Hilton vs. Marriott: Which One Is Right for You?

Marriott and Hilton are two well-known hotel chains with worldwide reach. Along with plenty of properties from which to choose, both offer loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards for their customers. Choosing the chain that’s right for you is going to depend on your travel habits, including where you like to go, why you’re traveling and how often you’re on the road.

For most travelers, Hilton is likely going to be the better option for hotel stays. Although Marriott has more hotels, its loyalty program, dynamic reward pricing model and lack of elite status benefits put it behind Hilton and its Honors program.

Winner for hotel availability: Marriott

Marriott

Marriott continues to expand its footprint and to date boasts over 9,300 properties in 144 countries and territories around the world. Its hotels range from high-end options like St. Regis to value-focused options like Moxy Hotels. With 36 brands — including the ability to rent vacation homes — Marriott is sure to offer something that suits your style.

With such a large hotel chain, you’ll find properties to suit you no matter your budget. If you’re focused on luxury travel, St. Regis, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, EDITION and The Luxury Collection are considered premium properties.

Those looking for more affordable stays may want to consider brands such as Courtyard, Four Points, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, AC Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Moxy Hotels, Protea Hotels, City Express and Four Points Flex by Sheraton.

» Learn more: What makes Marriott unique?

Hilton

Although it’s still one of the largest hotel brands in the world, Hilton trails Marriott with over 8,000 properties worldwide. Among its 24 brands you’ll find luxurious properties such as Waldorf Astoria and more budget-oriented options such as Hampton by Hilton.

Even though Hilton has fewer brands and fewer properties than Marriott, it still maintains a broad selection for every type of traveler. Waldorf Astoria, LXR, Conrad, Signia and NoMad are its flagship luxury brands, while Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru and Spark are budget-friendly.

Hilton also has a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels, a collection of over 600 independently owned boutique hotels. Plus, its AutoCamp offering lets you try out cabins, tents and even AirStreams — something Marriott is lacking.

» Learn more: 7 reasons to join Hilton Honors

Winner for ease of points: Hilton

Marriott Bonvoy

Neither Marriott nor Hilton is especially great when it comes to redeeming points, but Marriott Bonvoy’s negative changes has it falling behind Hilton’s rewards program. In 2022, Marriott removed its award chart and moved to a fully dynamic pricing system for its hotels. This means that there’s no limit to the cost you could pay for an award stay because pricing is tied directly to demand.

Despite this, NerdWallet values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cent apiece, which is better than Hilton, but not by much.

It’s possible to earn Marriott points in a variety of ways, including spending on credit cards and hotel stays. Points can also be transferred over from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards® at a 1:1 ratio.

When it comes to earning points for credit card spending, you’ll max out with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, which offers the ability to earn 6x points per $1 spent on Marriott purchases.

Combine that with the 15x points per $1 spent as a Platinum elite member (a perk offered by the card), and you’re up to 21x points per $1 spent on all Marriott properties. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Marriott Bonvoy program: The complete guide

Hilton Honors

Like Marriott, Hilton has eliminated its official award chart. However, unlike its competitor, Hilton still maintains a base pricing system for its standard room rewards. These can be as low as 5,000 points per night, which means your Hilton points can be redeemed for great value.

However, if you’re unable to find a standard room reward, you’ll need to book a premium room reward instead. With no cap, these rates can run you into the millions of points per night.

Because of this, and other reasons, NerdWallet values Hilton Honors points at 0.4 cent each.

Hilton points can be earned by spending on co-branded credit cards, dining and hotel stays, among other options. Chase points don’t transfer to Hilton, but AmEx points do at a ratio of 1:2.

Otherwise, Hilton beats out Marriott when it comes to earning points for its stays. Its Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 14x points per $1 spent on Hilton stays. Combine this with the 20x points per $1 spent you’ll earn as a member with Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status (a perk of the card), and you come out with a total of 34x points per $1 spent. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Hilton Honors: The complete guide

Winner for best hotel credit card: Hilton

Hilton credit cards

When it comes to hotel credit cards, Hilton beats all of its competition — not just Marriott. This is thanks to the industry-leading benefits offered by the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, though the large welcome offers provided when applying for any of its cards don’t hurt.

The benefits of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card include:

• Complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond elite status.

• An annual free night certificate, plus the ability to earn up to two more through spending.

• 14 points per $1 spent on Hilton properties.

• $200 flight credit.

• $400 annual Hilton resort credit.

• $199 Clear Plus credit. 

Terms apply.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card does come with a $550 annual fee, but it can be worth it, especially if you can earn the following welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Marriott credit cards

Although Marriott has its share of co-branded credit cards, its top-tier card falls short when compared with Hilton’s offerings. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with:

• Up to a $300 dining statement credit.

• An annual free night certificate worth up to 85,000 points.

• 6 points per $1 spent on Marriott properties.

• Priority Pass Select membership. Enrollment required.

• $100 credit at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties with direct booking.

• Complimentary Platinum elite status. 

Terms apply.

These and several other perks come with a $650 annual fee. But the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card does lack top-tier elite status, which drops it behind Hilton’s high-end card. And while it does offer up to $300 each year in dining credits, that falls behind the $800 in credits offered by the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

Best hotel for family travel: Hilton

Hilton

When it comes to family travel, there are multiple things you’ll want to consider to make your trip easier. One of these? Food.

Breakfast at other Hilton properties is also fairly accessible, especially if you hold elite status. Depending on where you’re staying, you and a registered guest can either get complimentary breakfast or a food and beverage credit each day of your stay if you have Hilton Gold status or higher.

Considering that Hilton Honors™ Gold Status is available with a variety of credit cards, that makes it fairly accessible for families.

Additionally, if you hold the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, you’ll also have access to Hilton’s Executive Lounges, which feature all-day food and drinks in addition to breakfast. Terms apply.

Finally, Diamond elite status also entitles you to complimentary suite upgrades. While these aren’t guaranteed, potentially having more room for you and your family can certainly be of help. Hilton also has plenty of hotels with suites among its brands.

Marriott

Outside these properties you’ll need to have at least Platinum elite status to score a complimentary breakfast or a daily food and beverage credit.

Although Marriott has more hotel brands available, fewer options for free breakfast means that Hilton wins for family travel.

Best hotel for business travel: Hilton

Hilton

Although Marriott has more properties than Hilton and a wider geographic footprint, easier access to elite status for Hilton Honors members means it’s the better option when traveling for work.

Benefits such as premium Wi-Fi, Executive Lounge access, suite upgrades and complimentary breakfast can make the difference between a comfortable stay and a miserable experience, especially on a tight turnaround.

Since some of these benefits are readily available if you’re holding the right card (including The Platinum Card® from American Express) and don’t require any actual stays to acquire, business travelers can start enjoying these perks immediately. Terms apply.

Marriott

Even though Marriott has more properties than Hilton, both hotel chains are massive, which means there will likely be one or more of each hotel no matter where you’re going. But Hilton’s midtier elite status offers more valuable perks than Marriott’s, which tips the scales in Hilton’s favor.

The information related to Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.