One of the best features of the Hilton Surpass card is the ability to earn a free weekend night at any Hilton hotel. This includes the Grand Wailea in Maui, which retails for at least $500 a night. Because we were paying for the room on “points”, the $40 daily resort fee was also waived.

A few days before arriving at the hotel, I emailed the concierge inquiring about a welcome note, and the possibility of an upgrade to an ocean-view room (~$600 per night). We arrived at the hotel around noon, so the room was not ready yet. I mentioned to the front desk that we were not in any rush, and would be happy to wait for an ocean-view room to become available. The hotel held onto our bags as we went and enjoyed the beach for a couple of hours. Interested in the upgrade template I used? Sign up to view it here.

We received a text once the room was ready, and I was ecstatic to find out we were not only upgraded to an ocean-view room but a club-level Napua ocean-view room, which retails for ~$900. These rooms are in a gated part of the hotel, and also provide access to a lounge with free snacks, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts throughout the day.

In short, we received a $500 room for free, an upgrade to a $900 room, had the $40 fee waived, received complimentary hors d’oevres, dinner, and breakfast, and also received a basket of champagne and other welcome amenities! Getting all of these travel benefits is just one of the many reasons travel hacking is one of the best hobbies ever!

Note: Before applying for travel hacking credit cards, be sure you’ve completed the travel hacking prerequisites.

geobreezetravel

Julia Menez is a travel hacking coach, speaker, and founder of Geobreeze. Through her content and coaching services, she aims to spread travel hacking to underrepresented communities by featuring the points and miles stories you won't normally find on the first page of Google or in the bigger blogs. Julia has been a speaker for FinconX and has led a travel hacking workshop for thousands of registered attendees at the SHEFACTOR 2020 Launch Your Life Summit, an event that featured speakers such as Bethany Hamilton, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Missy Franklin. She has also been featured in numerous business and travel podcasts.