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Miles & points can let you have some pretty incredible experiences for pennies on the dollar. With airline miles you can fly almost any first or business class product in the world, as there are very few aspirational products that aren’t bookable with miles.
Hotels are a different story, though. There are a lot of great points hotels, though the reality is that many boutique and high end brands don’t belong to any of the major hotel groups with loyalty programs. That means there’s no way to redeem points for stays there, short of earning cash back through credit cards and then redeeming that toward a stay.
In this post I thought it would be fun to take an updated look at some of the points hotels that are on my list to stay it in the near future. First I want to recap some of the top points hotels I’ve stayed at in recent years, and then I’ll share my updated list.
The best points hotels I’ve stayed at recently
Over the past cfew years, I’d say the following are my favorite points hotels that I’ve stayed at:
- Waldorf Astoria Maldives (bookable with Hilton Honors points), which has beautiful villas, great dining, and is an all-around impressive property with a lot to do
- Gritti Palace Venice (bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points), which is one of Venice’s oldest properties, and has a great sense of place, though is perhaps past its prime
- St. Regis Venice (bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points), which has a great location, beautiful terrace, and feels modern and luxurious
- Hotel Maria Cristina San Sebastian, Marriott Luxury Collection (bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points), which is a historic property with an ideal location and friendly service
- Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points), which has exceptional service, and is a great use of Marriott points
- Park Hyatt Kyoto (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is a design masterpiece, and is in the heart of the action in Kyoto
- Park Hyatt Auckland (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is a lovely city hotel with a great location and amenities
- Alila Jabal Akhdar (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is one of the most scenic properties I’ve ever stayed at
- Alila Hinu Bay (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is simultaneously quite random yet also peaceful and enjoyable, with great dining
- Alila Napa Valley (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is a lovely wine country escape in the charming town of St. Helena
- Miraval Arizona (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is a nature escape that I enjoyed a lot more than I was expecting to
- Hotel Du Palais Biarritz, Hyatt Unbound Collection (bookable with World of Hyatt points), which is an incredible coastal French Palace hotel with gorgeous views and top notch dining
- Zemi Beach House Anguilla, Hilton LXR (bookable with Hilton Honors points), which is a good value getaway on points, with a stunning beach
I’m pretty pleased I managed to check all of these out, as they were on my previous list.
Points hotels I’d like to stay at
With the above out of the way, let me share some awesome points hotels that I look forward to staying at. As I plan future travel, I’ll largely use this list to decide which destination to visit next, so this also factors in my hotel elite status strategy. Since I’ve earned Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status this year, I’ll have a bit more focus on that brand than usual.
As you’ll see, these aren’t exclusively intended to be the “best” points hotels that I could possibly stay at, but rather they also overlap with the places that I hope to visit.
I’m only including properties on this list that are already open. There are plenty of new openings I’m excited about, which I won’t include on this list. For example, the Park Hyatt Los Cabos, Park Hyatt Johannesburg, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica, Waldorf Astoria London, Waldorf Astoria New York, and Waldorf Astoria Osaka, come to mind.
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
This is one of the newest Waldorf Astoria properties, and arguably is one of the all-around most exciting new points hotels out there. The property is located on a private island in the Seychelles, and rates here are regularly $2,000+ per night. The catch is that management seems to be doing everything it can to make the property unattractive to people redeeming points. It seems the hotel even created an all-new room category that’s not a villa in order to offer award availability, though at least upgrades seem to be offered.
Booking with points: 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
St. Regis Hong Kong
St. Regis is my favorite Marriott brand, partly because I like the style of the hotels, and partly because I like that St. Regis actually honors elite benefits, unlike EDITION and Ritz-Carlton. Probably the St. Regis I’m most interested in staying at is the Hong Kong property. The hotel seems to have a beautiful design, and great dining.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Park Hyatt London River Thames
The Park Hyatt brand has finally come to London, though in an unusual location. The 203-room property opened in 2024, and I’m keen to check it out. The property’s design looks beautiful, and I’ve heard good things about the elite recognition, and the pool area. However, the location is certainly a head-scratcher.
