10 of the most romantic Valentine’s Day experiences you can gift using points and miles

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, and travel may be the ultimate gift for your significant other. Better yet, use that stash of points and miles you’ve been saving up to have an extra-meaningful and romantic Valentine’s Day experience.

Keep in mind that even if you feel comfortable traveling right now, Covid-19 rules and regulations around the world could change at a moment’s notice. Be sure to do your research and determine the requirements necessary to travel before booking and in the lead-up to your trip.

From flying in a private suite to Europe via Singapore Suites to having a VIP Carnival experience in Italy or sipping champagne in an underwater restaurant in the Maldives, here are some of the best ways to use your points to take your relationship to new heights — and to new destinations.

Masquerade in Italy

Ultimate Carnival Experience and Masquerade + Suite Stay at Hotel Danieli, Venice, with Marriott Bonvoy Moments

Dive into Italian culture and romance by celebrating Carnival in Venice, VIP-style. Marriott Bonvoy Moments is offering this special experience in Venice, Italy, which includes a two-night suite stay at the stunning Hotel Danieli and an immersive Carnival experience at the Il Ballo del Doge, complete with performances, a gala dinner, an open bar, a DJ set and an after-party.

Beyond just the masked ball experience, Venice’s winding canals are some of the most romantic spots in the world. Hotel Danieli is also ideal for sharing dreamy moments together, with one of the city’s most stunning outdoor terraces overlooking the Grand Canal and the famed Palazzo Ducale.

This Marriott Moment is an auction, which means you’ll need to bid points in order to win. As of the time of publication, the top bid is just over 600,000 points.

If you don’t have enough Marriott Bonvoy points in your account, you can earn Bonvoy points quickly via co-branded credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brillant™ American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. Alternatively, you could transfer points from flexible programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott. Make sure to bid on this experience, which will take place from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27, 2022, by Jan. 28, 2022.

Bond over a Vegas show

The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage Hotel and Casino with Wyndham Rewards Experiences

Enjoy the Beatles LOVE show by Cirque du Soleil for as few as 42,000 Wyndham Rewards points for two tickets. The show celebrates the timeless legacy of the Beatles, the perfect setting to celebrate your timeless love this Valentine’s Day.

Although this experience doesn’t include a hotel stay, February rates at the Mirage Las Vegas start at $59 per night for a double room, or put more of your Wyndham Rewards points to use and stay at Las Vegas Wyndham properties like Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas or Harrah’s Las Vegas for 15,000 Wyndham points per night or Paris Las Vegas for 30,000 points per night. You can easily earn Wyndham points via Wyndham hotel stays or by transferring points from Citi ThankYou — earned from a card like the Citi Rewards+® Card — or Capital One miles to the Wyndham Rewards program.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about gin with your honey by your side in this “gintastic” tasting class and experience at the Hilton Prague. The experience includes a crash course on the history of gin and the tools needed for exceptional drink preparation, plus a tasting of six different gins with a gin expert. The experience costs 50,000 Hilton points for two participants and is valid through Dec. 31, 2022, though the experience must be booked at least seven days in advance.

Although this particular experience doesn’t include a hotel stay, February rates at the Hilton Prague start at 36,000 Hilton points per night for a queen room — an easy and affordable add-on to this special epicurean experience.

If you’re short on Hilton Honors points, you’ll be pleased to know you can earn them easily in a number of ways. First off, you can earn them by staying at Hilton-branded hotels and entering your Honors number. You can also earn Honors points quickly with a co-branded credit card. For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with a welcome bonus of up to 130,000 Honors points. You’ll get 80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months and an additional 50,000 points after spending a total of $5,000 in the first six months.

Alternatively, you could transfer American Express Membership Rewards points — earned from cards like the American Express® Gold Card — to Hilton Honors, though you likely won’t be getting the best value out of your points in that case.

Cruise through the sky in style

There’s nothing more romantic than flying across the Atlantic in your own private suite — for two. Singapore Airlines’ new A380 Suites first-class product features 50 square feet of space per passenger, and it’s possible to combine two suites to create a double bed. Enjoy prime entertainment on a 32-inch screen while you dine on gourmet cuisine such as lobster thermidor and sip fancy champagne. Book now and fly in March 2022 to experience the newest and fanciest Singapore Suites.

One-way tickets from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) in first class typically cost at least $6,000 per person. However, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and American Express Membership Rewards all transfer to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer loyalty program, which means you can book this luxurious experience for you and a loved one for just the taxes and fees. If you’re lucky, you may find “Saver” award space, which means you can fly from NYC to Germany for just 86,000 KrisFlyer miles each way per person in Singapore Suites. This is truly one of the greatest ways to fly — and you can do it for almost nothing.

The Basque coast of France is a great destination for a romantic escape. For 24,000 Accor Live Limitless Reward points, you and your loved one can enjoy Biarritz for a weekend full of unique and intimate travel plans. The experience includes two nights in a superior room at the Sofitel Biarritz Le Miramar Thalassa with a partial view of the ocean, breakfast for two, a VIP welcome and one 15-minute hydrorelax massage per person. The offer is valid for bookings made before Feb. 28 for stays during select dates — you can find the eligible dates here.

You can earn Accor points by staying in Accor hotels, which include hotel brands like Banyan Tree, Sofitel, Delano and Raffles. You can also earn Accor Reward points by shopping via the Accor shopping portal.

