Wyndham
Wyndham points redemptions were at the top of my list for years. Vacasa, the troubled vacation rental company that was bought in 2025 by Casago, was my go to for Wyndham point stays as they had a large footprint of available vacation rentals plus they managed the rental of Wyndham
When using points, I use a criteria that if the flight is over three hours, I really don't want to be in economy. Booking Hawaii from my hometown on the West Coast means about six hours in the air so I truly, deeply do not want to be
General
If you are just getting into this hobby and you want fairly quick satisfaction, do this: 1. Get a Travel Freely account (no cost). This will organize you and possibly save your sanity. Add credit card information for any of your current credit cards (site does not collect credit card
Marriott
How to pay for your stay with points using the Marriott Bold card I recommend you familiarize yourself with the rather convoluted restrictions on getting Marriott cards if you are getting more than one card per user. Here is our article on the Marriott qualification matrix: www.trashpandatravel.com/marriott-
So, you need to hit a spend on a credit card with a great sign up bonus, but you are straining to hit the spend requirements. You can, for a price, pay your federal taxes with a credit card. Here are the rules and caveats of using this technique: Paying
Chase
Not a regular Ritz Carlton guest? Neither am I, but for Marriott stays and premium card perks, the Chase Ritz Carlton card is on my radar. I look for the following from my credit cards: 1. Travel points 2. Rental car status 3. Hotel chain status 4. Airport lounge access
Hotels
If you are a Marriott associate or immediate family, you can book Marriott stays with the code supplied through your employer or the Marriott intranet. During the late fall to early winter, you can often book with another code with an increased discount (dates and availability vary). I am not