Save 50% on Hotel Expense: Three Insider Tips You Can Steal

• Day 1: Grand Hyatt Seoul
  • The room policy allowed only 3 people, so I booked two rooms.
  • Room A: Redeemed 20,000 Hyatt Points per night for the basic room and used a Suite Upgrade Award for a standard suite.
  • Room B: Redeemed 25,000 Hyatt Points for 1 night
• Day 2: Park Hyatt Seoul
  • The room policy allowed only 3 people, so I booked two rooms.
  • Room A: Used a category 1 to 7 Free Night Certificate for 1 night.
  • Room B: Redeemed 25,000 Hyatt Points for 1 night
• Day 3-5: Park Hyatt Busan
  • Booked a Family Executive Suite for 4 persons using 25,000 Hyatt Points per night for 3 nights + Suite Upgrade Award.
• Day 6: Park Hyatt Seoul
  • Redeemed 25,000 Hyatt Points for 1 night each for 2 rooms.

What works for others with Hyatt doesn’t always work for me! There were hiccups across these Hyatt stays, leading me to return to the Marriott group – specifically the Westin Josun Seoul – to wrap up our time in Seoul. We shortened our stay in Busan and switched from Park Hyatt Seoul to Westin in Seoul.

Here’s how I handled our last-minute change of accommodations in South Korea using a combination of travel hacks:

For Room 1 (for me and my husband):

As a Marriott member with Platinum elite status, this room included lounge access for breakfast and happy hour.

• Sunday Night: Used 49,000 Marriott points for a room valued at almost $500 a night.
• Monday Night: Booked through the AA Shopping Portal on Marriott, earning 1 AA mile and Loyalty Points per dollar spent on accommodation. At checkout, I used a Marriott gift card purchased at a 20% discount in 2021 / 2022, lowering the cost to $320 a night from $400. Additionally, I have earned AA miles and Loyalty Points.

Pro-Tip: I am actively pursuing Platinum and higher status as I aim to achieve Lifetime status within 3 years. An easier way to achieve this is through the Amex Marriott Brilliant credit card, which automatically grants you Marriott Platinum Elite status, including free breakfast and executive lounge access at most Marriott hotels.

For Room 2 (for my kids on both days):

I booked through the AAdvantage Hotels portal to earn AA miles and loyalty points. While prices are sometimes higher, this isn't always the case. I prefer using the AAdvantage Hotels portal because Marriott policies rarely extend Platinum benefits to the second room. Therefore, I balanced between booking through Marriott.com, the AA shopping portal, and the AAdvantage Hotels portal.

In 2024, my priority is to maximize miles and points, using my Citi AAdvantage Executive credit card to earn 10 times AA miles for every dollar spent on this booking. In total, I'll earn 11,000 AA miles and 3,500 loyalty points (verification pending). Marriott impressed me with connecting rooms that felt like a spacious 2-bedroom suite, spanning over 850 square feet and valued at $900! Marriott continues to exceed my expectations!!

• Further Reading: How To Best Reach American Airlines Elite Levels With Daily Spending

Final Thoughts

With these three insider tips, I have successfully built my 7-week family hotel redemption in the South Pacific and Asia. You certainly can steal them and are able to do it if you follow the tips: 

1. Always Comparing Different Redemption Options
2. Maximizing High - Earning from American Airlines portals
3. Staying open to any travel hacks that can change your plans flexibly