All-inclusive hotels are a fantastic deal because sometimes your meals and snacks, drinks, and entertainment are included in the price of the room.
And you can use your hotel points to get all-inclusive free award nights with many hotel chains including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Wyndham!I’ll show you popular all-inclusive hotels where you can stay free with your hotel points!
Why All-Inclusive Hotels?
Lots of folks like to stay at all-inclusive hotels because they offer an easy and relaxing vacation experience. Once you’re checked-in to your room, you can enjoy hotel amenities for NO extra cost including:
- All of your meals
- Alcohol
- Snacks
- Shows, live music, and other entertainment
For an additional fee, some hotels offer extra activities like guided tours, diving packages, and shopping. For folks who enjoy cruises, all-inclusive hotels offer a similar experience.
What’s included in the rate varies, so be sure to read the fine print. And check reviews on a site like TripAdvisor to read what others have said about the quality of the beach, drinks, food, and service.
These hotels are often in relaxing or romantic beachfront locations like on the coasts of Mexico and the Caribbean. Some are adults-only, while others are great for the whole family.
If you want an experience where you plan to stay on the hotel grounds and swim, tan, or lay out, you might consider staying at an all-inclusive hotel because they can be a fantastic deal. Especially when you don’t pay anything extra out-of pocket!
Some hotels have a private beach, or section of the beach they care for. So you can usually expect a well-maintained and clean beach area to enjoy.
And some offer shuttle service to local attractions and shopping, so be sure to ask if you want an excursion into town.
When it’s time to leave, ask if you can leave your bags at the front desk after you check-out. That way you can enjoy a few more hours of sun…and food! It never hurts to ask!
And to really stretch your stay, consider mixing-and-matching an award stay with an Airbnb rental. That way you can splurge at an all-inclusive, then spend more time getting to know the city once you’re off the hotel grounds (and you’ll have a nice tan, too!).
All-Inclusive Hotels You Can Book With Points
Let’s look at a few popular hotel chains, and their all-inclusive hotels where you can stay using your points!
1. Hilton
Link: Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card
Link: Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express
Link: Which Hilton Card Is Right for You?
Hilton has the most all-inclusive hotels available to book with points. And right now, there’s an 80,000 Hilton points sign-up bonus on the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express card!There are hotels all over the world, including:
- Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Jamaica – 70,000 Hilton points per night
- Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort, Mexico – 50,000 to 60,000 Hilton points per night
- Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort, Egypt – 20,000 Hilton points per night
- Hilton Hurghada Plaza, Egypt – 20,000 Hilton points per night
- Hilton Marsa Alam Nubian Resort, Egypt – 20,000 Hilton points per night
- Hilton Sharks Bay Resort, Egypt – 20,000 Hilton points per night
And there are lots of ways to earn Hilton points!
Nights at the Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort cost $469, or 60,000 Hilton points in April 2016. But of course your points are worth much more because everything is included.
Your points cover everything – there is no out-of-pocket expense when you redeem your Hilton points at their all-inclusive hotels (except maybe for tips – always be sure to check each hotel’s policy about tipping for good service).
There’s usually a maximum of 4 people per room, but find out for sure before you book.
And, you’ll pay more for add-on services like premium alcohol, airport transfers, and golf green fees. Review the policies at the hotel you select to see exactly what’s included in the room rate.
2. Hyatt
Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Link: Ink Plus Business Credit Card
Link: Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Link: Chase Freedom
Link: Chase Hyatt
Hyatt has a small but well-chosen selection of all-inclusive hotels in great destinations including:- Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, Mexico – 20,000 Hyatt points per night
- Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – 20,000 Hyatt points per night
- Hyatt Zilara Cancun, Mexico – 25,000 Hyatt points per night
- Hyatt Ziva Canun, Mexico – 25,000 Hyatt points per night
- Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Jamaica – 25,000 Hyatt points per night
- Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Jamaica – 25,000 Hyatt points per night
Two nights at the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall in Jamaica cost ~$1,328 or 50,000 Hyatt points in April 2016.
