Originally Posted by
jbeckett
I agree, I think that one of these things has to be true to get good value -
1. A high point redemption (like 80000/night or 95000/night) where the normal cash cost is high (i.e. Conrad Maldives, Conrad Tokyo, etc.)
2. A redemption at a time when the cash cost is abnormally high but there are still award rooms available at the standard rate (i.e. Doubletree Times Square on New Year's Eve).
3. 5th night free - won't get great value normally but will at least usually get the .45 to .5 cents per point value.
4. Any 5000 point redemption (think Egypt or Turkey).
This makes sense. So essentially, to put it another way, this means that when hotels are priced in points below their max points value(i.e. below the max points price cap at which a standard room will not increase further), then you are unlikely to ever match or exceed 5c per point in value, except perhaps with 5 night free.
If you are points rich and/or cash poor, many/most people will still choose to use points for these hotels for 1-4 night stays, but they are unlikely to ever exceed .4c a point in value for these stays compared to the cash price since this is more or less how Hilton has priced it.