Hotel credit cards vs. general points credit cards: a guide for resort vacationers

Last week we saw that most hotel credit cards don't make sense to use for everyday spend, as general points cards tend to require less spend in order to pay for free nights. One glaring exception is the American Express SPG card, which earns free nights at Starwood hotels very quickly. 

To continue on my post from last week, today I will perform the same credit card spend calculations for resort vacations instead of city hotels. 

Hilton

Cards

Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve – 3 HHonors points per dollar ($95 annual fee)

Citi Hilton HHonors Visa – 2 HHonors points per dollar (no annual fee)

Barclaycard Arrival – 2 cents per dollar towards travel ($89 annual fee, waived first year)

Hotel

Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

$595 ($119/night for 5 nights)

120,000 points per night (30,000 points/night for 4 nights + 5th night free)

Spend Required

Citi HHonors Reserve – $40,000

Citi HHonors Visa - $60,000

Barclaycard Arrival - $29,750

Winner: General Points Card

Marriott

Cards

Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa – 1 point per dollar ($85 annual fee, waived first year)

Barclaycard Arrival – 2 cents per dollar towards travel ($89 annual fee, waived first year)

Hotel

Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort

$1,145 (including taxes) per night

160,000 points

Spend Required

Marriott Visa – $160,000

Barclay Arrival - $57,250

Winner: General Points Card

Starwood

Cards

American Express SPG – 1 point per dollar ($65 annual fee, waived first year)

Barclaycard Arrival – 2 cents per dollar towards travel ($89 annual fee, waived first year)

Hotel

Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket

$575

35,000 points

Spend Required

Amex SPG – $35,000

Barclay Arrival - $28,750

Winner: General Points Card

For resort stays, it appears that general points cards, at the right earn rate, are the best value for spend. Even the Starwood card, which shined for city stays, couldn't beat the Barclaycard Arrival for resorts.