Normally, an award stay at the Miraval Arizona wellness resort is pricey whether you’re paying cash or using points.
It’s a popular destination for celebrities like Oprah, who flock to the resort searching for a low-tech getaway. So, we were impressed by how little TPG Lounge member Cristina B. recently paid for a stay at the resort. Cristina’s total price for a six-night stay? 195,000 World of Hyatt points. You read that right.
“I know other people like to use their points on flights. I actually like to use my points on hotels,” Cristina explained. “I sometimes think hotels are probably a bit pricier.” Pricey indeed. On the dates Cristina visited, cash rates were a whopping $2,241 per night for two people. So, six nights would have cost almost $14,000 with taxes and fees.
Cristina, based in Atlanta (ATL), said she was looking for a relaxing, socially-distant getaway for her and her wife. After looking at hotels, she was impressed with the Miraval because of its location in the desert but didn’t know its reputation as a retreat for the stars. After deciding on the Miraval, she began to plan the trip.
Now, let's take a closer look at how Cristina booked and what she thought of her stay.
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How Cristina booked
Cristina took advantage of a fantastic buy-one, get-one deal on Miraval award nights booked through Hyatt. Instead of paying 65,000 points per night for two guests, that’ll get you two nights. Normally, the six-night stay for Cristina and her wife would've cost 390,000 Hyatt points. But, thanks to the deal, she only needed 195,000 Hyatt points to book the six-night stay for two guests.
She had nearly 51,000 Hyatt points accumulated from the World of Hyatt Credit Card and Hyatt stays throughout the year. After finding availability and calling the hotel, she transferred 145,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt. She had a ton of Chase points stashed up from welcome bonuses and spending on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
Remember, you can’t book World of Hyatt award night stays for Miraval resorts online. So, you’ll have to find availability and then call Hyatt to confirm your reservation.
Related: The hotel promo lucrative enough to get my attention during a pandemic
There’s a second promotion for those with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, like Cristina, where you’ll get a 25% rate of return on redeemed points. According to Cristina, after registering for several promotions, she’ll receive a whopping 70,000 World of Hyatt points for the stay.
The offer for one free award night for each award night paid with points at Miraval is valid for stays until Dec. 31, 2020. So, if you’re planning a trip, you might want to book sooner than later. And, if you are short on Hyatt points, you could transfer them over at a 1:1 ratio from a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or similar Ultimate Rewards card.
Related: 5 easy ways to maximize Hyatt award redemptions
Cristina's stay
When you book a Miraval room, you receive numerous perks, including a roundtrip shuttle to and from the airport. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are also all-inclusive. And the resort is “no-tip,” meaning you can leave your wallet in the room.
The hotel emphasizes a “device-free” environment and gives you a cellphone “sleeping bag” when you arrive.
“The classes at Miraval like the mindfulness, yoga, Reiki treatments and meditation classes really allowed me to explore other things that I normally wouldn't get to do at different types of hotels,” she said.
Cristina said she enjoyed the little things, like sitting outside, which she hasn’t been able to do in months because of the pandemic, the most.
“I think I sat outside for probably at least eight hours a day while we were there,” she said. “[The hotel] made it a really comfortable space regardless of the weather. And I was able to sit outside for a very long period of time, more than I have in [the] last six or seven months.”
She said she also got lots of rest in her Dreamcatcher room, which includes a private patio space.
Related: Review of Miraval Arizona
Cristina says she was looking for a break to decompress after being at home for months due to quarantine. Several celebrities were also at the hotel, seemingly for the same reason. She ran into the rapper Common and comedian Tiffany Haddish, who were also staying at the resort at the same time. Stars such as Lupita Nyong'o, of “Black Panther” fame, and Ellen DeGeneres have also been spotted at the resort.
Cristina said she enjoyed not having to cook and that the food was all-inclusive. And while they did pay for alcohol and six spa treatments, the cost of these activities came nowhere near close to the full price of the hotel stay had they paid in cash.
“The hardest decision was, should I have one dessert or two desserts?” she said.
