Originally Posted by
Expatriate
What types of situations are you finding good value these days (have 7-digits points and don't so often find good value, considering to get the points down to lower amount even if value is so-so )
1. new holidays / special events when money rates are high, but points max out at some level
2. a property where one day in advance has a lower price , then on same day price goes to the max.... on that same day of booking points were a good use
3. low end hotels Hampton ??
4. Lowest points anywhere in the world
a. 5,000 pts Turkiye: there used to be 7 hotels, all got devalued to requiring 10,000pts and Eskisehir got devalued a second time (within 3 months) to 20,000pts.
b. 5,000 pts Mexico: there was one property, but it got devalued to 10,000pts
c. 5,000 pts Colombia: earlier in 2025, a few hundred km outside Bogota, was pricing at the 5k
d. 7,000-9,000 pts China: some properties
5. It doesn't need to be lowest, but rather good value (eg. high end but at not so high number of points)
6. a property that is interesting (ie, not cookie-cutter non-descript no-soul high-rise) and points value so-so vs a totally bad value
Not going to travel huge amounts of km for just one property , but good to knnow of such properties and see what else is nearby or in same region, etc
I often use them for places where I need to stay, but the prices are higher than usual and I get a good points redemption rate. Like airport hotels or when I am traveling on a road trip and a Hampton is a little pricier than normal.
Another good value for me is if I can use a 5 night for 4 redemption at a nice hotel with good points.
I just stayed 5 nights for 4 nights at the Hilton in Tallinn. It was a really nice rate (32K per night) and I was upgraded to a very nice exec floor room. 5 nights is a little bit long to stay in Tallinn but I had a week before my flight back to the US and I needed to stay somewhere, so why not. Large breakfast and an uncrowded exec lounge with a nightly reception with enough food to substitute for dinner meant that it was very budget friendly as well.
I previously used a 5 nights for 4 redemption at a Homewood Suites in Palm Springs CA last fall. The rates were high, but the points rates were still low. I had a nice suite with a kitchen so I could cook instead of eating out every day.
Sometimes I use them when my cash flow is tight but I need a hotel stay on a road trip. Even if the redemption isn't great, its still giving my credit card a break. I accumulate points fast through travel and CC spend and I don't let them build up too much before I find a good use for them. I have no interest in some grand redemption in the Maldives. A nice Hilton in a nice city in Europe or Asia that's not a tourist hot spot is often a great redemption.