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.
Thrifty Traveler Premium Hotel Alerts officially launched earlier last summer. For an additional $24.99 a year, Thrifty Traveler Premium members can opt in and start getting alerts to book some of the best properties in the U.S. and across the globe using their Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, or Marriott points – or transferable credit card points. You'll also get hotel deals in each flight deal alert – including discounted paid rates!
In the months since, we've sent tons of spectacular hotel alerts to help travelers book some of the best properties all over the world this year and next. The deals range from brand-new U.S. properties to all-inclusive resorts in Mexico to incredibly hard-to-book luxury properties in Japan to island retreats in Hawaii and Turks and Caicos – all bookable with points.
Want a glimpse into what hotel alerts our members have been getting recently and where some travelers are going? These are the best hotel alerts we've sent so far.
Curious about how our hotel alerts work? Read all about it!
Awesome SLH Resorts from 130K Points
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.
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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.
We found another unicorn: Canaves Oia Suites on the coast of Santorini – one of the most sought-after hotels in the Greek Islands and a prized redemption back when it was bookable through Hyatt – was suddenly available to book with Hilton points or free night certificates.
And not just for a few dates here and there. No, our members could book the Canaves Oia Suites this summer and fall … plus wide-open availability every day from April 1 through August 15 next year!
Easily among the best properties we've seen at one of our favorite destinations – Turks and Caicos – check out this cream-of-the-crop resort: South Bank. We found gobs of award space for 130,000 Hilton points per night through winter and spring.
This newly opened property goes for $1,700 per night during the peak season. Every guest gets their very own two-story private villa (South Bank calls them “boat houses”) with a full kitchen, living area, dining area, terraces with harbor views, direct beach access, and a private boat slip.
Finally, we saved the best for last: 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
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 34K Points
Looking to stay closer to home? No problem: From New York City 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 Maui has been nearly impossible to book … until we found wide-open availability to book the Andaz Maui through next year!
While many nights would cost you 40,000 to 45,000 Hyatt points apiece, there were also plenty of off-peak rates of 35,000 points for this prized Hawaii property that typically charges $1,000 during the peak season. This is the most award space at this prized Hyatt property in Hawaii we've ever seen – and we made sure our members knew first.
In New York City this summer, Marriott officially took over the fan-favorite Conrad New York Midtown, a property with massive suites (at least by New York standards…) just blocks away from Central Park. For weeks, the reflagged Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan Midtown wasn't bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points … until we spotted award nights had opened for just 34,000 points a night!
Within a matter of hours, this property raised rates to 80,000 Marriott points a night or more! Our Hotel Alerts helped members save big on a trip to New York City.
But if you're really looking to splurge, the wait is over: The Waldorf Astoria New York is set to reopen next spring after nearly a decade of renovations. And while it will cost you a small fortune – think $1,600 or more a night – you can book it with Hilton Honors points.
Just yesterday, we were the first to spot that the soon-to-reopen Waldorf in New York had loaded plenty of nights bookable with points from September through November 2025. While it's steep at 150,000 points a night, that's still an excellent use of Hilton Honors points … or a Hilton free night certificate!
This should be one of the best hotels in the city, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan with spacious, 475-square-foot rooms. We've been tracking this property for months, and our hotel alert subscribers got first dibs thanks to this alert.
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. But we recently found incredibly rare award space from late February through late March (including cherry blossom season), plus May through August. We haven't seen this much availability in years!
There were rooms available for 30,000 points per night – and even a few off-peak nights going for as low as 25,000 points!
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 next year after it opens its doors on April 14.
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 next year starting at 35,000 World of Hyatt points a night.
New Luxury Resort in Mexico from 35K Hyatt 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 found wide-open award space from August through November 2025 bookable from 35,000 Hyatt points a night. This is a great Hyatt redemption considering peak season nights typically cost $1,000 or more.
But Hyatt isn't the only hotel chain getting in on the action down in Mexico.
The Kimpton Tres Rios in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, is an all-inclusive resort set to open next March. This should be the perfect home base to lounge on the beaches of the Riviera Maya. Availability for as low as 70,000 IHG points included peak season stays in March and April 2025.
This is Kimpton's first all-inclusive resort. And given that nights here sell for $500 or more, this would be an excellent use of IHG points.
Finally, Marriott has the brand-new Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort. This incredible adults-only, all-inclusive resort resort in Isla Mujeres (just off the coast of Cancún) recently had wide-open availability to book from 88,000 Marriott points a night.
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 Thrifty Traveler Premium hotel alerts to your membership so you don't miss out on the next deal.
