For as long as I’ve been collecting points and miles, I’ve been surprisingly noncommittal when it comes to hotels.

While many of my colleagues here at TPG have a favorite hotel loyalty program, I’ve always been happy to stay wherever the location, price and redemption value make the most sense. Some trips call for a Hyatt, others for a Marriott, and sometimes an independent hotel is the better fit. There have even been periods where I wasn’t staying in hotels much at all — over the years, I’ve booked more than 50 Airbnbs.

That flexibility is part of why I’ve gravitated toward transferable rewards currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Rather than committing to a single hotel program, I’ve preferred earning flexible points and deciding later how to use them.

But lately — with plenty of upcoming travel on the calendar — I’ve started wondering whether it’s finally time to add a hotel credit card to my wallet.

Related: 4 reasons you need a credit card with your favorite hotel loyalty program

Why I’m finally applying for a hotel credit card (and the cards on my shortlist)

I have a busy travel season ahead: Colorado over the summer, New York City during Labor Day weekend and Europe with my mom this fall. Each of my upcoming trips will involve hotel stays. As such, I’ve concluded that a hotel credit card could improve the experience.

While points earned through a welcome offer could certainly help offset some of those upcoming travel costs, I’m actually most interested in a card that delivers lasting value — whether that’s through elite-status perks, an annual free night, useful statement credits or simply a hotel footprint that matches the way I travel.

After narrowing down my options, four cards emerged as the strongest contenders:

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Each offers a different mix of rewards, perks, and long-term value. Here’s how I thought through each one — and where I’ve landed so far.

World of Hyatt Card

If I were choosing based solely on points value, the World of Hyatt would probably win.

I already earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points through my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), so Hyatt feels familiar to me. I can transfer points directly from Chase, and Hyatt points are consistently among the most valuable hotel currencies available.

That made it easy to picture using a Hyatt welcome bonus on upcoming trips, particularly my visits to New York City and Europe, as Hyatt has a decent footprint in both locations.

I was also drawn to the card’s long-term benefits. The annual Category 1-4 free night certificate feels straightforward and genuinely useful, especially for someone who values benefits that don’t require much effort to maximize.

The automatic Discoverist status is more of a nice-to-have than a deciding factor, but I can see it adding small touches of value — like late checkout or occasional room upgrades (subject to availability) — that make a difference when I’m trying to stretch a trip a bit longer.

My hesitation, however, wasn’t really about the card itself — it was about Hyatt’s portfolio.

While Hyatt has expanded significantly, I kept coming back to the fact that I’m simply more likely to encounter Marriott and Hilton properties throughout my upcoming travel. As much as I appreciate Hyatt’s value proposition, flexibility is a top factor in deciding which hotel credit card to add to my wallet.

Related: 5 reasons I love my World of Hyatt Credit Card and plan to keep it for the long term

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

If Hyatt appealed to the optimizer in me, Marriott appealed to the practical side.

Unlike Hyatt, I rarely have to wonder whether there’s a Marriott where I’m going. Whether I’m traveling domestically or internationally, there’s usually a Marriott property nearby.

That matters for the trips I already have planned. As I looked at destinations like Colorado, New York, London and Paris, Marriott’s footprint became one of its strongest selling points.

The annual free night award was another major factor. It’s the type of benefit I can easily see myself using every year, which makes the card’s annual fee easier to justify over the long term.

What I liked most about Marriott, though, was how seamlessly it fit into the way I already travel.

I can picture myself earning Marriott points, redeeming Marriott points and using the card’s benefits without having to change the way I travel. There’s something appealing about that simplicity.

If flexibility were my top priority, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless would probably be my winner. However, there were still two cards I wanted to consider.

Related: Why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is worth the annual fee

Hilton Honors Surpass

Of all the cards on my shortlist, the Hilton Surpass is the one I keep coming back to.

Part of that comes down to Hilton’s reach. Similar to Marriott, Hilton has a much larger global presence than Hyatt, so I’m far more likely to encounter Hilton properties during my travels without having to plan around the brand.

The card’s automatic Hilton Honors Gold status was another major selling point. Since I don’t stay with any single hotel chain often enough to earn meaningful status organically, the idea of receiving elevated benefits simply by carrying the card was especially appealing.

I was also drawn to the up to $200 in annual Hilton credits (up to $50 in quarterly statement credits). Unlike some card perks that require careful planning to maximize, this felt like a benefit I could realistically use during normal travel.

What ultimately pushed the Surpass higher on my list, though, was the combination of low risk and long-term potential.

The card currently offers a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $150 each year thereafter; see rates and fees), making it an easy way to test-drive both the card and the Hilton ecosystem before deciding whether it deserves a permanent place in my wallet.

When I started pricing out hotels for my Europe trip, I realized Hilton had properties I would genuinely consider booking in both London and Paris. That made the Surpass feel less like a speculative choice and more like a card I could put to work almost immediately.

The card isn’t perfect. Unlike the Hyatt and Marriott cards I considered, it doesn’t come with an automatic annual free night certificate, which is arguably its biggest weakness.

Even so, I kept finding myself drawn back to the same conclusion: if my goal is to dip my toe into hotel loyalty without making a huge commitment, the Surpass feels like the most natural place to start.

It offers many of the things I liked about Marriott — namely, a large footprint and plenty of options — while also providing meaningful benefits from day one through Hilton Gold status and annual Hilton credits.

Related: 5 reasons to get the Hilton Surpass card

Hilton Aspire

Then there’s the Hilton Aspire. If the Surpass feels practical, the Aspire feels aspirational.

Of all the cards I am considering, this is probably the easiest one to admire from afar. Between automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night reward and a long list of travel credits, it’s one of the most benefit-rich hotel cards on the market.

But as much as I appreciate the card, the Aspire doesn’t feel like the right starting point for me.

At this stage, I’m still figuring out how much value I can get from hotel-card perks in general. Jumping straight into a premium card with a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees) feels like skipping a step, especially when I don’t consider myself particularly loyal to Hilton.

That’s not a knock against the Aspire — if anything, the card made me realize just how valuable hotel status and premium hotel benefits can be.

I can absolutely see myself revisiting the card in the future. If I find myself staying at Hilton properties more often and regularly taking advantage of elite benefits, the Aspire could become much easier to justify.

But for now, I’d rather start with a lower-cost option, learn which hotel benefits I actually use and then decide whether a premium hotel card makes sense down the road.

Related: 7 reasons to get the Hilton Amex Aspire Card

My final ranking

After weighing all four cards, here’s where I landed:

• Winner: Hilton Surpass, thanks to its combination of Hilton Gold status, a large global footprint and a low-risk way to test hotel loyalty.
• Runner-up: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, thanks to Marriott’s massive global footprint and easy-to-use free night award.
• Third place: World of Hyatt, though it probably would have finished first if I were optimizing purely for points and redemptions.
• Fourth place: Hilton Aspire, which offers incredible value but feels like a card I’d grow into rather than start with.

While the Surpass ultimately came out on top, I could easily see myself adding either the Marriott Boundless or the World of Hyatt Card to my wallet down the road as my travel patterns and hotel preferences evolve.

Bottom line

For years, I’ve been perfectly happy relying on general travel rewards cards and keeping my hotel options open. But as I’ve started spending more nights in hotels, I’ve realized there may be more value in a hotel credit card than I once thought.

While all four cards made compelling cases, the Hilton Surpass ultimately feels like the best balance of flexibility, practicality and long-term value.

Whether it becomes a permanent fixture in my wallet remains to be seen. But for someone looking for a low-risk entry into their first hotel credit card, it feels like the right place to start.

Related: How to choose a hotel credit card

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here.