Best Credit Cards Offering Hotel Elite Status (2022)

I have written about the best hotel credit cards that offer free nights as an annual benefit or as a reward for reaching certain spending thresholds. These anniversary free night certificates can be redeemed at some great hotels, so they can more than justify the annual fees on cards.

Both the World of Hyatt Credit Card and IHG's rewards premier credit card offer anniversary free night certificates that can be redeemed at hotels with nightly rates that are way higher than the cards.

That perk is only one that could make hotel credit cards useful. It is easy to earn elite status with some credit cards.

Nowadays it's possible to earn top tier elite hotel status with several hotel credit cards, and the opportunities to earn status with credit cards keeps improving.

I wanted to look at all the ways you can use your credit cards to get elite hotel status. In some cases, you get status just for having a card, and in other cases, a certain amount of spending is required.

Free breakfast, late check-out, bonus points, and suite upgrades are some of the perks of hotel elite status. The perks are better if you are higher in status.

The options are organized by program and then by the hierarchy of elite tiers.

Choice Privileges Gold status requires 10 nights per year, but can be earned with the following card.

Choice Privileges Platinum or Diamond status are not offered by any cards.

Four stays or 10 nights per year is the minimum requirement for the Silver status, but can be earned with the following card.

It takes 20 stays, 40 nights, or 75,000 base points per year to earn a 20 stay, 40 night, or 75,000 base points per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

Diamond status requires 30 stays, 60 nights, or 125,000 base points per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

The following card can be used to earn IHG One Rewards Silver status, which usually requires 10 nights per year.

20 nights or 40,000 base points are usually required for I hg One rewards gold status, but can be earned with the following card.

40 nights or 60,000 base points per year is the minimum requirement for IHG One Rewards Platinum status, but can be earned with the following cards.

70 nights or 120,000 base points per year is the minimum requirement for IHG One Rewards Diamond status.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status requires 10 nights per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (review), no annual fee — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (review), $95 annual fee — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status
• Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express^® Card (review), $125 annual fee (Rates & Fees) — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status
• Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, $95 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status
• Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card, $99 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status
• Marriott Rewards Premier Card, $85 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — offers 15 elite qualifying nights per year, which is more than enough for Silver status

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn 30 elite nights per year from credit cards, with 15 elite nights coming from a personal card, and 15 elite nights coming from a business card.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status requires 25 nights per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card from Chase, $95 annual fee — earn status when you spend $35,000 on the card in a cardmember year
• Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, $95 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — earn status when you spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year
• Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express^® Card, $125 annual fee — earn status when you spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express^® Card (review), $450 annual fee (Rates & Fees) — status is valid for as long as you have the card
• The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, $450 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — status is valid for as long as you have the card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express, $695 annual fee — status is valid for as long as you have the card, registration required
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, $695 annual fee — status is valid for as long as you have the card, registration required

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status requires 50 nights per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express^® Card, $450 annual fee — earn status when you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year
• The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, $450 annual fee (no longer open to new applicants) — earn status when you spend $75,000 on the card in a cardmember year

Marriott Bonvoy Titanium and Ambassador status are not offered by cards.

Sonesta Travel Pass Elite status credit cards

Sonesta Travel Pass Elite status requires 12 nights per year, but can be earned with the following card.

World of Hyatt Discoverist status requires 10 nights or 25,000 base points per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

World of Hyatt Explorist status requires 30 nights or 50,000 base points per year, but can be earned with the following cards.

• The World of Hyatt Credit Card, $95 annual fee — the card offers five elite qualifying nights annually, plus two additional elite nights for every $5,000 spent, so spending $65,000 would earn 31 elite qualifying nights, which is more than enough for Explorist status
• The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, $199 annual fee — the card offers five elite nights for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year, so spending $60,000 would earn you 30 elite nights, which is enough for Explorist status

60 nights or 100,000 base points per year is the minimum requirement for World of Hyatt Globalist status, but can be earned with the following cards.

• The World of Hyatt Credit Card, $95 annual fee — the card offers five elite qualifying nights annually, plus two additional elite nights for every $5,000 spent, so spending $140,000 would earn 61 elite qualifying nights, which is more than enough for Globalist status
• The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, $199 annual fee — the card offers five elite nights for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year, so spending $120,000 would earn you 60 elite qualifying nights, which is enough for Globalist status

The following card can be used to earn Wyndham rewards gold status, which usually requires five nights per year.

Platinum status requires 15 nights per year, but can be earned with the following card.

40 nights per year is usually required for Diamond status, but can be earned with the following card.

You can earn top tier status with a credit card if you use it, and you can also earn top tier status with Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. These tiers used to be more difficult to achieve.

There are many mid-range credit cards that offer status just for having the card, which can be valuable. It's easy to get a free breakfast at most brands, bonus points, and more, if you earn a position in theHiltonHonors Gold program.

If you are going to spend money on your hotel credit card to earn status, make sure you consider the cost of that spending.

Which credit cards are most useful for elite hotel status?

The rates and fees for American Express cards can be found in the following links. The Platinum Card from American Express is included.