For most of us, staying at a five-star hotel or luxury resort is out of the question … especially if you're paying cash. But that's where hotel and credit card points come in: If you know where to look (and we do), you can book a stay at some of the nicest hotels in the world without breaking the bank.
Less than a year after launching, we've sent more than 100 Hotel Alerts to Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members to help travelers book some of the best properties all over the world, ranging from top-tier, all-inclusive properties to luxury resorts in Hawaii, Mexico, and Costa Rica to incredibly hard-to-book properties in the Caribbean – all bookable with points from the big chains like Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. And Hotel Alerts have only gotten better over time: Subscribers now get hotel deals in each flight deal alert, including discounted paid rates!
Whether you're a longtime Thrifty Traveler Premium member or a first-timer, here's your chance to get flight deals and our Hotel Alerts for less. Next Tuesday, April 1, the price of that top-tier Thrifty Traveler Premium+ bundle will increase from $124.99 a year to $149.99 per year. Existing Premium subscribers can add Hotel Alerts to their plan for just $24.99 a year … before prices double next week!
Want a glimpse into what hotel alerts our members have been getting recently and where some travelers are going? Among the dozens of deals we've sent over the last few months, these are the best hotel alerts we've sent lately.
Join Thrifty Traveler Premium+ (or upgrade your current Premium account!) now before prices go up … and lock in your lower price for life!
Incredibly Rare U.S. All-Inclusive Resorts from 45K Points
You heard it right. At the top of our list are two stellar all-inclusive resorts right here in the U.S. – you don't have to go to Mexico or the Caribbean if you want to stay at one of these properties.
But booking some of the best stateside all-inclusive resorts is easier said than done … unless you have help.
Thrifty Traveler Premium+ subscribers with hotel deals recently got a deal for the Riverview Ranch Retreat, which fetches a whopping $5,600 per night if you're paying cash. This rugged-yet-luxurious all-inclusive property near Missoula, Montana had been incredibly difficult to book with points since joining up with Hilton through Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
While paying 130,000 Hilton Honors points might seem steep, that's a phenomenal Hilton redemption compared to those exorbitant cash rates.
If booking Riverview Ranch is difficult, Hyatt's prized Alila Ventana Big Sur on the coast of California is practically impossible.
With cash prices of $3,000 a night or more, this is one of the most aspirational properties for points and miles aficionados, period. So go figure, it's also one of the hardest to book with points. An alert like this is a godsend if this property is on your wish list.
You can regularly scroll through the entire calendar without seeing more than one or two random dates bookable with points. But we sent Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members a hotel alert recently with wide-open award space later this year and early next, all bookable for 45,000 points per night … or less!
5-Star Hotels in Japan from 25K Points
Even with a strong U.S. dollar, traveling to Japan can be expensive. You don't have to settle for a budget hotel when you could, instead, stay at the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills using Hyatt points.
It's one of the best points properties in Tokyo, but it's become incredibly difficult to book in recent years. Yet we recently found incredibly rare award space from late February through late March (including cherry blossom season) and again from May through August. We hadn't seen this much availability in years!
Back when we sent this alert, rooms were available for 30,000 points per night … and even a few off-peak nights going for as low as 25,000 points!
Unfortunately, this property will now cost you more points after Hyatt's latest round of award chart changes kicked in earlier this week. But one of our hotel alerts before that change took effect helped thousands of travelers lock in a cheaper stay in Japan this year.
Is Japan's foodie haven of Osaka more your vibe? We were the first to spot nights bookable with Hilton points at the upcoming Waldorf Astoria Osaka, with wide-open availability to book a stay at this property starting at 100,000 Hilton points a night this year after it opens its doors next month.
When it comes to hotels, newer is (almost always) better. That's why we're always keeping an eye on new properties and sending those deals to our customers first.
But one hotel in Japan stands above all the rest: The Park Hyatt Kyoto. It isn't just Hyatt's nicest property in Japan – it's widely regarded as one of the best Hyatt properties in the world. Unsurprisingly, that means it's next to impossible to book with points.
But that changed when we found wide-open availability to book a stay at this property this summer starting at just 35,000 World of Hyatt points a night.
All of these nights are long gone after our customers snagged them first.
Awesome SLH Resorts from 130K Hilton Points
If you ask us, Hilton pulled off the coup of the year when it stole Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) away from Hyatt, opening the door for Hilton members to book hundreds of the most impressive boutique properties around the globe using points.
