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If you have never heard of the Dolomites — the mountainous region in Northern Italy — you soon will. An Austrian territory and battlefront during WWI, the beautiful jagged-peaked area was ceded to Italy soon after the war.
Last a host of the Winter Olympics in 1956, the Dolomites will be front and center again as a host of the Games again in early 2026. The town of Cortina d'Ampezzo will host various skiing, luge, curling, and other events in February 2026 — with other events in Milan and throughout the region.
Whether you want to ski the nearly 30,000 acres of “Superski Dolomiti” in the winter or hike and enjoy the incredible scenery in the summertime, the Dolomites are truly a gem to be appreciated. Both getting to the Dolomites and staying there using points and miles can make this trip even more appealing — while easing your pocketbook at the same time.
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Getting to the Dolomites
The Dolomites comprise a large swath of mountains in Italy, nestled between River Adige in the west and the Piave Valley in the east. Its remote location makes it more difficult to get to. Luckily, for award travelers, the Dolomites are centrally located between major hub cities. Both Milan (MXP) and Venice (VCE) in Italy are perfect jumping-off points for the Dolomites, as well as airports like Innsbruck (INN), Munich (MUC), and Ljubljana (LJU) within a reasonable distance.
Flights
Flying to the Dolomites can be relatively easy thanks to the extensive route network throughout Europe. You can either fly into one of the airports close by or just concentrate on getting to Europe and then taking short-hop European flights or trains to the mountains.
You can start with our comprehensive posts:
- Cheapest Ways to Book flights to Europe
- 8 Best Business Class flights to Europe
- Best Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots to Europe
- Best Ways to Use Chase Ultimate Rewards to Europe
But as it pertains to the Dolomites specifically, here are a few suggestions.
Emirates
Emirates Airlines flies a fifth-freedom route from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP). The taxes and fees on this route have recently increased, but you can fly as low as 17,500 miles plus $122.50 in economy and 87,000 plus $433.50 in business class.
Note that Chase Ultimate Rewards will be dropping Emirates as a transfer partner on October 16, 2025, and Amex Membership Rewards now transfers to Emirates at 1:.08 — a 20% devaluation. That will leave Capital One rewards and Bilt Rewards as the only 1:1 transfer partners to Emirates.
Star Alliance
The heavy presence of Star Alliance airlines throughout Europe — including United Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, and Brussels Airlines — means this may be your best chance to get to the Dolomites with points and miles. It also means you may be able to connect all the way from your home city rather than positioning to New York like in the Emirates example above.
Air Canada Aeroplan — a transfer partner of all major transferrable points except Citi — is the perfect place to start. Here is just one example of various flights from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Venice (VCE) during the Olympics in February, using Star Alliance partners for 40,000 points in economy and 70,000 points in business class.
You could use fellow Star Alliance partner United Airlines — which has a friendlier cancellation policy — as well. This Milan (MXP) to Cleveland (CLE) flight is 40,000 in economy and 80,000 in business class.
SkyTeam
You can definitely utilize SkyTeam partners like Air France/KLM and Virgin Atlantic to either fly directly to the Dolomites vicinity or to Europe in general.
Air France and KLM fly from many cities in North America to Europe. You could fly this Detroit (DTW) to Milan (MXP) route for 60,000 Flying Blue miles and $263 in business class.
Or you could fly Virgin Atlantic in economy for 6,000 miles or premium economy for 10,500 miles from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR) and then fly separately to Italy from there.
Both Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club partner with virtually all transferable point currencies. That means no matter the points you have, you can likely book these SkyTeam awards to Europe.
Ground Transportation
Train/Bus
Although challenging, it is not impossible to travel the Dolomites entirely on public transportation. You can travel by train from anywhere around Europe to transportation hubs in Bolzano and Dobiacco. You can check further on the Italiarail website, but as you see, a Milan to Bolzano train takes just over 3 hours.
Once you are in the region, you take take local buses all around the Dolomites. You can check schedules with Dolomoti Bus and Suedtirolmobile to see routes and times.
Car rental
Honestly though, the best way to explore the area is by car. That way you can travel at your own pace, see the countryside, and get to remote locations. The one exception may be during winter time if you are visiting the area to ski. In that scenario, you can avoid driving the snowy roads and take advantage of the public buses between the various ski resorts.
You can rent a car from the major airports or cities in the area or even from smaller cities on train routes. Cities like Verona, Bolzano, or Trento could be alternate car rental options. Using a service like Autoslash can be a great way to compare and track rental options.
Be sure to get an International Drivers License if necessary and use the right credit card for car rental insurance.
Staying in the Dolomites
The Dolomites are typically divided up in 2 sections — the East and the West. The Western half is centered around the Val Gardena area, and features cities like Ortisei, Selva di Val Gardena, and Corvara. The Eastern mountains generally revolve around Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Olympic host and bustling hub in the area. We will look at lodging options with points and miles in both areas.
Due to the remote location, there aren't a ton of traditional points options in the Dolomites, but with a collection of transferable points and credit cards, you can still find a way to save money on hotels.
