Free Flights and 4 Free Nights in Hawaii

Hawaii...the ultimate dream destination.  Thanks to the Chase World of Hyatt card, Kristin and I were able to enjoy four free nights at two of Hyatt's top hotels that retail for over $600 a night.  Here's how:


Kristin and I were able to fly round trip for free on Delta in economy using the 50,000 point bonus from her Chase Sapphire Preferred care, transferring to Korean Airlines’ Skypass program (partner with Delta).  Unfortunately, Korean is no longer a Chase transfer partner, but Southwest opening routes to/from Hawaii to the west coast as well as inter island flights, provides tremendous opportunities for redemptions.

Once in Hawaii, sure gas and food aren’t cheap, but lodging will easily be your biggest expense.  On a prior trip, we had stayed at an AirBnB one block from the beach in a quaint beach town on the eastern side of the island that has no hotel presence...for almost $300 a night.  This time, we each took advantage of a Chase Hyatt credit card offer, netting us four free nights total at hotels that were $600+ a night during our stay.  The current offer through my referral link is a total of 50,000 World o Hyatt points (40,000 after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months + an additional 20,000 after an additional $3,000 spend in the first 6 months).  Some additional benefits are no foreign transaction fees and an annual free night for the $95 annual fee.

Our first stop was on the furthest island of Kauai - the least developed of the main islands with a lush natural landscape.  Home to a rugged coastline and a majority rainforest, Kauai is the wettest spot in the US with ~460 inches of rain a year, making for a lush landscape perfect for hiking and zip lining.

On Kauai, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt and were welcomed with the most gorgeous view through their multi-story picture window overlooking the pacific.

With my elite status from the Hyatt card, we were upgraded to an oceanfront room steps away from the water.

Now this side of the island doesn’t have much of a beach to speak of but Hyatt more than made up for it with their massive pool with lazy river and salt-water lagoon!

On our previous trip we took a zip lining excursion through our cruise lines and were so pleased with Kauai Backcountry Adventures that we returned for their tubing experience through repurposed acqueducts from a now defunct sugar plantation. The mountain fed spring water was cold but we still highly recommend it!

Our next stop was Maui where we split our time bertween the southwest (Wailea) and northwest (Ka’anapali).  The first two nights were at my all time favorite hotel, the new Andaz Maui.  While the European/South Beach vibe is not for everyone (Kristin much preferred the Grand Hyatt for is more traditional hawaiian feel), the property is simply stunning with not one but three cascading infinity pools overlooking palms with a sunset view over the ocean.  Add free Mochi on the pool deck and a chance to win food and drinks at poolside bingo, the frugal traveler in me was in heaven.  Some other things to note are the adults only reflecting pool, free yoga, stand up paddleboard, and outrigger canoe rides included in the resort fee!  Like any resort, food was on the pricey side but delicious.  The on site signature restaurant was none other than the namesake of Iron Chef Morimoto...we had a fabulous meal of sushi and whole branzino.

We then made our way to the Hyatt Regency Maui with a family of resident penguins and a variety of other wildlife on property.  Again, upgraded to an ocean view room, a highlight is the grotto/bar in their pool!  If you’re looking for a unique activity, we took advantage of their rooftop observatory with guided commentary on constellations and planets otherwise obscured by light pollution back home.

Lastly, a short 45 minute prop plane ride to Oahu, we don’t find any trip to Hawaii complete without a visit to Oahu.  My favorite island despite the population density, I love just renting a car and driving the loop around the island.  Mountains on one side, ocean on the other...truly paradise wherever you look.

For fans of the original Magnum P.I. series, here are some photos you should recognize:  of the helicopter hanger and the entrance to Robin's Nest estate (which has since been demolished).

A storm rolled in the afternoon of our flight home...the trade winds push inclement weather across the islands rather quickly but all the same, we were very thankful for gorgeous weather during our stay.