India gets its first co-branded hotel credit card
HDFC and Marriott launched India's first co-branded hotel credit card on August 24, 2023: 8 Bonvoy points per ₹150 at Marriott properties, an annual free-night award worth up to 15,000 points, Silver Elite status and elite night credits.
On August 24, 2023, HDFC and Marriott launched India’s first co-branded hotel credit card — and it arrived with real hardware, not a token logo swap. The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank card earns 8 Bonvoy points per ₹150 at Marriott properties, hands over Silver Elite status, and includes a free-night award worth up to 15,000 points.
One first stands out globally, not just in India: it was the first credit card anywhere to earn elite night credits toward hotel status. For loyalists grinding toward Gold or Platinum, that’s a lever no other card offered.
It runs on Diners Club — HDFC’s network of choice — which means acceptance abroad can be patchy. But the core proposition is unusually clean: redeem the annual free night at a decent property and it clears the ₹3,000 fee on its own.
Our take: away from Marriott the earn rate is thin — 2 points per ₹150 — so this is a perks card, not a spend card. If you actually sleep at Marriotts, the free night makes it a keep. If you don’t, skip it.