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Best Hotels for Families of 4 in Europe to Book with Points [Map]
While it is standard in the United States to find hotel rooms with occupancy of 4, it is a lot less common in Europe. This makes planning a family trip using points to Europe more challenging.
This map was inspired when we started searching in 2019 for hotels our family could book with points. The process was very frustrating! It’s not even as simple as searching for a room for 2 adults and 2 kids. Sometimes the fine print allows children under a certain age to stay for free but the room will still show as “unavailable” if you enter more than 2 adults on the website.
What surprised me most as I researched these properties is that two chains in particular rose to the top. Both IHG Hotels & Resorts and Choice Hotels had lots of properties families could choose from — many more than any other chain. A lot of their hotels offer free breakfast, too! Also surprising was the value I found from these chains. For the same price I could book a Choice Hotel in the middle of nowhere USA — I could book one in the heart of Venice.
Just starting out with credit card points? Check out my post on picking your first travel points card.
Best Credit Cards for Hotels in Europe
For the most options, get a card that will give you IHG One Rewards points or Choice Hotels points. Here are my favorites.
Best Cards for Choice Hotels
Citi Strata Premier® Card is my favorite option because the points DOUBLE when you transfer to Choice. That means if you get the 80,000 point limited time bonus — that’s 160,000 Choice points!
You can also get a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card and combine the points from both cards!
Choice Hotels has its own card as well — but due to the way Citi Thank You points double, I think these two are the best option.
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
Best perks on this are the ability to transfer to American Airlines and a 2 year extended warrany on items you purchase.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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$100 Annual Hotel Credit ($500+ Single Stay via cititravel.com) Once per calendar year, $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through cititravel.com.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 60,000 ThankYou Points (Affiliate Path) | $4,000 in 3 mo | Current (May 2026) |
| 75,000 ThankYou Points (Direct from Citi)Elevated | $4,000 in 3 mo | Current via direct application at citi.com (May 2026; timing uncertain) |
| 80,000 ThankYou Points (All-Time High)Elevated | $4,000 in 3 mo | Highest ever (Feb 2026) |
| 75,000 ThankYou Points (Page-Stated Past) | $4,000 in 3 mo | Earlier 75K offer ended April 2025 (75K now available again direct from Citi) |
| 80,000 ThankYou Points (Legacy Citi Premier)Elevated | $4,000 in 3 mo | Legacy Citi Premier offer; last 80K offer expired January 2023 |
| 60,000 ThankYou Points (Legacy Citi Premier) | $4,000 in 3 mo | Legacy Citi Premier standard offer |
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
This can be a good starter card or a good way to strategically earn extra Thank You points.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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5% Cash Back on Top Eligible Spend Category (Up to $500/Cycle) Earn 5% cash back (5x ThankYou Points) on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent. Maximum potential: $25/month or $300/year if you max the category every cycle. Categories adjust automatically based on your spending — no enrollment required.
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Pool ThankYou Points with Citi Strata Premier or Prestige to Unlock Transfer Partners Cash back earned is technically ThankYou® Points (1 TYP = 1 cent cash back). If you also hold a Citi Strata Premier or Citi Prestige, you can pool points across cards — turning the 'cash back' into points transferable to Citi's airline/hotel partners (Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, Wyndham, Choice, etc.). Without a Premier-tier card, points are cash back only.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| $200 + 4% Citi Travel Stack (Through 6/30/2026)Elevated | $1,500 in 6 mo + Citi Travel use | Current with limited-time travel portal stack |
| $200 Cash Back (20,000 ThankYou Points) | $1,500 in 6 mo | Current public; standard offer (May 2026) |
Best cards for IHG One Rewards Stays
My favorite feature of the IHG One Rewards cards is that when you have one your 4th night is free on award stays. Prices are variable on award stays so if you can get your 4th night to be the most expensive one, you’ll really save.
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
I love the annual free night certificate on this one and 4th night free when you book with points.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Anniversary Free Night (up to 40,000 Points) Each cardmember anniversary, after paying the $99 annual fee, you receive a free night certificate worth up to 40,000 IHG points. You can top off the certificate with extra points to redeem at hotels charging more than 40,000 points.
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4th Reward Night Free on Consecutive 4-Night IHG Stays Enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
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Automatic IHG Platinum Elite Status Automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember. Includes welcome amenities at IHG hotels, space-available room upgrades, and the 26x total points earning rate at IHG properties.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 140,000 Bonus Points | $3,000 in 3 months | Standard offer |
| Up to 185,000 Bonus Points (150K + 35K)Elevated | $3,000 in 3 months, then $6,000 total in 6 months | Ended June 25, 2026 |
| 175,000 Bonus PointsElevated | $5,000 in 3 months | Limited-time elevated; ended March 18, 2026 |
| 165,000 Bonus PointsElevated | Standard spend req | Ended October 2025 |
| 5 Free Nights (up to 60K per night)Elevated | Standard spend req | Ended July 24, 2025 |
| 5 Free Nights (up to 60K per night)Elevated | Standard spend req | Ended September 2024 |
| 165,000 Bonus PointsElevated | Standard spend req | Ended April 3, 2024 |
| 175,000 Bonus PointsElevated | Standard spend req | Ended Spring 2023 |
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
I prefer this to the personal version of this card since it has less of an impact on your credit score and 5/24 status.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Anniversary Free Night (up to 40,000 Points) Each cardmember anniversary, after paying the $99 annual fee, you receive a free night certificate worth up to 40,000 IHG points. You can top off the certificate with extra points to redeem at hotels charging more than 40,000 points.