Sip cocktails under the sea

Cocktails Under the Sea at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island with Hilton Honors Experiences

For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, enjoy a glass of champagne (or a mocktail) and light canapés more than 15 feet below the surface of the Indian Ocean at Ithaa, the world’s first undersea restaurant, which is also part of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort in the Maldives. The experience costs 25,000 Hilton points per person and is valid through Dec. 31, 2022, though the experience must be booked at least seven business days in advance. Combine this experience with a stay at this idyllic island resort, where beach villas start at 95,000 Hilton points per night.

As previously mentioned, you can earn Hilton points by staying at hotels, with co-branded credit cards such as the Hilton Amex Card or by transferring points from programs such as American Express Membership Rewards. The Hilton Amex comes with a welcome bonus of up to 130,000 Honors points — 80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months and an additional 50,000 points after spending a total of $5,000 in the first six months. The full 130,000-point welcome bonus is nearly enough to cover one night at this property in a beach villa and the dining experience for two.

Spa rejuvenation

A stay at the Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa

If you need a relaxing break with your significant other, book a stay at the Miraval Arizona in Tucson. The resort offers guests the best of spa, fitness and self-discovery so you can deeply connect and relax as a couple. Winter temps in Arizona are ideal for a Valentine’s Day getaway, meaning you can trade the snow for sunshine. And the best news? The resort is bookable with World of Hyatt points at the following rates: 45,000 points per night for one person in a standard room, 75,000 points per night for one person in a standard suite and 105,000 points per night for one person in a premium suite. Then, add your significant other for an additional 20,000 points per night, regardless of room type.

Each award night at the Miraval Arizona includes accommodation and all meals, snacks and nonalcoholic beverages, a $175 nightly resort credit per person, which can be used for spa treatments or special activities, and complimentary daily wellness activities such as lectures, yoga, meditation, fitness classes and more. From hiking to drumming, sleep rituals to cooking sessions, take part in whatever activities best fit you and your partner to make your stay extra special.

You can earn Hyatt points with Hyatt hotel stays or by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points — earned from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — to World of Hyatt. You can also earn Hyatt points by spending on co-branded Hyatt cards, such as the World of Hyatt Credit Card, which currently comes with a sign-up bonus of up to 60,000 points. You’ll get 30,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months and an additional up to 30,000 points by earning 2 bonus points per $1 spent in the first six months from account opening.

Embrace nature alongside your significant other with a dreamy stay at the Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua, a resort offering outdoor activities ranging from beaches to golf, hiking to water sports. February is also peak whale watching season, perfect for couples wanting to spot these magnificent mammals out at sea.

The most romantic spot at the resort is the Ku’uipo sweetheart swing, which is a hammock set up for two backed by ocean views, perfect for a sunset snuggle or that Valentine’s Day couples photo opportunity for social media — perhaps even the ideal setting for a proposal! The spa is also offering special Valentine’s Day-themed spa treatments between Feb. 1 and Feb. 18, 2022, such as the Sweethearts Coconut and Berry Body Treatment or the Love your Face Berry Much Facial Treatment.

Nightly rates run for as few as 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. You can earn Bonvoy points by staying at the brand’s hotel portfolio, transferring points into Marriott Bonvoy from flexible points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards. Perhaps the easiest way to earn Bonvoy points is via co-branded credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.

Ever wonder what it’s like to fly in a massive leather seat decked out with gold accents, followed by a shower in the sky? Emirates First Class is one of the most lavish experiences in the sky — and it could make for one of the most romantic flight experiences, as you and your partner can sip Dom Pérignon and sample caviar as you glide over the clouds. There’s even a shower on board, and first-class passengers get Bvlgari-branded amenity kits.

You can fly the Emirates double-decker A380 from New York (JFK) to Dubai (DXB) or Milan (MXP). Flights on the routes typically cost around $9,000 per person one way — unless you’re using points. Instead, you can fly from New York to Milan for 85,000 miles, plus taxes and fees per person each way or from New York to Dubai for 136,250 Emirates Skywards miles, plus taxes and fees per person each way. Make sure to reserve the seats in the middle of the cabin — not the window seats — when traveling as a couple so you can sit “next” to each other.

Don’t have Emirates Skywards miles? That’s not a problem. You can transfer points to the Skywards program at a 1:1 rate from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou. In other words, one point earned from a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express can be transferred to become one Emirates Skywards mile.

Considered to be one of the most romantic hotels in Mexico, the perfect Mexico-inspired Valentine’s Day experience includes a stay at boutique property La Casa Que Canta, part of Hyatt’s Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio. Each of the property’s 25 suites faces the ocean, and some offer private pools and jacuzzis. Expect romantic touches like flowers on the bedspreads, fresh fruit and welcome drinks upon arrival. Enjoy serene, idyllic experiences like couples treatments at the Clarins Spa or dine oceanfront to the tune of crashing waves at Mar y Cielo.

Oceanfront terrace suites complete with stunning views of Zihuatanejo Bay at La Casa Que Canta cost 25,000 Hyatt points per night. You can earn World of Hyatt points with Hyatt hotel stays or by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt. You can also earn Hyatt points by spending on co-branded Hyatt cards, such as the World of Hyatt Credit Card, which currently comes with a sign-up bonus of up to 60,000 points. You’ll get 30,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months and an additional up to 30,000 points by earning 2 bonus points per $1 spent in the first six months from account opening.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards of 2022.