This Is Precisely How I Booked a Wellness Retreat within the Berkshires on Factors

Earlier this yr, I redeemed factors and miles for a Berkshires retreat. My good good friend and journey companion had simply gotten married just a few weeks prior; it was lastly time to place the stress of wedding ceremony planning behind her.

The charming cities, pastoral surroundings, and historic museums of the Berkshires are a stone’s throw from the massive cities of the Northeast. There are luxurious lodging galore, and as such, the realm sometimes requires a hefty funds — particularly if you happen to partake within the many wellness actions and farm-to-table eating the area is thought for. 

However for this journey, because of World of Hyatt factors, we prevented paying hundreds of {dollars} in resort, meals, drink, and actions prices on the Miraval Berkshires. Right here’s precisely how I did it, and how one can replicate the expertise. 

A Factors and Miles Primer

One main good thing about factors and miles is unlocking journey adventures that in any other case wouldn’t be accessible. In different phrases, I like to save lots of and finally redeem my loyalty rewards on resorts and flights that skew towards the luxurious finish. These high-value redemptions can embrace business- and first-class flights, or fancy lodging supplied by a few of the main resort chains. 

My favourite journey rewards bank cards supply the power to switch factors to a wide range of airline and resort companions. Transferring factors — as a substitute of redeeming instantly via the bank card’s journey portal — can usually present one of the best worth and adaptability. 

For example, considered one of my favourite methods to redeem Chase Final Rewards — factors I earn from my Chase Sapphire Most well-liked card — is by transferring them to the World of Hyatt resort program. Hyatt has probably the greatest loyalty applications on the market, not simply due to the variability present in its 1,150 properties, but additionally as a result of the variety of factors required sometimes prices lower than rivals. 

Most significantly, this system has an award chart, which means you’ll know roughly how a lot each Hyatt resort will value in factors. (That may’t be stated for different resort applications that supply “dynamic” factors pricing.) 

How I Booked It 

The Miraval model, with areas within the Berkshires, Austin, and Tucson, focuses on wellness experiences with an all-inclusive-like mannequin. And sure, which means most meals, nonalcoholic drinks, and an array of actions are included within the whole value of your keep. Even higher, Miraval is a part of World of Hyatt, so friends can earn and redeem Hyatt factors when staying there. 

A midsummer expertise for 2 friends at Miraval Berkshires would sometimes begin at round $2,000 per evening. Alternatively, a reserving with factors required 65,000 factors per evening for 2 friends. (For the reason that resort has an all-inclusive mannequin, a reserving with just one visitor prices 45,000 factors per evening.) 

I booked my keep by transferring factors from my Chase Final Rewards account to Hyatt — a course of that happens immediately on-line via an easy-to-use portal. As an alternative of paying over $4,000, I booked this wellness weekend with 130,000 factors, most of which have been Hyatt and a few moved over from Chase. 

Was It Value It? 

A few hours north from New York Metropolis, we shortly grew to become immersed within the bucolic splendor of the Berkshires. Whereas 130,000 Hyatt factors is definitely a big quantity, it’s additionally significantly better than paying over $4,000 in money. (For those who do the mathematics, that’s about 3.1 cents per level in worth, which is a strong redemption.) 

At Miraval, my good friend and I acquired to expertise a few of the area’s finest choices, together with an array of wellness actions, from sound baths and vibrational remedy to guided silent nature walks, hatchet throwing, and beekeeping. 

The foods and drinks have been additionally a significant spotlight, with recent and regionally sourced elements for breakfast, lunch, and dinner together with wholesome smoothies and mocktails. As talked about, with the all-inclusive-style mannequin, most actions and eating have been a part of the deal, even when utilizing factors. 

Visitors at Miraval additionally earn a $175 resort credit score per particular person every evening of their keep — each on factors and money bookings. That credit score can be utilized on something, from spa therapies to additional-cost actions. 

Better of all, the journey was an ideal solution to spend a weekend with a detailed good friend who lives throughout the nation — and for her to decompress post-wedding planning. However the true fantastic thing about factors and miles? It makes it attainable to create these experiences with out spending quite a bit out of pocket.