Booking with points: 25,000-35,000 World of Hyatt points per night
Park Hyatt Jakarta
Jakarta is one of the best value cities in the world when it comes to luxury hotels, and I’ve heard that the Park Hyatt Jakarta is incredible, despite its relatively low rates. I’m planning to visit Jakarta soon, and definitely plan to check out this property.
Booking with points: 12,000-18,000 World of Hyatt points per night
Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Pacific Place
Ritz-Carlton is known for its incredible club lounges, though one property really takes that to the next level. The 62-room Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Pacific Place is an all-club hotel, so all guests have access to the club lounge, offering several food presentations per day. I’m curious to experience this firsthand, and to see if this is awesome, or if it’s less impressive when everyone has access to it.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Domes Miramare Corfu
Greece is one of my favorite countries in the world, and I’d like to visit Corfu, as I’ve never been in that part of the country. Fortunately Corfu has a well regarded Luxury Collection property, and it’s even often a good value on points. I’m hoping to visit the property this coming summer.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Tambo Del Inka Peru
This is a hotel that’s not on my list because I think the hotel as such is that amazing, but rather because I still haven’t visited Machu Picchu. The fact that Marriott has good options in both Cuzco and the Sacred Valley is all the more reason to take this trip sooner rather than later.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Hotel Marqués De Riscal Elciego
While I’ve visited the major cities in Spain and have also been to many of the beach destinations, I’d like to explore more of the country. Hotel Marques de Riscal is in Elciego, and was designed by Frank Gehry. I mean, just look at the hotel — how could you not want to stay there?
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Miraval Berkshires
Miraval is Hyatt’s wellness brand, and I had an amazing stay at Miraval Arizona a bit over a year ago. Next I’d love to visit the Miraval property in the Berkshires. I love the Northeast in summer, and think could be a cool property to visit. Miraval stays include all food and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as many activities. When redeeming points you also get a $175 per person credit.
Booking with points: 57,500-72,000 World of Hyatt points per night (for two people)
St. Regis Bermuda
Bermuda has long been on my list of places to visit, though I haven’t made it there until now. Bermuda used to lack points hotels, but the St. Regis Bermuda has changed that. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this property, but it still seems like the best of the options.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Reykjavik EDITION
Admittedly Iceland isn’t a destination you usually travel to for luxury hotels, though Marriott’s EDITION brand has a property in the capital, Reykjavik. This is likely the best hotel in the city, so you can’t beat being able to redeem points for a stay there.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands
Ordinarily I wouldn’t put limited service hotels on a list of the points properties I’m most looking to stay at. However, I’ve been wanting to visit the Faroe Islands for years, and the Hilton Garden Inn seems to be one of the better properties there, so it’s where I’d like to stay. For a Hilton Garden Inn, this place looks great, in my opinion.
Booking with points: Hilton Honors has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Koenigshof Munich
Germany isn’t exactly known for its world-class hotels. Marriott Luxury Collection did recently expand to Munich, with the opening of Koenigshof, and it looks like a great property. Given the lack of other luxury points hotels in Munich, I look forward to checking this out.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Paragraph Freedom Square Tbilisi
Tbilisi, Georgia, is probably the city in the world that I’m most interested in visiting. Historically it hasn’t been a very exciting hotel market, though the recent opening of the Paragraph Freedom Square seems to set the new standard. This property belongs to Marriott Luxury Collection, and even has a club lounge, so I’d love to check this out.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
St. Regis Astana
I briefly visited Kazakhstan several years back, and only had one night in Astana. I found the city to be fascinating, and have been wanting to return. Nowadays there’s a St. Regis there, which is very reasonably priced as well. So I hope to return to the city and stay at the St. Regis in the not-too-distant future.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
St. Regis Belgrade
Serbia’s capital recently got a new level of luxury when it comes to points hotels, with the opening of the 119-room St. Regis. This is one of the more affordable St. Regis city hotels, so I’d like to check this out, as I’ve enjoyed my past visits to Belgrade.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Park Hyatt Niseko
Niseko is in a part of Japan I’ve never been to before, and there’s a Park Hyatt there that fascinates me. I actually have a confirmed trip to Niseko for this winter, so am looking forward to checking out this property. The scenery looks gorgeous!
