2025 Redemptions — Redeeming 385K Points for $6.5K in Travel

In 2025, I redeemed 384,885 credit card points for $6,337 in free hotel stays — paying $0 in taxes and fees.

Unlike 2024, which was a mix of flights and hotels, 2025 was all hotels. From Boston to Yosemite, every single redemption was a hotel stay. Six stays, three loyalty programs, zero out-of-pocket hotel costs.

Here's a breakdown of every redemption — the points spent, cash value saved, and the strategy behind each one.

Intercontinental Boston, Boston ($1,320)

Cash Price = $1,320

Booked Through = IHG One Rewards

Points Used (IHG) = 144,000

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

CPP = 0.92

Our biggest points redemption of the year — 144K IHG points for 4 nights in the Intercontinental Boston. At 0.92 CPP, this was below the typical IHG sweet spot, so let me explain why I still went for it.

Boston hotels are notoriously expensive. Cash rates hovered around $330/night. Even though the CPP wasn't stellar, I valued saving $1,320 in cash more than holding onto IHG points that are already valued at around 0.5–0.6 cents per point. At 0.92 CPP, I was still getting nearly double the typical IHG value.

IHG points are the easiest hotel currency to accumulate in bulk. Between everyday spending on the Chase IHG Premier and sign-up bonuses, replenishing 144K points doesn't take long. If you're sitting on a large IHG balance, don't let a sub-1.0 CPP scare you — sometimes the real value is the cash you keep in your pocket.

I wrote a detailed post about this stay in my Boston redemption post.

Hyatt Regency Savannah, Savannah ($1,510)

Cash Price = $1,510

Booked Through = World of Hyatt

Points Used (Chase UR) = 72,000

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

CPP = 2.10

This was one of our best redemptions of the year. We stayed 4 nights (2 rooms, 2 nights each) at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, right on the riverfront in the Historic District.

We visited over 4th of July, so cash prices were predictably high. Transferring 72K Chase UR points to Hyatt gave us 2.10 CPP — a textbook example of why Chase points are best used on Hyatt properties.

I wrote a detailed post about this trip — the haunted house tours, the cobblestoned streets, the food, and the fireworks. If you're interested in the full breakdown and credit card strategies, check out my Savannah redemption post.

The points came from a mix of Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus and everyday spending on Chase Freedom Flex 5X categories.

Curio Collection Resort, Lookout Mountain ($1,667)

Cash Price = $1,667

Booked Through = Hilton Honors

Points Used (Membership Rewards) = 65,385 (transferred to Hilton)

Free Night Certificate = 1 (worth $550)

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

CPP (MR Points) = 2.55

Lookout Mountain was a unique two-night stay at the Cloudland McLemore Resort, a Curio Collection by Hilton property. One night was covered by a Hilton Free Night Certificate worth up to $550, and the second night cost 65,385 Membership Rewards points transferred to Hilton Honors.

At 2.55 CPP on the points portion, this was our highest CPP redemption of the year. American Express runs periodic transfer bonuses to Hilton, so timing your transfers can stretch your MR points even further.

The resort itself was beautiful — nestled in the mountains with incredible views. It was a perfect weekend escape from Atlanta, only about a 2-hour drive.

I earned the MR points primarily through everyday spending on my American Express Gold (4X dining and groceries) and Blue Business Plus (2X on everything). If you're looking to build up Membership Rewards points, this two-card setup is hard to beat.

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe ($1,069)

Cash Price = $1,069

Booked Through = World of Hyatt

Points Used (Chase UR) = 46,000

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

CPP = 2.32

Another strong Hyatt redemption — 46K Chase UR points for 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort. At 2.32 CPP, this was right in the sweet spot for Chase-to-Hyatt transfers.

The resort waived close to $150 in resort fees because we booked with points. That's one of the underrated perks of Hyatt point bookings — resort fees are always waived, which effectively boosts your CPP even further.

We biked the Tahoe East Shore Trail, visited Emerald Bay, and enjoyed one of the most peaceful getaways of the year. I covered this trip in detail in my Lake Tahoe redemption post.

If you want to replicate this trip, a single Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus (75K UR points) is more than enough for 2 nights here. If you're a renter, the Bilt Mastercard is another great option since Bilt points also transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

AutoCamp Yosemite, Yosemite ($537)

Cash Price = $537

Booked Through = Hilton Honors (via AMEX MR transfer)

Points Used (Membership Rewards) = 37,500

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

CPP = 1.43

Our glamping adventure near Yosemite National Park. We transferred 37,500 MR points to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, booking one night at AutoCamp Yosemite — a Hilton property with airstream trailers and rustic cabins.

Because we booked with points, the resort waived the $35/day resort fee. Our Hilton Gold status also gave us free granola, coffee, and tea, plus free firewood for our campfire.

On top of that, we used our Hilton Surpass $50 quarterly credits to cover $100 in food from the clubhouse. Between the waived fees, free perks, and credit card credits, we spent virtually nothing out of pocket.

I wrote a full breakdown of this stay — including credit card strategies for earning Hilton points — in my Yosemite glamping post.

The MR points came from everyday spending on my AMEX Gold and Blue Business Plus.

Kimpton Atlanta, Atlanta ($234)

Cash Price = $234

Booked Through = IHG One Rewards

Points Used (IHG) = Free Night Certificate (20,000 points value)

Taxes and Fees Paid = $0

A quick 1-night staycation at the Kimpton in Atlanta, booked with an IHG Free Night Certificate from the Chase IHG Premier card.

Free Night Certificates are one of the most underrated perks of hotel credit cards. You get one every card anniversary, and it can be used at properties up to a certain point threshold. The Chase IHG Premier has a $99 annual fee, which means a $234 free night more than pays for the card by itself — making it one of the best value hotel cards to hold long-term.

This was a low-key redemption, but it's a great example of how hotel credit card perks can turn an ordinary night into a free one.

Summary

To bring it all together, here were my 2025 redemption cash values:

4 Nights in Intercontinental Boston for $1,320

4 Nights in Hyatt Regency Savannah for $1,510

2 Nights in Curio Collection Lookout Mountain for $1,667

2 Nights in Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe for $1,069

1 Night in AutoCamp Yosemite for $537

1 Night in Kimpton Atlanta for $234

Combined, instead of paying $6,337 in cash for hotel stays in 2025, I redeemed 384,885 credit card points and paid $0 in taxes and fees. That's an average of 1.65 cents per point across all redemptions.

If you want to start doing the same, here are the cards that made it all possible:

Chase Sapphire Preferred — best for earning Chase UR points

World of Hyatt — earn Hyatt points directly

Chase IHG Premier — earn IHG points + annual Free Night Certificate

AMEX Gold — 4X on dining and groceries, transfers to Hilton

Blue Business Plus — 2X on everything

Bilt Mastercard — earn points on rent, transfers to Hyatt

Happy travels!