Why I’m obsessed with a new way to use points to book hotels

With the entire changes that have happened recently with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), it has admittedly change into robust to instantly deep dive into each single aspect to determine the precise optimistic (and even not so optimistic) implications for every state of affairs.

However now that the Sapphire-colored mud has began to settle, I’ve had time to do various real-world searches within the Chase Travel℠ website utilizing a brand new function known as Points Boost and … I am low-key obsessed.

For those who aren’t but conversant in Factors Enhance, it’s a brand-new function from Chase that will increase the worth you’ll be able to typically get to your Chase Final Rewards factors when reserving journey on the Chase Journey website, as much as 2 cents per level when you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, like I do. (When you’ve got the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked, Factors Enhance maxes out at 1.5 cents for motels and 1.75 cents for some flights.)

Beforehand, the max worth you possibly can get to your Chase factors for those who used them at a set worth to guide issues within the Chase Journey website, like motels and airfare (versus transferring to those points partners like World of Hyatt or British Airways Avios) was a flat 1.5 cents per level with the Sapphire Reserve or 1.25 cents per level with the Sapphire Most well-liked.

Whereas a few of how all of that works is altering, wanting simply at Factors Enhance for now, that valuation ceiling has gone as much as 2 cents per level on some motels and a few airfare, relying in your card. And whereas it’s not at all times obtainable, primarily based on my searches, it’s truly a fabric distinction that modifications the sport on what’s one of the best ways to guide sure parts of a visit utilizing your factors.

Professional tip: Click on the button to indicate Factors Enhance solely.

Listed here are a couple of real-world Factors Enhance examples I discovered whereas beginning to value out some holidays which have made me a reasonably large fan.

Disneyland is actually a great spot to use your hotel points. There are a ton of walkable mid- to barely upper-range motels obtainable for the reason that park is basically in the midst of Anaheim.

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Marriott particularly has various properties inside a five- to 10-minute stroll to the parks. However, not surprisingly, many of the properties I’m contemplating begin at 50,000 to 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening whereas we’re there, which is not an insignificant variety of factors.

Nonetheless, a number of dozen Anaheim properties are eligible for Factors Enhance for the weekend we’re contemplating in October, which will increase the per-point worth as much as 2 cents per level with my Sapphire Reserve.

One instance of that is the Fairfield Anaheim Resort, which I’ve stayed at earlier than and is a really quick stroll to Disneyland.

Marriott Bonvoy desires 53,000 Marriott factors per evening for our desired weekend. Nonetheless, the exact same room and dates are bookable for simply over 17,000 Chase factors by way of the Chase Journey website, due to the lodge being Factors Enhance eligible.

Whereas typically transferring your factors to Chase’s nice lodge and airline companions stretches their potential worth, on this case, it’s truly a a lot better deal to simply guide the room by way of the Chase Journey website and pay 17k factors there as a substitute of transferring these Chase factors to Marriott, the place it will have price 53k factors for the very same room.

You could discover that the money value listed for the room is completely different between Chase vs. Marriott, and that’s one thing to be careful for.

On this case, many of the distinction is that Marriott is providing a pay as you go nonrefundable charge for much less, which is not what I might need to guide anyway. Nonetheless, do examine money costs, too, to make certain your 2 cents per level in Chase by way of Factors Enhance actually is one of the best route earlier than assuming that it’s.

One among my favourite motels I’ve ever stayed at is 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai.

It is a magical spot with a beachfront location, nearly day by day rainbows, beautiful swimming pools, distinctive meals and high-end design. I’ve stayed there earlier than on a media journey (aka I did not pay my very own money) and at all times dreamed of with the ability to return … although my pockets had different ideas as it is not uncommon for rooms right here to start out at $1,000 to $1,200+ per evening.

Nonetheless, I see that the lodge is now a part of Chase’s The Edit, which suggests perks reminiscent of free breakfast, late check-out, a property credit score, and so on., to call a couple of.

That is thrilling, however equally thrilling is you could now guide the lodge for round 60,000 Chase factors per evening since The Edit motels can be found with Factors Enhance. This brings it again into the realm of probably doable once more at some point utilizing factors.

One other real-world instance I am now very a lot contemplating for an evening close to Disney World once I want late checkout (after one of many Run Disney races) is the J.W. Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek. It is a very good resort in its personal proper, and since it’s in The Edit program, Factors Enhance was assured and drops the speed to simply 27k Chase factors for the gorgeous busy evening I want. That is actually a reasonably unbelievable deal for all that you simply’d get in return.

In distinction, if I booked utilizing Marriott factors for that evening, it will price 74,000 Marriott factors, which once more highlights how Factors Enhance is sort of altering the sport. On this case, as you’ll be able to see beneath, I would additionally earn Marriott elite nights, and so on., by it being Marriott Bonvoy eligible.

Or, say you need to spend a while in Las Vegas, someplace just like the Bellagio.

That can be a property that’s a part of The Edit, and an evening I picked there this summer season is pricing at beneath 16,000 Chase factors per evening, due to Factors Enhance — and also you’d nonetheless get all these The Edit perks, such because the free breakfast and $100 property credit score.

P.S. The breakfast at Sadelle’s within the Bellagio is de facto good, in order that’s the place I would use that credit score, particularly if you’re into bagels and lox.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® — Earn a best-ever provide of 100,000 bonus factors plus a $500 Chase Journey℠ promo credit score after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (see rates and fees).

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ — Earn a formidable 200,000 bonus factors after spending $30,000 within the first six months after opening an account. (see rates and fees)