Hotels in NYC are extremely expensive especially on week days. However, NYC is a magical city that

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To continue my Maximizing SPG series, I wanted to highlight a few of the family airline tickets from japan friendly SPG hotel redemption options that have caught my eye.  No doubt there are virtually endless fantastic SPG hotels around the world, but I want to focus on the ones that are both potentially great destinations for families a little closer to home (assuming home is in or near the US), and are a good value on points.  If you need to play catch up with the previous airline tickets from japan SPG posts in this series, here they are:
To make sure you have as many points as possible to work with, remember that the personal and business sign-up bonuses for the SPG Amex will go down from 30,000 points to 25,000 points after September 4th.  The offer does require $5,000 in spending in the first six months to get the full bonus.
It is no shocker that nice hotels in ski towns are expensive during ski season airline tickets from japan (think $350 $500 per night in some cases).  Heck, even not-so-nice hotels can be expensive during ski season.  Given my affinity for skiing and snowboarding, and my preference for nice hotels, I think that using SPG points to stay at ski resorts is a fantastic deal.  I have written several times about using 12,000 SPG points per night to stay at the Westin Beaver Creek Resort and Spa in Avon, Colorado (near Vail).  You will almost have enough points for three free nights during ski season if you get in on the SPG Amex 30K point sign-up deal (including the points earned from the spending to get the bonus points).
Last year I was even able to stay during ski season at that resort for 4,800 SPG points plus $90 per night.  I haven t been able to get those cash and points rates again so far for this upcoming ski season at that resort (though I will keep looking), but I do see that cash and points rates are available for the soon-to-open Westin Snowmass Resort for the 2013 ski season, and the Sheraton Steamboat Resort.
Cash and points availability at the rate of $60 per night plus 4,000 SPG points per night are also available at the soon-to-open Wildwood Snowmass and Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas.  I have not stayed at any of those resorts personally (other than the Westin Beaver Creek), but they are all worth considering since cash and points stays are a heck of a deal during ski season.  I will be watching the Westin Snowmass Resort s progress closely as it is just 15 minutes from Aspen with ski in/out access, and looks like a potential heck of a deal on cash and points!
If you want to spend a few more points for a night, the Westin Resort airline tickets from japan Spa Whistler is 16,000 points per night during ski season.  This resort is an all-suites property, and is very close to Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.  It is very much on my short list !
There are a billion hotels in the Disney World area at all price points, but I vastly prefer staying on Disney property when you are traveling to Disney with young children.  There are many beautiful Disney resorts to pick from, but I have a strong pull toward airline tickets from japan the Swan (Westin) and Dolphin (Sheraton), in large part because you can earn and use SPG points at these hotels.
Best of all, they are on Disney property, so you get many extra benefits including extra magic hours so you can go to alternating parks before or after the normal operating airline tickets from japan hours on certain days of the week.  We stayed at the Swan in April 2011 with extended family airline tickets from japan and had a blast.  They are an easy walking distance from Epcot, and a short boat ride from Hollywood Studios.  There are frequent bus services to the other Disney parks.  These hotels are both 10,000 SPG points per night, but since they are a Category airline tickets from japan 4 hotel, remember to consider Nights and Flights airline tickets from japan !  Also, if you are staying airline tickets from japan for five nights, then you spend just 40,000 points for the five nights and effectively get each night for just 8,000 points!
There are eleven SPG hotels and resorts on four Hawaiian Islands airline tickets from japan , and on a random search for a date this fall I saw several with points and cash availability.  Always compare all available options, but I recommend paying special attention any time a cash and points reservation is available.  Also, since many folks often spend several days in Hawaii, airline tickets from japan it can be a good time to consider staying five nights and only paying airline tickets from japan the points value for four nights using the Fifth Night Free option in Category 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 hotels.
Hotels in NYC are extremely expensive especially on week days.  However, NYC is a magical city that can be great for a family adventure.  My own family is heading there during the Holiday Season this year to take in all the Christmas airline tickets from japan sights and sounds with our kiddo!
