As travel begins to rebound, airfares and hotel rates are already starting to rise. That’s why it might be time to consider a credit card that helps save you money on hotel stays. Among other benefits like automatic elite status, on-property credits, and introductory bonuses north of 100,000 points, several of the best hotel credit cards include an annual free night reward that cardholders can take advantage of at properties around the world.
This type of perk varies from card to card, even within the same loyalty program. Some hotel credit cards automatically deposit a free night award in your loyalty account every year after you pay the annual fee. Others make you spend your way to one. Some free night rewards are redeemable only on certain days of the week, or at hotels where award nights cost up to a specific number of points. By maximizing your hotel credit card’s free night reward, though, you can usually save hundreds of dollars a year and help offset most if not all of a credit card’s annual fee.