How I Saved $10,000+ on Luxury Hotels

All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life

#244: I'll explain how I saved over $10k on luxury hotels in Costa Rica and Carmel Valley using points, free nights, and elite perks. I’ll walk you through every step, from how to book with points, when to buy them on sale, how to stack hotel credits, which hotel programs give you upgrades and free breakfast, and more!

Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/maximize-savings-costa-rica-carmel-valley

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Thrive Market: 30% off your first order of organic groceries + a free $60 gift

LMNT: Free sample pack of my favorite electrolyte drink mix

For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals

Resources Mentioned

Credit Cards

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Blog Posts

• How to maximize your Hilton cards
• How to use Hyatt's Guest of Honor Globalist benefit
• How to earn up to 6 free nights with Hyatt Brand Explorer

Award Search Tools

• Rooms.Aero
• AwardTool ($20 off annual plans with code ALLTHEHACKS)
• Points Path Chrome Extension
• PointsYeah Hotels
• Awayz ($10 for ATH listeners and 50% off for ATH members)
• Gondola
• MaxMyPoint
• StayWithPoints

Costa Rica

• Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
• Adobe Rent a Car
• Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
• Sensoria
• Diamante Eco Adventure Park
• La Finca

Carmel Valley Ranch: Little Ranchers | River Ranch

• Earthbound Farm
• Lucia Restaurant & Bar
• The Great Tide Pool
• Revival Ice Cream
• Snack Shack at Lovers Point
• Lucy's On Lighthouse
• Monterey Bay Aquarium

Alila Ventana Big Sur Hotel

Buy World Of Hyatt Points For 20% Off

Elemental Movie

ATH Podcast

• Video Episode with Photos/Videos⁠
• Luxury Hotel Upgrade Program
• Ep #157: Costa Rica: A Top Travel Destination for Adventure, Rainforests and Relaxation with Javier Echecopar
• Ep #167: Best Tools for Booking Hotels with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler
• Ep #182: Shortcuts to Elite Travel Status with Greg the Frequent Miler
• Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
• Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: [email protected]

Full Show Notes

(00:00) Introduction

(00:47) How Chris Got Six Free Hilton Night Certificates

(01:53) How Hilton Free Night Certificates Work

(02:59) Earning Free Nights with Hilton Credit Cards

(04:13) Planning the Trip to Costa Rica

(06:23) Buying Hilton Points (and the Caveats)

(09:40) Ways to Earn Hilton Status

(13:48) Stacking Amex and Hilton Credits

(16:14) Booking Flights with Points & Leveraging Alerts

(19:35) Renting Cars in Costa Rica

(20:55) The Flight Experience

(22:16) Adobe Car Rental Review

(23:03) Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Overview

(25:20) How We Handled an Issue at the Hotel

(30:09) Resort Layout, Pools & Amenities

(33:16) Our Sensoria Rainforest Excursion

(35:46) Diamante Eco Adventure Park & Zip Lining

(37:06) The Dining, Drinks & Staff Experience

(40:33) Sharing Feedback & Tipping the Hotel Staff

(41:59) Overall Costa Rica Takeaways & Total Costs

(45:33) How to Maximize Travel Perks without Points

(48:50) Booking Carmel Valley Ranch with Hyatt Points

(51:29) Hyatt Globalist Perks & Guest of Honor Certificates

(54:08) Hyatt Brand Explorer Program

(54:37) The Experience at Carmel Valley Ranch

(58:21) Off-Property Activities & Local Recommendations

(01:00:06) Trip Recap & Key Takeaways

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