Can I book a hotel with Delta SkyMiles? Answer is – Yes, you can definitely book hotels using your Delta SkyMiles. There are a few ways to do this:
- Delta Vacations: Delta Vacations allows you to book complete vacation packages, including flights and hotels, and use your SkyMiles to cover part or all of the cost.
- Delta’s Hotel Booking Site: Delta offers a hotel booking site where you can use SkyMiles or cash to book hotels.
- Transferring to Partner Programs: In some cases, it might be more advantageous to transfer your SkyMiles to a partner hotel loyalty program and book through them.
Summary
- Delta SkyMiles can be used to book hotels directly or through travel packages.
- Delta Vacations offers flight and hotel package deals.
- SkyMiles can be redeemed for hotel stays on Delta’s hotel booking site.
- Consider transferring SkyMiles to hotel loyalty partners for potentially better redemption value
Using Delta SkyMiles for Hotels
What are Delta SkyMiles?
Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program is a popular frequent flyer program that rewards travelers for their loyalty.
It’s a mileage-based rewards program where you earn “miles” by flying on Delta or partner airlines, using a Delta co-branded credit card, or engaging with Delta’s many partners like hotels, car rental companies, and more.
SkyMiles don’t expire, allowing you to accumulate them for your dream trip.
The Value of Using SkyMiles for Hotel Bookings
While most people associate SkyMiles with flights, redeeming them for hotel stays can offer excellent value and flexibility. Here’s why:
Expand your travel budget: Using SkyMiles for hotels can offset a significant portion of your travel expenses, allowing you to allocate your cash towards unforgettable experiences, dining, or even future trips.
Flexibility in location: SkyMiles aren’t just limited to the destinations Delta flies to. You can use them for hotels in countless places worldwide, expanding your travel possibilities.
Access to a range of hotels: Delta partners with numerous hotel chains and offers its own hotel booking platform, giving you a wide array of choices from budget-friendly options to opulent luxury resorts.
Potential for better value: In some cases, the value you get by redeeming SkyMiles for a hotel room can be higher than the equivalent value you’d get for a flight. This is especially true during sales or promotions offered by Delta or its hotel partners.
How to Book Hotels with Delta SkyMiles
There are several ways to use your SkyMiles for those dream hotel stays:
1. Delta Vacations
Benefits of Booking Packages
Convenience: Delta Vacations streamlines your booking by bundling flights, hotels, and sometimes even car rentals and activities into a single package. This saves you time and hassle compared to booking everything separately.
Potential Cost Savings: In certain cases, booking a package might be less expensive than booking the flight and hotel individually. Delta Vacations often leverages their partnerships to negotiate special rates.
Miles AND Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs): You’ll still earn SkyMiles and MQMs (which help you gain elite status) on the eligible portions of your package.
How to Search for Vacation Packages
- Visit the Delta Vacations website
- Enter your details: Fill in your desired destination, travel dates, and the number of travelers.
- Filter by Hotels: Delta Vacations lets you refine your search based on hotel brands, property star-ratings, and amenities.
- Customize your package: Select your preferred flights, room types, optional car rentals, or other offered activities.
- Payment with SkyMiles: During checkout, you can choose to partially or fully cover the cost of your package with SkyMiles.
Brian Kelly Expert Opinion
Brian Kelly, Founder and CEO of The Points Guy, emphasizes a key perk of Delta Vacations: “One of the greatest benefits of Delta Vacations is that the packages often include valuable perks like room upgrades, resort credits, or complimentary breakfasts, adding even more value to your SkyMiles redemption.”
2. Delta’s Hotel Booking Site
Delta’s hotel booking engine offers a simple and convenient way to book hotels using your SkyMiles or a combination of cash and miles.
Earning Miles on Hotel Stays
Earn a Base Rate: SkyMiles members earn a minimum of 2 miles per dollar spent on the base rate of hotel bookings (excluding taxes and fees).
Promotions for Increased Earnings: Delta frequently runs promotions where you can earn significantly more miles per dollar spent on hotel stays. Keep an eye on your SkyMiles account and the Delta website for these opportunities.
Using SkyMiles to Pay
Flexible Redemption: You can redeem your SkyMiles to cover all or part of your hotel reservation. The redemption value per SkyMile will vary depending on the specific hotel and its current cash rate.
No Blackout Dates: One advantage of this platform is that unlike flight awards, hotel stays generally don’t face blackout dates. If the hotel has standard availability, you should be able to book it with SkyMiles.
Gary Leff Expert Opinion
Gary Leff, author of the influential travel blog “View from the Wing”, “Delta’s hotel site can be excellent for finding last-minute hotel stays, especially when cash prices are high. Since there are no blackout dates, this becomes a useful tool when you need flexibility.”
3. Transferring SkyMiles to Hotel Partners
Delta partners with several popular hotel loyalty programs, allowing you to transfer your SkyMiles and book hotel awards through their platforms. This method can be advantageous in specific situations.
Which Hotel Programs Partner with Delta?
