How I Saved $100 on Hotel Stays With My United Credit Card

Not every hotel stay I book is at a chic destination or resort, and this is when I have found that one of my niche credit card benefits comes in clutch.

When planning 2 road-trip stays that required more of an “off-the-freeway” type of hotel, this new benefit to my United co-branded credit card recently helped me save $100. For stays where I typically wouldn’t earn hotel loyalty rewards anyway, the savings can be substantial.

If you have hotel credits lurking on your credit cards that might otherwise go unused, here’s your calling to plan ahead for your next spur-of-the-moment trip.

Which United Credit Cards Receive Hotel Credits?

Most United credit cards offer statement credits for United Hotels or Renowned Hotels and Resorts, first added in mid-2025.

United Hotels

The United℠ Explorer Card and the United℠ Business Card have up-to-$100 in annual credits with United Hotels, which is powered by Hotels.com.

United Hotels operates as an online travel agency (OTA) offering thousands of hotels. United MileagePlus members earn 2x miles on bookings through the portal, on top of the miles you’ll earn by using your card.

The United Hotels credits are redeemable as 2 separate credits of up to $50 each. There are no time constraints (such as having to use 1 in the first half of the year and the other in the second half), so they could easily be used in separate bookings made back-to-back.

Renowned Hotels and Resorts

These cards have up to $200 in credits with Renowned Hotels and Resorts, which is powered by Chase Travel:

• United Quest℠ Card: Up to $150 in annual credit
• United Club℠ Card: Up to $200 in annual credit
• United Club℠ Business Card: Up to $200 in annual credit

These credits can be consumed all at once, rather than being split into 2 credits, as with the United Hotels credits.

Renowned Hotels and Resorts is similar to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Edit by Chase Travel, and Capital One Premier Collection, meaning the hotels are more premium, have a higher nightly rate, and include special benefits that mirror elite benefits.

Renowned Hotels and Resorts bookings receive daily breakfast for 2, $100 property credit (includes dining, spa, or other activities at the property), room upgrade at check-in (upon availability), and early check-in and late checkout (upon availability).

How I Used the United Hotels Credit Benefit on 2 Vacations

I have the United Business card, which I primarily applied for to utilize its United benefits (such as United Club passes, free checked bags, and priority boarding).

However, in over 6 months of having the card, I’ve only flown United once. What I have found myself utilizing more are the card’s lifestyle and travel credits: up to $100 in United Hotels credits, up to $100 of ride-share credits, and up to $120 in Instacart credits annually.

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United℠ Business Card

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A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

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United℠ Business Card

A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Up to 110,000 miles + 2,000 PQP

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,320

Annual Fee

$150

APR

19.74% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The United℠ Business Card is a compelling option for traveling business owners that are also frequent United flyers. Not only will this Chase business card help you earn more United miles, but it also offers great perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, a discount on inflight purchases, and much more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8x miles per $1 on United flights
• 2x miles per $1 on other United purchases
• 2x miles per $1 on dining

Cons

• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
• Other United cards are more rewarding for United purchases

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Card Highlights

• Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• $150 Annual Fee.
• NEW! 8x total miles on eligible United flights.
• 2x miles on all other eligible United^® purchases. 2x miles on dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting.
• 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster.
• Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal Chase United^® credit card.
• Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
• NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

I had 2 trips recently where I needed to book just 1 night each. Redeeming points or finding a cheap rate that aligned with a loyalty program wasn’t feasible for these locations or dates, which is typically when I start searching for the most reasonable properties near where I want to stay.

In both cases, I needed a hotel that was a short distance off the freeway. For the first stay, a Days Inn was ideal, and I don’t collect Wyndham Rewards points. For the second stay, I booked a Candlewood Suites. While I have a chunk of IHG One Rewards points, $50 in savings on a $110 stay was more valuable than earning a handful of points.

Searching for hotels via the United Hotels portal was intuitive and just like using any other OTA. I input my destination, dates, and number of travelers. Once the search results were populated, I could further refine them by property name, amenities, location, price, and even the reviews.

After both bookings, the credits were posted to my account within a day or 2 and were easily identifiable in my Chase account.

I also earned 2x miles on the card for the entire balance for each stay (before the $50 credit) via Chase and separately earned 2x miles for booking with United Hotels via my MileagePlus account.

Why I Haven’t Used the Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit

I’ve found the United Hotels credits extremely easy to use, though I’ve found it challenging to maximize the up to $150 credit for Renowned Hotels and Resorts on my husband’s United Quest card.

I love to save money, and credits that reduce my out-of-pocket costs are fantastic. However, because of the premium nature of the hotels in this collection, they tend to cost several hundred dollars per night and are only located in select cities.

For the handful of cities I’ve searched, these are primarily downtown properties that charge for parking or are valet only. Those additional fees, combined with the high nightly rates, have made using the credits unfeasible for me (thus far).

Final Thoughts

The United Hotels credit is a benefit of my new United Business card that I didn’t anticipated using, but I quickly received $100 back in just a few months. I now analyze each credit benefit associated with my collection of cards to understand how to use them effectively and what the requirements are, so nothing is left on the table.

Maximizing the value of my annual fees through these benefits helps me justify keeping specific cards. Benefits like the up to $100 United Hotels credit on my $150-annual fee United Business card are effortless to use and deliver a fantastic return, making it easy to consider renewing the card for another year.