AI Trip Planner
Plan a trip with
credit card points
Pick origin + destination + month → see best award flights, top hotels bookable on points, attractions, signature events, and the cards whose welcome bonus would cover the trip. 41 US origin airports, no bank link required.
Caribbean
Aruba
Outside hurricane belt — guaranteed sun, casinos, Dutch Caribbean charm
Pay in cash
$3,950
$450 flight + $3,500 hotel
Pay with points
185,000 pts
+ $30 taxes & fees
Weather in May
☀️ Peak season — ideal time to visit
Air temp
77°–89°F
25°–32°C
Water temp
81°F
27°C
Rainfall
low
Crowds
Peak
Hot dry, slower season begins.
Flights — JFK → AUA
EconomyUnited MileagePlus
JFK → AUA — connect via JFK, EWR, or MIA. United nonstop from EWR/IAH to AUA
35,000
roundtrip
+ $30 taxes
American AAdvantage
JFK → AUA — connect via JFK, EWR, or MIA. AA nonstop from MIA, DFW, CLT to AUA
35,000
roundtrip
+ $30 taxes
Open to cover:Sapphire Preferred
Top hotels for your points
Picked for best points value — Hyatt has the only fixed award chart left in major US hotels, so your points stretch the furthest here. Tap each option below for why it stands out.
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino
Hyatt·Family resort, beachCat 6 — Palm Beach, big resort with casino, family pools.
25K/30K/35K
off / std / peak · Hyatt Cat 7
$700/night cash
5 nights = 150,000 pts (~$3,500 value)
Alternatives
Ritz-Carlton Aruba
Marriott Bonvoy·LuxuryTop of Palm Beach — multiple pools, casino, top spa.
85,000/night
$1100/night cash
5 nights = 425,000 pts (~$5,500 value)
Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Marriott Bonvoy·Family valueFamily-friendly value, beach + casino + multiple restaurants.
60,000/night
$550/night cash
5 nights = 300,000 pts (~$2,750 value)
Trip Strategy — open these cards and the trip is mostly free
Open World of Hyatt (60K + free Cat 1-4 cert) + Sapphire Preferred (75K UR). Covers 3 nights Hyatt Regency Aruba + RT flight.
60K + free Cat 1-4 cert = 2-3 nights at Hyatt Regency Aruba (~$1,800 value)
$95/yr annual fee
Your out-of-pocket budget for this trip
🚗 Car rental needed · vs. $3,950 full cash trip
What to see & do in Aruba
Eagle Beach
BeachWider quieter beach than Palm Beach — divi-divi trees, sea turtle nests.
Palm Beach
BeachHotel strip — calm water, every watersport, beach bars.
Arikok National Park
Outdoor20% of island — desert terrain, caves, natural pools.
California Lighthouse
SightNW tip — sunset spot named for SS California shipwreck nearby.
Snorkeling Antilla Wreck
BeachCaribbean's largest snorkelable wreck — German WWII freighter scuttled 1940.
Iguana, donkey, ostrich farms
Only hereFamily-friendly farms with desert animals, rescue donkeys.
Events to know about
- May
Soul Beach Music Festival
HappeningMemorial Day weekend — R&B + soul acts.
- Jan · Feb
Carnival
Late Jan - Fat Tuesday — Caribbean Carnival with parades, costumes.
- Jun
Aruba Hi-Winds (Windsurfing)
Mid-July — international windsurfing competition.
- Sep
Aruba International Film Festival
September — Caribbean + international cinema.