Costco is known for bulk groceries and member-only bargains, but many travelers still overlook one of its most powerful perks: Costco Travel. Beyond cruises and rental cars, Costco offers a curated selection of hotels and resorts that can be booked as standalone stays or bundled into vacation packages.

Understanding how Costco Travel works, where it shines, and where it falls short can help you decide when booking hotels and resorts through Costco will actually save you money and hassle on your next trip.

How Costco Travel Hotels and Resorts Work

Costco Travel operates as a full-service travel agency exclusively for Costco members, offering negotiated rates on hotels and resorts worldwide. In the United States, hotel-only bookings currently focus on major brands such as Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and Accor Hotels & Resorts, with additional hotel partners appearing inside certain vacation packages.

A membership is required even to see hotel prices and availability, which helps Costco secure closed-user-group deals not typically advertised in public search engines.

Members can use Costco Travel for three main types of lodging bookings: hotel-only stays, hotel bundled with flights and/or rental cars in a vacation package, and resort stays attached to theme park or destination offers. Hotel-only bookings are the closest comparison to what you would find on a traditional online travel agency. Vacation packages, on the other hand, bundle your lodging with flights and often extras like airport transfers, resort credits, or theme park tickets.

Costco Travel acts as the intermediary between you and the hotel. Your reservation is made in your name, but Costco’s contracted inventory and pricing rules apply, particularly around payment, changes, and cancellations. The booking process is entirely online for most itineraries, although some complex changes and certain packages require phone assistance.

When you book, your room type, occupancy limits, and cancellation deadlines are clearly displayed on the checkout and invoice screens, and the confirmation comes directly from Costco rather than the hotel’s own website.

That flow becomes easier to evaluate once you see how Costco handles hotel bookings from search to confirmation, rather than just reading the summary.

Membership Requirements and Who Can Book

To view or book hotels and resorts with Costco Travel, you must be an active Costco member with a valid membership number. Both standard Gold Star and Executive memberships qualify. The membership requirement applies at the time of search and booking; nonmembers cannot even see hotel pricing on the Costco Travel site.

However, the person traveling does not have to be the same person who holds the membership. A member can book travel for family or friends, but any rewards generated from that booking, such as Costco Shop Cards or Executive membership 2 percent rewards on travel, are tied to the primary member’s account.

The minimum information you need at booking includes your membership number, the full legal names and birthdates of each traveler, and a valid form of payment. For international trips, the names on the reservation must match travel documents like passports.

Costco’s help center warns that name corrections may incur fees, especially when airlines are involved, so it is important to double-check spellings and dates of birth before you complete payment.

Executive members receive an additional incentive to funnel hotel and resort bookings through Costco Travel, since many travel purchases are eligible for the 2 percent annual reward on top of any supplier-specific perks or included extras.

The exact eligibility can vary by product and destination, so travelers should review the fine print for each offer. Even without Executive status, though, standard members can still access Costco’s negotiated lodging rates and any bonus extras packaged with specific hotels or resorts.

Hotel-Only vs Vacation Packages: Which Makes Sense?

Costco Travel’s hotel inventory falls into two distinct buckets: standalone hotel-only stays and hotels that are part of bundled vacation packages. Understanding the difference is critical because it affects both price and flexibility. Hotel-only reservations are the simpler product.

That balance often plays out differently for parents, which is why many evaluate whether Costco hotel bookings make sense for family travel.

You choose a city, dates, and party size, then select from available properties and room types much like on any hotel booking site. These bookings tend to be flexible, with clear cancellation windows and relatively straightforward changes. Some hotel-only reservations may incur a penalty if canceled within the hotel’s own penalty period, but outside of that window they can typically be canceled online without additional Costco fees.

Couples weighing convenience against customization often approach this differently once they understand how Costco hotel bookings fit into couples travel plans.

Vacation packages, by contrast, combine your hotel with flights, and sometimes with car rentals, tours, or resort and theme park tickets. These packages are often where Costco Travel delivers its most eye-catching value.

