The Best Hotel Credit Card for Families

by Daniel | Last Updated Feb 8th, 2025

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Family vacations create unforgettable memories, but they can also come with a hefty price tag. Between expensive hotel stays, dining out, and entertainment costs, the total bill can quickly add up—unless you have the right travel credit card. What if you could unlock free nights, room upgrades, and exclusive perks just by using the right card for your everyday spending?

That’s where hotel-branded credit cards come in. The best ones don’t just reward you with points; they elevate your entire travel experience—offering everything from complimentary elite status to annual free nights at luxurious properties. But with so many options out there, which ones truly deliver the most value for your family?

Well in this review, I’ll be breaking down three of the top hotel credit cards designed with families in mind: the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, the Hilton Honors  Aspire Amex Card, and the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card. Each of these cards comes packed with benefits that can help turn an expensive vacation into an affordable and stress-free getaway.

But which one is the best fit for your family? Well stay tuned as I explore the perks, savings, and hidden advantages that could make your next trip even better.

https://youtu.be/i0er0n7jVB0

So Who Are These Cards Good For ?

All three of these cards cater to different types of travelers and families depending on their needs and travel habits. So here’s a simple breakdown of each card to determine who they are best suited for.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

So starting first with the most expensive card in this review is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
And whilst it does have a pretty high annual fee, if you can manage to make use of the benefits that are currently on offer with this card, you will easily make up for this and still have plenty of value left. 

Marriott Fans

If you tend to frequently stay at Marriott properties, the Brilliant card is an great choice. It offers significant perks with Marriott, including free night awards and automatic Platinum Elite status.

Luxury Seekers

When it comes to luxury, it is ideal for families who enjoy premium travel experiences, this card provides access to Marriott Bonvoy’s luxury hotels and resorts, along with benefits like a $300 Marriott Bonvoy Dining credit and a Priority Pass Select membership.

Points Enthusiasts

And if you are looking to earn a ton of points this card offers the ability to earn a substantial amount of points from a wide variety of categories.

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

So the second card in this review is the Chase World of Hyatt credit card, and this card is by far the cheapest card to have on an annual basis.
And even though it has a much lower annual fee than the other 2 cards in this review, it still offers a decent amount of value. 

Hyatt Loyalists

If Hyatt is your hotel of choice, this card can provide you and your family with a ton of value. It provides you with 1 free night award each year, and the ability to get a second night free once you meet a specific spend requirement.

World Travelers

With over 1,300 hotels located all over the word, this card is great for families that like to travel overseas.
It also provides you with a decent level or travel related coverage if anything happens to go wrong on your trip.

Status Seekers 

If you’re looking to earn higher status with Hyatt, this card can get you there even quicker.
You will receive automatic Hyatt Discoverist status as long as you keep your account open.
Then there is the ability to earn 5 qualifying night credits towards your next tier status each and very year. 

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Hilton Honors Aspire Amex Card

So the last card in this review is the Hilton Honors Aspire Amex Card, which is slightly cheaper for the annual fee than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.

Hilton Regulars

This card is best suited for families that often stay at Hilton properties, it offers extensive Hilton-specific perks, including Diamond status and a $400 Hilton Resort statement credit each and every year.

Frequent Travelers

If you are a frequent travelers that wants to enjoy complimentary elite status, a Free Night Reward, and other luxury travel benefits, this card is a great choice.

Value Maximizers

It’s perfect for families looking to earn a significant amount of Hilton Honors points through everyday purchases, travel and dining, thus maximizing their reward potential.

So whether you favor Marriott, Hilton or Hyatt properties, either one of these cards will enhance your travel experiences and provide you with exceptional rewards and perks.

Annual Fee And Sign-up Bonus 

Ok so now, let’s take look at how valuable the sign-up bonus is and how much the annual fee will cost you each year for each card.
Obviously this is something to consider when choosing any credit card, as you want to try and get a much value as you possibly can.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

And with Marriott points being valued at around 0.8 cents per point, this sign-up bonus is worth $760 which is slightly more than the cost of the annual fee.
Now it’s worth noting that this card also comes with a $300 Dining Statement Credit.
This one benefit alone helps to lower the cost of the annual fee to a more reasonable $350.

