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I’ve had a few emails recently asking for some specifics on how I search for the flights and hotels I book, what my thought processes are and what I look for when booking my various trips….so I thought I’d address these in a couple of blog posts – the first one posted last week and covered flights so, today, I’ll concentrate on hotels.
Just as yesterday, this post is aimed at those new to the miles & points game so, if you’re a veteran, this almost certainly won’t be for you….why don’t you check out what I thought of the Qatar Airways A320 Business Class cabin I tried out recently? 🙂
None of what I write below is meant to be definitive or “the right way to do things”, this is just me saying what works for me and how I do and think about things.
I generally take three kind of trip:
- Trips I take on my own
- Trips I take with Joanna and
- Trips I take with Joanna & mini-Joanna
My choice of what type of booking to make and where to stay is strongly dictated by who I’m traveling with (if anyone).
Choosing Between Award & Cash Bookings
Traveling Solo
If I’m traveling on my own I’m generally not looking to book anything high-end so I generally don’t use points. I’m more than happy with mid-tier hotels so the cash rates I’m looking at are generally low enough to make the use of points a poor redemption.
There will be instances where a destination I’m visiting is particularly expensive (New York, Auckland etc…) so, if that’s the case, I will try to use points before I pay with cash….although, recently, I haven’t had the best luck finding award nights when prices have been high.
Traveling With Joanna
I’m very unlikely to be booking a very average hotel if I’m traveling with Joanna (unless it’s a single night at an airport hotel) so, as prices are generally going to be on the pricey side, I often book these trips on points.
The InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam – too expensive to book with cash but a great use of IHG Rewards points
Having said that, I will always check the cash prices of the better hotels in a city we’ll be visiting just to make sure that there aren’t any good deals to be had (which would make a points redemption poor value) and, if there’s a chance to combine a good deal with the Citi Prestige credit card’s “4th night free” benefit, then that’s the way I’ll go.
Traveling With Joanna & Mini-Joanna
Mini-Joanna is too big to share a room with us nowadays so that adds a new element into my thinking. I’m unlikely to want to pay for a second room in the kind of hotels we like to stay at (that would be far too expensive) so, either I book a suite with points (like at the Andaz West Hollywood)…..
The Andaz West Hollywood where a suite will set you back 32,000 Hyatt points per night
….or I’ll do something completely different and book an apartment through AirBnB.
I’ve found the latter to be a particularly good way of visiting cities as a family – not only can I keep the accommodation costs reasonable while not compromising on comfort but, with our own kitchen, we can also keep down our food and drink expenses.
Choosing Which Hotel Brand To Use
Award Bookings:
There are a number of considerations here:
- Which brands are available in the location I/we wish to visit
- With which of those brands do I hold large enough points balances for the award
- With which of the available brands do I hold meaningful status – i.e. will I/we get executive lounge access, complimentary breakfast etc….
- Do I have any free nights to use up (e.g. from the IHG Rewards credit card)
I will usually default to searching for Marriott properties first as I hold top-tier status in Marriott Rewards and, as that gives me free breakfast and access to lounges, it can be a good money saver.
Breakfast in the JW Marriott Hong Kong lounge was very good and probably saved us at least $50/day
If I’m short of Marriott points I’ll usually move on to Hyatt as my second choice. Although I also hold top-tier status with Starwood I find a lot of their awards to be expensive and I prefer to use my Starpoints for airline transfers.
On of my larger points balances is in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards (thanks to my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card) and, as those transfer 1:1 to the World of Hyatt rewards program, I’m usually not short of Hyatt points.
In some instances I’ll know that there is a particular property in a location we’re visiting that stands out above the others or that I’d particularly like to visit and, if that’s the case, other considerations go out of the window and I do my best to book that property.
When I was planning a trip to Abu Dhabi there was only one property I considered – The Park Hyatt
Cash Bookings:
If I’m paying with cash I want to make sure that I get as much out of the hotel as possible so, once again, I look to book at a hotel chain which whom I have top-tier status (Marriott & Starwood) or at least a level of status that will offer me complimentary breakfast (Hilton).
Another reason I normally check Marriott rates first is because I’d like to maintain my top-tier status for another year….but I won’t pay a big premium just to stay loyal to one chain.
Price will play a big part too:
- If I’m traveling on my own I’ll forgo the trappings of status if, for example, a Holiday Inn offers a noticeably better rate than the local Marriott, Starwood or Hilton property.
- If I’m travelling with Joanna I’ll pay a premium to stay at a better quality property but I’ll make sure it’s at a property where I can make the most of my status….so that’s almost always a Marriott or Starwood brand.
The Courtyard Marriott Chelsea offered a good balance between location & price on a recent trip to New York
Bottom Line
The two main factors in determining which hotel chain I book with, what type of hotel I book and whether I use cash or points are:
- My hotel status
- Who I’m traveling with
Top-tier hotels are almost always paid for with points and I only generally stay at those when Joanna is with me.
Mid-to-lower tier hotels are almost always for paid with in cash (unless rates are unusually high) and I usually only stay at those when I’m traveling alone.
Hopefully what I’ve written above helps clear up any questions some of you had but if you think I’ve missed anything out just post your question(s) in the comments section below.
