Free nights at Taj, ITC, Marriott Bonvoy and Oberoi properties when you visit India. Hotel-co-branded cards earn 8–15 points per ₹100 spent, redeemable for stays in palaces and grand chains. The annual fee is recovered in one suite night.
Hotel co-brands work for loyalists. For the rest, premium cards do better.
The HSBC Taj Platinum pays for itself: 2 welcome free nights at any Taj property + Epicure dining membership (worth ₹16,000) recover the ₹14,000 annual fee in one redemption. Best for NRIs visiting Indian heritage cities (Udaipur, Jaipur, Goa) who already prefer Taj.
Skip the co-brand. HDFC Infinia's SmartBuy multiplier earns 10x points (= 33 reward points per ₹100) when booking hotels through HDFC's portal — a higher effective rate than Marriott Bonvoy's 8 points/₹100, and points work everywhere.
Premium international cards include complimentary hotel status: Amex Platinum = Marriott Gold + Hilton Gold; Chase Sapphire Reserve = IHG Platinum (via match); Capital One Venture X = Hertz Five Star. You get late check-out, room upgrades, breakfast — without ever co-branding.
Each is its own focused page.