Originally Posted by
arods3
I do a lot of flying and use aa citi cards and I collect the millage ...
Tell us you're not using the AA cards to book the travel. Especially if you're not flying on AA. Please.
I travel a lot around the US on business and I just usually go to kayak.com to book the cheapest hotel rates. Is it better to use a certain type of credit card to book hotels stays to get better benefits? Also is there a certain chain I should look for that can give me more benefits as well so if I ever make a trip over seas then I can have like 4 nights free?
Hotel chains offer elite status, similar to what airlines offer, as well as points for free stays. If you want the elite benefits, you'll need to stick with one or two chains in order to accumulate enough nights. Each chain has a section on their website talking about requirements and benefits for elite status.
If you only want free stays, you can do very well alternating between chains to earn quarterly bonuses. For example, this summer Marriott offered a free night voucher for every two stays, limit 2 vouchers. You could have then switched to, say, Priority Club, and earned at least one free night from your next 12-15 nights.
To maximize, you want to book directly with the hotel chain's website, preferably after following a "cash back" site link, and pay with that hotel's branded credit card.
Perhaps you could tell us more details about your travel patterns and goals?