Let's start with one of the hardest properties to book using points. We helped make it happen.
For 150,000 Hilton points per night, our members booked Calala Island – a near-private island experience staying in one of just a half-dozen villas off the coast of Nicaragua, all right on the beach. Fish, snorkel, paddle board, island hop, and even do private rum tastings to your heart's content – it's all included!
Get this: This resort typically costs $4,000-plus a night. You won't find a better way to redeem Hilton Honors points.
Of course, we have to talk about Hermitage Bay on the Caribbean island of Antigua. With just 30 or so villas, sterling service, and amazing food (including nightly sushi at the beach bar) all served on a picturesque beach, it's arguably one of the best all-inclusive resorts in the world. Just ask our executive editor Kyle about his recent stay!
After a recent increase, it now costs 150,000 points a night – up from the previous 130,000-point-per-night rate. But with nightly cash rates often north of $3,000, it's still one of the best Hilton redemptions on this whole list.
Top-Rated Domestic Properties from 25K Points
Looking to stay closer to home? No problem: From Florida to Hawaii, we're finding plenty of domestic properties bookable with points, too.
Let's start in Hawaii, where one of the best points properties on the beaches of Kauai was largely unavailable for a bargain … until we recently found wide-open availability to book the Grand Hyatt Kauai!
While many nights would cost you 30,000 to 35,000 Hyatt points apiece, there were also plenty of off-peak rates of 25,000 points for this prized Hawaii property that typically charges upwards of $700 or even north of $1,000 a night during the peak season.
Unfortunately, this property will now cost you more points after Hyatt's big devaluation earlier this week.
In Florida, there's a prime resort on the coast near Jacksonville where we found nights bookable for under 90,000 Marriott points all year long: The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island.
Marriott points won't get you nearly as far as either Hyatt or even Hilton. But considering this property typically charges $1,300 or more during the peak season, this is a stellar Marriott Bonvoy redemption that we sent to our subscribers.
Tropical Resorts from 35K Points
Of course, we had to let our subscribers know about the newest five-star resort on the block in Mexico: the Park Hyatt Los Cabos.
We recently found wide-open award space from July all the way through February 2026, bookable from 35,000 Hyatt points a night. This is a great Hyatt redemption considering peak season nights typically cost $1,000 or more. This brand-new luxury property in Mexico wasn't set to open until August, but recently, they opened up reservations starting as early as July 1.
But we didn't forget about the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, a favorite of Hyatt fans for years.
A few weeks back, we found plenty of nights for 35,000 Hyatt points – with off-peak nights for as low as 25,000 points available as well.
Unfortunately, this property is another victim of Hyatt's recent devaluation. That means it is now priced at 40,000 points per night for a standard night— or as high as 45,000 during peak dates.
The W Maldives just re-opened its doors to guests after an extensive renovation, and we found tons of award availability from May through December from 81,000 Marriott points per night – one of the best Marriott redemptions you'll find in the Maldives.
Compared to the $1,000+ nightly rates Marriott is charging, this is a great redemption. Your points book you into a Superior Overwater One Bedroom Villa – a rarity for points resorts in the Maldives, where you'll almost always book into a villa on the land.
New: Get Hotel Deals (Including Discounted Cash Rates) in Flight Alerts!
Our goal with Thrifty Traveler Premium+ is shockingly simple: To do all the hard work for you and help you book an entire trip with just one email alert!
That's why we now include hotel recommendations in virtually every flight deal alert that we send – and not just with award stays bookable with points, but deeply discounted rooms at four- and five-star properties as well as ways to maximize credit card perks like the Amex Platinum Card's annual $200 hotel credit or the Capital One Venture X's $300 travel credit.
After the details on how to book your flight, there's a new section called “Hotel Recommendations” with three or four hotel deals for your destination. Here's an example from an Iberia business class alert to Madrid (MAD) we recently sent our members.
Bottom Line
Over just the last few months, we've sent hotel alerts for some incredible properties in some of the most beautiful places on earth. And we're still just getting started!
Be sure to add hotel alerts to your current Thrifty Traveler Premium account – or sign up for both flight and hotel deals with a Thrifty Traveler Premium+ bundle – before prices go up next Tuesday, April 1!