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4th Reward Night Free on Consecutive 4-Night IHG Stays Enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
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Automatic IHG Platinum Elite Status Automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier Business cardmember. Includes welcome amenities at IHG hotels, space-available room upgrades, and the 26x total points earning rate at IHG properties.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 140,000 Bonus Points | $4,000 in 3 months | Standard (current as of May 1, 2026) |
| Up to 200,000 Bonus Points (140K + 60K)Elevated | $4,000 in 3 months, then $9,000 total in 6 months | Limited-time elevated; ENDED April 30, 2026 9 AM ET |
| Up to 200,000 Bonus PointsElevated | $9,000 total spend | Earlier 200K offer ended October 2025 |
| Up to 200,000 Bonus PointsElevated | $9,000 total spend | Earlier 200K offer ended May 2025 |
| 175,000 Bonus PointsElevated | Standard spend req | Ended May 16, 2024 |
| 165,000 Bonus PointsElevated | Standard spend req | Ended June 2023 |
Best cards for Marriott stays
Though it has relatively few options, the current Marriott credit card offer of 5 free nights (up to 50k per night) is an offer that can get you 5 nights in a city center in Europe. We stayed at the Residence Inn London Kensington and Marriott’s Village d’ile-de-France and had a great experience at both.
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
If you like Marriott, this is a keeper card — we find that the annual free night is easy to redeem at hotels that cost $250+ per night.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Annual Free Night Award 1 Free Night Award each year after your card account anniversary, valid at properties costing up to 35,000 points per night. Can be 'topped up' with up to 25,000 additional points from your Bonvoy account, allowing redemptions at properties costing up to 60,000 points per night.
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Automatic Marriott Bonvoy® Silver Elite Status Automatic Silver Elite status as long as the account is open. Benefits include 10% bonus on base points (1x extra at Marriott), late checkout (subject to availability), and exclusive Member Rates.
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15 Elite Night Credits Annually + 1 Elite Night Credit Per $5K Spent 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year automatically toward next status tier. Plus 1 Elite Night Credit per $5,000 spent.
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Up to $100 Airline Statement Credits ($50 Biannually) Earn up to $100 in airline statement credits each year through 6/30/2027 — a $50 credit after spending $250 on eligible airline purchases in the first half of the year, and another $50 after spending $250 in the second half. Eligible spending includes base fares, seat selection, checked bags, and in-flight purchases charged directly by the airline. No enrollment required.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 125,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night AwardElevated | $3,000 in 3 months | Current as of June 2026 |
| Up to 4 Free Nights (3 + 1 additional after $4K) + $100 Airline CreditElevated | $3,000 in 3 mo + $4,000 total in 4 mo | Launched March 12, 2026 |
| 5 Free Night Awards (Up to 50K Points Each)Elevated | $3,000 in 3 mo | Best-ever; ENDED March 11, 2026 |
| 125,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night AwardElevated | Standard spend | ENDED November 2025 |
| 3 Free Night Awards (Up to 50K Each) | $3,000 in 3 mo | Previous standard offer |
| 75,000 Bonus Points | Standard spend | Standard baseline offer |
Searching & Booking Tips
- For Choice and IHG: search for 2 adults. Some rooms actually allow 2 kids in addition to the adults. Check the fine print and call or email the hotel to confirm.
- Choice Hotels only allow you to book 100 days in advance with points. Book as close as possible to 100 days in advance to have the most room options.
- Most of the Hyatt hotels only allow a family of 4 to book if you are booking a standard or premium suite. When you search a destination, it will show points as if a standard room is available. When you actually click the hotel, it might say it is unavailable with points if you enter 4 people.
- When in doubt – you can also reach out to hotels via email or Instagram to see if they allow kids to stay in rooms for free. Fire codes are strict but sometimes a few rooms at the hotel have a larger occupancy.
Searchable Map
If you find a hotel that I’m missing or is out of date — send me an email or leave a comment so I can update it!
European Hotels that Sleep a Family of 4
brought to you by Katie's Travel Tricks
Have a favorite hotel I missed? Let me know in the comments so I can add it!
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This map is crazy helpful! Thank you!! I did notice the Residence Inn London Kensington has rooms for 4 people. Including a kitchen! And also includes breakfast :)
i’m eagerly awaiting the 2025 updates for choice hotels. I am assuming, but hoping not, that they will vary the required points needed for different room types.
I’m waiting, too, to see what they will do!
Any hotels that sleep 5? appreciate all you do!
Very few, if any, sadly. You’re best off looking at Airbnbs!