I’ve always been a hostel kind of traveler. But now that I’m running a business on the go, I need a bit more peace and quiet than a hostel can offer. But, as a budget-conscious backpacker, I’m not a fan of splurging on a hotel room that I’ll only use for a few hours each day. So, to save on hotel costs, I started collecting points and miles. By using these points and hotel-branded credit cards for free stays, I’ve saved a ton of money on accommodations over the years.
But, finding hotel award availability can be a bit of a hassle. Each hotel has its own calendar of award nights (nights you can book using points), and it can be time-consuming to sift through these virtual calendars to find the best deal. That’s where Awayz comes in.
Awayz is a tool that searches across hotel programs to help you find the best place to use your hard-earned points for your next hotel stay. Until now, there hasn’t been anything this comprehensive for finding hotel award nights, and I’m thrilled that it finally exists. Out of the other hotel award tools out there, it’s the most user-friendly, searches across the most hotel programs, and has the best features and filters.
Awayz is specifically designed for booking hotels using points. Like other booking tools, you simply input your location and dates, and it gives you a bunch of options for hotels that you can book with points. It also shows you a side-by-side comparison of the number of points needed, alongside the cash price, and gives its recommendation on which is the better deal. This is a super helpful feature if you don’t want to spend time crunching the numbers yourself.
Currently, Awayz supports Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, Accor, Wyndham, and Choice. Being able to search across multiple hotel chains is a great feature, especially if you’re trying to use a transferable currency, like Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards, which can be transferred and used at various hotel chains.
To use Awayz, you just input your desired details (location, dates, etc.). It then shows all the available hotels you could book with points. You can then filter your results until you find a hotel that works best for you. Awayz operates on a subscription model. There is a free trial, though, so you can try it out before signing up.
Awayz is especially great for travelers that are newer to redeeming points for award nights. Using Awayz saves you time (and money) in the hotel award search and booking process, which is especially useful when you’re first starting out learning how to get free stays. The cash-to-points comparison feature is especially key for this.
But even experienced travelers can get a lot of value out of the tool. If you have a lot of points in different currencies, you know how time-consuming it is to search across programs. Plus, the ability to set alerts can help you find elusive stays without having to constantly keep tabs on the hotel.
Awayz is a welcome addition to the growing scene of award booking tools. While there are a variety of comprehensive tools for finding award flights, so far, nothing comparable has existed for finding hotel stays you can book with points. With a growing suite of filters and features, as well as side-by-side comparison of points vs. cash pricing, Awayz helps you save both time and money — important resources no matter what type of traveler you are!
While it is a paid tool, there’s a free trial available, and even paid versions become worth it when they help you find a great free stay. And remember to use code nomadicmatt to get $10 off!
