eponymous_coward

Ah, the just-world hypothesis.

Why do it if you don't need to? I don't really care if I sit in Y or F on reasonably short flights (3-6 hours, don't mind transcons in Y). This means I have a great deal of flexibility on how I choose to do a lot of trips. The big front seat, minis of $2 booze and mediocre food are nice, but don't determine how I travel.

pointshogger

I'm a little late in the game. I think that it really just depends on how you leverage your points.

For example, if you have a $100 budget for hotel rooms, then chances you, it might not make sense for you to use a bundle of hotel points for a $500 hotel room. You may have gotten $500 in value, but you wouldn't have spend $500 for that room in the first place, your budget would have been $100.

If you were going to pay $500 for a plane ticket and you used points to get $500 worth of airline ticket, then it may make more sense in that comparison.

It really depends on how you leverage your points and how much you were willing to pay in cash had you not had the points in the first place.

SquarePeg

Four Points Logan is not in Boston, it's in Revere which is a huge difference. It's really not even at Logan. And there is no way they're getting $300 night ( were you comparing to Boston proper rates or seeing it as an alternative?)

sdsearch

That depends on whether there are any rooms in that area for less than $500.

I've been in a situation where there were no rooms for less than $350ish a night, yet my typical hotel night budget is indeed $100ish. So using points / certificates in that case seemed a good value, despite it not being in my budget. What else was I supposed to do, simply not visit that area because the hotels were outside my budget???

But you did say "bundle". So how does this change if you use a very reasonable number of points to get a $500 (or higher) room? This example comes to mind:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/choic...6k-points.html in the Choice Privileges forum

bhrubin

I think it's clear that for some, the value proposition creates situations where using award points for a hotel stay DOES make sense and is not a waste--at both the budget, upscale, or even luxury level. It depends on the relative cost of the hotels in that market vs the points needed, the relative budget of the traveler, and the relative number of points available to that traveler.

For others, the value proposition may not be so clear or appropriate to use points for a hotel stay.

Of course, MOST hotel points are ONLY good for hotel stays, anyway--or other things at a significant loss in points. Only SPG hotel points are 1:1 usable towards airline awards, the other most expensive element in travel for most.

The question really becomes one for those with the more general points such as with Chase URs or SPG points--where you can use the points towards airlines or hotels. We normally have used Chase URs for airlines, but now that we accumulate more SPG points than Hyatt points, we plan to use URs for stays at some Park Hyatts when appropriate. We already use SPG points for hotels as appropriate, usually at the category 5 and 6 levels, and we plan to use the bulk towards premium awards on airlines in the future.

jethro

I love my hotel points...........in addition to my airline miles. Two nights at The Mayfair in London for 50k Club Carlson, or 7 nights in Grand Cayman at Marriott second week in January with a Vaca Package. Radisson Blu Aruba at 50k night when its cold in Indiana. Those trips and more have saved me a ton of money. I have a hard time finding beach resort nights for $100 during peak season. Where am I going wrong?

StephenW

Well worth the 300k points I used for 6 nights.

bhrubin

Where is that? Looks nice!

StephenW

Conrad Koh Samui. 300k was pre-deval though. 5 nights will now run you 380k (taking into account 5th night free). Rates are in the $800/night range.

pinniped

Still not a bad redemption at 380k. That appears to be a "softer" devaluation compared to some other top HH properties...

pinniped

Because on many airlines, the front of the bus isn't worth it.

I use a lot of my Avios on U.S./Canada transborder flights. Front of the bus would be an utter waste of points on the RJ's that usually fly these routes.

To date, I've used the rest of my Avios on EI trips through DUB. Those are nice in J (they have no F), but tolerable in Y, and frankly I'd rather be able to bring more people with me than fewer in a so-so J cabin. (Admittedly, award inventory plays into this: my experience getting multiple blocks of 5 Y awards together has been quite good on EI, whereas J awards appear to be quiet scarce in that kind of quantity.)

With my United miles (and my US before than switched alliances), where I can redeem *most* of the Star Alliance without YQ, yes, I shoot for J or F long-haul awards. On those trips, I'm usually only looking for 2 seats together so it's a bit easier.

thucanhho

My experience mirrors erog, but would love to hear more about these big bonuses.

Family of 4 ORD to VIE for 1 week using Ultimate Reward points:
United Business: 560K vs 240K economy
Park Hyatt Vienna: 175K

PH Vienna was the easier decision.

kirax2

I could just as easily say, "Why bother spending more points to fly first class when your flight is rarely going to be more than 12-13 hours long? Why not spend fewer points on a flight, then spend more points to enjoy a luxurious hotel room for five-seven days, thus getting much more*time* per point spent?" It's all in what you value.

You also make a lot of assumptions. I would love to "go to as many places as I can", but work and family constraints limit the amount of time we can travel every year. Instead, we try to make the most of the trips we can take, and that means going as comfortably as possible: from 1st/business class flights to nice hotels with extra beds and free breakfasts to airport lounges on the way back home. For us, it's worth making every part of the trip comfortable and memorable, especially because we don't have to pick and choose - we can have both.

There are other opportunities, too. I scored a suite at the Hyatt Grand Manchester during San Diego Comic-Con next year (yes, I have a pass for the convention) at a time when STANDARD rooms were selling for between $700-$800 a night. Since I live about an hour away from the convention center, I could drive there and back each day - I've done it for the last several years, in fact. But the value I will get from being able to stay on property, next door to the convention center, will be very high. I will be able to spend more time with friends and attend later events; I'll have a place to stash my swag, and I'll have a comfortable place to change in and out of costume and shower (not to mention the free breakfast!) I'll have a more relaxing and fun time and be able to do more things, without adding two hours of driving to each day I attend. For you, spending 128K UR points for 4 nights in a suite at the biggest geek convention of the year might be a total waste. For us, it's going to be awesome, and well-worth it.

lmwong1977

Yep when I went to Comic Con, points were great. Instead of a Super 8 in National City that I used to book before FT, had stayed at the Embassy Suites and the Hilton across the street from the convention center. It's so much easier to dump your con stuff at the hotel that's a few blocks away than drag it with you everywhere or on the train that's crowded with other people with their con stuff. Plus the lottery for hotels for the con rates can be a nightmare - so I hear anyway.

Guessing for other big events like the Super Bowl et al would be similar.

tiki01

As many have stated, it really depends on your situation, what is important to you and how you value your points.

I used to transfer my Starwood points to airline points transfers. Then I realized for short hops in the US and Canada, Avios points worked better for me than using my Starwood points. I also found some hotel point redemptions that saved me even more. I was wondering the opposite of the OP since redeeming points for hotels was much better for me over other options.

That said, with airbnb, other discount hotel sites and starwood properties I frequent being moved into higher categories, it's not automatic for me to use Starwood points exclusively for hotels.