You Told Me Where You’re Going, I’ll Suggest Where to Stay With Points!

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    You shared amazing trip ideas during our most recent blog giveaway!  I love hearing about how you use miles & points to make memories and share your love of travel with the folks closest to you!

    Where Will Your Miles & Points Take You Next?

    In the giveaway, we asked, “Where are you planning to fly next using miles & points?”

    We received over 1,000 entries!  We really appreciate your enthusiasm and love interacting with y’all!

    Remember, we’ll announce the winner this Saturday, March 26, 2016.  Good luck!

    In the meantime, it sounds like many of you have awesome trips planned using your miles.  So here are some suggestions on where to stay with your points!

    Traveling in the US

    One of the best things about collecting miles and points is being able to visit friends and family.  And lots of folks mentioned they’d be doing just that!

    A few summers ago, Emily and her mom went to 4 states in less than 4 weeks, visiting friends and family for (almost) free!

    Million Mile Secrets Twitter follower @wonghy is going for parent-son time in Cleveland.  If you haven’t been already, 1 of my friends suggests visiting the Great Lakes Science Center along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

    And @bigdogtickets is headed to Minneapolis for a wedding!

    @HungryHappening is going to Colorado then to Africa using American Airlines miles!

    If you’re visiting Beaver Creek, Colorado, a great spot to book with Starwood points is the The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa At Beaver Creek Mountain.

    Relax in the Mountains of Colorful Colorado at The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain

    I included this hotel in my list of hotels in the US to splurge on with Starwood points.  Colorado is a great spot for outdoorsy folks who like to ski and hike!

    And Rob P @1976rrp is headed to Sin City!

    Rob could stay at a number of MGM hotels using Hyatt points.  That’s because you get the benefits of both memberships if you’re a Hyatt Gold Passport member AND an M life (MGM’s loyalty program) member when staying at participating M life hotels in Las Vegas (and any Hyatt hotel worldwide).

    You can also transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt when you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold (no longer available) cards.

    Reader Rob P Can Use Hyatt Points to Stay at MGM Hotels in Las Vegas

    Elisabeth @egood33 tweeted she is going to Virginia to visit family!

    And Karl Pfeifer @Colin999999 tweeted that he was going to Florida using miles.  I’m not sure where in Florida he’s going, but there are a lot of fantastic vacation spots there!

    Last summer I wrote about a few awesome Florida beach locations where you can use your Starwood points.

    Karl could stay at the luxurious St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami.  Or head down to Key West and stay on the waterfront at the Sheraton Suites!

    The Sheraton Suites Is Across the Street From Smathers Beach in Key West

    Emily and I went to Key West a few years ago, and had great time snorkeling and biking around the island.

    Emily Getting Some Sun Near the Beautiful Blue Water in Key West!

    Hawaii is another popular vacation spot in the US.  And Million Mile Secrets Twitter follower Sarah @stigay wants to use her miles to visit the Islands!

    I’ve written about a number of amazing hotels in Hawaii.  And how to decide where to stay in Hawaii with hotel points.  Here are a few posts with suggestions on where and how to stay for free.

    Sarah could stay for free at the Westin Moana Surfrider on Waikiki Beach with Starwood points.  Or even the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Maui with Marriott Rewards points!

    Experience Endless Ocean Views From the Pool at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

    Emily and I haven’t been to or written about every hotel in the US. 🙂  That’s why we love hearing about your experiences!

    If you’re looking for hotels in specific cities, here are 2 tools to help you find award nights.

    AwardMapper is a quick search tool because it shows you hotels you can book with points in a certain city.  And lists the number of points it costs per night.

    But I like Hotel Hustle even better because it will show you if award nights are actually available.  And you can set up alerts to get an email if a room opens up!  It’s a great time-saver. 

    Traveling to Central America

    A few readers made plans to visit Central America using their miles!

    Last year I told you about Southwest Airlines’ new destinations, and mentioned a few places to stay in Central America.  Including hotels in Costa Rica!

    Jeff P commented that he’s taking his wife to Costa Rica for her 50th birthday.  And Joy @joysum tweeted she plans to use her miles for a flight there too!