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

Then to earn an additional 30,000 points you will need to spend a total of $15,000 in the first 6 months of opening the account.
So it’s quite a high spend requirement to earn all 65,000 bonus points as part of the sign up bonus.

Now with Hyatt points being valued at 1.8 cents per point, this signup bonus is worth $1,170, which is more than ten times the cost of the annual fee.

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Hilton Honors Aspire Amex Card

And with Hilton Honors points being valued at around 0.6 cents per point, this sign up bonus is worth $900, making this signup bonus $140 more valuable than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Cards current signup bonus. 

Now it’s worth noting that this card also comes with a $400 Hilton Resort Credit which helps to bring the annual fee down to just $150.

So all 3 cards offer a pretty reasonable sign-up bonus.
And the cheapest card of the three, the World of Hyatt Credit Card comes with the largest signup bonus, but you will need to spend substantial more to receive it.

Which Card Has The Best Points Earning Potential?

Ok so now that we know how much each card costs on an annual basis and what they are offering as a sign-up bonus, let’s take a closer look at the points earning ability of each card.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Right at the top, it is possible to earn 6x points for eligible purchases that are made at hotels that are part of Marriott Bonvoy.
It is then possible to earn 3x points at restaurants worldwide and for flights that are booked directly with airlines. 
Everything else you use the card for will earn you 2x points per dollar spent.

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

Right at the top the highest points earning potential with this card is the ability to earn 9x points for purchases made at Hyatt hotels.
It is then possible to earn 2x points at restaurants, on airlines tickets that are purchased directly from airlines, local transit and gym memberships. 
Then all other purchases that are made on the card will earn you 1 point per dollar spent. 

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Hilton Honors Aspire Amex Card

Right at the top, it is possible to earn 14x points for eligible purchases that are made at hotels and resorts that are part of the Hilton portfolio.
It is then possible to earn 7x points for flights that are booked through AmexTravel.com, and for car rentals that are booked directly with select car rental agencies.
Along with this, it is also possible to earn 7x points at U.S. restaurants, which includes takeout and delivery.  
Then everything else that is purchased on the card will earn you 3x points per dollar spent.

Now one important factor to take into account with this card is that because you receive complimentary Diamond status you will actually receive 100% bonus points on all Hilton stays.
Best of all, Diamond status is the top tier status level that is offered by Hilton.
So if you do stay at Hilton Hotels on a regular basis you will earn a ton of extra points. 

Which Card Has The Best Benefits And Perks?

Ok so now that I’ve covered the annual fee, sign-up bonus and points earning potential of each card, let’s take a closer look at the benefits that actually come with each card and see how they compare.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Now if you manage to spend $60,000 on this card within a calendar year you will then have access to the ‘Earned Choice Award benefit’.
This essentially allows you to choose one of three different benefits from Marriott.

• The first benefit option is called the ‘5 Nightly Upgrade Awards’
  This basically allows for 5 separate room upgrades for select premium rooms or suites.
• The second benefit to choose from is 1 Free Night Award valued at up to 85K points.
  Just this benefit alone is worth around $680.
• The last benefit to choose from is the ability to save $1,000 off a Bed from any Marriott Bonvoy retail brand.

So if you can mange to meet the $60,000 spend requirement to unlock this benefit, this card becomes a lot more valuable.  

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Now as I mentioned earlier there is a $300 Dining Statement Credit that is provided to you in $25 monthly allotments, and it can be used at restaurants worldwide.  

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You will also receive a Priority Pass Select membership that provides you and two guests unlimited complimentary lounge visits to over 1,700 airport lounges world wide.
This in itself is worth $469.

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As a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card holder you will automatically receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status that allows you to earn more points and room upgrades when they are available.

Along with this you will also receive 25 Elite Night Credits each year that can help to bring you to a higher level of elite status. 

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There is then a $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit.
To receive this, all you need to do is book two night or more at either the Ritz Carlton or St Regis.
This credit can then be used for things such as room service, dining, or spa services depending on the property.

