Thrifty Traveler now has hotel alerts to help you find great points deals
We love to tell you about airfare and award alerts that can save you money on your travels. Thrifty Traveler is one of the companies we frequently use to uncover those deals. Recently, it added hotel alerts to its Thrifty Traveler Premium service perks.
The optional add-on, available exclusively for Premium Flight Alert subscribers, costs an additional $24.99 per year (an annual subscription of Thrifty Traveler Premium is $99.99). Subscribers to the add-on will get a heads-up on award and points deals on some of the world's top hotels and resorts.
For now, Hotel Alerts will focus on accommodations that are bookable with points from the Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott brands. According to Thrifty Traveler, its team will search globally for award availability at top-rated hotels, brand-new properties and all-inclusive resorts. Once it finds a deal, it will send out an alert and let subscribers know when they can book with points. If you subscribe, you can expect one to two weekly alerts.
Early adopters have already received a tip-off to some great deals. They include:
- Availability at the bucket list-worthy Conrad Bora Bora Nui resort in French Polynesia, bookable with Hilton points for a trip during peak season.
- Award nights through spring 2025 at the Luxury Hotel Collection Midtown Manhattan, bookable for just 34,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That's about a third of what it would take to book now.
- Stays at the all-inclusive Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, with availability for the fall and spring of next year from 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
Each hotel deal alert will include detailed reservation instructions, advice for transferring credit card points and other useful travel tips to help you plan your trip.
"We've built Thrifty Traveler Premium to help members find the cheapest fares and award flights, but we know travelers are increasingly looking for savvy ways to redeem their hotel points and use credit card perks, too. That's what these new Hotel Alerts are all about," Jared Kamrowski, founder and CEO of Thrifty Traveler, told TPG in a statement.
Another great example of Thrifty Traveler's Hotel Alerts is availability at the Kimpton Virgilio. This new luxury property in Mexico City costs less than 60,000 IHG points per night; if you're paying cash, it typically costs around $600 per night.
The alerts also tipped off subscribers to points availability at Hilton's Canaves Oia Suites in Santorini, Greece. The hotel was earmarked at 140,000 Hilton points per night. While that is a lot of points, this resort typically costs $1,600 per night.
Hotel Alerts are only available to Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers; the service is not sold separately. First-time Premium subscribers can add Hotel Alerts to their plan after signing up for Flight Alerts. Current Premium members can opt-in by logging into their online account and selecting "Hotel Deals" in the main menu.
To sign up, visit ThriftyTraveler and follow the registration instructions.
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TPG featured card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.