The Credit Card for Hotels is a very much US centric approach. The only major hotel chain which offers credit cards in most international markets is Hilton. IHG and Marriott had some credit card for selected markets (usually the UK) and Accor has one for its home market France.

Those agreements between credit cards / banks and companies is usually selling points to them and hoping that the customer spent money making it profitable. In Europe, the fees for consumer cards are capped by the EU. Thus making it not very profitable, which resulted in some cut backs in the earning structure. In the past, you get 1 Mile for 1 Euro with the Lufthansa credit card, now it is 1 Mile for 2 Euro spent unless you habe a business card (which is not capped, but there is a higher fee for the merchant). In so far, we will most likely not see any major credit card affiliate with a hotel chain in Europe.

In so far, I am a bit jealous to all those Flyertalkers who are able to get some perks like free nights from credit cards. This is okay. But throwing out highest status is not in favour of customers in those markes, who actually have to stay 70 nights to get Diamond. And if I spent 70 nights in a hotel, I for sure will not be a happy customers if I have to compete with occaisionally in IHG hotels staying credit card customers who demand to be treated like royalty, demand the upgrade and free breakfast and I staying 70 butt in bed night are left what's over. Hotel Chains are aware, that those approach drive some international customers away. And it might be nice to have 10 people more in a hotel because they got Diamond with their credit card, if 20 people decided to not stay there anymore.

To me a fair approach would be to give a certain number of elite nights, but not all. In so far, I too, hope, that we will not see a credit card with Diamond Status in the future.

Thus does not have anything to do with snobism (whcih comes from sine nobile), but we have the nobile principle to accept that some people have advantages due to living in a country where a credit card is offered. But is not within the nobile principle to not accept opinions of those unlucky (or lucky) to not live in those countries. Everybody is free to share his opinion. And the noble man agrees to disagree.