Ortisei (and West) Region
There is a collection of Mr & Ms Smith properties in the Northwestern area of the Dolomites worth checking out — and using World of Hyatt points to book. These properties, while usually luxurious, don't offer the best value for your Hyatt points, thanks to dynamic pricing. However, these rooms at My Arbor Dolomites start at 32,250 points per night for a room that costs $567.
There are several Marriott properties in Bolzano — which isn't too far from the Western Dolomites. This room at Parkhotel Mondschein, for example, is 41,000 points during the Olympics.
Three hotels in this area are part of Leading Hotels of the World. You can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Leaders Club at a 5:1 ratio. The example below in Selva costs 6,726 Leaders points, or 33,630 Citi points per night. These luxurious properties are worth looking at as a good use of Citi points. Note that you need to sign up and log in to your Leaders Club account to search for award rates.
Preferred Hotels — and their loyalty program called I Prefer — is another collection of luxury properties. Preferred hotels can be booked through their own program or through Choice Privileges — but maybe not both.
For example, this hotel in Corvara can be booked with 75,000 I Prefer points per night, but is unavailable through Choice. Because you can transfer Citi Thank You Points to I Prefer at a 1:4 ratio, this room would cost 18,750 Citi points per night. Be sure to compare properties through both I Prefer here and Choice here.
Cortina Region
There is one Leading Hotels of the World property, Ancora Corina, in this region. Again, you can transfer Citi Thank You Points to Leaders club at a 5:1 ratio. So the room below would cost 42,585 Citi points.
Booking Through Portals
Chase Travel
Since traditional hotel brands are few and far between in the Dolomites, this is a great opportunity to book hotels through various portals or using hotel credits from credit cards to book hotels using points. For example, booking through the Chase Travel portal opens up many options throughout the region. You may be able to book hotels for 1.25¢ with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and 1.5¢ with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.
Note these valuations are for cardholders before June 23, 2025. The points earned through October 25, 2025 will still be redeemable at those rates through October 26, 2027. Besides that, Chase has replaced that formula with Points Boost, where cardholders can now get “up to” 2¢ per point on purchases through Chase Travel.
Also, with the new credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® through The Edit collection, you can receive two $250 credits annually on a 2-night booking through The Edit. That means this hotel below in Cortina — Grand Hotel Savoia — could be booked two ways.
- Save $250 on this $1,086 2-night booking if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Book using Chase points at 2¢ per point (54,291 total) thanks to Points Boost.
Plus, you get the perks of a Chase The Edit booking — such as a room upgrade and $100 property credit.
Note that the Chase Sapphire Reserve® separately has a $300 annual credit on cash bookings at hotels (among other categories, see full details here). Also, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders get a $50 annual hotel credit on bookings through Chase Travel.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
Amex Travel
Likewise, holders of the XXXXXX and the XXXXXX now have a semi-annual $300 credit on prepaid bookings through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection (2-night requirement).
That means you could save $300 on the cash booking on the property below, plus enjoy the extra perks of an FHR booking. Be sure to check Amex Travel to see if there are any options for you.
Other Portals and Bookings to Consider
Besides Chase Travel and Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, there are other ways to either save money or book using points for your Dolomites adventure.
- Capital One Travel portal: You can either book through Capital One Travel at 1¢ per point using miles, or you can book travel directly with cash (and earn points on the booking) and then redeem miles as a statement credit at the same 1¢. Plus, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business cardholders have a $300 annual credit to use toward any travel (booked through the portal) that can reduce the cost of your hotel stay.
- Citi Travel portal: The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers a $100 annual credit on a hotel booking of $500 or more. The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card has a $300 annual discount on a prepaid two-night hotel booking. Both require booking through the Citi Travel portal. The Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) has a $250 credit on travel purchases that includes hotels. All of these can be options for saving money on hotels.
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
Milan and Venice
As the closest major cities to the Dolomites, finding hotels with points at the bookends of your trip will be much easier. All the major hotel brands have tons of options here, but just a few to consider are:
- Park Hyatt Milan
- Hilton Milan
- AC Hotel Milano
- Hotel Aquarius Venice
- Hyatt Centric Venice
- JW Marriott Venice
Lake Como
If you want to add a side trip to Lake Como — only a four-hour drive to the Dolomites — here are some properties worth considering.
- Grand Hotel Victoria — a SLH property bookable with Hilton points
- The Lake Como Edition
- Sheraton Lake Como
- Casa Olea — Mr & Mrs Smith bookable with Hyatt points
Bottom Line
The Dolomites may not be a household name yet, but when NBC shows pictures and videos of the awesome mountains this winter, everyone will get the hint. This beautiful area has so much to offer — whether the food, the outdoor activities, or just the jaw-dropping landscapes.
Savvy travelers who want go watch the Olympics live or just dream of visiting the Dolomites can use points and miles to lessen the cost of a trip. Especially with sky-high costs during peak Olympic travel season, grabbing a flight or hotel using points will feel like robbery.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
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