Travel is the largest category of spend in our household budget. I drink drip coffee from the grocery store (the horror!), but I will not scrimp or compromise when it comes to travel.

I take around 8-10 trips per year. The trip starts at the airport so F/J tickets are a must. Besides, I need to experience those cabins for client research

I do use points and miles where prudent for air, but it seems to rarely work out so I tend to be more of a hoarder. I rarely use hotel points. Generally only when a stay at something like a Courtyard or Homewood Suites is required and the rates seem egregious.

For me, the luxury is in the experience. I just got back from a stay at Hacienda Chichen in the Yucatan. It's the best hotel in the area. My room was quiet, clean, and comfortable with nice linens and air conditioning. The food was amazing. The landscaping and overall aesthetics were beautiful. I could walk down a private path to Chichen Itza. There was no room service, no phone or TV, Internet was lobby only, and yes I saw spiders, but the experience was pure luxury.

As a general rule, I want to stay in the best hotel (for me) in any given location. I tend to lean toward boutique luxury properties as a personal preference, and I have a thing for Rosewood, but there are other factors that influence my decision.