From Broadway shows to world-class museums, the Big Apple has something for everyone. New York City can be a costly place to visit, but it doesn’t have to be with points and miles! Read on to find out how to get to New York City and where to stay—regardless of your budget. New York City on every points budget is possible!

 

High Points Budget to NYC

High Points Price Flight: Delta First 

Let’s say you’re a New York-bound family traveling from Denver. That’s a longer flight, so more legroom might come in handy. When I searched in September, I found Delta First from Denver to New York for 35,200 miles per person. You could return in Delta First for 64,500 per person. That’s not cheap, but it could be worth it if you have a lot of Delta SkyMiles and want to travel more comfortably (and maybe enjoy a Shake Shack burger in the sky like Jess did!)  Comfort Plus would be a more affordable option if you want to save on mileage.

We recommend searching for a Delta flight on partner airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic or Air France. In this case, the points price was higher on those airlines, but it’s always worth a quick check to see if you can save points by booking through a partner. 

 

 

 

 

 

High Points Price Hotel: JW Marriott Essex House  

If you have a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points and are looking to stay in the heart of Manhattan, you could splurge your points at the JW Marriott Essex House New York. Located on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade route, you can walk to many attractions from this higher-end property. The hotel includes a spa, fitness center, and on-site steakhouse.

A standard room here in early March would cost 391,500 points for three nights, plus a $45 daily destination fee. (Marriott does not waive resort fees on award stays.) Depending on how many points you have to spend, you could also opt for a suite for the family, such as the Essex Suite for 436,500 total points (plus the destination fee). If you can stay five nights, you will get your least expensive points night free. 

 

 

 

Alternative: If you’re looking to splurge on Hyatt points instead (and avoid those annoying fees), consider the Park Hyatt New York, one of Pam’s, Alex’s, and Jess’s favorites. 

 

Moderate Options to NYC

Moderate Points Price Flight: United Economy 

If your points budget isn’t quite as rich (or you simply prefer United), United has nonstop economy options for this trip. You could fly from Denver to New York for 15,000 miles plus $5.60 per person (or slightly less if you’re willing to fly very early or very late, which may not be ideal for a family). For your return trip, you could fly from New York to Denver for 18,700 miles plus $5.60 per person. You’ll miss out on the first-class legroom, but you can save a lot of points. 

 

 

 

Moderate Points Price Hotel: Hyatt House New York/Chelsea 

If you want to stay in Manhattan, the most affordable Hyatt points option is Category 5 hotels, and there are a few to choose from. The Hyatt House New York/Chelsea is a great option for families, offering rooms that can accommodate up to four people and include kitchenettes. Breakfast is included for all guests at this property, offering significant savings for families.  The Hyatt House is also ideally located near Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, and Herald Square. 

Points availability is generally easy to find here. I found standard rooms in early March for 17,000 Hyatt points per night for two people, or standard suites for three people for 29,000 points. 

 

 

 

Alternatives: The Thompson Central Park is also a favorite in our Facebook group and among the TMS travelers. It’s a Category 6 and will cost you more Hyatt points (between 21,000 and 29,000 for a standard room), but it’s still moderate by New York standards. 

 

Low Points Budget to NYC

Low Points Price Flight: JetBlue Basic 

While point prices always vary, I found JetBlue Basic fares from Denver to New York for these exact dates for as low as 10,400  miles per person each way. That’s quite affordable for flying nearly across the country! If you don’t have JetBlue status, make sure you understand the limitations of the Blue Basic fare ticket before booking this fare type.  

 

 

 

Low Points Price: Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan 

The Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan is ideally situated in Midtown, offering a quick walk to numerous attractions, including Hudson Yards and Madison Square Garden. When I stayed there a few years ago, I enjoyed the lobby restaurant, Burgerology. 

Point prices can vary significantly here, and I’ve seen them exceed 100,000 at peak times. But if you’re able to travel to New York at lower-demand times like early March, you can find much more reasonable points prices. For example, I found a two-double room that sleeps four people for a weekend in early March for between 57,000 and 78,000 IHG points per night. 

If you’re staying four nights and hold the card_name or card_name, you can get the fourth night free when booking entirely on points, saving even more. (Free-night certificates don’t count for the fourth night free.) 

Redeem three nights, get the fourth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay. You can receive a fourth Reward Night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.

 

 

Alternative: The Hyatt Place Chelsea is conveniently located and will cost 23,000 Hyatt points. If you’re looking for a bargain Hyatt stay and want to use a Category 1-4 free-night certificate, you could stay in nearby Hyatt Place Long Island City or the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson. While not in Manhattan, both have relatively easy access to Manhattan by public transit.  

 

New York Hotel Booking Tips

• Dynamic programs, such as IHG, Hilton, and Marriott, often have very high point prices (and sometimes limited availability) at peak times. I usually find much better deals booking New York hotels with Hyatt points during these times, thanks to Hyatt’s award chart. 
• Conversely, if you don’t mind potentially cold or hot weather, you can often get great deals at off-peak times (which I’ve found to be January, February, and August) with your dynamically priced points. These low-demand times are also an ideal opportunity to see if you can find a deal using your The Edit by Chase Travel℠ or American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts® credits, if you have them. 
• If you book through a dynamic-pricing program, don’t forget to monitor the points price in MaxMyPoint or a similar tool. You can usually cancel and rebook if the price goes down, allowing you to get some of your points back. 

 

Bottom Line

You can plan a trip to the Big Apple for your family—no matter your points budget. Which option are you taking for your next trip? 

 

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