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Then finally, you will receive a $120 credit that can be used for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

This can be used at any Hyatt hotel or resort that falls into a category 1 to 4, which can in some cases be worth around $300 per night.
So just these two benefits alone are potentially worth around $600 each year, which easily covers the cost of the annual fee.  

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Another benefit that comes with this card is complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status.
This provides you with the ability to receive elite check-in, room upgrades, and late checkouts upon availability.
With Discoverist status, it is also possible to receive an additional 10% bonus points on all eligible purchases.

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Now each year of card ownership, you will receive an additional 5 qualifying night credits towards the next tier level.
And for each $5,000 that you spend on the card you will also receive 2 additional qualifying night credits.

So whilst there aren’t as many benefits on offer as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, the World of Hyatt card is $555 cheaper for the annual fee.

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Hilton Honors Aspire Amex Card

There is then a $200 Flight Credit that is provided to you in $50 allotment each quarter.
To use this all you need to do is book a flight either directly through an airline or through amextravel.com

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Each year you will receive a $199 CLEAR Plus Credit that can be used to help speed up the process of getting through airport security.

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There is then a $100 Property Credit, and to use this you will need to book a minimum of 2 nights at a Hilton property.
And the booking must be made by calling 855-292-5757 and then referencing the code ZZAAP1.

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As a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card holder you will receive complimentary Diamond Status.
This allows you to earn a 100% bonus on base points on Hilton bookings, Executive lounge access, room upgrades and your Fifth night free on reward stays.

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There is then a Free Night Reward each and every year that allows you to stay one night at pretty much every Hilton hotel.
Now if you manage to spend $30,000 on the card within a calendar year, you will then receive second Free Night Reward, and if you spend $60,000 on the card in the same year, you will receive a third Free Night Reward.

So if you do spend a reasonable amount of money on this card, throughout a calendar year, you will get quite a lot more value. 

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Then finally you will receive complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. 

Final Thoughts

Ok so that covers just about everything you need to know about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, Hilton Honors Aspire Amex and the Chase World of Hyatt credit card.
And as you can see, they all offer quite a lot of value. 
So let’s just do a quick recap and go back over each section to see how the cards actually compare.

Annual Fee

In terms of the annual fee the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card is the cheapest card with an annual fee of just $95.
Coming in second is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card with an annual fee of $550.
Then finally the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is the most expensive card as it has an annual fee of $650.

1. Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card
2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Sign-up Bonus

When it comes to the value of the sign-up bonus, the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card comes out on top with a sign-up value of $1,170.
Coming in second is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card with a sign-up value of $900.
And finally, the more expensive Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card provides a smaller sign-up value of just $760.

But its worth noting that the World of Hyatt card does require a much higher spend requirement than both the other cards to receive the full sign up bonus.

1. Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card
2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Earning Points

Now in terms of earning points, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has wider range of options to earn points from than both the other cards.
In second place is the Chase World of Hyatt credit card.

And in a very close 3rd place is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, which doesn’t offer quite as high points earnings on hotel stay as the World of Hyatt card offers. 

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
2. Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card
3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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Benefits and Perks

So last but not least is benefits and perks and coming in first place is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
In a close second place is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
And in 3rd place is the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card, which doesn’t offer quite as much as the other two card, but to be fair it is quite a lot cheaper on an annual basis. 

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
3. Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

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So when it comes to actually choosing the best hotel credit card for you and your family, it really depends on what you want from a card and which benefits you will actually use.  

If I were to choose one of these cards, I would personally go for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Whilst its not the cheapest card on this list, it comes with a ton a valuable benefits such as the $400 Hilton Resort Credit, which makes it a lot easier to justify the $550 annual fee.
And then the fact that you can earn 3 Free Night Rewards each year by spending $60k on the card is a really nice extra benefit to have. 

But that a just my opinion, I still think the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and the Chase World of Hyatt cards are fantastic cards that provide plenty of value.

Now if you want to learn more about the Gemini Crypto credit card and how you can earn $200 in Crypto make sure to check out my full in depth review here.