For example, a resort package might include daily breakfast, a resort credit, or a Costco Shop Card at no extra cost compared with booking each element separately. Packages can also simplify budgeting by presenting the full cost upfront instead of piecing together flights and hotels on multiple sites.

The tradeoff is stricter rules. When you book a vacation package, all the components are bound together under supplier terms. Flight changes may require canceling and reissuing tickets at current fares, while hotel date changes depend on both inventory and penalty timelines.

Cancellations can trigger supplier fees for one or more components, and airline tickets within packages are frequently nonrefundable or only reusable as future credits. Costco does not generally layer on its own penalty, but it is obligated to pass along whatever the airline or hotel charges based on when you cancel.

In practice, Costco’s hotel-only products can be the smarter choice for quick domestic weekends or stays where you want maximal flexibility or intend to use airline miles for flights.

Meanwhile, vacation packages are best reserved for more complex trips, resort-heavy destinations, or situations where Costco has negotiated clear package bonuses that tip the math in your favor compared with booking everything separately.

Booking Process, Pricing, and Hidden-Value Extras

The Costco Travel booking interface feels familiar to anyone used to online travel agencies, but there are a few quirks worth knowing. You start by selecting the Hotels tab or Vacation Packages tab, entering your destination, dates, and the number of travelers.

For hotel-only reservations, Costco currently allows only one room per booking. If you need several rooms, you must create separate reservations, each with its own lead traveler, which can be mildly inconvenient but ensures each room has a clearly designated primary guest.

Pricing on Costco Travel is generally competitive with, and occasionally better than, rates available directly from hotels or other third-party platforms. Costco often negotiates value-added benefits in lieu of a dramatically lower nightly rate.

Examples include daily breakfast, waived resort fees at certain properties, room upgrades subject to availability, or resort or dining credits. Some packages also include Costco Shop Cards delivered after travel is completed, effectively rebating part of your trip cost in warehouse spending money.

In terms of payment, Costco Travel bookings must be paid with an accepted credit or debit card at the time of booking. For many hotel-only reservations, your card is charged immediately by Costco, not at the hotel. For packages that include flights, full payment is usually required at the time of booking to issue tickets and secure space.

While Costco has announced broader partnerships that allow buy-now-pay-later options in warehouses, those programs do not automatically extend to every travel product, so travelers should not assume installment plans are available for Costco Travel unless explicitly offered during checkout.

One subtle but important feature is that package and hotel descriptions often highlight whether parking, Wi-Fi, resort fees, and taxes are included. In some resort destinations where mandatory fees can significantly inflate nightly costs, bundled Costco prices that include those charges up front can be easier to compare than headline rates from other agencies that exclude them.

As always, the key is reading the hotel’s inclusions and exclusion notes on the booking page and the invoice rather than only scanning the lead price.

Many pricing surprises disappear once you understand what Costco includes in hotel and resort bookings.

Loyalty Points, Elite Benefits, and What You Give Up

One of the most common questions among frequent travelers is whether booking hotels through Costco will earn hotel loyalty points and elite-night credit. The answer depends on how you book and which brand you choose.

For room-only reservations, Costco Travel explicitly supports loyalty credit with specific partners like World of Hyatt, allowing you to enter your loyalty number during checkout so that your stay can qualify for points and elite-night accrual with Hyatt. For these bookings, your stay generally posts like an eligible rate booked through an approved third-party channel.

However, when your hotel is part of a larger vacation package that includes flights and other services, the rules shift. Costco’s own terms note that hotel stays embedded in packages are often not eligible for hotel loyalty points, elite nights, or on-property benefits tied to status.

That means you might not earn points on the room rate, and in some cases you may not receive complimentary upgrades, breakfast, or late checkout that you would get when booking a qualifying rate directly through the hotel or its app.

