Using Points to Book Hotel For Better Than Cash Rate
Pros
Using points to book hotels rooms most often is cheaper than booking hotels with cash.
Flexible scheduling and free cancellation.
Able to take advantage of status benefits.
Take advantage of occasional large purchase bonus, like 100% bonus.
Cons
Points might expire after a certain number of days. Check with your individual hotel reward program.
Note
Point purchase is made via points.com, so you will want to use your 2x catch all credit cards.
Point transfer should be instant but some can take a few days to clear.
Beware of the wording “discount” vs “bonus”.
Hotel Loyality Programs
Choice Privileges
Buy points to book hotels in Japan.
Value at 0.6 cpp
Buy 10,000+ points with a 30% discount (0.72 cpp) until 2026-03-15
Buy 18,000+ points with a 45% discount (0.57 cpp) until 2025-09-08 ← Best Deal
Buying points at 60% Bonus (0.64 cpp) until 2025-11-09
Example redemption: 12k+7.2k=19,200 for $124. Choice hotel booking in Tokyo for 10,000 points/night or about $60/night using points.
Hilton Honors
Wait to buy points at 100% bonus (0.5 cpp)
Value at 0.5 cpp
Purchase 3,000 to 240,000 points and get a 100% bonus (0.5 cpp) until 20206-03-14
IHG One Rewards
Wait to buy points at 100% bonus (0.5 cpp)
Value at 0.5 cpp
Buy 5,000+ points with a 100% bonus (0.5 cpp) until 2026-03-17
2025 Special Promotion: Buy 120k points for $800 + Diamond Status. Deal for last 2 weeks of 2025. 120k points is worth $600, so you are actually buying Diamond Stauts for $200.
Wyndham
Buy points to book vacation rentals in Hawaii at around $100/night via Vacasa. As of December 2025, the Wyndham to Vacasa transfer as been discontinued.
Wait to buy points around 100% bonus (0.65 cpp)
Up to 100% Bonus until 2025-12-31
100,000 points annual limit
Example redemption: 61,200 (36k+25.2k) for $468.00 USD (.76cpp) for 7 days Hawaii rental using 70% bonus via Vacasa.
Leaders Club
Buying points at 100% bonus (6.0 cpp) for discount point booking vs cash booking.
Points expire 24 months from the last qualifying activity.
Buy 30,000 to 50,000 points with a 100% bonus (6.0 cpp) until 2026-04-03
30,000 points + 30,000 bonus = 60,000 points for $3,600 (6.0 cpp)
Example redemption: The Georgian Hotel $522 cash booking vs $364 points booking