A business that puts $20,000 a month on the right US card can earn about 500,000 points a year. That buys about 16 nights at a Park Hyatt through World of Hyatt. In Canada, the same $20,000 a month on an American Express business card buys about 5 nights at a top Marriott Bonvoy hotel. The exact number depends on three things: how many points you earn per dollar, where those points can go, and how many points the hotel asks for a night.
How do I work out my own number?
Use one formula. Nights per year = monthly spend × 12 × points per dollar × transfer ratio ÷ points per night.
Each part matters:
- Monthly spend is what you can put on a card. Count only bills a card can pay without a big surcharge.
- Points per dollar comes from your card. Some categories earn more than others.
- Transfer ratio is how many hotel points you get for each bank point. Some are 1:1. Some give you more.
- Points per night is the award price at the hotel you want, on the dates you want.
Card earn rates and offers change. Check the current terms on the issuer's own page before you plan around them.
What does $20,000 a month buy in the US?
About 16 Park Hyatt nights a year. Here is the worked example.
Say you spend $20,000 a month. Of that, $8,000 is online ads and phone bills. The other $12,000 is everything else.
- Put the $8,000 on a Chase Ink Business Preferred card. It earns 3 points per dollar on advertising on social media and search engines, and on phone and internet bills, up to a yearly cap. That is $96,000 a year × 3 = 288,000 points.
- Put the $12,000 on a Chase Ink Business Unlimited card at 1.5 points per dollar. That is $144,000 a year × 1.5 = 216,000 points.
- Total: 504,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points a year.
The Ink Business Unlimited points can be moved into the Ink Business Preferred account, which lets you transfer them to partners. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to World of Hyatt at 1:1. So you have 504,000 Hyatt points.
Many Park Hyatt hotels sit in Category 7 on the World of Hyatt award chart. Say your hotel prices at 30,000 points a night on standard dates. Check the live chart, since Hyatt sets off peak, standard and peak prices.
504,000 ÷ 30,000 = 16.8. That is 16 Park Hyatt nights a year. At a Category 8 hotel priced at 40,000 points, it is 12 nights.
If you use American Express instead, US Membership Rewards points transfer to Hilton Honors at 1:2 and to Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1. Those programs price top hotels with more points per night, so the night count is lower for the same spend.
What does $20,000 a month buy in Canada?
About 5 nights at a top Marriott Bonvoy hotel. Chase does not issue these cards in Canada, and no major Canadian card program transfers to World of Hyatt, so the Canadian path runs through American Express.
- Put $20,000 CAD a month on the American Express Business Platinum Card, which earns 1.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar. That is $240,000 × 1.25 = 300,000 points a year.
- Canadian Membership Rewards points transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1.2. So 300,000 becomes 360,000 Bonvoy points.
- Say a St. Regis night prices at 90,000 points. Marriott Bonvoy gives you the fifth night free when you book five award nights in a row. So five nights cost 4 × 90,000 = 360,000 points.
That is 5 nights at a St. Regis a year from the same spend. Canadian Membership Rewards points also transfer to Hilton Honors, but at 1:1, which makes Hilton a weaker use of them. If Hilton is your brand, a Hilton Honors card earns those points directly.
How do I know if a night is a good use of points?
Work out the cents per point. Cents per point = cash price of the night ÷ points needed × 100.
Use the cash price you would really pay for the same room on the same dates, with taxes.
- Park Hyatt example: the room costs $900 cash or 30,000 points. $900 ÷ 30,000 × 100 = 3 cents per point. World of Hyatt does not charge room taxes on standard award nights, so the real value is even a bit higher.
- St. Regis example: the room costs $1,000 CAD cash or 90,000 points. $1,000 ÷ 90,000 × 100 = 1.1 cents per point. With the fifth night free, five nights are worth $5,000 for 360,000 points. That is about 1.4 cents per point.
A higher number means your points are working harder. If one hotel gives you 3 cents and another gives you 1 cent, the first one gets you three times as much hotel for the same spend. For a side by side look at the programs, read our guide on which program gets the most five star nights on points.
Which program should I pick?
Pick the one your points can reach and your trips can use. In the US, World of Hyatt usually gives the most luxury nights per point. In Canada, Marriott Bonvoy through American Express is the most direct route.
A few rules hold in both countries:
- Hyatt has a fixed award chart, so you know the price ahead of time. Its luxury list is shorter.
- Marriott Bonvoy has the most luxury hotels, but prices move with demand. Book five nights to get the fifth one free.
- Hilton Honors gives the fifth night free to elite members. Top Waldorf Astoria and Conrad nights can cost well over 100,000 points.
- Spend where you earn the most. Moving big bills from 1 point per dollar to 3 points per dollar can triple your nights.
The biggest jump almost never comes from the hotel. It comes from putting more of what you already spend on a card that earns more. Our spending audit looks at exactly that.
Your business is already paying for these trips. You can see what your spending buys in business class trips and five star nights before you change a single bill.