There’s a reason we say that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is our favorite: it provides incredible value and has some of the best transfer partners out there.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is all you need in order to stay at a luxury hotel or take an epic vacation.
Planing a ski trip to Vail? Or, looking for a summer getaway in the mountains? Keep reading to see how my wife and I stayed at the newly-renovated Grand Hyatt Vail for less points than the sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
For a limited time, the bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is 100,000 points!
Our #1 personal card we recommend most often. Hands down the single best "starter card" for beginners and the MVP card for free travel.
Getting There with Points
My wife and I decided to take a quick fall-inspired trip to Vail, Colorado, where the yellow and orange leaves on the Aspen trees are on fire in the sun!
The lobby had huge windows so we could see the fall colors just outside of our hotel.
Thanks to the in-laws for babysitting, we made the 2-hour drive and stayed at the Grand Hyatt Vail and were astounded by the great deal that we got on this super luxurious, newly-renovated resort right in the heart of Vail.
This whole trip would have cost ~$2,400, but it was only 50,000 Chase points! This is less than the total number of points you earn when you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Our #1 personal card we recommend most often. Hands down the single best "starter card" for beginners and the MVP card for free travel.
Here’s how it went down:
We transferred 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to my World of Hyatt account to book this trip. Included in all Hyatt award bookings is free parking (which is $45/night here!), no resort fees, and no taxes. Your balance is literally $0.00 when you check out. We also have elite status, so we also got free breakfast for two each morning.
This is where points crush cash back. Check out the comparison below!
During peak ski season, a standard room at this hotel goes for $1,100+/night. But, you can book this hotel with points for just 25,000 points/night. If using the bonus you earned on the CSP, you could stay at this hotel for an extended time during peak season and not pay a penny.
Our renovated room at the Grand Hyatt Vail cost $0
The Experience:
In a town that is bursting at the seams with expensive, luxury hotels, we’re so happy we decided to use our points and stay at the Grand Hyatt Vail. In fact, my wife said that this was the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at in Colorado (and, we’ve stayed at quite a few)!
I was so shocked at the location! Not only were we so close to all of the fun things to do in Vail, the hotel is nestled right on Gore Creek. If you know anything about me, you know I love fishing! I’ve never stayed at a hotel where you can see fish from the balcony. #omg
The view outside our balcony
I spent some of my free time fly fishing, and caught about 15 fish in 3 hours one morning. I literally had my rod hooked up in the hotel room would just walk out back to the creek.
Fly Fishing in Creek Gore right outside of our room
The manager said you can request rooms with mountain views after you make the reservation since they get booked up fast. So, this is a no-brainer hotel choice if you ask me.
Summary:
This was the first time in a while that my wife and I were able to take a quick getaway for just the two of us and stay at an incredible hotel. And, the best part was the affordability of the whole trip.
My wife and I were able to stay at an incredible hotel for free, using the points we earned on a single card!
Hyatt is one of my favorite hotel programs out there, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great way to stay at one of their properties for free!
But, if you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase World of Hyatt card is a really good option for those who love staying at Hyatt properties. In fact, I think this is the best hotel credit card out there.
Our #1 personal card we recommend most often. Hands down the single best "starter card" for beginners and the MVP card for free travel.
This is a two-tiered signup bonus with the first bonus being 30,000 points earned after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months. The second bonus offer is dependent on how much you spend, where you'll earn 2x points per dollar spent in the first 6 months (on purchases that normally earn 1x point), on up to $15,000 spent.
