The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Nick Ewen is TPG's editor-in-chief and helps readers leverage credit cards (he has more than 25 of them) and loyalty programs to travel more for less. He's been at TPG for over 11 years.
March 23, 2025 • 9 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
The article outlines common mistakes travelers make when redeeming hotel points for award stays, such as missing out on bonus nights and not considering points-and-cash options.
It highlights the importance of checking both revenue rates and resort fees before booking, as these can impact the overall value of your redemption.
Transferring hotel points to airline partners is generally a poor value, except for some unique cases within specific programs.
Elite status, often accessible through certain cards, can unlock valuable benefits like free nights and room upgrades.
What to consider
Some bonus night benefits require elite status or specific cardholder status, and eligibility rules may change in the future.
Resort fees may still apply on award stays with certain programs, potentially adding significant costs per night.
Cancellation policies vary by program, and failing to cancel within the required window can result in substantial charges.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed strategies for maximizing hotel points redemptions and avoiding costly pitfalls in award bookings.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
As the saying goes, “Everyone makes mistakes.” This applies to many aspects of life, including using your hotel points. Even the most seasoned award traveler can slip up, resulting in a less comfortable room, extra costs or even the inability to travel.
Fortunately, the most common mistakes when booking hotel award stays are easy to avoid. In this guide, I’ll discuss some common errors and explain how to ensure your future redemptions go as planned.
Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott Bonvoy members get the lowest-points-value night free for every five consecutive nights paid for with Marriott points, thanks to the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” perk.
You could get a night for zero points at the Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa in Jordan. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
The nice thing is that these discounts show up automatically when you redeem your points online. The mistake comes when you plan a shorter stay, not knowing that the next night would be completely (or almost completely, in the case of Marriott) free.
Another common refrain is, “I don’t have enough points, so I can’t book an award stay.” This is not always true, as most hotel loyalty programs allow you to use a combination of money and points to pay for hotel stays. Again, here’s a quick rundown of the most popular programs:
Hilton Honors: You can use Hilton's Points & Money feature to specify the number of points (in increments of 1,000, starting at 5,000 points) you want to use for an award. The cash copay is adjusted based on the number of points you choose, but you can use any combination of points and money to pay for your stay.
IHG One Rewards: IHG’s Points & Cash awards let you redeem 5,000 or more points from your account and buy additional points using cash.
Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott’s Cash + Points option lets you redeem a combination of points and cash for your stay.
World of Hyatt: Hyatt’s Points + Cash awards let you redeem half of the usual number of points along with a cash copay. You can redeem 50% of the points required for the stay and get 50% to 70% off the standard rate for your room.
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
It's always worth checking whether these points-and-cash options are available and, if so, whether or not they're a good deal.
If you’re like me, you want to maximize the value you obtain when redeeming your points. That’s why it pains me to hear that friends or family members used their points for suboptimal redemptions.
FG TRADE/GETTY IMAGES
Since most hotel loyalty programs now use dynamic award pricing, you’ll usually get decent value when redeeming hotel points for standard rooms. But the value you get when redeeming for upgraded rooms can range from excellent to poor.
TPG’s monthly valuations give you an idea of what to aim for when redeeming your points and miles. Check revenue rates and calculate your redemption rate before booking an award stay. Sometimes, you may find better value by booking a paid stay and saving your points for another trip.
Another mistake regarding hotel points is transferring them to airline partners. For the most part, transferring your hotel points to an airline partner is a terrible value proposition. Most hotel loyalty programs give you very poor transfer ratios, and you typically lose significant value through the conversion process.
MINISERIES/GETTY IMAGES
The one exception is Marriott Bonvoy, which has many unique airline transfer partners and offers reasonable transfer ratios. Even so, you’ll usually get the most value from hotel points when you use them as originally intended — for award nights at hotels and resorts.
While you usually aren’t on the hook for regular room taxes on award stays, you may need to pay a resort fee. Most programs will list resort fees (where applicable) at some point during the award booking process — and you’d be smart to pay attention to them.
ANDRESWD/GETTY IMAGES
Hilton and Hyatt automatically waive resort fees on award stays. But if you’re staying with other programs, resort fees can set you back a significant amount per night (seeing a resort fee of $60 or more isn’t unheard of).
Another mistake that can be costly is forgetting to cancel an award stay within the hotel’s published cancellation window. You might think this isn’t a huge deal, assuming you’ll only forfeit the points you’d redeemed. Unfortunately, that’s not how most hotel loyalty programs operate.
DELMAINE DONSON/GETTY IMAGES
When you don’t cancel an award reservation, most properties will charge you one night plus tax at the best available rate for that date, which could easily be hundreds of dollars. When booking an award stay using points, you should pay attention to each program’s stated cancellation policy.
The final mistake isn’t specific to using your hotel points but will still affect your hotel award stays. Many credit cards offer complimentary elite status just for holding the card and (in some cases) paying an annual fee. A credit card that offers elite status as a perk can unlock valuable benefits like room upgrades, premium internet and bonus points.
ANCHIY/GETTY IMAGES
Your card may even unlock a redemption option that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. For example, Hilton’s fifth-night-free benefit is restricted to elite members, and IHG’s fourth-night reward is only available to select cardholders.
Here’s a quick rundown of some cobranded cards that provide hotel elite status as a perk:
Most Hyatt and Marriott cards give you elite night credits toward earning higher elite status. Some cards also offer extra elite night credits or higher status when you reach specific spending thresholds in a calendar year.
Hotel stays for zero dollars out of pocket can be a wonderful thing. But mistakes can sap some of the value out of your redemptions. Hopefully, this list has given you some strategies to avoid common mistakes on your next award booking.