Marriott Bonvoy: One of the largest hotel chains globally, with properties ranging from budget-friendly to ultra-luxurious
IHG One Rewards: Covers brands like Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, and more
Accor Live Limitless (ALL): Encompasses a wide range of brands across Europe and globally, including Sofitel, Fairmont, and ibis
When Does Transferring Miles Make Sense?
Consider transferring SkyMiles to hotel partners when:
Targeting Specific High-Value Redemptions: Hotel loyalty programs often feature award charts or dynamic pricing. There might be “sweet spot” redemptions where the points value significantly exceeds what you’d get on Delta’s own booking platforms.
Taking Advantage of Promotions: Delta and hotel partners occasionally offer transfer bonuses, giving you more hotel points per SkyMile transferred. This boosts your redemption power.
You Need to Top Off Your Hotel Points Balance: If you’re just a few thousand points short of an award you want, transferring SkyMiles can be a quick fix.
Leslie Harvey Expert Opinion
Leslie Harvey, travel expert and co-host of the podcast “Trips with Leslie”, points out: “Transferring SkyMiles to hotel partners requires careful research. Analyze award charts, look out for promotions, and be absolutely sure the redemption value through a partner hotel justifies the transfer.”
Maximizing Your SkyMiles for Hotel Bookings
While using SkyMiles for hotels offers flexibility, it’s essential to be smart about your redemptions to ensure you’re getting the best possible value.
1. Finding the Best Redemption Rates
Compare, Compare, Compare: Don’t just redeem blindly. Always compare the SkyMiles redemption value to the hotel’s cash rate. If the dollar per mile value is significantly low, it might be better to pay cash and save your SkyMiles for flights.
Tools to the Rescue: Websites like AwardWallet help you track the value of your miles across different loyalty programs, including the estimated worth for hotel stays.
Flexibility is Key: If your travel dates have some wiggle room, experiment with different dates on Delta’s booking platforms. Hotel rates, and therefore the points required, can fluctuate based on demand.
2. Timing Your Bookings Strategically
Off-Peak Travel: Hotels tend to be less expensive, both in cash and points, during shoulder seasons or off-peak periods. Aiming for these times will stretch your SkyMiles further.
Advance Booking vs. Last Minute: Analyze the situation. Sometimes booking in advance locks in better rates. In other cases, Delta’s hotel platform might offer good values for last-minute hotel needs when they try to fill unsold inventory.
3. Using SkyMiles During Promotions
Delta Flash Sales: Delta runs occasional flash sales on hotel bookings, significantly reducing the SkyMiles required. Keep an eye on your SkyMiles account emails for these.
Transfer Bonuses: As mentioned earlier, transfer bonuses from Delta or its hotel partners can greatly increase your hotel points balance, leading to outsized redemptions.
Stacking Offers: Sometimes, you might find overlapping promotions offering discounts on hotel stays when paying with SkyMiles and a general promotion for hotels booked through Delta’s platform.
Tiffany Funk Expert Opinion
Tiffany Funk, a seasoned award booking specialist at “Points for Family”, advises: “Don’t assume the most expensive hotel offers the best redemption value for your miles. Sometimes, mid-range hotels can offer a surprisingly great cents-per-mile value, allowing you to stretch your SkyMiles for multiple enjoyable stays.”
FAQs
Do I need a minimum number of SkyMiles to book a hotel?
No Minimum on Delta Platforms: The good news is that on Delta Vacations and Delta’s hotel booking site, there’s no minimum SkyMiles requirement. You can redeem any amount, even if it only partially covers the cost of your stay.
Partner Hotels Have Their Rules: If you’re transferring SkyMiles to a hotel partner, the specific loyalty program may have minimum award redemption requirements. Always check the partner program’s terms.
Are there blackout dates for hotel bookings with SkyMiles?
Generally Not on Delta: One major advantage of using SkyMiles for hotels through Delta’s platforms is the lack of blackout dates. If there’s standard room availability, you should be able to book it with miles.
Caution with Partners: Hotel loyalty programs have their own rules. Some might impose blackout dates, especially during peak seasons. Thoroughly research the partner’s policies before transferring SkyMiles.
Can I book any hotel with SkyMiles?
Delta’s Network: Delta Vacations and Delta’s hotel booking site offer a vast selection of hotels around the world. However, you’re limited to the properties they partner with.
Partner Programs Expand Your Options Transferring SkyMiles to a hotel partner expands your choices, but you’re ultimately restricted to the hotels within that specific program’s network.
Conclusion
Expanding your SkyMiles redemption options to include hotels opens a world of travel possibilities. Here’s a recap of the key points we’ve covered:
Methods:
- Delta Vacations: Ideal for convenient package deals and potential value.
- Delta’s Hotel Site: Earns miles on stays and offers flexible redemption options.
- Hotel Partners: Can potentially unlock high-value redemptions in specific scenarios.
Maximize Your Value: Always compare, time strategically, and look out for promotions to get the most from each SkyMile.
Flexibility is Your Friend: With no blackout dates on Delta’s platforms and a wide array of hotel partners, using your SkyMiles can take you to destinations near and far.
