Travel the world with us!
This blog will show you how we got here for FREE and the power of credit card points!
Scroll down to see my travel tips & credit card recommendations!
Waldorf Astoria Maldives
We have stayed in this gorgeous Maldivian island
early June of 2024. It was pure bliss and once in a lifetime experience. Here is the breakdown below.
A premium shared yacht transfer costs over
$1,000+ per person after tax, which is very expensive. We have found a way to get to the resort using Hilton points.
Go on google and type “Hilton Experiences” - type Maldives in the search bar. Once you see the WA 100K yacht transfer - that will be the redemption.
Now the tricky part of this stay is the availability. You must be at the Hilton website daily searching for a “150K Points” Standard room redemption. You must select “Flexible dates” and input a 1 day stay only - this way you are able to view daily room availability.
A great redemption should look like this.
Flexibility is key, enjoy this paradise!
Credit Card used: Hilton Aspire
Earns 34X per dollar on all Hilton Properties (14x + 20 for Diamond Status.
Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels
& Resorts
Utilizing a Hilton Free night Certificate from
Hilton Aspire, I was able to bring my Mom
and sister to enjoy the Anguilla beauty.
They have never been to a luxury
resort before and they
truly enjoyed this stay.
This redemption costs 110K HIlton
Points and one night stay for 3 people that
ran cash value of $,1300. We received
a complimentary upgrade from
Garden View to Ocean view.
Truly a magnificent stay!
How we got there:
We flew from EWR (NJ) directly to
SXM (St Marteen) and then took a
short 30 minute ferry to Anguilla port.
Upon arrival we were greeted by
a private driver from the Zemi resort
and he then whisked us to the location.
Hilton Aspire
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
We used 5 Free Night Certificates
from Marriott Boundless Credit Card by Chase - worth 50K each night
(Can be topped off up to 65K )
We did not receive a room upgrade due to the capacity during the time of our stay. We still enjoyed our room as it was very spacious and was cleaned twice a day
This hotel had the best executive lounge we have
ever been to. The breakfast buffet has high quality food and the afternoon tea was a great time to re-charge your body after running around Singapore all day!
The best part is the evening cocktail. They have tons of alcohol to choose from and the staff are very accomodating.
Just by having Platinum status for Marriott, we are able to enjoy all these wonderful perks!
Hyatt Regency Bali, Sanur
A 2-day stay at one of Hyatt Regency’s Suite
will run you an average of $1,000+
Utilizing Chase Points and transferring it using my Chase Sapphire Reserve, I was able to book
this room at 26,000 points
($260 if we calculate it by one cent per point).
Over 3.8cents per point! What a redemption!
How to Book:
Must have a Credit card that allows you to transfer to Chase Partners, that is Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve.
With this booking, I transfered 26,000 Ultimate Reward Points to my Hyatt Account
Step 1: Sign-in to your Chase Account. Make sure you have a World of Hyatt Account with the membership # ready in hand.
2. Press “Ultimate Rewards Points“ and select your Sapphire card.
3. Press the “TRAVEL” drop-down button and
select “Transfer Points to Partners”
4. Select “HYATT” -> Enroll by typing your account number.
5. Press Transfer Points and input the required amount of points for your dream vacation!
6. Transfers are usually instant. Book your stay using points and you’re good to go!
Hotels & Resorts
We love hotel credit cards due to its great benefits and point multiplier when booking directly with the company.
We mainly stay at big brand names such as Hilton and Marriott, but have utilized Hyatt as well due to its powerful cent per point redemption.
For the stays above we used:
- Hilton Aspire by AMEX ($550 Annual Fee) /
- Hilton Surpass by AMEX ($150 Annual Fee)
- Marriott Boundless by Chase ($95 Annual Fee)
- Marriott Brilliant by AMEX ($650 Annual Fee)
Which cards did we use? And which one is perfect for you?
General Travel
When it comes to Airlines and ground transportation. A great catch all card for this category is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It earns 3X per dollar on ALL Travel related purchases. The travel protection insurance is also a great benefit.
For flights booked at Third-party/Direct websites:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 Annual Fee)
For flights booked DIRECTLY at the Airlines Website:
- American Express Platinum ($695 Annual Fee)
- Earns 5X on Airline’sWebsite
- Earns 5x on stays booked at AmexTravel.com
Credit Card breakdown and its Benefits!
