Using points and miles for a family trip to Palm Springs.

We had a really great Spring Break trip to Palm Springs last week. We went with two other families and all stayed at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells.

We would definitely go back. The trip was easy but we felt like we really got away. It was affordable but also luxurious. It was perfect for kids, but also would have been great for just grown-ups. I’d call it a home run. Or a slam dunk. Or something…I’m not that great with sports metaphors.

You can do it, too: this vacation was a snap to plan. Here’s how I did it…

Flights

Flights were super cheap from San Francisco to Palm Springs: less than $200 round trip on both Alaska and Virgin. I decided to pay cash for our tickets instead of using miles, but if you wanted to use miles, you could get a great value with Avios, which are British Airways miles. Since Alaska is a British Airways partner, you can use Avios to purchase flights on Alaska.

If the distance from your home airport is 649 miles or less, you will only need 4,500 Avios each way. If the distance is between 650-1149 miles, you will need 7,500 miles each way…and so on.

This can be a steal, depending on where you live.

Hotel

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, which was the perfect choice for this vacation. We paid $154/night for an incredible villa suite, complete with a private jacuzzi and outdoor lounge area. You can read a detailed review of the room here, but I’ll include a couple of photos:

The resort had a fantastic lounge, which we used regularly throughout the day. The drink and snack offerings were perfect for keeping our kids happy and hydrated (key to a relaxing and fun vacation). Plus, we saved a ton of money by eating breakfast at the lounge each day, and it was a nice respite from the heat if we just needed a moment in the shade. You can read all about it here.

I think my favorite part of the lounge was the patio.

The pools at the hotel were also a huge part of why this vacation was so fun. They were amazing! In fact, they were so amazing that we never left the resort…which isn’t like us at all. They were that great.

Renting a car and driving places.

I used my tried-and-true method of searching for a good rate on VroomVroomVroom, then getting a great rate on AutoSlash. This method has saved me a lot of time and cash over the years: you can read about it here.

We didn’t end up driving much, though. I went and got pedicures with my friends one afternoon, then we went out to dinner one night (and I thought I got roofied!) and we went out to lunch the next day. Lunch was delicious. We went to Cheeky’s. Highly recommend.

Vacationing with friends.

We decided not to stay in a house with all three families; we each got our own rooms at the hotel instead. I’m glad we went this route, because it worked out beautifully. My post about this decision is here (I loved reading all of your comments!)

All in all, this was a great trip. We will be back for sure…in fact, we might just repeat this exact same vacation! Do you ever do that?

I loved Palm Springs. I loved this resort. I loved this trip.

Have you had any vacations that you’ve loved recently? What were they? Where did you go?

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