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 in July. 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.
In just a few, short months we've already 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 elegant new resorts in Mexico to incredibly hard-to-book luxury properties in Japan to island retreats in the Maldives and French Polynesia – 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.
Curious about how our hotel alerts work? Read all about it!
Top Resorts in the Maldives & Beyond for Under 150K Hilton Points
At Thrifty Traveler Premium, booking luxury experiences using points is our bread and butter. And in just the last few months, we've dug up some stunning hotel redemptions to some of the best destinations on Earth.
After Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) moved away from Hyatt to Hilton, this opened the door for Hilton members to book hundreds of the most impressive boutique properties around the globe using points.
We've been keeping an eye on the award space, and one of our favorite destinations for finding luxury properties is definitely the Maldives. Take for example, this cream-of-the-crop Hilton resort property: Huvafen Fushi Maldives.
The Maldives are notoriously, exorbitantly expensive: This resort normally costs $1,600 or more a night, making it a fantastic way to redeem Hilton points (or free night certificates). So when we found widespread award availability – including over the Maldives' dry season from December to April – bookable for 150,000 Hilton points.
Best of all, these award bookings even include roundtrip speedboat transfer from the airport to the resort – another massive savings in the Maldives!
If Mediterranean islands are more your thing, we also sent out a hotel alert featuring a certified unicorn: the Canaves Oia Suites on the coast of Santorini. When one of the most sought-after hotels in the Greek Islands was suddenly available to book with Hilton points or free night certificates, we didn't hesitate to let our members know.
And we're not talking about just a few dates here and there. We found wide-open award space for our members to book the Canaves Oia Suites next spring and summer!
Get deals like this in your inbox – add Hotel Alerts to your Thrifty Traveler Premium membership for $24.99 a year!
We certainly wouldn't be willing to shell out thousands of dollars per night to stay at these island resorts – but when they're bookable with points, that's a different tory.
New Marriott Resorts for Under 100K Points
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.
There have been a few gems bookable using Marriott Bonvoy points. Let's take a look at our favorites…
For just under 85,000 Marriott points per night, our members booked the Westin Bora Bora – the former Le Méridien Bora Bora that was newly renovated and features overwater villas equipped with direct floor views of the marine life below.
The best part? This resort would routinely costs $1,600-plus a night. You won't find a better way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points.
If a trip to Mexico is on your wish list, the brand-new Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, is worth your attention. 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.
Award bookings here include a stay in one of the property's elegant, balcony rooms and include unlimited food and drink at one of the five Mayan, Mexican, and European fusion restaurants onsite. Rooms here typically run north of $800 a night, making this a great use of Marriott points.
Five-Star Hotels in Japan from 25K Hyatt Points
Even with a strong U.S. dollar, traveling to Japan can be expensive. While lodging might seem like an obvious place to save, you don't have to settle for a budget hotel when you could, instead, stay at a Park Hyatt using points.
The Park Hyatt Kyoto 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 last month, when we found wide-open availability to book a stay at this property starting at 35,000 World of Hyatt points a night.
Is Tokyo more your vibe? We recently found incredibly rare award space for next summer at the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills. From June through August 2025, there were rooms available for a standard, 30,000 points per night – and even a few off-peak nights going for as low as 25,000 points!
Located just minutes away from Tokyo Tower and other popular attractions, this hotel offers double twin bedrooms equipped with customizable partitions, a soaking tub, a complimentary minibar, and sweeping views of the Tokyo skyline. Considering peak season nights typically cost $800 or more, this is a solid Hyatt redemption for your next trip to Japan.
Think you don't have Hyatt points needed to book these deals? Think again! If you're earning Chase Ultimate Rewards on cards like the *chase sapphire preferred*, you could transfer them to Hyatt to book a few nights at this property.
New Luxury Resort in Mexico under 90K IHG Points
We didn't forget about InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) properties! For less than 90,000 IHG points, you could book a stay at one of IHG's top brands…
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 included peak season stays in March and April 2025.
This is Kimpton's first all-inclusive resort. And given that nights here are currently going for $500 or more, this would be an excellent use of your IHG points.
Bottom Line
In recent months, we've sent hotel alerts for some incredible properties in some of the most beautiful places on earth, like the Maldives, Bora Bora, Santorini, and more. But we're 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.
