This Traveler Took an Epic Journey to Hawaii After Spending 2 Months within the ICU—and Spent $0 on Her Resort

Stella Shon all the time cherished to journey. After graduating from school in North Carolina, she moved to New York Metropolis to pursue a profession as a author at a significant journey publication. However in August of 2022, Shon’s life as a wholesome 26-year-old modified perpetually. 

Shon was recognized with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a uncommon however severe dysfunction affecting the pores and skin and mucous membranes. After battling flu-like signs for a number of days, her temperature spiked to 107 levels. This was accompanied by extreme ache, and Shon’s situation deteriorated a lot that she was pressured right into a hospital’s burn middle. 

“After I was within the ICU, my world fully shattered suddenly,” Shon stated. “I used to be blind for a few months, and components of my physique have been so broken that returning to my regular life, not to mention hopping on a aircraft once more, appeared inconceivable.” 

Miraculously, Shon survived the ordeal, beating a mortality charge of 30-50%. Whereas she has nonetheless needed to navigate a seemingly endless array of physician’s appointments, continual ache, and uncertainty, journey turned a part of Shon’s routine as soon as once more. 

Eight months after her hospitalization, Shon took her first massive journey—an epic journey to Hawaii along with her finest good friend. “The journey felt like reclaiming part of my identification. Having the ability to step again into journey, one thing I cherished, confirmed me that I might nonetheless pursue a significant life, even when on totally different phrases,” she stated. 

Right here’s how she made the lodge keep occur on factors, and what made it so significant. 

How She Booked It 

In March 2023, Shon jetted off on her first massive journey post-ICU, and Hawaii appeared like the proper vacation spot. Not solely had she not been there earlier than, however her finest good friend of practically a decade, Taylor Hobgood, had simply moved to Honolulu. 

“Taylor was certainly one of my many superb buddies who spent days with me within the hospital and helped my household out as a lot as doable. She noticed me at my absolute worst, and I might belief her with my complete coronary heart to take issues sluggish, see some lovely sights, and share new reminiscences collectively,” Shon recalled. 

Shon and Hobgood determined to go to Maui, with a keep at Hyatt’s Hana-Maui Resort. Shon booked the three-night getaway utilizing World of Hyatt factors—precisely 30,000 of them—per evening. Hyatt assigns every of its inns a class, they usually correspond to a set variety of factors. As a Hyatt Class 7 property, rooms on the Hana-Maui resort require between 25,000 to 35,000 factors per evening (relying on the season). For context, on the time, the Hana-Maui was charging over $800 per evening. 

The Hyatt chain has many aspirational inns, and its loyalty program typically has high-value redemptions. In addition to Hana-Maui, inns just like the soon-to-open (or reopen) Park Hyatt Tokyo and Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo Del Sol may be booked with factors. 

Conveniently, two of the very best loyalty applications within the house—Chase Final Rewards factors and Bilt Rewards factors—switch to the Hyatt program immediately, at a one-to-one ratio. To switch Chase or Bilt factors to journey companions, it is advisable to log into your account, navigate to the respective journey portal, and choose the choice to switch to Hyatt. For first-timers, you’ll additionally must enter your World of Hyatt account info. 

What the Expertise Was Like

For Shon, the expertise in Maui was about pursuing her love for journey as soon as once more. 

“This was my first massive journey the place I needed to fastidiously plan and pack drugs for an prolonged time away, however I conquered it, which gave me the arrogance to proceed to journey fully alone phrases.” 

In Hawaii, Shon says not a single second was taken as a right, regardless of now having to vary how she sees the world. “Earlier than I bought sick, I all the time cherished seashore holidays. I might spend hours simply floating within the ocean, fully mesmerized. Now, my situation means I can’t swim anymore, however there have been so many superb issues we did that we nonetheless chortle about to today.” 

Shon recalled how the property, sprawled over 100 acres of land, was built-in into the principle city of Hana. The lodge distinctly felt prefer it was part of the group, Shon stated. “Meals vans are at the doorstep, and there’s a hidden crimson sand seashore close by.” 

As well as, with Hyatt Globalist advantages—the best stage of standing with this system—Shon was upgraded from a backyard view room to a seashore bungalow, which not solely afforded her and Hobgood extra space, but in addition killer oceanfront views.

The dynamic duo went on loads of hikes close to the lodge, drove the complete size of the Highway to Hana, and stopped at each meals truck they noticed for garlic shrimp, poke, acai, and banana bread. 

“Most of all, the journey gave me a way of normalcy I hadn’t felt for the reason that begin of my illness,” Shon stated. “Journey is now not only a trip for me; I see it as proof of survival.”

A Factors and Miles Tip for Vacationers

Don’t be afraid to make use of your factors, Shon suggested. Her strategy isn’t to hoard and replenish over time, however as a substitute to redeem at any time when doable. Factors can unlock experiences price way over their money worth. And in contrast to cash, factors don’t recognize over time. Airline and lodge applications can devalue with out warning. 

Most significantly, life is unpredictable, so when you have the possibility to show factors into significant reminiscences or moments of therapeutic, take it. “If there is a reward in any of this, I’ve cherished embracing sluggish journey and taking my time to discover a vacation spot,” Shon famous.  

Nowadays, Shon is an outspoken champion for SJS advocacy, and you may watch her TikTok movies right here.