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Credit cards have become everyone’s savior for savings. From young students to working individuals to people who are passing through their prime years, everyone uses credit cards to earn huge rewards, which can be later converted to or traded for the benefit they desire. Along with the rapid global growth, traveling became more than a hobby or once-in-a-while subject. Traveling became a therapy for some and an absolute necessity for many. While most of us are well aware and acquainted with AirMiles or things like the Star Alliance program, only a few of us are acquainted with some of the most popular hotel chains or even their membership programs. Hotels/stays are one of the most costly aspects of any vacation or trip, and in our article, you will learn how to save, earn, and much more with your best hotel credit card in India.
Whether it’s Club Marriott Membership, Club ITC Culinaire Membership, or Marriott Bonvoy, the following cards offer the most advantages for hotel spending.
Table of Contents
List of Top Hotel Credit Cards
With so many platforms, credit card issuers, and even Fintech companies competing for your attention, it can be difficult to make the correct choice. Our list of the best hotel credit cards will help you narrow the best choice within your budget and match your needs. Various cards in our list have been carefully picked from multiple credit card issuers in India.
(4.6/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 3,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 3,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
1 Free Night Award valid for 1 year at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
Card Details +
The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card is the first and only hotel co-branded credit card in India, with a joining and annual fee of ₹3,000. With this card, you can enjoy discounted stays, dining offers, and a free Silver Elite Status in the Bonvoy program. Additionally, the card offers free international/domestic lounge access and complimentary golf lessons. You will earn 8 reward points for every ₹150 spent on retail at participating hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 4 reward points for every ₹150 spent on travel, dining, and entertainment, and 2 reward points for every ₹150 spent on other eligible spending categories.
(4.5/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 2,500 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 2,500 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Welcome benefit of complimentary MMT Black Elite and Club Vistara Silver Tier membership on spending over Rs. 1 Lakh inside 90 days of getting the card issued
Card Details +
The Regalia Gold Credit Card is one of HDFC Bank’s most premium and popular offerings. This card offers complimentary MMT Black Elite and Club Vistara Silver Tier membership as a welcome benefit. These would allow cardholders to earn discounts on stay bookings and be eligible for higher rewards and upgrades on flight bookings. Whether it’s discounts on food, lounge access, or a high reward rate on spends, this card has it all. Regalia Gold cardholders shall earn 4 Reward Points on every spend of ₹150.
(4.5/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 5,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 5,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
2,500 Edge Miles on Completing 1 Transaction Within 30 Days of Card Issuance
Card Details +
The Axis Atlas is often considered the perfect travel credit card because it offers 5 EDGE Miles for every ₹100 spent on transactions made on Axis Bank Travel Edge, hotels, and flight bookings. These accelerated EDGE Miles can only be earned on cumulative spends of up to ₹2,00,000 per month. Additionally, it offers 2 EDGE Miles for every ₹100 spent on all other transactions. Depending on your spending, you will be awarded a tier that unlocks increasing benefits. With a high conversion ratio and many partners, this card is best suited for hotel and flight expenses.
(4.7/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel | Dining | Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Complimentary Membership of Club Marriott, Swiggy One and Amazon Prime (On Spends of Rs. 1.5 Lakh Within 90 Days of Card Issuance)
Card Details +
This metal card is designed to outshine the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card and compete with the INFINIA Credit Card. The Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card is loaded with features and is a premium credit card offering. From golfing benefits for the sports enthusiast to a comfortable experience at airports with unlimited lounge access, there are numerous advantages attached to this credit card including a complimentary membership of Club Marriott. Whether it’s dining, travel, or shopping, you can earn a good number of benefits with the Diners Club Black Metal Card.
(4.6/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel | Dining | Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
11,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points on a minimum expenditure of Rs. 30,000 within 90 days of card issuance.
Card Details +
Earn 1 Membership Reward Point for each ₹50 spent with this premium AmEx Credit Card. These Membership Reward Points can later be converted to partners like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. With a high conversion ratio, you can easily redeem these points and save money on your vacation and stay expenses. Not only this in terms of benefits on hotels this card provides a complimentary Accor Plus Traveller Membership and Taj Epicure Membership. For a smooth and comfortable experience, this card offers both international and domestic lounge access. You can also get Taj Stay vouchers worth ₹10,000 on spending ₹5 lakh in a year.
(4.6/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 12,500 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 12,500 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel | Dining | Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Choose a gift voucher worth Rs. 12,500 from any one of Luxe, Yatra, or Postcard Hotels
Card Details +
The Axis Bank Magnus credit card has a high annual joining fee, but it is an excellent choice for high-net-worth individuals who prefer a premium lifestyle. It offers great benefits for both domestic and international travel, exclusive dining, low interest rates, and a relatively low foreign currency markup fee. With this card, you can earn 60 EDGE Reward Points for every ₹200 spent on the Travel Edge portal. Additionally, it offers complimentary Luxe, Yatra, or Postcard Hotels vouchers worth ₹12,500.
