements
While this assistance is free, you'll have to pay for any services you need.
Roadside dispatch
For a $69.95 fee, you can take advantage of a suite of roadside dispatch benefits. Here's what you'll get:
- Standard Towing — Up to 5 miles included (you'll have to pay extra for a longer distance)
- Tire Changing — must have good, inflated spare
- Jump Starting
- Lockout Service (no key replacement)
- Fuel Delivery — up to 5 gallons (plus the cost of fuel)
- Standard Winching
This is a pay-per-use program, so you'll pay the flat fee for each service call. There's no limit to the number of times you can use this, and there's no enrollment or membership required.
Fees and costs
This card comes with a
However, you'll still be charged for things like balance transfer fees, cash advance fees, and late or returned payments.
Hotels.com Rewards Visa — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the Hotels.com credit card worth it?
Because the
However, the card is hardly more rewarding than a bog-standard no annual fee 2% cash back credit card.
Where can I use Hotels.com credit card rewards?
You can use your rewards at any hotel, apartment, bed and breakfast, etc. that appears on Hotels.com — currently over 500,000 properties worldwide.
What are my Hotels.com credit card approval odds?
Insider generally recommends that you not open a travel rewards credit card unless your credit score is at least 700. You could certainly be approved for this card with a lower credit score, but you'll have the best odds with a score in the 700s or above.
How do I pay my Hotels.com credit card?
Wells Fargo issues the