Natalie sent in this reader success story to Singapore and Australia. Here is her story: Flights For our big trip in August 2024, my boyfriend and I had long set our sights on visiting Singapore. We are big horse racing fans, and Singapore had announced that their famous Turf Club would cease operations in October […]

Thailand is a dream destination, offering everything from the vibrant energy of Bangkok to the tranquil beaches of Phuket and the lush jungles of Chiang Rai. But what if you could elevate your experience even further? Imagine staying in some of Thailand’s most luxurious hotels, all without stretching your budget. We’re sharing our ten best […]

One of my very first credit card points and miles redemptions was to Thailand. I have wanted to return there for years and I finally made it happen! I’ve recapped our trip, but this post specifically is a review of the Conrad Koh Samui, the first hotel we stayed at on our trip. The Conrad […]

We’re continuing my recent Thailand trip today with a review of the Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui. We came here after a stay at the Conrad Koh Samui that we didn’t want to leave. How does the Ritz-Carlton compare? Nestled on 58 acres of a former coconut plantation, The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui offers a luxurious retreat overlooking […]

Thailand was one of the very first destinations I booked a trip to with credit card points when I first embarked on this whirlwind journey of nearly free travel. I fell in love with everything about the “Land of Smiles” and had been dreaming of a return visit for years. This year, that dream became […]

Sigh. I have started another Park Hyatt love affair. Here is my Park Hyatt Bangkok review—for an all-too-short stay of just one night that I would love to repeat. Park Hyatt Bangkok is a luxurious five-star hotel located in the heart of Bangkok’s central business district, next to the upscale Central Embassy Mall. It is […]

Here is a truly glamorous example of a credit card points-and-miles redemption: a reader success story to the Maldives and Dubai! Rachel’s redemption is certainly aspirational.   Rachel’s Story on Earning Credit Card Points and Miles My husband and I just returned from a two-week dream trip to the Maldives and Dubai. This was my […]

I fell in love with Japan the first time I visited, and it’s still my favorite country after this most recent visit. Ted, Ella, Molly, and I spent spring break in Tokyo and Kyoto, and we had the best time!  Here’s my review of Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya, where we spent four nights. It will […]

Our latest reader success story is from one of our dads! This may be called Travel Mom Squad but we have a lot of dads who are readers, too and we really appreciate them. Here’s Jeff’s reader success story to Japan:   I just wanted to say thank you for your advice over the past […]

On our recent family trip to Japan, our family of 5 spent two nights in Osaka. Our family focuses on utilizing points and miles to cut down on travel costs, and we rarely (if ever!) have a trip that is 100% on points. It can be especially tricky and costly in points when, due to […]

As someone who aims to visit all six of the Disney Parks, I couldn’t go to Japan without visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. This was Disney Castle #5 of 6 for me, and I could barely contain my excitement! The Tokyo Disney parks are located in the Tokyo Bay area of the city. It’s about an […]

Our latest success story is a blast from the past for Alex and I. Shannon sends her reader success story to Bali on points and miles, where she used a mix of points/miles and cash for an unforgettable trip!   Shannon’s Story I know Pam and Alex from California, and I feel like I know […]

With the recent Hyatt award chart changes, the Hyatt Place Kyoto is one of the hotels making a rare downgrade in a category. It was previously a Category 3 Hyatt hotel, but as of March 26, 2024, it is a Category 2. This makes standard nights only 8k points per night! While traveling during the […]

Tokyo was the last city we visited on our 2.5 week family trip to South Korea and Japan. There are so many hotels in Tokyo that it was difficult to narrow down where our family of 5 would stay for our three nights. Pam and Jess had previously stayed at the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills […]

Seoul, South Korea was the first stop of our family of five’s 2.5 week trip to South Korea and Japan. I originally booked two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae with IHG points. However, after realizing we would want more comfort for our first few nights in Asia while we adjust to the […]

Our original plan for this trip was only to visit Japan. However, we were going to be visiting Japan during the Hanami Season – the Japanese art of springtime flower watching, aka Sakura or Cherry Blossom season. This is one of the busiest tourist seasons of the year in Japan. Finding five award flights (even […]

Like most of our readers, I usually pick our next trip destination and then plan and book everything for our family. I’m lucky that my husband is always up for whatever big plans I have for us, but I still occasionally ask if he has any ideas or requests. When I asked him what his […]

When we planned our trip to Singapore, we decided to country-hop to Kuala Lumpur on points & miles, too. Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s capital city and is known for its iconic Petronas Twin Towers, bustling street markets, and delicious street food. We had heard great things about it – what were our thoughts?   Flights […]

Our Reader Success Story: South Korea goes perfectly this week as we’ve been visiting Asia. We often get asked how to use points and miles for a trip to Korea, so we are so happy to present Katelyn’s story to you!   Katelyn’s Story Using Points/Miles in South Korea My name is Katelyn. I grew […]

Somehow, I got roped into flying Singapore Airlines in premium economy to Singapore—a long 17-hour flight. It all started when an unbelievable deal was available on Singapore Airlines thanks to a global redemption sale they were having with 25% off economy and premium economy seats. Instead of redeeming 75K miles each way in premium economy […]

Singapore has long been on my radar to visit. When Singapore Airlines had a recent sale on Premium Economy seats, Jess convinced Alex and me to make a trip. You can read about how I survived Premium Economy here. Did Singapore on points and miles live up to the hype that I had about it […]