(4.4/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 30,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel | Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Free Taj Epicure, EazyDiner Prime, and Moneycontrol Pro Membership. 5,000 Reward Points on Spending Rs. 1 Lakh Within 30 Days of Card Issuance
Card Details +
One of the main features of the Indus Solitaire Credit Card is the complimentary Taj Epicure Preferred Membership, which is worth ₹25,000. With this, one can enjoy stay upgrades, free nights, free dining, and yearly discounts. Since this is a super premium card, the features don’t end here. You will also be offered a free Club ITC Culinaire Membership, which can be used to save more.
(5/5)
Joining Fee
Rs. 12,500 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 12,500 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel | Dining | Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Welcome bonus of 12,500 Reward Points and complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year offering 20% discounts on dining and stay in the Asia-Pacific region.
Card Details +
HDFC Infinia is considered the most exclusive and premium card in our country. It is invitation-only, so one cannot apply for it. Those with the Infinia Credit Card can take advantage of its hotel benefits, such as a free Club Marriott Membership or access to ITC Hotels Complimentary Stay Benefits. With unlimited domestic and international lounge access and premium golfing benefits, Infinia is the best card out there. You can earn 5 Reward Points on each spend of ₹50 made with this card.
Benefits of a Specific Credit Card for Hotel Spends
- Higher Reward Rate on Travel – Many of these hotel credit cards offer a higher reward rate on spends made at partner hotels. Not only these some of these cards offer accelerated reward rates for the whole travel category. One of the most appropriate examples of this would be the Axis Atlas Credit Card which offers a great reward rate for spends made on flight and hotel bookings.
- Take Advantage of Complimentary Memberships – Whether it is elite membership for travel booking platforms or free complimentary memberships to popular hotel programs, these credit cards offer them all. Like the Mariott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card offers free Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status which would fast-track customers to the Gold Tier.
- Room and Other Upgrades – Many of these cards offer periodic upgrades and other offers that would simply be missed with generic or co-branded non-hotel content.
- Travel Insurance – Insurance is very necessary for many fields of life, so why should travel be any different? With the range of Best Hotel Credit Card you can travel and stay in peace knowing that your travel insurance how concerned.
- Easy Conversions to EMIs – There could be high expenditure on hotel, stay and food. With the feature of easy EMIs on can easily turn their large spends into smaller more affordable arrangements.
Compare Top Hotel Credit Cards in India
It’s always best to compare similar credit cards before applying for one. Below are some of the most popular cards in the hotel category. Comparing them will make it easier to select the right one.
| Features | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card | HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal | American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card |
| Joining/Annual Fee | ₹3,000 + GST | ₹10,000 + GST | ₹10,000 + GST |
| Welcome Benefits | 1 Free Night Award | Complimentary Membership of Club Marriott, Swiggy One, and Amazon Prime | 11,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points |
| Reward Rate | 8 RPs/₹150 Spent at Participating Hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy Program | 5 Reward Points/₹150 Spent | 1 Membership Rewards Point/₹50 |
| Lounge Access | 12 Complimentary Domestic and International Lounge Visits | Unlimited Lounge Access Across the Globe | 12 Free Domestic and 2 International Lounge Visits |
Our Methodology
While Hotel Credit Cards are quite popular in North America, the trend of travel, staycation, and even working while on vacation is catching on in India, and there is still a lot of ground to cover. While Accor, Taj, and Marriott are quite popular here, there aren’t as many co-branded cards with them, unlike abroad, except for the only co-branded hotel credit card in India (as of June 2024), the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card. This prompted CardInsider to work on a topic that would allow consumers to save not only on their travel expenses but also on hotels. While most people are focused on travel, it’s best not to forget that where you stay matters the most.
Bottom Line
Whenever we think about traveling, whether for work or vacation, we often consider using credit cards to save money, earn reward points, and, most importantly, gain access to free airport lounges. However, we often overlook the reward point programs offered by hotels and miss out on potential savings and benefits.
With the list provided, you can save significantly on your hotel bookings and even earn complimentary award nights with the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Card, the only co-branded hotel card in India. This card offers exceptional rewards for frequent travelers who prefer staying at Marriott properties. Others with different preferences should compare the features of these cards to make the best choice.
FAQs:
The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card is considered one of the best hotel credit cards in India, especially for deals related to stays and hotels.
Since hotel credit cards usually fall in the premium or super premium credit card range, they come with a joining and annual fee. Most hotel credit cards have spend-based annual fee waiver criteria, which allows you to avoid paying the card charges if you meet the required spending.