How I booked a luxury beach getaway using points

If you haven’t heard the Gen Z time period “weekend-maxxing” earlier than, belief us once we say it’s a pattern you’ll truly need to get on board with. The idea is easy: Instead of treating a Friday-to-Sunday journey like a fast escape, vacationers attempt to squeeze as a lot worth, consolation and expertise as potential into simply a couple of days — bonus points in the event you can add a day both facet to make it a lengthy weekend. Think luxury hotels booked with points, nice meals, premium flights and memorable experiences, all with out taking a complete week off work.

The pattern has develop into particularly widespread in Europe, the place ultra-low-cost airways like Ryanair make it straightforward to hop between main cities for subsequent to nothing. But you don’t want a €20 flight to drag it off.

I just lately did some weekend-maxxing of my very own on a journey to San Diego with my mother. And whereas the journey felt costly on paper, I managed to maintain prices surprisingly cheap because of a mixture of points, elite standing perks, a few good reserving methods and the precise travel gear.

And sure, there’s something actually satisfying about a journey that feels way more luxurious than what you truly paid for it. Somehow, this fast weekend getaway included an oceanfront luxury resort booked with points, first-class flights dwelling, a BMW rental automobile and a carry-on-only setup that made the entire journey really feel easy from begin to end.

Rather than treating it like a typical weekend away, I approached the journey virtually like a sport: How a lot consolation, worth and luxury might I realistically match into simply a few days?

As it seems, fairly a lot.

The total journey began with discovering award availability at Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, one of many nicest Hyatt beachfront resorts in Southern California.

Cash charges throughout our keep hovered round $600 per evening earlier than taxes and charges, however I discovered customary award nights out there for simply 25,000 World of Hyatt points per evening. For a luxury beach resort in California, that redemption instantly caught my consideration.

What made the deal even higher was the whole lot we didn’t need to pay for.

Because Hyatt waives resort charges on award stays, the resort’s $55 nightly resort price disappeared fully. And as a World of Hyatt Globalist member, parking charges have been additionally waived, which is valued at $60 per evening.

The solely drawback was that I didn’t even have sufficient Hyatt points sitting in my account.

So I transferred points from my Chase Sapphire Reserve® to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points switch to Hyatt in increments of 1,000 points and, in my expertise, normally inside minutes.

The course of is easy:

A couple of minutes later, the Hyatt points appeared in my account, and I was capable of lock within the reservation instantly hrough Hyatt.

For vacationers who earn transferable bank card points, Hyatt continues to be probably the most invaluable switch companions as a result of their award pricing can dramatically undercut in any other case costly money charges.

And truthfully, the resort exceeded expectations.

We have been upgraded to a Coastal Firepit Room, which got here with a personal outside firepit overlooking the shoreline. It was a type of rooms that immediately adjustments the temper of a journey and makes even a fast weekend really feel memorable.

The Globalist breakfast perk additionally delivered. Instead of a fundamental buffet or continental setup, breakfast included full restaurant eating every morning with upscale California-inspired dishes, wonderful matcha and sweeping ocean views.

Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

A $99 United flight and a Capital One value match trick that saved us cash

For the outbound flight to San Diego, I booked a United Airlines ticket via the Chase Travel portal for simply $99.

Since the airfare was bought via Chase Travel and charged to my Chase Sapphire Reserve, I earned 8 points per greenback spent, which helped offset a part of the associated fee.

The return flight is the place issues obtained extra attention-grabbing.

I discovered a cheaper fare for our Alaska Airlines flight on Kiwi.com, however I was reluctant to guide via a third-party on-line journey company. If one thing goes unsuitable with a flight, coping with smaller OTAs can shortly develop into irritating.

So as an alternative, I booked the very same Alaska flight via Capital One Travel using my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, after which instantly known as Capital One afterward to request a value match.

This falls below the Capital One Travel Price Match Guarantee. If you discover the very same flight for much less elsewhere inside 24 hours of reserving via Capital One Travel, Capital One will refund the distinction within the type of a journey credit score.

After a fast telephone name, the consultant accredited the request and issued a $45 Capital One Travel credit score per traveler for the fare distinction. The credit score was added on to my Capital One Travel account, and importantly, it doesn’t expire.

It ended up being the most effective of each worlds: the safety of reserving via Capital One Travel and nonetheless successfully getting the decrease fare I discovered elsewhere.

The journey dwelling obtained even higher because of airline elite standing reciprocity.