Prices for even mid-range hotels in New York can rival what it costs for nice resorts during ski season!  Unfortunately, the number of points required for NYC hotels is often pretty steep, but there are some good deals to be found given how costly stays would be with cash.  Some of the less expensive points options are the soon-to-reopen Westin Grand Central at 12,000 points per night (used to be the New York Helmsley Hotel), the Element Times Square West at 12,000 points airline tickets from japan per night, and the Aloft Brooklyn at 7,000 points per night.  If you are willing to shell out 20,000 points airline tickets from japan per night, then the W Times Square seems to get consistently high marks, but I haven t really found W s to often be the most family-friendly of the SPG hotels.
Also don t discount SPG Resorts that are located in some cities that aren t quite as popular as destinations like Orlando or Hawaii.  For example, last year my family stayed at the Westin La Cantera Resort and Spa in San Antonio, and we had a great experience.  There was a large pool complex, a nature trail, airline tickets from japan a very nice restaurant, a Kid s Club, and they have some festive themed activities around the holidays including an ice skating rink.  Jetting off to Whistler or Hawaii is fantastic, but I realize that some families need to keep vacations a bit closer to home, and Westin Resorts throughout the US are a great way to do that while still having a fantastic vacation.  The Westin La Cantera is a Category airline tickets from japan 4 hotel that is available for 10,000 points per night, or 4,000 points plus $60 per night on cash and points.
The Sheraton NY just north of Times Square was recently redone. I stayed there in June on the Club floor (44th?) and was very happy. The club lounge serves airline tickets from japan a really nice breakfast (buffet) and has a really nice 270° view including Central Park. The location isn t bad as it s close to Times Square and Central Park. It s 12,000 points per night.
I thought that the 2 person rule generally referred to adults only. However, I did run into this problem on a DC property where 2 people really meant only 2 people. I would call the hotel directly to make sure what their policy is. I have had to do this with IHG as well.
Katherine: splitting hairs, the policy is 2 adults per award stay. Properties about kids in the room vary from property to property. It may be wise to call ahead, airline tickets from japan especially if you are unsure airline tickets from japan if you ll get a room with the proper number of beds and need a rollaway or similar. It s also in an obscure place, but on each property s page on the starwood site, there is a link at the top announcements . Very frequently there is a family or child policy there.
As a side note, the price for the perfectly acceptable hampton inn (just stayed there for work) just down the road is substantially under the cash portion of cash and points airline tickets from japan at the St.R. Obviously it s not ski-in, ski-out and not a St. Regis, but can be had for cheap. If budget it tight, don t lock too tightly into points!
Stayed with free resort nights in Aspen last year, at the St. Regis there *just* as renovations were finishing up (they were behind schedule and even other platinums were getting moved to other hotels while we were there). My wife and I don t have kids, but the Snowmass area seemed very family-friendly so those suggestions look to be spot on. The Westin seemed to get much better reviews pre-branding, so well worth aiming airline tickets from japan for that one I think. Seeing the property from the outside it looked like a good option. There may also be more affordable food choices than in Aspen, where dining tends to be decidedly upscale/expensive, and a lot of the more affordable options are bar menus, so less family-friendly.
@Katherine, some good suggestions in the comments section on that. I do recommend checking with the hotel about children especially if you are going to need something like a rollaway bed. I do not believe the intent of the rule is to keep children out of the rooms, but to avoid having airline tickets from japan a ton of adults crash in one room. That is just my guess. I am sure there are properties out there that strictly enforce the rule (esp perhaps in Europe), but I think there are many more where it won t be an issue. I know I am not concerned about it with my young child as it has never been an issue.
@Matt, thanks for sharing your experiences. I agree that if you don t need additional bedding, it is rarely going to be an issue. Always good to check with the specific hotel though. Glad to hear that you think that Snowmass looks to be a good possible choice for families!
Let me through out the following regarding family travel to expensive destinations like New York (even though it doesn t fall under the miles and points rubric): consider v