Miles & points can let you have some pretty incredible experiences for pennies on the dollar. With airline miles you can fly almost any first or business class product in the world, as there are very few aspirational products that aren’t bookable with miles.
Hotels are a different story, though. There are a lot of great points hotels, though the reality is that many boutique and high end brands don’t belong to any of the major hotel groups with loyalty programs. That means there’s no way to redeem points for stays there, short of earning cash back through credit cards and then redeeming that toward a stay.
In this post I thought it would be fun to take an updated look at some of the points hotels that are on my list to stay at in the near future. First I want to recap some of the top points hotels I’ve stayed at in recent years, and then I’ll share my updated list. I like to refresh this list pretty frequently, since I consult it when deciding where I hope to stay next.
The best points hotels I’ve stayed at recently
Over the past few years, I’ve stayed at quite a few luxury points hotels that were on previous renditions of this list, including the following:
- Waldorf Astoria Maldives (bookable with Hilton points), which has beautiful villas, great dining, and is an all-around impressive property with a lot to do
- Gritti Palace Venice (bookable with Marriott points), which is one of Venice’s oldest properties, and has a great sense of place, though is perhaps past its prime
- St. Regis Venice (bookable with Marriott points), which has an ideal location, beautiful terrace, and feels modern and luxurious
- Hotel Maria Cristina San Sebastian, Marriott Luxury Collection (bookable with Marriott points), which is a historic property with a central location and friendly service
- Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (bookable with Marriott points), which has exceptional service, and is a great use of Marriott points
- Park Hyatt Kyoto (bookable with Hyatt points), which is a design masterpiece, and is in the heart of the action in Kyoto
- Park Hyatt Auckland (bookable with Hyatt points), which is a lovely city hotel with a great location and amenities
- Alila Jabal Akhdar (bookable with Hyatt points), which is one of the most scenic properties I’ve ever stayed at
- Alila Hinu Bay (bookable with Hyatt points), which is simultaneously quite random yet also peaceful and enjoyable, with great dining
- Alila Napa Valley (bookable withHyatt points), which is a lovely wine country escape in the charming town of St. Helena
- Miraval Arizona (bookable with Hyatt points), which is a nature escape that I enjoyed a lot more than I was expecting to
- Hotel Du Palais Biarritz, Hyatt Unbound Collection (bookable with Hyatt points), which is an incredible coastal French Palace hotel with gorgeous views and top notch dining
- Zemi Beach House Anguilla, Hilton LXR (bookable with Hilton points), which is a good value getaway on points, with a stunning beach
- St. Regis Hong Kong (bookable with Marriott points), which is a solid city hotel with impressive dining and a lively vibe
- Park Hyatt London River Thames (bookable with Hyatt points), with feels quite grand and luxurious, though lacks a bit when it comes to location and vibe
- Koenigshof Munich, Marriott Luxury Collection (bookable with Marriott points), which has a central location and a cool design
- Park Hyatt Niseko (bookable with Hyatt points), which is an incredible ski resort, with great dining, and endless amenities
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve Higashiyama Niseko Village (bookable with Marriott points), which unfortunately disappointed me quite a bit, given the experience Ritz-Carlton Reserve is supposed to offer
- St. Regis Longboat Key (bookable with Marriott points), which positively delighted me, as one of the most family friendly luxury resorts I’ve stayed at
I’m pretty pleased I managed to check all of these out, as they were on my previous lists.
Points hotels I’d like to stay at in the near future
With the above out of the way, let me share some awesome points hotels that I look forward to staying at. As I plan future travel, I’ll largely use this list to decide which destination to visit next, so this also factors in my hotel elite status strategy. Since I currently have Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status, I have a bit more focus on that brand than usual.
As you’ll see, these aren’t exclusively intended to be the “best” points hotels that I could possibly stay at, but rather, they also overlap with the places that I hope to visit.
I’m only including properties on this list that are already open. There are plenty of new openings I’m excited about, which I won’t include on this list. I’m also only including properties belonging directly to the major chains, and not those bookable through some marketing partnerships (like Hilton’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World). While those can be super useful, the properties that participate can change fairly frequently, which is why I’m not including them.