Because I have Executive Platinum standing with American Airlines, I obtain reciprocal elite advantages when flying Alaska Airlines. That included complimentary first-class upgrades for each my mother and me on the return flight, which made the short getaway really feel surprisingly premium.

Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Southern California street journeys simply really feel higher with a good rental automobile, and in some way I managed to search out a BMW 2 Series M Sport via Sixt for simply $25 per day.

That $50 whole truthfully felt borderline ridiculous, contemplating the automobile.

I’ve just lately began using Sixt extra usually, since becoming a member of the corporate’s Sixt One loyalty program and requesting a match from my American Airlines Executive Platinum standing to Sixt’s Platinum stage.

Platinum standing on Sixt contains perks like complimentary upgrades when out there, precedence service and added flexibility throughout pickup. For brief weekend journeys, the place losing an hour on the rental counter feels particularly painful, these perks could be good.

And driving alongside the Encinitas shoreline with the sunroof open positively didn’t damage both.

Since this was solely a weekend getaway, I dedicated to packing carry-on solely.

I introduced the Away The Bigger Carry-On, which labored particularly properly for a brief journey like this. I usually want soft-sided luggage, however this suitcase made a sturdy case for itself on a fast getaway.

The Away The Bigger Carry-On has develop into certainly one of my favourite suitcases for shorter journeys. It rolls easily, matches simply in overhead bins and gives surprisingly beneficiant packing house with out feeling cumbersome. That’s the right mixture for fast weekend getaways.

Read our review

It rolled easily via the airport, match completely within the overhead bin and provided greater than sufficient house for a few days away with out encouraging me to overpack.

I paired it with the Away Leather Backpack, which sat completely on prime of the suitcase whereas strolling via the airport. The backpack struck a good steadiness between polished and sensible. It regarded skilled sufficient for nicer resort areas and eating places whereas nonetheless being snug sufficient to hold all through the journey.

The Away Leather Backpack felt like the right companion for a fast weekend journey. It regarded polished sufficient for nicer resorts and dinners however was nonetheless snug and sensible for airport days, with simply sufficient house for my tech, chargers and in-flight necessities with out feeling outsized.

Inside, I packed certainly one of my favourite underrated journey equipment: the Belkin Hybrid Power Bank 5K + Wall Charger 25W.

The product has been discontinued, however I nonetheless use it continuously. The compact machine works as each a wall charger and moveable energy financial institution, which cuts down on the variety of equipment you must convey. Between the USB-A and USB-C ports, 25W quick charging and compact design, it’s precisely the type of product that makes brief journeys simpler.

For footwear, I introduced two pairs.

The Allbirds Men’s Varsity have been splendid for airport time, daytime strolling and informal exploring because of their light-weight consolation. For dinners and evenings out, I packed the Mephisto Waren, which regarded noticeably extra elevated whereas nonetheless being snug sufficient to stroll in for hours.

The Allbirds Men’s Varsity are light-weight, snug proper out of the field and straightforward to put on for hours at a time, whereas nonetheless trying a bit extra elevated than a typical sneaker.

The Mephisto Waren was my go-to shoe for dinners and evenings out through the journey. It seems fancier than a journey sneaker however nonetheless delivers the type of all-day consolation that makes strolling round a beach city ache free.

I additionally packed a pair of Converse sun shades and the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds, which ended up being certainly one of my favourite components of the journey setup. The sound high quality and lively noise cancellation they supply made each flights really feel considerably calmer, particularly throughout boarding and airport delays.

The noise cancellation of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven is superb, the sound high quality feels extremely wealthy and immersive, and the compact design makes them straightforward to throw in a backpack pocket.

This journey ended up being a reminder that luxury journey doesn’t essentially require a large price range or a weeklong trip.

With a mixture of transferable points, elite standing perks, price-matching methods and good travel gear, it’s potential to show even a fast weekend getaway into one thing that feels genuinely elevated.

And truthfully, typically a rigorously deliberate two-or-three-night journey can really feel simply as rewarding as going away for for much longer.

This article was written by journey merchandise editor Kyle Olsen, who flies greater than 200,000 miles per 12 months and commonly assessments baggage, backpacks, journey equipment and journey tech throughout actual journeys all over the world. Every product featured on this story was personally used throughout a weekend getaway to San Diego. Kyle believes in carry-on-only packing, airport practicality, consolation and real-world usability. Rather than counting on producer claims alone, NCS Underscored evaluates merchandise based mostly on how they really carry out throughout flights, resort stays, street journeys and on a regular basis journey eventualities.