Free night certificates don’t have a cents-per-point value, so I measured mine a different way: what I paid in annual fees versus what I got back. Three certificates, $289 in fees, and $1,226 ahead. Part 2 of my three-part 2025 hotel series.
My real 2025 Hyatt and Hilton redemptions, with the actual cents-per-point math behind every stay. Hyatt came in well above the typical 2025 benchmark and Hilton landed right around it, and I’m showing you both halves. Part 1 of my three-part 2025 hotel series.
I’ve booked two hotels through Chase’s Edit Collection this year, one in Charleston, one in Boston, and the $250 credit stacked completely differently on each stay. One combined with a separate Hotel Collection credit. The other fell back to my general travel credit instead. Here’s the full math on both, plus a Hyatt status credit I’m still chasing down weeks later.
There’s no single ‘best’ hotel loyalty program – the right one depends on how you actually travel. I broke down all ten major programs to show how each prices its awards, what a point is actually worth, and which ones fit different kinds of travelers.
Rove’s biggest update happened on August 28, 2026 — a new mobile app, Rove Dining in 20 cities, instant-earning gift cards, and a completely rebuilt hotel platform. Here is everything that is new and how it fits into your points and miles strategy.
There’s no single right credit card strategy for points and miles — there’s one that fits your airport, your spending, and your people. Here’s how I actually think through my own stack, including why my husband and I hold two of the exact same card, and the one I’m finally letting go of.
Hilton Aspire card benefits: why we actually applied for 2. Two $550 annual fees, one household. Here’s every benefit — the resort credit, the airline credit, the on-property credit, CLEAR+, and the Free Night Certificate that does most of the heavy lifting — plus the real math behind why we’re coming out roughly $1,300 ahead per card, per year.
My Chase Sapphire Reserve fee jumped to $795 this year. Last year, at the old $550 fee, I came out $875 ahead in credits — Edit Collection, Hotel Collection, travel credit, the works. The math says keep it. I’m downgrading anyway. Here’s the full breakdown of every credit I used, and why the real reason has nothing to do with the numbers.
How to book flights and hotels around a cruise using points and miles. I redeemed 83% off the flights and hotels around a 7-night cruise from Long Beach — plus a cruise discount hiding in your Caesars Rewards status.
What are airline alliances? See how Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam work, plus the transfer partners and sweet spots I use to redeem business class.
