Travel Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy to Be Worth It

How Road Trips and Remote Hotels Can Stretch Your Points Further

When people think about traveling with points, the images that usually come to mind are big cities, luxury hotels, and aspirational stays.

But one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years is this:

Some of the best trips — and some of the best uses of points — aren’t fancy at all.

They’re road trips.
They’re small towns.
They’re hotels that exist to support the experience, not steal the spotlight.

Get Help Planning Trips That Feel Good Without Overspending

This is exactly how we approach travel planning — not chasing luxury for the sake of it, but helping trips feel balanced, affordable, and enjoyable.

If you want help deciding when cities make sense, when remote stops can save points, or how to build a trip that feels intentional instead of rushed, our Trip Planning help is built for that kind of real-life decision-making.

If you have a question, feel free to text us at 480-331-1263.

Cities Can Be Expensive — On Points and Cash

Hotels in major cities often come with higher demand, higher nightly cash rates, and higher points redemption costs.

More detail: Why city hotels can drain your points quickly

Even mid-range chain hotels in popular cities can easily run 30,000–50,000+ points per night, especially during peak seasons. If you’re traveling for multiple nights, that can drain a points balance quickly — without necessarily improving the experience.

This is where understanding how points work inside your Points & Rewards strategy matters, especially when deciding when to use points versus cash instead of redeeming just because you can.

Remote Areas Often Mean Lower Points Costs

Hotels in smaller towns and remote areas tend to fly under the radar — and that’s where points can really shine.

More detail: How remote stops helped us stretch points

We experienced this firsthand during the summer of 2020. Like a lot of people, we were going stir crazy and decided to take a two-week road trip across the western U.S.

We stayed in places like Alliance, Nebraska (Jon’s childhood home), Cody, Wyoming, and Libby, Montana. None of these were the destination. They were simply stops along an unforgettable journey.

We saw this again on a more recent road trip to and from Denver. Instead of pushing through one long drive, we broke it up with a stop in Albuquerque, where we were able to book a hotel for just 8,000 points per night. It wasn’t fancy, but it made the drive easier, gave us a place to rest, and helped us stretch our points without overthinking it.

Trips like this are a perfect example of Trip Planning in real life because the value came from making the full route feel easier, not from any one hotel stay.

The Experience Matters More Than the Hotel

That road trip wasn’t about fancy hotels — and it didn’t need to be.

More detail: Why the trip itself was the point

The real highlights were visiting friends in Colorado, seeing Mount Rushmore, spending time in Yellowstone National Park twice, exploring Glacier National Park, driving through Grand Teton National Park, and spending time with family in Montana.

The hotels were comfortable, affordable on points, and exactly what we needed — a place to sleep, recharge, and head back out the next day.

For us, the trip itself was the point. That is why Travel & Experiences matters more than chasing the most impressive-looking redemption.

Fancy Isn’t the Goal — Feeling Good Is

Travel doesn’t have to be fancy to be meaningful.

More detail: What value can look like on a road trip

Sometimes the best value comes from:

Driving instead of flying
Staying outside major cities
Using hotels as a base rather than the highlight

Remote destinations and road trips often offer lower costs, fewer crowds, less pressure to maximize every night, and more flexibility to explore at your own pace.

And honestly, that flexibility is a big part of what makes points worth earning in the first place.