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Southwest Road Trip 2021: Trip costs and points we used
In July 2021, we set out on a month long road trip from our home in the Chicago suburbs to California and back. Check out my Google map below to see our route, our favorite attractions, and how much we paid at each stop! Click the brackets in the top right corner of the map to see it larger.
Total lodging and transportation costs
On this trip, we used a total of:
- 59,000 Hyatt points
- 18,000 IHG Points
- 2 IHG Free Night Certificates
- 8,000 Choice points
- 17,500 Marriott points
We paid:
- $884 for 5 nights at an Airbnb
- $15 resort fee at one hotel
- $90 total for 5 nights of camping
That brings our totals to 102,500 points, 2 free night certificates and $989 for a month-long trip. We also stayed with family for 3 nights.
We paid $664 for gas for the trip.
Hyatt Place gave us the best value across the US. We loved that the rooms had 2 queen beds and a sofa bed, as well as a decent breakfast included. Interested in earning Hyatt points? You can earn a big chunk by opening a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which allows you to transfer points to Hyatt.
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
THE top beginner card I recommend for points. The travel protections it provides are top tier, too!
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Up to $120 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck® / NEXUS Statement Credit Statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement when you pay for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee.
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$100 Annual Chase Travel℠ Hotel Credit Get up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠.
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One year of Apple TV Get one year of complimentary Apple TV after activation. Must activate by 12/31/2026.
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Complimentary DashPass (Activate by Dec 31, 2029) Activate your complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on eligible DoorDash and Caviar orders.
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Comprehensive Travel & Purchase Protections Includes primary car rental coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, emergency evacuation and transportation, purchase protection, and travel and emergency assistance.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 PointsElevated | $5,000 in 3 months | June 17, 2026 - July 30, 2026 |
| 75,000 Points | $5,000 in 3 months | Standard since June 23, 2025 |
| 100,000 PointsElevated | $5,000 in 3 months | Ended May 2025 |
| 60,000 Points + $300 Chase TravelElevated | $4,000 in 3 months | Sept - early Nov 2024 |
| 75,000 PointsElevated | $4,000 in 3 months | Early May - mid June 2024 |
| 80,000 PointsElevated | $4,000 in 3 months | Public online offer March 2023 - May 2023 |
| 80,000 PointsElevated | $4,000 in 3 months | Ended Fall 2022 |
| 100,000 PointsElevated | $4,000 in 3 months | Ended Fall 2021 |
| 60,000 Points | $4,000 in 3 months | Long-running historical standard (pre-June 2025) |
Another option for earning Hyatt points is the Hyatt credit card.
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
Long term keeper card for the annual free night certificate alone!
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Annual Free Night at Category 1-4 Hyatt (Cardmember Anniversary) Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary.
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Bonus Free Night at Category 1-4 Hyatt After $15,000 Calendar Year Spend Earn an additional Cat 1-4 free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year.
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World of Hyatt Discoverist Status (For Life of Account) Automatic Discoverist status for as long as your account is open. Benefits include: late checkout (when available), preferred rooms, premium internet, 10% bonus on base points earned, waived resort fees on award stays.
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Annual Elite Night Credits Receive 5 Elite Qualifying Night credits each year toward your next World of Hyatt status tier. Plus earn 2 additional credits every time you spend $5,000 on the card.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 75,000 Bonus Points (75K + up to 30K via 2x)Elevated | $5,000 in 3 months + 2x on $15K in 6 months | Ended Aug 20, 2026 |
| Up to 60,000 Bonus Points (30K + up to 30K via 2x)Elevated | $3,000 in 3 months + 2x on $15K in 6 months | Ended Spring 2026 |
| 5 Cat 1-4 Free Night Awards (3 + 2 Tier)Elevated | $5K + $15K total in 6 months | Ended Feb 2026 |
| 35,000 Bonus Points | $3,000 in 3 months | January 2025 |
| 30,000 Bonus Points | $3,000 in 3 months | Standard Offer |
| 25,000 Bonus Points | $3,000 in 3 months | July 2025 |
I also like the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, especially when it has a great welcome offer!
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
I like the annual free night certificate on this one and 4th night free when you book with points.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Anniversary Free Night (up to 50,000 Points) Each cardmember anniversary, after paying the annual fee, you receive a free night certificate worth up to 50,000 IHG points. You can top off the certificate with extra points to redeem at hotels charging more than 50,000 points.
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4th Reward Night Free on Consecutive 4-Night IHG Stays Enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
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Automatic IHG Gold Elite Status Automatic IHG One Rewards Gold Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember.
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Up to $100 in Annual IHG Food & Beverage Rewards One Food & Beverage Reward voucher of up to $25 each calendar quarter (January - March; April - June; July - September; October - December) to be redeemed for credit against eligible food and beverage on your room bill at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts
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$100 Annual Statement Credit on flights booked with the airline through 12/31/27 A statement credit of $100 per calendar year when you make a purchase of at least $250 with your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on flight tickets booked directly with the airline through 12/31/27.
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15 Automatic Elite Night Credits each year 15 Elite Night Credits (“ENC”) in your IHG One Rewards account within 6-8 weeks upon opening your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase®. After that, the 15 ENCs will be deposited into your IHG One Rewards account by February 1 each calendar year.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
Show
Hide
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 185,000 Bonus Points (150K + 35K)Elevated | $3,000 in 3 months, then $6,000 total in 6 months | Ended June 25, 2026 |
| 140,000 Bonus Points | $3,000 in 3 months | Standard offer |
| 175,000 Bonus PointsElevated | $5,000 in 3 months | Ended March 18, 2026 |
| 165,000 Bonus PointsElevated | — | Ended October 2025 |
| 5 Free Nights (up to 60K per night)Elevated | — | Ended July 24, 2025 |
| 5 Free Nights (up to 60K per night)Elevated | — | Ended September 2024 |
| 165,000 Bonus PointsElevated | — | Ended April 3, 2024 |
| 175,000 Bonus PointsElevated | — | Ended Spring 2023 |
Airbnb Income
Meanwhile, we were renting our house on Airbnb. We were paid out $4,095 after fees and rented our home for a total of 23 days. Check out my full write up on How to Airbnb Your House here.
After paying our cleaners and other monthly expenses (mortgage, property taxes, utilities), we were left with a profit of $2,200.
After subtracting our gas + lodging costs, that still left us with $547 to spend on food and activities!
We had other expenses throughout the month as well, like our health insurance and life insurance premiums which total about $820 per month.
Drop any questions about our trip (and how we got the points for it) below!
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[…] our road trip to California and back, we stayed at 10 different Hyatt Place properties and came to love them! They typically sleep 6 (2 queen beds + sofa bed) and have a great free […]
Thanks for sharing your family with us. I noticed that you had Four Corners on the map, but your route didn’t go there. Just curious. Is this on your To Do list? Or did the route need to be adjusted? Thanks!
Oh you’re right! So we went though Tuba City up to 4 corners and then to Albuquerque. The route was created just using the places we slept and missed a side trips we took.