I agree with annerj, this is an interesting topic - - - not as to specific monetary values, but as to "thought concept" values.

My point stays are divided between:

higher end places (that I normally would not spend the $$$ on). In those areas I am opposite of annerj in that I think of the points as having the difference of what I would normally be willing to pay with what the property I am staying in costs.

trivial, low end stays - perhaps having to be at the airport at 6AM - will search to find a Cat 1 or 2 with pointsavers - saves me a hundred or so, uses minimal points.

family stays - either as gifts to others, or for myself when we go visiting. a boring use, but a lot better than coming home with hundreds of dollars on the credit card for a boring use!

my concern with "saving them' as a retirement benefit is that categories will continue to rise, in effect making the points I have earned of less value.

heck, I figure I'm getting great training for a post-retirement part time job as a front desk clerk or a CL attendent - surely they get some kind of dicsount!