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
This is one of the newer Waldorf Astoria properties, and arguably is one of the all-around most exciting new points hotels out there. The property is located on a private island in the Seychelles, and rates here are regularly $2,000+ per night. This is probably the single points hotel I’d most like to actually vacation at, rather than just quickly passing through.
Park Hyatt Johannesburg
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg is one of the newest properties in the brand’s portfolio, and one thing makes it particularly noteworthy — this is the world’s smallest Park Hyatt, with just 31 rooms. I’ve been meaning to take an airline review trip to Africa soon, and that will certainly entail traveling through Johannesburg, so I can’t wait to spend a night here.
Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
The world’s newest Park Hyatt is located in Kuala Lumpur, and it also has another cool distinction — it’s the world’s highest Hyatt property, and one of the world’s all-around highest hotels. The hotel takes up the top floors of the Merdeka 118 building, which is the tallest building in all of Asia-Pacific.
Park Hyatt Jakarta
Jakarta is one of the best value cities in the world when it comes to luxury hotels, and I’ve heard that the Park Hyatt Jakarta is incredible, despite its relatively low rates. I’m planning to visit Jakarta soon, and definitely plan to check out this property.
Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Pacific Place
Ritz-Carlton is known for its incredible club lounges, though one property really takes that to the next level. The 62-room Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Pacific Place is an all-club hotel, so all guests have access to the club lounge, offering several food presentations per day. I’m curious to experience this firsthand, and to see if this is awesome, or if it’s less impressive when everyone has access to it.
Tambo Del Inka Peru
This is a hotel that’s not on my list because I think the hotel as such is that amazing, but rather because I still haven’t visited Machu Picchu. The fact that Marriott has good options in both Cuzco and the Sacred Valley is all the more reason to take this trip sooner rather than later.
Hotel Marqués De Riscal Elciego
While I’ve visited the major cities in Spain and have also been to many of the beach destinations, I’d like to explore more of the country. Hotel Marques de Riscal is in Elciego, and was designed by Frank Gehry. I mean, just look at the hotel — how could you not want to stay there?
Miraval Berkshires
Miraval is Hyatt’s wellness brand, and I had an amazing stay at Miraval Arizona a couple of years ago. Next I’d love to visit the Miraval property in the Berkshires. I love the Northeast in summer, and think could be a cool property to visit. Miraval stays include all food and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as many activities. When redeeming points you also get a $175 per person credit.
St. Regis Bermuda
Bermuda has long been on my list of places to visit, though I haven’t made it there until now. Bermuda used to lack points hotels, but the St. Regis Bermuda has changed that. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this property, but it still seems like the best of the options.
Reykjavik EDITION
Admittedly Iceland isn’t a destination you usually travel to for luxury hotels, though Marriott’s EDITION brand has a property in the capital, Reykjavik. This is likely the best hotel in the city, so you can’t beat being able to redeem points for a stay there.
Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands
Ordinarily I wouldn’t put limited service hotels on a list of the points properties I’m most looking to stay at. However, I’ve been wanting to visit the Faroe Islands for years, and the Hilton Garden Inn seems to be one of the better properties there, so it’s where I’d like to stay. For a Hilton Garden Inn, this place looks great, in my opinion.
Paragraph Freedom Square Tbilisi
Tbilisi, Georgia, is probably the city in the world that I’m most interested in visiting. Historically it hasn’t been a very exciting hotel market, though the opening of the Paragraph Freedom Square seems to set the new standard. This property belongs to Marriott Luxury Collection, and even has a club lounge, so I’d love to check this out.
St. Regis Astana
I briefly visited Kazakhstan several years back, and only had one night in Astana. I found the city to be fascinating, and have been wanting to return. Nowadays there’s a St. Regis there, which is very reasonably priced as well. So I hope to return to the city and stay at the St. Regis in the not-too-distant future.