Hilton Aspire
Annual Fee: $550
My Top Favorite credit card as this made me redeem one of the most expensive properties in the world - over $2,500+ per night!
Key Benefits:
- Complimentary Diamond Status
- Uncapped Free Night Certificate (upon sign up and every cardmember year)
- $400 Resort Credit split from (Jan-June/July-December)
- $200 Airline Credit (Any Airline) $50 every quarter
- $189 Clear Credit (Skip all those lines!)
Annual Fee: $695
Coupon Book Credit Card, lots of benefits, but you must keep track of the credits!
- Complimentary Gold Status for Marriott and Hilton
- Access to Centurion Lounge + Priority Pass network
- $200 Airline Incidental Credit (I use it for United Travel Bank)
- $200 Hotel Credit, must use at Amex Travel website (FHR/Collection)
- $20 Uber Eats Monthly
- $189 Clear Credit
- $100 SAKS Fifth Avenue Credit (use to purchase small item clothing/wear)
Marriott Brilliant
- Annual Fee: $650
- capped 85K Certificate (+15K)
- $300 Dining Credit Worldwide
- Complimentary Platinum Status (got us upgraded to suites)
Marriott Boundless
- Low annual Fee of $95
- Great sign up bonus (5 Free night certificates)
- Annual 35K Free night
- 3X on Groceries/Restaurants on the first $6,000 spent
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual Fee: $550
My Favorite Travel Catch-all Credit Card
- $300 Travel Credit (Can be used on any type of transporation/hotels/travel agency such as klook/tripadvisor)
- Access to Priority Pass network lounges!
- $5 Doordash Credit
- Car Rental Status
- 3X on all Travels. Trip insurance top tier.
These are my favorite No-Annual Fee Credits Cards! (FREE)
💳 Chase Freedom Flex
Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3% on dining including takeout and drug stores, and 1% on all other purchases!
💳 Chase Freedom Unlimited
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back
Earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases up to $20,000 spent in the first year. That's a value of up to $300 cash back!*Opens offer details overlay
At a glance Up to $300 cash back
With additional 1.5% cash back, you can earn 3% cash back or more on all purchases, like 4.5% on dining and drugstores and 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM in the first year on up to $20,000 spent.*
💳 Amex Hilton Honors
(No Annual Fee)
Earn 100,000 Hilton Honor Points
7x per dollar spent on Hilton Portfolio
5x at U.S. Restaurants
5x on U.S. Groceries
5x on Gas at U.S. locations
3x on everything
All my credit cards: If you would like to support my channel, please see the referrals below. Thank you so much!
💳 Amex Gold Card *Limited Edition Design*
($325 Annual Fee) | Best Dining Credit Card
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards Points
The best credit card for worldwide dining, and U.S. Supermarket Grocery spending:
- 4X on Restaurant worlwide ($50,000 limit)
- 4X U.S. Supermarket/Grocery ($25,000 limit
- 3x on Flights booked at Amex Travel Website
Coupon Credits
$120 Uber/Uber Eats Cash ($10 monthly)
$84 Dunkin’ Credits ($7 Monthly)
$100 Resy Participating Resturants ($50/6mo)
💳 Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ($650Annual Fee)
Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points
This credit card must be used only in Marriott Properties. The food credit is a good combination with the Gold Card.
- $300 Annual Dining Credit ($25 Monthly)
- 85K Marriott Free Night Certificate
- Complimentary Elite Platinum Status
- 21x for every $1 on Marriott Properties
- Priority Pass Select
- 25 Elite Night Credits (Can stack with Marriott Business)
- 3x on Restaurant Spending Worlwide
- 2x on everything
Ultimate Travel
Credit Cards
💳 Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 Annual Fee)
Earn 60,000 Ultimate Reward Points
💳 Amex Platinum ($695 Annual Fee) Earn an Elevated 100,000 Membership Rewards Points
💳 Amex Hilton Aspire ($550 Annual Fee)
Earn 150,000 Hilton Honor Points
💳 Amex Hilton Surpass ($150 Annual Fee)
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honor Points
💳 Marriott Business ($125 Annual Fee)
Earn 3 Free nights valued up to 150k pts!
Chase United Airlines credit card
