Hawaii
I booked a last-minute hotel room in Hawaii with credit card rewards — it saved me nearly $700
Last year, during a family trip to Hawaii, I decided at the last minute to venture on my own for the last leg of the vacation and book a few nights at a separate hotel in Honolulu. I debated whether to pay out of pocket or use some of my points toward the hotel room.
After poking around, I decided to book accommodations using points I had accumulated from my Capital One Venture X credit card. Booking the room was less expensive than I expected, and the process was pretty straightforward.
I booked my hotel entirely with rewards
Looking at hotel rooms in downtown Honolulu, I stumbled upon a boutique hotel a few blocks from Waikiki Beach. The total cost for three nights, including taxes and hotel fees, came out to just under $600 — not including a $100 hotel fee.
While the app allows you to partially pay for a hotel, flight, or rental card with points and the remainder using your card, I decided to book my three-night stay entirely with my travel rewards — roughly 59,000 points.
I have two Capital One cards, the Venture X and the VentureOne, and could use a combination of points from either card. I was tapped out of points on my VentureOne card, so I redeemed points from my Venture X card for the hotel room. My Venture X card had an annual credit, but I had used it on a trip to Yellowstone earlier in the year.
I saved money from hotel perks
The boutique hotel I stayed at offered several perks that I scooped up, which helped me save on my trip: free yoga mats, which came in handy during sunset yoga sessions, and free admission to several art museums on the island.
I enjoyed perusing the natural and cultural artifacts at the Bishop Museum and skipping the $34 adult entrance fee. As an added bonus, I received a complimentary tray of local snacks, such as chocolate macadamia nuts and Maui-style potato chips, which I brought home with me to give as souvenirs.
The hotel room was the only thing I spent some of my points on, as I’m hoping to save up as many points as possible for a longer international trip in the near future. I used my Venture X card to book the flights, earning me 5x miles. If I had used my card to book the hotel or car rental (we used a combination of Lyft, public transportation, and Hui, Hawaii’s car share service, on the trip), I would’ve earned 10x miles.
I used my credit card for all other purchases during my time in Hawaii, including food, sightseeing, and shopping. Putting most of my trip expenses on my credit card netted me 2x miles, and I paid off my balance in full in the next billing cycle.
Last-minute changes happen. But instead of paying a lot more for a last-minute hotel room, I was able to use miles from my card to cover the additional cost of accommodations during my Hawaii vacation.