    They could use Marriott Rewards points to stay at the fantastic Hotel Punta Islita, Autograph Collection.  I recently included this hotel in a list of terrific Marriott hotels in Central & South America.

    How About a Relaxing Vacation in Costa Rica?

    Traveling to Europe

    Jay Hawk @jayhawknj tweeted that he was flying to Europe with his miles!  I’m sure he’ll have a great time, especially because he’s using his points & miles to fly for free!

    Nick O, @EJSwank, and @PhillipEmerson all mentioned they were traveling to Italy.
    Getting to Europe for Nearly Free Means You Can Splurge on a Waterfront Meal in Venice!

    Emily and I have spent time in lots of places in Europe, and we loved Italy!  Here’s our trip report from our vacation there.

    Check out these posts for how to stay for free in spots like Florence, Venice, and Rome!

    Reader Giulio is planning a visit to Prague.  I recently wrote about using Starwood points for a Cash & Points stay in Prague at the Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel.

    A friend of mine says you must visit Prague Castle, cross Charles’ Bridge, and stroll through Old Town.  The Jewish Ghetto is full of history.  He also highly recommends Hemingway Bar for exceptionally delicious cocktails!

    The Augustine’s Courtyard at Night

    And we can’t forget Paris, one of Emily’s favorite cities.  Reader Allen @abenusa tweeted he had a trip planned to the city of love. 🙂

    If Allen is looking for a luxury hotel, he could stay at the Park Hyatt Paris – Vendome.  Emily and I stayed here on our trip to France a few years ago.

    It’s a $1,000+ per night hotel!  But you can stay here for free with 2 free nights from the Chase Hyatt credit card sign-up bonus.  

    Emily Enjoying a Treat at La Fromagerie in Paris!

    Club Carlson also has a number of nice hotels in Paris.  Including the Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan Paris.

    Stay at the Stunning Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan in Paris

    Traveling to the Maldives

    We had a few Twitter followers tell us about the trips they’ve planned for the Maldives.  It’s a long way away.  But miles and points really can take you wherever you want to go!

    We spent 5 nights using Hilton points at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island when we visited the Maldives.

    The hotel is only accessible by seaplane, which was a fun experience!

    Feeling Adventurous? Hop on a Seaplane to Fly to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

    Traveling to Asia & Australia

    Our Twitter followers Steve H and Thomas let us know they’d be using their miles to fly to Australia.

    I took a last-minute trip to Australia just a few months ago to surprise my mom!  We had a great time exploring Sydney and stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney.

    Views of the Sydney Opera House From the Park Hyatt Sydney

    If you’re headed there for a vacation, check out these posts for tips on how to get free hotel nights:

    Jib @rungnapha on Twitter is going to Thailand using points & miles.

    Jib might want to consider the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa.  And could use the current Chase Marriott Premier card’s 80,000 point bonus to stay 2 nights for free!

    The Beautiful Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa Is Located on Mai Khao Beach

    Traveling to India

    Twitter follower Abdullah Ansary @doolie78 is planning a trip to Jaipur.  I bet it will be a great time because India is 1 of Emily’s top 5 places she’s ever been!

    She loved it because it was different from anywhere else she’s traveled.  You can read about the trip here.

    We Tried the Local Rajasthani Version of Thali in Jaipur. Everything Was Flavorful and the Portions Were Huge!

    We stayed at the ITC Rajputana, but there are lots of other chain hotels in Jaipur where you can stay using points.  For example:

    The ITC Rajputana Hotel in Jaipur Was Gorgeous – and Only Costs 4,000 Starwood Points per Night!

    Collecting Hotel Points

    If you don’t have enough points, here are some ways to quickly increase your point balances!

    Best Western

    Club Carlson

    Choice Hotels

    Hilton

    Hyatt

    IHG

    Marriott / Ritz-Carlton

    Starwood

    Wyndham

    Bottom Line

    Y’all are the best blog readers in the world.  And we love hearing about your travel plans!

    You’re going to so many exciting places using miles, like Australia, Europe, India, and Hawaii.  Please share where you stayed using points!  Or other frugal options like Airbnb!

    I hope you all have great trips.  And that you’ll tell us about your adventures when you return!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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