One of our readers sent in this story about her ski trip to Park City on points. Somehow, I erased it and can’t give her credit 🤦‍♀️. If you are reading this, please let me know so I can add your name.

 

A Winter Wonderland: Our Family Ski Trip to Park City, Utah

While most travelers chase the sun in the winter, my family is the anomaly—we live for a snowy adventure! This year, we were lucky enough to escape to Park City, Utah, for what can only be described as a skier’s dream vacation. We left behind our North Carolina beach town and embarked on the best family trip we’ve ever had! Here’s our family ski trip to Park City on points!

 

Flights: Maximizing Points for First-Class Travel

Normally, I book our trips a year in advance, but this time, I snagged our flights in November 2024 for our January 2025 getaway. Thanks to Chase’s 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic, I booked four first-class one-way tickets on Delta for just 12,000 points each—an absolute steal. Our direct flight from Raleigh to Salt Lake City cost 19,200 Virgin Atlantic miles total.

For our return, I transferred American Express Membership Rewards® to Delta, scoring economy tickets at 15,000 points per person. Then, using my airline credit from The Platinum Card® from American Express, I upgraded to premium economy for just $168, which was fully reimbursed. In the end, our total out-of-pocket flight costs were $52 in taxes, and the grand total in points was 79,200:  19,200 Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards®.

All information about The Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Platinum Card® from American Express is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.

 

 

Hitting the Road: The Jeep Rental

Upon landing in Salt Lake City, we picked up our rental Jeep, booked through the Capital One travel portal to take advantage of my $300 travel credit. The total cost for the week was $400, but after applying my travel credit, I only needed 10,000 points to cover the remaining $100. I could have just paid the difference, but with the price of winter activities, I wanted to keep our expenses as low as possible.

With two exhausted kids strapped into their car seats, we made the 45-minute drive to the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley. The road conditions were great, but I can see how winter storms could turn the drive into a white-knuckle experience. 

 

Grand Hyatt Deer Valley: Our Ski-In, Ski-Out Home

The Grand Hyatt Deer Valley just opened in November 2024, so we were among the first guests to experience this stunning new property. Were there a few opening kinks? Yes. But overall, our stay was nothing short of spectacular.

We booked seven nights in a two-double-bed room for 29,000 Hyatt points per night, transferring a total of 203,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® to Hyatt. To sweeten the deal, I used a club-access award, which saved us over $1,000—the club lounge wasn’t open yet, but we still received free daily breakfast, which was a $150 per day value for our family.

 

 

 

This property is the main hotel for Deer Valley Resort’s East Village, which is set to double in size by 2026, adding more ski runs, shops, restaurants, and even childcare. Right now, only part of the mountain is open, but experienced skiers can take the lift just steps from the hotel and ski over to the original Deer Valley Ski Resort in the West Village.

Since our kids are beginners, we didn’t take advantage of the ski-in, ski-out access, but driving to West Village was a breeze—just 20 minutes away.

 

 

 

The Hotel: Luxe Amenities & Unexpected Perks

The Grand Hyatt is massive, with 319 rooms plus condos, two restaurants, a coffee shop, a ski shop, a gym, and a heated pool with three hot tubs. Our kids were obsessed with the outdoor pools—swimming in 10-degree weather was a highlight for them.

 

 

My husband and I hit the gym daily, which was well-equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and Peloton bikes. As a Peloton fanatic, I loved having access to one on vacation. Fun bonus? We ran into Ally Love, one of Peloton’s top instructors, in the elevator. My kids recognized her from my rides, and she was incredibly kind—such a cool moment.

 

The Valet Mishap

The only hiccup in our stay was a valet issue. The hotel requires $50 per day valet parking, and they use a texting system to call up cars. On our second night, we had a 6:30 PM sleigh ride scheduled, so we requested our car at 5:00 PM—but it took them 2.5 hours to locate our Jeep. We missed our sleigh ride entirely.

The hotel handled it well, comping three days of valet fees and crediting us $275 to cover the cost of the missed ride. We managed to reschedule, so it all worked out in the end.

 

Park City Activities: A Winter Wonderland

We spent seven days soaking in everything Park City had to offer. Here’s what we did:

• Skiing at Deer Valley: 2 days – $2,766 (including ski lessons and kids club)
• Tubing at Woodward Park: 4 people – $395
• Ice Castle Adventure: 4 people – $125
• Outdoor Ice Skating: 4 people – $100
• Private Sleigh Ride: 4 people – $275
• Day Trip to Downtown Salt Lake City: Free
• Swimming at the Hyatt: Free
• Olympic Park Museum & Training Center: We watched slalom skiers, bobsledders, and ski jumpers train – $100

 

 

Cold Weather = Layering Up!

Park City was freezing, but we bundled up in layers every day. Our kids were obsessed with the snow—any chance they got, they were out playing in it. They even said they loved it more than the beach. We’ll see how long that lasts!

 

 

The Grand Total: How Much We Saved

If we had paid cash, our trip would have cost: $18,851. Crazy!!

• Flights: $4,800 one-way first class + $1,500 premium economy return = $6,300
• Rental Jeep: $400
• Hotel: $5,740 for seven nights + $1,050 for breakfast = $6,790
• Activities: $3,761
• Food: Around $200 per day for seven days = $1,400
• Valet Parking: $50 per day for four days (after comp) = $200

Thanks to points and miles, our only out-of-pocket expenses were food and activities. I used 222,200 Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards®, and 10,000 Capital One Venture miles. Total Points Used: 292,200. 

 

Final Thoughts: We Can’t Wait to Return!

Our trip to the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley was one for the books. Between the gorgeous new hotel, incredible skiing, and unforgettable experiences, we are already dreaming about our next visit. If you’re looking for a luxurious winter escape with family-friendly charm, this is it. 

Thank you so much for this incredible reader success story!  Booking a family ski trip to Park City on points is a great way to reduce travel costs and have an amazing winter adventure.  

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