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We’re all about world travel. But sometimes the best adventures can happen without you even fumbling around looking for your passport. These adventures are made all the sweeter when you can do it for almost nothing.
With that in mind, we’ve dug through some of the most popular hotel brands to find the best hotel points redemption for each. Whether you’re a Hilton nut heading to Hawaii, a beach bum who’s Marriott Bonvoy bonkers, or hopped up on high-value Hyatt hotels, we’ve got you covered.
We also have a serious alliteration problem.
These are the best hotels in the US you can book with points.
The best hotels in the US you can book with points: Hilton
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Price: 100,000 points/$850+
Vibe: Hawaiian heaven
The rundown: If you’re using points, you may as well go big. And it doesn’t get much bigger than the Grand Wailea in Maui. The stunning resort is one of the best in Hawaii. Dripping with luxury, and perched on an enviable beach-view spot on one of the most beautiful islands in the world, you can kick back in spectacular fashion here.
If you have a sizeable store of Hilton Honors points or maybe even a free reward night, you can stay for absolutely nothing—which is pretty epic considering it would cost at least $850 in the off-season. While 100,000 points is a lot, it still offers good value compared to dropping almost $1,000. Grab one of the Hilton co-branded cards and hit their big bonuses to get yourself on the way.
The best hotels in the US you can book with points: Hyatt
Ventana Big Sur, An Alila Resort
Location: Big Sur, CA
Price: 45,000 points/$2,000
Vibe: Coastal forest enchantment
The rundown: Arguably the best hotel on our list today, Ventana Big Sur is tremendous. From a distance, it looks like some sort of luxury adult treehouse—and you wouldn’t be far off—but it’s far more than that. This foresty, coastal hideout is one of the finest properties in the country and Hyatt makes it accessible to almost anyone.
Thanks to its ever-generous award chart, it’s possible to book this hotel for just 45,000 points. That will limit you to a standard room, but even basic is brilliant here. It’s a Category 8 hotel—the highest band for Hyatt properties—but with rates like that, you’re never far from a redemption. It’ll cost upwards of $2,000 in cash, so make the most of those points. You can open the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earn the intro bonus of 60,000 points by spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card to grab your free night.
The best hotels in the US you can book with points: Marriott
Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Location: Dorado, Puerto Rico
Price: 160,000 points/$1,300
Vibe: Passport-free paradise
The rundown: Fancy the Caribbean but still waiting for your passport to process? Don’t worry, Puerto Rico, and more specifically, Dorado Beach Resort, is there for you. This stunning off-shoot of Ritz-Carlton is a secluded paradise built for utter relaxation in one of the Caribbean’s most breathtaking places. It would typically cost around $1,300 a night for a room here.
Marriott’s rates for the Dorado aren’t as approachable as some of the others, with the best off-peak times still reaching the dizzying heights of 160,000 points. But if you can put the points together, you’re setting yourself up for an unforgettable experience. The Platinum Card® from American Express could set you on your way with its 80,000-point intro bonus, earned after spending $8,000 within six months of opening an account.
The best hotels in the US you can book with points: Accor
The Plaza
Location: New York City, NY
Price: 37,000 points+/$750+
Vibe: A true icon
The rundown: Does it get any more iconic than The Plaza? Arguably the US’ most famous hotel, this New York mainstay has been a focal point for socialites for over a century. Few hotels foster an atmosphere like The Plaza, with the Christmas season particularly special thanks to its over-the-top decorations and Central Park location.
You may not know that it’s operated by Accor, allowing you to book it using one of the most underrated loyalty programs out there. Instead of setting points rates, Accor designates 2,000 points to be worth 40 euros. That’s about $43 at the time of the writing. To work out how much you’d need, just divide the cash rate by $43, then multiply by 2,000.
The best hotels in the US you can book with points: Wyndham
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Location: Orlando, FL
Price: 30,000 points/$300+
Vibe: Disney deviation
The rundown: Wyndham is another overlooked program that commands far more power than most assume. It sets points rates in increments of 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000 based on the relative standard of the hotel. As cash rates fluctuate, some dates will have better value than others, but it still makes for a simple system.
It means you can book hotels like the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort at Bonnet Creek for just 30,000 points. While not super high-end like some of the others, it’s an excellent property ideally suited for those on a Disney trip who don’t want to be bombarded by the Mouse and his pals at every hour of the day.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