St. Regis Belgrade
Serbia’s capital recently got a new level of luxury when it comes to points hotels, with the opening of the 119-room St. Regis. This is one of the more affordable St. Regis city hotels, so I’d like to check this out, as I’ve enjoyed my past visits to Belgrade.
Hotel du Couvent Nice
Hotel du Couvent Nice opened in 2024, as part of Marriott Luxury Collection. This hotel in the south of France is housed in a restored 17th century convent, and looks downright gorgeous. This isn’t your typical, cookie cutter Marriott, and I hope to check it out the next time I’m in the region.
Osaka Station Hotel
This one might sound a bit random in comparison to some of the other hotels on my list. However, the Osaka Station Hotel belongs to Marriott Autograph Collection, and I’ve heard generally great things about it. There’s one angle I find unique.
The hotel has what’s called a “Specialty Salon,” which they insist isn’t a club lounge, so they don’t have to allow elite members in. However, they do let Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador members in, so that aspect intrigues me. I’ve heard the club is kind of amazing, and service includes caviar, uni, A5 wagyu, and more. So I figure it’s my duty to check this out!
Waldorf Astoria Osaka
I adore Japan, and we recently saw what might just be a new “flagship” property for the Hilton portfolio, with the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Osaka. This property simply looks spectacular in terms of design and all the facilities and finishes.
Ritz-Carlton Nikko
I adore everything about Japan, so when you combine being in Japan with a great luxury points hotel, that’s a great combo, as far as I’m concerned. The Ritz-Carlton Nikko looks beautiful, and is a fairly short train ride from Tokyo. The hotel is set along Lake Chuzenji, so as someone who loves nature, this seems like a cool side trip the next time I’m in Tokyo.
Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka
Okay, I’ll be honest, I actually don’t know that much about Fukuoka and how high I should prioritize it in terms of visiting (I’d love feedback!), but it’s a place in Japan and has a great luxury points property, so for me that’s reason enough to visit. I always have a great time in Japan, so anything outside of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, sounds like a new adventure.
Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
In 2023 we saw the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne. This is a unique property, as it’s Australia’s highest city hotel, located at the very top of an 80-story tower. While I’ve heard the location isn’t ideal, the property’s facilities look great, and I look forward to checking out this hotel.
St. Regis Red Sea
Saudi Arabia is investing an unprecedented amount of money in tourism, and it’s anyone’s guess how this all plays out. As someone who covers the industry, I can’t help but be intrigued, if nothing else. A large part of this investment involves the Red Sea Project, which includes plans for dozens of resorts, intended to almost offer a Maldives-style experience. The St. Regis was among the first of these properties to open, and I’d sure like to check it out.
St. Regis Cairo
You can file this one under “I’m a weirdo” more than anything. I’ve never witnessed a hotel opening that was as delayed as the one at the St. Regis Cairo. The hotel’s opening had already been delayed by years, and then the Gulf blockade happened. The hotel had been ready to open for years, but it couldn’t open because it had Qatari investors.
Fortunately the hotel did finally open, though I imagine it’s already outdated at this point. 😉 Of the properties on my list, unfortunately this one is probably most unrealistic for me to visit, given my issue with Egypt. But hey, it can’t hurt to dream, right?
Waldorf Astoria New York
We recently saw the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria New York, after a closure of many years. To be honest, I don’t have very high expectations of hotels in the United States when it comes to service and overall guest experience. That’s especially true when you consider the hotel has 375 rooms. That being said, I’m certainly curious about the experience, and hope to check it out the next time I visit New York.
St. Regis Lhasa
I’ve long wanted to visit Tibet, though I haven’t made it there yet. I’m hoping to visit in the next couple of years, and if I do, I’d like to check out the St. Regis Lhasa. It’s one of the more reasonably priced St. Regis properties out there, and I can’t decide if it looks great or just okay. Regardless, I’d like to visit primarily for the destination.
Bottom line
There are tons of incredible hotels that can be booked with points. I’ve had some amazing points hotel stays in the past couple of years, including with Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. There are lots of other points hotels on my radar, which I hope to check out soon.
Which points hotels do you most want to stay at? And has anyone stayed at any of the properties on my list?