Airline mileage accrual follows yet another set of rules. If your Costco Travel package includes flights, the tickets are usually standard published fares issued in your name, and you can add your airline frequent flyer number to earn miles and status credit based on the fare class, airline, and program rules.

But discounted or bulk fares can earn reduced mileage, and basic economy tickets, when used, may not allow seat changes or upgrades, so it is worth examining the flight details and fare restrictions that appear before purchase.

For many casual travelers, the value of Costco’s bundled perks outweighs the potential loss of some hotel loyalty benefits on packages. Frequent hotel loyalists who are chasing elite status, however, may prefer to use Costco primarily for hotel-only stays that explicitly support their loyalty program, or to reserve Costco for resorts where loyalty participation is less valuable than the included extras and Shop Cards.

Those tradeoffs matter most when you compare Costco hotel bookings against booking directly with hotels, especially if loyalty benefits are part of your decision.

Change and Cancellation Policies for Costco Hotel & Resort Bookings

Change and cancellation policies are one of the most important aspects of using Costco Travel, and they vary between hotel-only stays and packages. For standard hotel-only bookings, Costco allows online changes and cancellations in most cases.

You can typically cancel a room-only reservation through your online account up to 24 hours before check-in, although some rates and properties may impose longer penalty windows. If you cancel outside the hotel’s penalty period, there is usually no added fee from Costco beyond any nonrefundable elements clearly stated at booking.

If you cancel or change within the hotel’s penalty window, the property may charge a fee equivalent to one night’s room and tax or more, depending on its policy. The specific terms and cut-off dates appear on your invoice, often under the room category or cancellation timeline sections.

Once a room-only reservation is canceled, it cannot be reinstated, so if you change your mind you must create a brand-new booking at whatever rates are available at the time.

Vacation packages carry more complex rules because they bundle flights, hotels, and sometimes car rentals and activities. Costco’s terms emphasize that cancellation and revision policies are dictated by the individual suppliers. Canceling a package can trigger airline penalties, nonrefundable fare loss, or supplier cancellation fees from the hotel or tour operator.

While Costco does not typically layer an extra travel agency penalty on top, it must pass through whatever fees the suppliers charge based on the date you cancel relative to your travel date.

In many cases, you can cancel a vacation package online up to a short period before departure. Your invoice will show a detailed cancellation timeline outlining how much of your payment is refundable at various time points.

Airfare within packages is frequently nonrefundable, though some airlines allow you to retain the value as a credit minus change fees for future travel, as long as you rebook on the same airline within a specified period.

Travelers who want maximum flexibility or who are worried about plans changing close to departure should carefully compare fully refundable hotel-only rates and consider separate flight bookings rather than locking into a tightly constrained package.

Those timelines and penalties make more sense when you look closely at how cancellations work for Costco hotel and resort reservations.

While Costco Travel offers strong value on many hotel and resort products, its inventory is not as all-encompassing as major online travel agencies. In some international destinations, especially in parts of Europe, travelers have reported limited hotel options or packages that fail to return results for specific dates or cities.

Costco appears to focus more heavily on resort destinations, major North American cities, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and key vacation markets where it can negotiate meaningful extras for members. For purely boutique or off-the-beaten-path stays, it may not be the best primary search tool.

In recent years Costco has also adjusted its theme-park-related offerings. Packages for Walt Disney World in Florida, Aulani in Hawaii, and Disney Cruise Line itineraries remain available and often include extra-value perks.

However, Costco Travel stopped accepting new reservations for Disneyland Resort vacation packages, a change that disappointed many members who relied on those deals for Southern California trips.

Travelers with existing Disneyland packages can generally still modify their bookings for trips through 2025 by calling Costco Travel, but new packages are no longer being sold.

These shifts illustrate an important reality: Costco Travel’s hotel and resort portfolio evolves based on supplier contracts and consumer demand. What was a standout deal one year may disappear or change structure the next.

For that reason, it is worth checking Costco Travel early in your trip planning process, especially for big-ticket vacations, and comparing its current offers with booking directly or using other agencies.

