When we first started using points, I remember staring at our balance of 100,000 and wondering: how far can this actually take a family of six?

I had seen people use that many points for one first-class flight or two nights at a luxury hotel. But I knew there had to be a better way—especially if I wanted to stretch those points into real family vacations. And the good news? There absolutely is! We’ve used 100k points for a full week of hotel stays, roundtrip flights for four, or two rooms at a resort where my husband and I got our own room. That’s the magic of smart redemptions.

I used to believe a dream trip to Kauai with our family of six would stay just that—a dream. Between flights, hotels, and food, we were staring at a price tag at around $15,000. Not exactly in the budget for a family of six. But once I discovered how to stack travel rewards, everything changed.

Why I Always Save My Points for These Two Travel Programs One of the biggest frustrations with points and miles? Figuring out how to actually use them for good redemptions. Some airline and hotel programs make it unnecessarily complicated—blackout dates, unpredictable pricing, and sneaky fees can turn what should be a nearly free trip into […]

If you’re a mom trying to stretch your points for family vacations, Hyatt is one of the best hotel programs out there. With family-friendly properties, incredible point value, and perks that make travel easier, Hyatt consistently ranks as a top choice for families looking to book hotel stays with points.

My husband travels often for work, and that’s how we first got deep into the Marriott ecosystem. Once you build loyalty with a single hotel program, the perks start to matter—things like room upgrades, free breakfast, and late checkout can make travel a whole lot smoother, especially for a family.