Room rates are based on single or double occupancy. At the 20,000 point hotels, you’ll pay an extra 10,000 points per night per person. And at the 25,000 point hotels, it costs an extra 12,500 points per night per person. All hotels have a maximum of 4 people in a room.You can also pay more points for a suite, or more cash for a Club Room, which includes premium drinks, access to the Club Lounge, and discounts on spa services.
Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for Free Nights at Hyatt All-Inclusive Hotels
The 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards point sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is enough for 2 nights at any of Hyatt’s all-inclusive hotels.You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, or (no longer offered) Chase Ink Bold card.
If you have the Chase Freedom or Chase Ink Cash cards, you can combine your points and transfer them to Hyatt as long as you have 1 of the other cards!
Or Earn Free Nights With the Hyatt Card
And you’ll earn 2 award night certificates when you open the Chase Hyatt card and complete the minimum spending requirements. If you and a partner both get the card, you can get 4 free nights total!
Here are my tips about how to decide which room is right for you, and how to book award nights at Hyatt all-inclusive hotels. And here are 5 great hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico you can book with Hyatt points, including a few all-inclusives!
3. IHG
Link: IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card
IHG‘s all-inclusive hotels are also available to book with points with no additional cash, including:- Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Montego Bay, Jamaica – 35,000 IHG points per night
- Holiday Inn Cancun Arenas, Mexico – 35,000 IHG points per night
- Holiday Inn Los Cabos, Mexico – 35,000 IHG points per night
- InterContinental Presidente Ixtapa Resort, Mexico – 50,000 IHG points per night
Rooms rates are based on single or double occupancy, with a maximum of 4 people per room. There’s an extra charge for the 3rd and 4th person, which varies based on the hotel but starts at $75 per day.
Two nights at the Holiday Inn Los Cabos is ~$706, or 70,000 IHG points.
Remember you get 1 free night certificate each year you renew your Chase IHG Rewards Card to use at ANY IHG hotel.
And if you need more IHG points, you can transfer 1:1 from Chase Ultimate Rewards. Although I prefer to transfer to other travel partners like United Airlines, Hyatt, or Southwest because the same number of points is worth more Big Travel.
But if you need to top off your account, this is a fast way to get more points for an award night redemption.
Here are my tips on how to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to fly to the Caribbean and Mexico!
4. Wyndham
Link: Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards
You can redeem ANY Wyndham hotel for 15,000 Wyndham points per night. And the sign-up bonus on the premium Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards is sometimes 45,000 Wydham points, which is enough for 3 nights at Wyndham’s all-inclusive hotels, worth over $1000, including:
- Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, Bahamas
- Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach, Dominican Republic
- Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, Dominican Republic
- Viva Wyndham Tangerine, Dominican Republic
- Viva Wyndham V Heavens, Dominican Republic
- Viva Wyndham V Samana, Dominican Republic
- Viva Wyndham Azteca, Mexico
- Viva Wyndham Maya, Mexico
So it might be worth waiting for the higher sign-up bonus on the Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards to come back again!
You can have up to 4 people in a room with no additional points needed. If you pay in cash, however, you’ll pay depending on how many people are with you. So if you bring a partner, spouse, or little ones, your points are worth even more!
For example, you’d pay $1,275 or 45,000 Wyndham points for 3 nights at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace in April 2016.
Remember, most everything is included in the price! You can see live shows…
…play with the kids… …or simply relax!Bottom Line
It’s easy to redeem your hotel points to stay at all-inclusive resorts run by Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Wyndham hotels for unforgettable vacations. Save hundreds of dollars (or more!) with your points!
Folks like all-inclusive hotels because meals, snacks, alcohol, and entertainment are included in the price. Be sure to read the fine print to see exactly what’s included in the room you want to book, and how many people you can have in the room. And some hotel chains, like Hyatt, let you pay more points for premium rooms or suites.
All-inclusives can be a fantastic deal, especially if you want to fly to somewhere warm and spend most of your time relaxing.
Let me know if you’ve stayed at any of these hotels, or if you’re planning a trip!