Sometimes, travel can be stressful—from planning it to actually doing it.
But if you don’t want this additional burden, and you just want the fun and easiness of a true vacation, booking a stay at an all-inclusive property might be exactly what you’re wishing for!
We’ll take a look at one of the best travel credit cards to use when staying at an all-inclusive resort, all thanks to miles and points.
Which card should I use if I want to book an all-inclusive resort?
The easiest answer here is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Year after year, this card continues to be our most popular one that both beginners and experts adore.
Not only do you earn 2x points per dollar on travel purchases, but you can also earn 3x points per dollar on everyday purchases like dining, select streaming services, and online grocery stores (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs).
So it’s easy to earn points with this card that you can then redeem for a free all-inclusive stay (more on that later 😀).
Its current welcome offer is: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
And with a low annual fee of just $95, there’s really no reason why this card doesn’t make sense to have in your wallet.
How do I use the Sapphire Preferred to book an all-inclusive property?
Hyatt might just be our favorite hotel brand around here, and it’s certainly our favorite when it comes to all-inclusive resorts!
We love the fact that the Sapphire Preferred and Hyatt pair so well together. That’s because you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio—and you’ll get significant value with this!
We don’t usually recommend transferring bank points to hotels because you’ll tend to lose value; however, Hyatt is the exception here 💪
To get ready to book an all-inclusive stay with Hyatt using Chase points, be sure to create a free Hyatt account, then link your Hyatt account with your online account for the Sapphire Preferred.
Within your Chase account, select Benefits & Travel > Rewards > Travel > Transfer points to partners.
You’ll then see a list of all of Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners. If you haven’t already linked your two accounts, you’ll be prompted to do so from here.
And that’s it! You’ll be able to seamlessly move your Chase points to your Hyatt account for any future redemptions.
What are some examples of all-inclusive Hyatt properties that I can book?
It’s important to know that Hyatt uses a fixed system to price out their all-inclusive properties—Category A to Category F. The higher the category, typically the nicer (and more expensive) the property will be.
You can view Hyatt’s award chart for their all-inclusive properties HERE.
Hyatt’s all-inclusive award chart
You can see here that an off-peak night at a Category A property will cost you as few as 12,000 points (remember, points that can be transferred from your Sapphire Preferred!).
But a top-tier, Category F property during peak times can cost as much as 58,000 points per night.
For full disclosure, finding an all-inclusive property for just 12,000 points is incredibly difficult nowadays. You’ll most likely find properties with great value in the 20,000 -25,000 points-per-night range.
Either way, with the current welcome offer, there’s the potential for you to get up to five free nights using your Chase points if you find a lower-tiered Hyatt property!
A couple of my favorite properties are:
1. Secrets Impression Moxché in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Courtesy of Hyatt
It’s a category C property that goes for 21,000 - 25,000 points per night, and with an average cash price of $1,800 per night, you’re getting over 7 cents per point in value. That’s INCREDIBLE.
2. Secrets Papagayo in Costa Rica
Courtesy of Hyatt
This is another Category C property that costs 21,000 - 25,000 points per night, and with an average cash cost of $900 a night, you’re still getting nearly 4 cents per point in value.
Hyatt is always adding to its portfolio, but you’ll find the majority of its all-inclusive properties in the Americas, Mexico, and the Caribbean (though we’re starting to see more properties pop up in Europe, too!).
Bottom line
If staying at an all-inclusive property is your type of travel, there’s really no better card to get than the Sapphire Preferred.
With its generous welcome offer, low annual fee, and accelerated earning rates on everyday spending (including travel purchases!), it’s an excellent option that will help make your next all-inclusive stay a breeze.
