Can a hotel debit card with a sign-up bonus get you a free stay? We take a look at what's on offer...

If you want to dip your toes into the world of hotel loyalty schemes, there are three debit cards with strong introductory offers available.Each of these cards is linked to a hotel group's reward programme, which lets you earn points on your spending. You could eventually turn these into a free night stay.They're just as much about improving your status, which can unlock perks like room upgrades and complimentary breakfast.The catch is that the cards come with a hefty annual fee, making the schemes expensive to join. They're mainly aimed at frequent travellers and those already using hotel loyalty programmes.But Rob Burgess, editor of frequent traveller website Head for Points, told us that the current introductory bonuses can effectively cover your fee for the first year. If you've ever wanted to try one, now's your chance.The three hotel chains offering strong introductory deals are Hilton, IHG and Marriott Bonvoy – we examine each of these below. Each of these hotel chains operates many brands within the groupTop pick for beginners – Hilton Honors Plus debit card for guaranteed breakfastHilton Honors offers two debit cards issued by travel card provider Currensea. You link this card to your main bank account through open banking.Offer: It's boosted the welcome bonus points available on its Hilton Plus debit card from 15,000 to 50,000 points until September 7. You'll also get 35 rather than 30 'elite' qualifying nights.These improve your status – 30 points is enough to become a 'Gold' member which guarantees you complimentary breakfast on all your stays at the 10,000 hotels within the Hilton Honors scheme.Rob Burgess from Head for Points told us that this guaranteed perk makes the card a great choice for beginners. Other schemes don't offer nailed-on benefits such as this one, with perks often being subject to availability.However, while you earn 20,000 of the bonus points on your first transaction, you must then spend £2,500 in a foreign currency in the first six months to get the rest of the bonus points and qualifying nights.It's likely that only frequent travellers or those going on a long holiday will qualify for the maximum number of boosted points.Fee: £150 annuallyValue of bonus points: £165, according to Head for Points£200 worth of bonus points – Marriott Bonvoy Premium debit cardSimilarly to Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy offers two cards – standard and premium – issued by Currensea.Offer: You can earn 40,000 Bonus Points when spending £3,000 in foreign currency within the first 12 months. This gives you six months longer than the Hilton Honors card to qualify, but it's still only frequent travellers who are likely to hit this number.You must order the card before 4pm on September 15.Whether the points can earn you a free night is dependent on location and the value of the room, but you can use both points and cash to book a stay.You get 'Gold' status but the perks aren't guaranteed. For example, late checkout is subject to availability, as are room upgrades.Fee: £175 annuallyValue of bonus points: £200, according to Head for PointsThe newest scheme – IHG One Rewards and RevolutIHG One Rewards' debit card is different in that customers must sign up to digital challenger bank Revolut rather than simply link a debit card to a primary current account.There's more effort involved in shifting your banking to Revolut, but it should be easier to earn the bonus points than the two cards above.Offer: You can get 30,000 IHG One Rewards points and 15 elite night credits when spending £3,000 in the first three months. This bonus ends on August 25.The card gives you Platinum status but the best perks – such as upgrades and early check-in – are subject to availability.However, there's no requirement to spend the £3,000 in a foreign currency, so your UK spending counts towards this level. But keep in mind you must sign up for Revolut and spend through this account.The card is unlikely to be a good option for someone keen to just try hotel rewards because of the requirement to use Revolut, plus the high fee.However, there's a free option that still offers 10,000 points when spending £1,000 in the first three months, so this would be the card to choose if you want to try both a hotel loyalty scheme and Revolut.Fee: £18 a month – £216 annuallyValue of bonus points: £120 when redeeming for hotel stays (one point is worth roughly 0.4p according to Head for Points)SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEYUp to £250 cashbackUp to £250 cashback2.5% cashback when investing at least £2004.56% cash Isa4.56% cash IsaTrading 212: 0.96% fixed 12-month bonus£200 Sipp cashback£200 Sipp cashbackFund a pension with at least £20,000Up to £150 cashbackUp to £150 cashbackOpen a savings account with at least £5,000Welcome bonusWelcome bonusGet up to £200 when you invest £100Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Terms and conditions apply on all offers.