Booking with points: 35,000-45,000 World of Hyatt points per night
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Higashiyama Niseko Village
Since I plan to visit the Park Hyatt Niseko, I also plan to check out the nearby Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which might just be even nicer. The Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand participates in Marriott Bonvoy nowadays, so it’s possible to earn and redeem points for stays at these properties.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Ritz-Carlton Nikko
I adore everything about Japan, so when you combine being in Japan with a great luxury points hotel, that’s a great combo, as far as I’m concerned. The Ritz-Carlton Nikko looks beautiful, and is a fairly short train ride from Tokyo. The hotel is set along Lake Chuzenji, so as someone who loves nature, this seems like a cool side trip the next time I’m in Tokyo.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka
Okay, I’ll be honest, I actually don’t know that much about Fukuoka and how high I should prioritize it in terms of visiting (I’d love feedback!), but it’s a place in Japan and has a great luxury points property, so for me that’s reason enough to visit. I always have a great time in Japan, so anything outside of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, sounds like a new adventure.
Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
In 2023 we saw the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne. This is a unique property, as it’s Australia’s highest city hotel, located at the very top of an 80-story tower. While I’ve heard the location isn’t ideal, the property’s facilities look great, and I look forward to checking out this hotel.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
St. Regis Cairo
You can file this one under “I’m a weirdo” more than anything. I’ve never witnessed a hotel opening that was as delayed as the one at the St. Regis Cairo. The hotel’s opening had already been delayed by years, and then the Gulf blockade happened. The hotel had been ready to open for years, but it couldn’t open because it had Qatari investors.
Fortunately the hotel did finally open, though I imagine it’s already outdated at this point. 😉 Of the properties on my list, unfortunately this one is probably most unrealistic for me to visit, given my issue with Egypt. But hey, it can’t hurt to dream, right?
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
JW Marriott Masai Mara
JW Marriott Masai Mara is located in Kenya, and is Marriott’s first luxury safari property in Africa. The resort looks beautiful and is an amazing use of Marriott Bonvoy points, given that all meals and drinks are included. I’m still puzzled by how this property ended up being branded as a JW Marriott (usually associated with large conference hotels), but that doesn’t take away from this being an awesome use of points.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
Ritz-Carlton Maldives
I’m not actually sure when I’ll return to the Maldives, though the Ritz-Carlton Maldives is the next property there I’d like to check out. It’s a great use of Marriott Bonvoy points, given how high paid rates are.
Booking with points: Marriott Bonvoy has dynamic award pricing, though you can maximize value by taking advantage of a fifth night free
North Island Seychelles
I’ll throw this one in for fun, though I doubt I’ll ever make it here. Rather puzzlingly, the $8,000+ per night North Island property in the Seychelles became a Marriott Luxury Collection property in 2019, which I can’t make sense of.
The points rates are totally different than any other Marriotts, so it’s outrageously expensive. Also not included is food/drinks or the helicopter ride to the hotel. But it doesn’t cost anything to dream, right?
Booking with points: 365,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, with the potential for a fifth night free
Bottom line
There are tons of incredible hotels that can be booked with points. I’ve had some amazing points hotel stays in the past couple of years, including with Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. There are lots of other points hotels on my radar, which I hope to check out soon.
Which points hotels do you most want to stay at? And has anyone stayed at any of the properties on my list?
