It’s no surprise that Hawaii is one of the top travel destinations for our Travel Freely members (and, nearly everybody else). That said, we’ve taken the guesswork out of planning your next trip. Here, we break down the various hotel programs and how you can take advantage of them during your next trip to Hawaii.
Within each loyalty program, you’ll find that the points per night rate can vary greatly depending on the season or cash value of the hotel. Today, we’re sharing our favorite hotels that span from low-cost to high-cost (in points).
For more information about each of these loyalty programs, be sure to check out our blog post, “Loyalty Programs, Transfer Partners, and Award Charts.”
Note: at the time of writing, the hotel categories and points required were accurate. Changes occur and dynamic pricing can happen based on popular dates. Be sure to check your own dates and confirm rates for you.
Hyatt
You guessed it—we’re starting off with one of our favorite hotel rewards programs, Hyatt. Not only are there several ways to earn Hyatt points, but they have a generous award chart that gives you the ability to maximize the value of your points.
And, when you stay at a Hyatt hotel, you don’t have to worry about paying those pesky resort fees. So, you can literally come away with a $0 charge when booking a Hyatt hotel with points.
How to Earn Hyatt Points
As mentioned above, there are many ways that you can earn Hyatt points for your next trip to Hawaii.
1. Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning cards
As a transfer partner of Chase, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio for an epic redemption. Keep in mind that not all Chase cards earn Ultimate Rewards points.
Looking for a card? It’s no secret that our favorite Chase cards for travel rewards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred or one of the Chase Ink Business cards.
2. Hyatt Co-branded cards
These Chase cards are affiliated with Hyatt and earn points that go directly to your World of Hyatt rewards account. The World of Hyatt credit card and the World of Hyatt Business card are the best Hyatt credit cards that provide both a great sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards (like, a free night each anniversary year) to make keeping the card(s) in your wallet a good choice.
Hyatt Award Chart
Hyatt has a pretty generous award chart with properties split up into 8 different categories. Per the image below, you’ll see that Hyatt offers pricing that varies depending on which season you book. So, you’re bound to pay more for a property during peak season. NOTE: The Hyatt award chart is updating on March 26, 2024. Only two Hawaii-based hotels will be changing at that time, Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach (from Category 3 to Category 4) and Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach (from Category 4 to Category 5).
You can find Hyatt properties in Hawaii that range from only 12,000 points/night to 40,000points/night—so, you’re left with several options when looking for a Hyatt hotel to stay at in Hawaii.
Our Favorite Hyatt Hotels in Hawaii
Category 7 Hotel: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
Some of our members have been known to rave about this hotel, so it’s worth a mention here. This upscale resort is situated right on the shores of Kauai, and for 30,000 points/night, you can maximize your points and stay at a beautiful resort.
Category 8 Hotel: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
Zac and his wife Virginia stay in Andaz resorts anytime they can, and for great reason! They offer a boutique feel and usually include great service and amenities.
During the “Standard” season, you can book this resort for 40,000 points/night.
Category 7 Hotel: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is a Category 7 Hyatt property that delivers serious bang for your buck. It’s on the famous Ka’anapali Beach. This resort is bursting with perks like six pools, fitness classes, cultural activities, and even adorable animal residents. There are ten on-site restaurants and a nightly luau, so there is a lot to do if you want to stay on the resort.
During the “Standard” season, you can book this resort for 30,000 points/night.
(Photo from Hyatt.com)
Category 4 Hotel (As of 3/26/24): Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
Despite the increase in points, this hotel offers excellent value in a prime location near many of Waikiki’s main attractions. Act fast to lock in your standard Category 3 rate of 12,000 points/night (before 3/26/24), but don’t sweat it if you book after that date, as the new standard rate of 15,000 points/night is an excellent value, too.
Standard nights at the Category 4 rate are 15,000 points/night.
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.
For the small business owner who loves Hyatt, this is an intriguing offer. If you have high monthly spending, this card will also help you earn Globalist status.
Our #1 personal card we recommend most often. Hands down the single best "starter card" for beginners and the MVP card for free travel.
Marriott
Marriott is another top favorite hotel rewards program for those of us at Travel Freely. While not as lucrative as Hyatt, Marriott’s footprint is larger, which means that award availability is usually easier to come by. Plus, a major perk of booking Marriott stays with points is that you’ll earn the 5th night free! And, you can often score an epic redemption at one of their many hotel brands.
