3 Halloween Getaways You Can Book With Points – Forbes Advisor

The kids are back in school, football’s on TV and everything smells like pumpkin spice: It’s fall! If spooky season snuck up on you this year, don’t fret. Here are four trips you can book with points right now in plenty of time for tricks and treats.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Is there a more perfect recipe for a haunted city than New Orleans?

Start with New Orleans Voodoo: a religious practice brought over by enslaved West Africans that blended with the local Catholic beliefs into a unique melange. Add in centuries of history shaped by tragedies from fires to smallpox to Hurricane Katrina. And finish off with a dash of architecture, from the above-ground cemeteries to the gated balconies of the French Quarter.

Plus, while we’re talking about recipes, how can you resist the food? If you like a shot of ghost story mixed into your Rum Runner, Muriel’s Jackson Square is the place to dine. Muriel’s is worth a stop for the food alone, especially the shrimp and goat cheese crepes and the pecan-crusted drum fish—but even if you’re solo it’s possible you won’t dine alone.

The most famous spirit at Muriel’s is Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, an 18th-century man-about-town and degenerate gambler, who lost his beloved house that was built on the property where Muriel’s now stands. Rather than give up his maison, he gave up his life on the second floor of the home. Monsieur Jourdan, to this day, is welcomed at the restaurant with his own table. Try to spot him while you enjoy a cocktail in the Séance Lounge upstairs.

Once you’re fortified with liquid courage (remember to get a go-cup for your drink), join in a Ghost City Tours walk around the French Quarter. There are a variety of tours, including some that are family-friendly, but the “Bad Bitches” tour seems the most apropos for a city known for its unsavory residents.

If the idea of Bourbon Street revelry is enough to scare you, get out of the French Quarter and take the St. Charles Streetcar up to Magazine Street in the Garden District. There you can shop for a vintage Halloween costume among the treasures at Century Girl Vintage, which is a museum of fashions past. If nothing there fits your style (or your budget), wander down the street and peruse Out of the Closet, a thrift store benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation that opened last year. If you’re really lucky, you might score a $3 jeweled brooch straight out of Dynasty for your Joan Collins costume. Turban optional.

To lean into the Halloween vibe, check into one of New Orleans’ many haunted hotels. The Troubadour, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, was the site of a tragic 1972 fire that claimed six restless souls. You can check out any time you like, but with live music in the downstairs Listening Room and expansive city views from your room, you might not want to leave. Rates range between 30,000 to 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

Getty

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a perennial favorite, but if you’ve ever wanted to visit a spot that feels like it could have been the set of the animated film Coco, visiting during Dia de los Muertos makes this Texas city the ideal Halloween destination. The city rolls out the marigold carpet during the end of October for visitors both mortal and immortal.

Between the dazzling and vibrant sugar skulls adorning the floats along the Riverwalk Parades and the live Muertos Fest performances, it would be as easy to forget you’re in the U.S. as to remember the Alamo. You can even buy supplies to create your own family altar as a truly unique souvenir.

If you want to up the fright factor, consider a stay at the Holiday Inn Express San Antonio, North Riverwalk Area. The hotel, located just three blocks from the Riverwalk, used to house the Bexar County Jail. You can still find graffiti from the prisoners scratched on the walls, and the hotel is rumored to be haunted. Rooms can be had for less than 20,000 IHG One Rewards points per night, so while you might be scared, your wallet won’t be.

Disney

Orlando, Florida

If your favorite kind of “Boo” is “Bibbity Bobbity,” consider a trip to Orlando to visit Disney World. While the ticketed after-hours parties typically sell out quickly, you’ll still find availability to visit the parks decorated in their autumn finest and special Halloween-themed snacks to enjoy. Fancy some of Winifred’s (that’s Sanderson, of Hocus Pocus fame) Elixir of Youth? You’re in luck as the black tea slushie with kiwi foam is available during park hours.

You might want to save your snacking for Epcot, though, as the Food and Wine Festival is in full swing up through mid-November. Not only can you eat (and drink) your way round-the-world, if you’re lucky you can catch Boyz II Men in concert and lament “The End of the Road.”

You couldn’t be blamed if the ticket prices for a Disney World vacation sent you screaming for the exits. Luckily, you can get the Disney experience without springing for a park ticket by visiting the Disney World resorts and Disney Springs. You do not need to be a hotel guest to visit and enjoy the resorts. Check out the zebras and giraffes at Animal Kingdom Lodge and play “Match the Feces to the Species” in the lobby (it’s exactly what it sounds like). It’s easy to make an entire day out of Disney transportation between the ferry boats, monorail and new Skyliner.

Disney Springs is much more than a themed shopping mall. Live entertainment last Halloween included skeleton stilt walkers and the “Zombeats” drum band. Making a return this year, you can munch on Oogie Boogie’s Dole Whip Nachos at Swirls on the Water in Disney Springs.

If you’re flush with Hilton points, Disney Springs is the place to stay, as three of the chain’s properties are represented. Rooms are priced dynamically, but you can expect to pay 50,000 to 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night in a standard room.

Getty

Sleepy Hollow, NY

If the classic “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a perpetual October favorite, it’s time to make the pilgrimage to the Hudson Valley town that inspired the story. Every year, dramatic readings of the story from costumed actors are hosted at Washington Irving’s historic Sunnyside home. Afterward, you can pay homage to the author’s final resting place in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Lantern-led tours after dark can teach you about the local history—or gruesome tales of regional murder.

After dedicating a full evening to Ichabod Crane, the Halloween fun continues. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is an impressive pumpkin show featuring more than 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins woven into larger-than-life displays. After dark, the festival grounds are lit by the jack o’lanterns themselves with spirited music, food and drinks to complete the evening’s event.

And for travelers that aren’t ready to commit 100% to Halloween, you’ll be thrilled to learn that the Hudson Valley is more than just pumpkins and ghost stories. The region comes ablaze with reds and golds during the fall foliage season, with state parks, scenic drives and dozens of hikes to fill your time.

Sleepy Hollow can be reached on Metro North trains from New York City, making it an easy getaway. A car (or rideshare) will be a huge help, though, when you arrive. Once there, Marriott Bonvoy points are your best bet, with four properties in the Tarrytown area for easy access to all attractions. You’ll appreciate the selection since October weekends sell out quickly. At the Courtyard Tarrytown Westchester County, expect to redeem 25,000 to 30,000 points per night in peak season.

Bottom Line

You’re not a poor unfortunate soul—it’s not too late to plan a Halloween getaway. Even better, it’s not too late to use your hotel points to help pay for it. The happy haunts are waiting for you.