Understanding How to Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for Hotel Stays
Many travelers find value in redeeming their Chase Ultimate Rewards points for hotel stays through the Chase Travel portal. This is especially beneficial now that the Points Boost feature allows eligible cardholders to redeem points for hotel stays at up to 2 cents per point, depending on the card and the type of redemption.
If you hold one of the following cards, you can also transfer your Chase points to select hotel loyalty programs — IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt — at a 1:1 ratio and then redeem those points through the respective hotel program:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Booking a stay through either the Chase Travel portal or by transferring points to a hotel loyalty program is generally straightforward. However, when deciding how to best use your Chase points for a hotel stay, there are two key factors to consider: the number of points required for your stay and the benefits offered by the loyalty programs.
Comparing Points Required for Your Stay
The first factor to evaluate is the number of points needed to book a specific hotel stay. If you have a particular property in mind, such as a Hyatt, IHG, or Marriott location, you can compare the cost in points through the Chase Travel portal with the cost if you were to transfer points to the hotel’s loyalty program and redeem them there.
For example, if you want to book a night at a Hyatt Place Atlanta Airport-South, you could transfer 4,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt and then use 3,500 Hyatt points for the stay. Alternatively, booking through the Chase Travel portal using points from a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card would require 11,538 Chase points for the same night. If you applied for the card after June 22, you might only get 1 cent per point, which would increase the required points to 14,423.
In this case, transferring points to Hyatt and booking through the World of Hyatt program would provide better value. Even if you don’t have a specific property in mind, you can still compare options by selecting a property through Chase Travel and checking award rates for similar properties in the Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt programs.
Evaluating Loyalty Program Benefits
The second important aspect to consider is the benefits provided by the hotel loyalty programs when booking directly. For instance, having elite status with a hotel chain like Hyatt, Marriott, or IHG often comes with perks such as free upgrades, late checkouts, and additional amenities. You also earn elite qualifying nights toward maintaining or achieving elite status, even on award stays.
However, these benefits are typically not available when booking through online travel agencies like Chase Travel, unless you’re booking through The Edit by Chase Travel. That’s why many travelers choose to use Chase Travel for boutique or independent hotels outside their primary loyalty programs.
Real-Life Example of Saving Points
A practical example illustrates the potential savings. My sister-in-law had the Chase Sapphire Preferred and was planning to book a one-night stay through the Chase Travel portal for around 20,000 points. I found a comparable Category 1 Hyatt property that only required 5,000 points if she transferred her Chase points to Hyatt and then redeemed them through the World of Hyatt program. This saved her approximately 15,000 Chase points simply by choosing the transfer option.
Tips for Maximizing Your Chase Points
If you don’t currently have a premium Ultimate Rewards card that offers access to transfer partners, now is an excellent time to apply. The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently offers a welcome bonus of 100,000 points plus a $500 Chase Travel promo credit after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business provides 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to various airline loyalty programs. There are several strategies to maximize your redemptions, including booking first-class flights, all-inclusive getaways, and more.
Additional Resources for Redemptions
To learn more about how to make the most of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, consider exploring the following resources:
- 10 best ways to use 100K Chase Ultimate Rewards points: From first-class flights to all-inclusive getaways
- How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points: How to redeem for maximum value
- How I got a 20X return on my Chase Sapphire Preferred last year
These articles offer insights into maximizing the value of your points across different travel experiences. Ultimately, comparing your options and understanding the benefits of each redemption method can help you get more value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
