Hotels.com^® Rewards Visa^® Credit Card Review [2024]: Is It Worth It?

Hotels.com is a popular online travel agency and booking portal for finding hotel stays worldwide. For frequent travelers, you might use Hotels.com to compare prices of hotels or vacation rentals with other companies, such as Airbnb, KAYAK, or Booking.com. But did you know Hotels.com has a credit card?

The Hotels.com^® Rewards Visa^® Credit Card provides an interesting way to earn hotel reward nights by simply using your card to make purchases. We’ll show you how it works in this credit card review, including covering the card’s benefits and drawbacks, so you can decide whether the Hotels.com Rewards Visa might make sense for your situation.

Who should get the Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card?

As its name implies, Hotels.com is a source for finding information about all types of hotels worldwide. This means you get loads of choices to choose from when researching your lodgings for a trip.

With the Hotels.com Credit Card, you get to maximize this flexibility by having the opportunity to earn reward nights through your everyday purchases. Spend enough, and you can earn reward nights to use on Hotels.com. It’s an interesting concept and sure to work in some situations, especially if you typically enjoy using Hotels.com.

But this card might not make sense if you would rather book directly with hotel chains, as certain hotel benefits might not apply if you book through a third party such as Hotels.com. This card also typically requires good or excellent credit to qualify. If you like the flexibility to choose from a wide selection of hotels, the Hotels.com Credit Card could make sense.

Card basics

Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome bonus: .
• Unique rewards system: Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on Hotels.com; collect 10 stamps, get 1 reward night. Collect 10 stamps, get 1 reward night.
• No foreign currency conversion fee: As a Visa card with no foreign transaction fees, the Hotels.com Rewards Visa could be a prime option for making purchases abroad.
• Hotels.com Silver status: Receive complimentary Silver status within the Hotels.com Rewards program for as long as your card is open. Silver membership could include complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi, airport transfers, and more at certain properties labeled as “VIP Access.”
• No blackout dates: Reward nights have no blackout dates. If there’s availability at an eligible hotel for your dates, you can use reward nights for your stay.
• Cell phone protection: Cardholders receive up to $600 in cell phone protection against damage or theft of eligible phones, with a $25 deductible. There’s a maximum of two paid claims per 12-month period. You must pay your cell phone bill with this card for phones on the bill to be eligible for protection.
• Travel protection: Receive travel protection benefits, including travel and emergency assistance services, auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, trip cancellation and coverage, and travel accident insurance.

Drawbacks to the Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card

• Reward night average value: For every 10 stamps you collect with your card, you receive a Hotels.com reward night. The value for each reward night is calculated by the average value of the 10 stamps, excluding taxes and fees. If the average value of those nights is low, your reward night value will also be low.
• No bonus categories: This card doesn’t offer any bonus categories for making purchases — it only provides a way to earn stamps from your spending. If you want potentially easier ways to earn rewards, check out our list of the best rewards credit cards.
• Limited elite status: Receiving complimentary Silver status with Hotels.com is nice, but it only lasts one year. Many travel credit cards provide permanent elite status as long as you have the card. For this and other helpful travel benefits, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.

Earning & redeeming reward nights

Best ways to earn

If you compare credit cards, it’s typically best to use a rewards card as much as possible on purchases you’re already making to maximize your earning potential. But with the Hotels.com Credit Card, the earning rate is different from your average credit card.

This card gives you the ability to collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on hotels.com; collect 10 stamps, get 1 reward night. After earning 10 stamps, you receive one reward night to use at Hotels.com.

There are no bonus categories, such as dining or travel, so any eligible purchase should count as earning toward a stamp. If you move your everyday spending over to this card, you should quickly begin to make progress toward earning stamps, which will eventually net you reward nights.

Maximizing your redemptions

Unlike other credit cards, the Hotels.com Rewards Visa doesn’t have multiple redemption options. Since you aren’t earning points, miles, or cash rewards, you won’t find options to redeem your rewards for gift cards, flights, car rentals, or other similar options.

Rather, the only redemption option available is receiving a reward night after earning 10 stamps. This reward night can be used at eligible Hotels.com properties. Keep in mind that each reward night’s redemption value is determined by the average value of the 10 stamps previously earned. The higher the value of each stamp you earn, the higher the value of your reward night will be.

Here are a few important tips to keep in mind about stamps and reward nights:

• If your reward night doesn’t have enough value for a stay, you would have to pay the difference.
• If your reward night has more value than a stay, you would forfeit the difference.
• You can redeem more than one reward night at a time, which could help for multiple-night stays.
• Stamps and reward nights expire 12 months after your last activity of collecting a stamp or redeeming a reward night.

Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

If the Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card doesn’t work for your situation, consider some of the best hotel credit cards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is a popular travel rewards card that earns Ultimate Rewards from common spending categories (unlike the Hotels.com Rewards card), including 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries. These rewards are flexible and can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, and rental cars through the Chase travel portal. Or you can transfer your points to travel partners such as Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards Club, and World of Hyatt. The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, but its $50 annual hotel credit could help offset that cost.

To learn more, check out our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card has a $0 annual fee and is likely best suited for Hilton enthusiasts. This card offers bonus categories that could be more helpful for earning rewards on everyday spending compared to the Hotels.com Rewards card. This includes 7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases. You also receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status for as long as you’re a cardmember.

For more information, check out our Hilton Honors American Express review.