How to Earn Marriott Points
Chase & American Express Co-branded Cards
Both Chase and American Express offer Marriott co-branded cards with often great sign-up bonuses. Chase has two personal Marriott credit cards — the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold. While both great cards, Chase only allows you to hold one of these cards at a time.
Contrary to the Chase cards, American Express has two Marriott cards that you can hold at the same time (more points!), one a personal card and one a business card. The American Express Bonvoy Brilliant card and the American Express Bonvoy Business card are both great options for those looking to accumulate a decent amount of Marriott points for a Hawaiian vacation! Lucky for you, Travel Freely has an easy-to-understand Marriott credit card eligibility chart in our Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide post.
Our Favorite Marriott Hotels in Hawaii
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
Located within walking distance to the famous Waikiki Beach, this hotel is on the “cheaper” end of Marriott properties bookable by points. To book this hotel for a future stay, you’re looking at paying 45,000+ points/night.
Note: Travel Freely Member Kate W. stayed here in March 2024. She noted it was outdated and not great quality. While it’s an affordable option, a better experience may be found, albeit using more Marriott points – for the nearby Marriott Bonvoy property, the Moana Surfrider Westin.Â
AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea
The AC Hotel brand by Marriott is personally one of my favorite brands within the Marriott portfolio. While not exactly a “resort-style” brand, they are generally always new, clean, and you know what you’re getting when you book one of these properties. If the number of points is more of a priority to you than the typical Hawaiian Escape we all think of when we think of vacationing in Hawaii, this AC Hotel might be perfect for you!
This property starts at 60,000 points/night.
The Ritz Carlton Maui, Kapalua
I couldn’t write about Marriott properties and not mention a Ritz Carlton property. After all, if you have enough points to book a luxury stay, this is where you’d want to do it within the Marriott portfolio.
This property starts at 70,000 points/night.
Hilton
Last but not least, we’re sharing our favorite Hilton hotels in Hawaii. Similar to Hyatt, Hilton won’t charge you resort fees when booking an award stay, which is a huge advantage in our book. Plus, those who book award stays get the 5th night free!
How to Earn Hilton Points
Hilton Co-branded cards. American Express has a lineup of 3 personal and 1 business card that earn points directly to your Hilton Honors account. And, American Express allows you to have all of these cards at one time, making it super easy to accumulate a large amount of points rather quickly.
Looking for a card? Some of our favorite American Express Hilton cards are the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire and the American Express Hilton Honors Business Card.
Hilton Award Chart
Hilton points are known for their less-than-ideal value, at only 0.6 cents per point (whereas Hyatt and Marriott are 1.7 and 0.8 respectively). That said, Hilton has a “Points Explorer” tool that you can use to determine the range of points at which certain hotels can cost. So, you’ll never have to book a Hilton award stay without knowing whether you’re getting the best value!
Our Favorite Hilton Hotels in Hawaii
Low-tier: 50,000-86,000 points/night: Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach
Located just two blocks from the beach in Honolulu, this hotel is centrally located and within walking distance to the both beach and city center.
Mid-tier: 70,000-108,000 points/night: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
Also located in Honolulu, this hotel covers 22 acres of beach along Waikiki—perfect for those looking to soak in the sun. With 5 swimming pools and a world-class spa, there’s plenty for guests to enjoy.
High-tier: 75,000 + points/night: Hilton Waikoloa Village
This hotel ranges from reasonably priced to one of the most expensive Hilton resorts in all of Hawaii (we’re talking points value, of course). So, be sure to snag this one when the rates are on the lower end!
Located on the Kohala Coast, this hotel has a wide range of resort activities that are both family-friendly and adult-friendly. With over 62 acres, there’s something for everybody. You might even see some marine wildlife up close while snorkeling in the resort’s lagoon!
Summary
Your trip to Hawaii doesn’t have to be expensive! Take advantage of visiting one of the top tourist destinations by using points for your hotel stay. Each loyalty program is different, and deciding which card(s) you should open depends on which hotels you’d like to stay at.
Want to read more about hotel programs and best hotel cards? Head over to our article on Best Hotel Rewards Cards.
