Credit Cards with Anniversary Stay Offer
I’ve always thought hotel reward points were nearly useless because, as someone who doesn’t travel often, there isn’t any way to rack up enough points to really get any reward stays even if you’re “loyal” and only stay at the same brand. Recently, though, I’ve realized a different strategy might work out better.
Some hotel brands offer credit cards with 1 free stay a year. At first glance, these seem marginally helpful. Say you’re going on vacation for a week; one of these credit cards would give you 1 night out of your week long vacation for free.
Now, my new strategy is to use multiple credit cards with this type of offer to get (almost) your entire week long vacation for free! Let’s see what credit cards offer this benefit and what else makes each card worthwhile.
For each analysis, I am looking at a hotel in San Diego, CA from Saturday, September 29th, 2018 to Sunday, September 30th, 2018.
Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card
With the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card, you’ll receive 1 free night at a 35,000 or less point Marriott or SPG hotel every year after your account anniversary.
Hotels with a value of 35,000 points range from $60 to $256 a night. On average, these hotels cost $181 a night. The top 5 hotels are listed below:
| Hotel | USD per Night |
| Residence Inn San Diego Downtown | 256 |
| Hotel Republic San Diego, Autograph Collection | 253 |
| SpringHill Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayfront | 251 |
| TownePlace Suites San Diego Downtown | 227 |
| Courtyard San Diego Gaslamp/Convention Center | 225 |
In addition to the 1 free night stay, this card also offers:
- 6 points per $1 spent at Marriott and SPG hotels
- 2 points per $1 spent anywhere else
- Automatic Silver Elite Benefits
- No foreign transaction fees
- and more
The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card has an annual fee of $95 with no additional fees for authorized users.
World of Hyatt Credit Card
With the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you’ll receive 1 free night at a Category 1 to 4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your account anniversary.
Category 4 hotels range from $261 to $276 a night. On average, these hotels cost $269 a night. The two Category 4 hotels available in San Diego are:
| Hotel | USD per Night |
| Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina | 276 |
| Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine | 261 |
In addition to the 1 free night stay, this card also offers:
- 4 points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels
- 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, airline tickets, local transit and commuting, and fitness club and gym memberships
- 1 point per $1 anywhere else
- Automatic Dicoverist status
- No foreign transaction fees
- and more
The World of Hyatt Credit Card has an annual fee of $95 with no additional fees for authorized users.
IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
With the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, you’ll receive 1 free night at a 40,000 or less point IHG hotel every year after your account anniversary.
40,000 or less point hotels range from $89 to $230 a night. On average, these hotels cost $143 a night. The top 5 hotels are:
| Hotel | USD per Night |
| Hotel Indigo San Diego Del Mar | 230 |
| Holiday Inn Express San Diego Downtown | 189 |
| Crowne Plaza San Diego – Mission Valley | 172 |
| Holiday Inn Express Encinitas – Cardiff Beach Area | 171 |
| Holiday Inn Express San Diego-Sea World Area | 166 |
In addition to the 1 free night stay, this card also offers:
- 10 points per $1 spent at IHG hotels
- 2 points per $1 spent at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants
- 1 point per $1 spent anywhere else
- 4th reward night free when you redeem points for any stay of 4 or more
- Automatic Platinum Elite status
- No foreign transaction fees
- (maybe) Price Protection
- and more
The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card has an annual fee of $89 with no additional fees for authorized users.
Conclusion
So, there’s only 3 cards that have the free anniversary night offer. While it won’t be enough to get a week long vacation, it could be useful for booking weekend getaways.
If you’re looking to only get 1 card, it seems like the World of Hyatt Credit card would give you the best value (calculated as redemption value divided by annual fee):
| Credit Card | Value |
| Marriott Rewards Premier Plus | 2.69 |
| World of Hyatt | 2.91 |
| IHG Rewards Club Premier | 2.58 |
If you often book week long trips, the IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card might be the best because of the 4th reward night free perk.
