How to book the world's greatest hotels with points | Coffee Break Ep28 | 10-1-24
Oct 1, 2024
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In this engaging discussion, Greg, a points and travel expert, reveals how to snag the world's top hotels with your points. He dives into the Travel and Leisure Top 100 list, highlighting stunning properties you can book affordably. Discover game-changing strategies for brands like Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton, plus tips on utilizing Citi rewards for maximum value. Greg also sheds light on Choice Privileges and exclusive hotel partnerships, ensuring you get the best bang for your buck when traveling.
Travelers can effectively utilize points to book luxurious hotels, with 28 of Travel and Leisure's Top 100 properties available for redemption.
Leveraging partnerships between credit card rewards and hotel programs can offer unique opportunities for substantial savings on high-value stays.
Deep dives
Maximizing Hotel Stays with Points
Utilizing points to book hotel stays can deliver significant value, especially when considering lists of desirable hotels. A thorough examination of Travel and Leisure's top 100 hotels revealed that 28 of them could be booked using points, offering many options for travelers. Major hotel chains such as Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG provide numerous properties that allow bookings with points, often featuring promotions like free night certificates or offers that enhance point redemption value. For instance, Marriott’s fifth-night free option or IHG’s fourth-night free benefit can yield substantial savings when planning longer stays.
Unlocking Premium Experiences
Booking through loyalty programs can unlock not just standard rooms but a wide array of options, including luxurious suites. The Leaders Club program offers a flexible way to apply points based on cash rates rather than being confined to the availability of standard rooms, enabling access to the best offerings at high-end hotels. Moreover, joining Leaders Club is free and provides extra perks like early check-in and late check-out, enhancing the overall hotel experience. This flexibility and added benefit make using credit card points a worthwhile consideration for travelers seeking premium hotel experiences.
Alternative Paths for Significant Savings
Certain partnerships between credit card rewards and hotel programs open up unique opportunities for booking high-value stays. For example, transferring Citi points to Preferred Hotels allows access to properties where points redemption can lead to exceptional deals, like booking a room valued at $600 for only a fraction of that in points. This strategy particularly shines when engaging in a status match with Preferred Hotels, enabling travelers to benefit from elite status perks. Overall, these creative approaches to leveraging credit card points can lead to substantial savings and improved travel experiences.
We all get especially excited when we use our points for knock-your-socks-off hotel properties. The Travel and Leisure's Top 100 list can be a useful way to get ideas about which properties have this wow-factor. Every year, Greg likes to go through this list and find which hotels can be reasonably booked with points. In this episode, he'll discuss his findings.
(00:49) - The Best Points-Bookable Hotels in the World (2024) [based on Travel & Leisure Top 100]
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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