When Costco has a live contract with a resort chain or destination, the combination of member pricing, bundled perks, and Costco’s customer service can create an attractive total value. When it does not, you may be better served elsewhere.

Strategies to Maximize Value With Costco Hotels and Resorts

To get the most from Costco Travel’s hotel and resort products, start by clarifying your priorities. If your top goal is the lowest total cost for a resort vacation, including taxes, fees, and extras like breakfast and airport transfers, treat Costco as a comparison engine rather than assuming it is always cheapest.

Price the same dates and room type across the hotel’s own site and one or two major booking platforms, then factor in Costco’s included perks and potential Costco Shop Card rebates. In many cases, a slightly higher nightly rate on Costco can still come out ahead once you assign reasonable cash value to the extras.

If flexibility matters more than absolute cost, pay close attention to whether your Costco rate is refundable and what the penalty windows look like. Favor hotel-only rates that allow free cancellation until close to arrival, or at least until after key decision points such as vacation approvals or school calendars are finalized.

For big trips that are still somewhat tentative, consider booking airline tickets separately using fully changeable or credit-eligible fares, then layering a cancelable Costco hotel booking on top rather than committing to a rigid package months in advance.

Loyalty-minded travelers should reserve Costco’s hotel-only inventory for stays where loyalty credit is explicitly supported, and use direct booking channels or corporate rates for others. When using Costco for resorts where loyalty status is less critical, try to align your payment method with your broader rewards strategy.

Using a credit card that offers bonus points on travel or wholesale club purchases, while still capturing any Executive membership 2 percent rebate on eligible Costco travel purchases, can effectively stack benefits on top of Costco’s negotiated rates and perks.

Many poor outcomes stem from avoidable assumptions, which become clearer when you understand common mistakes travelers make with Costco hotel bookings.

The Takeaway

Costco Travel’s hotel and resort offerings are a powerful but sometimes underutilized benefit of Costco membership. By leveraging closed-user-group pricing and strong supplier relationships, Costco can deliver attractive value on both hotel-only stays and bundled vacation packages, particularly in resort destinations and popular leisure markets.

While it is not a universal replacement for major online travel agencies, it excels when it comes to clear inclusions, bundled extras, and member-only promotions that are hard to replicate elsewhere.

At the same time, savvy travelers need to be aware of the tradeoffs. Not every stay will earn full hotel loyalty credit, package rules around changes and cancellations can be strict, and inventory is thinner in some international and boutique markets. Costco’s travel lineup also evolves over time, as illustrated by the discontinuation of new Disneyland Resort packages even as other Disney offerings remain.

If you approach Costco Travel as one of several tools in your planning toolkit, rather than a single all-purpose solution, it can significantly reduce both the cost and complexity of booking hotels and resorts. Always compare total trip value, not just nightly rates, and pay close attention to cancellation terms, loyalty implications, and included extras.

For many Costco members, particularly those planning family vacations or resort getaways, the combination of negotiated pricing, added perks, and Costco’s reputation for customer service makes Costco Travel a compelling place to start any hotel or resort search.

FAQ

Q1. Do I have to be a Costco member to book hotels and resorts through Costco Travel?
Yes. You must have an active Costco membership to view prices and book hotels or resorts through Costco Travel. The membership is required at the time of search and purchase, although the actual travelers on the reservation do not all need to be members.

Q2. Can I earn hotel loyalty points and elite nights when I book through Costco Travel?
Sometimes. Certain room-only bookings, such as stays with World of Hyatt, can earn points and elite-night credit when you add your loyalty number during booking. However, hotel nights that are part of vacation packages are often not eligible for hotel loyalty points or elite benefits, so you may sacrifice some loyalty earnings in exchange for Costco’s package value.

Q3. Are Costco Travel hotel prices always cheaper than booking direct?
Not always. Costco’s rates are often competitive, and the true value frequently comes from extras like breakfast, resort credits, or Costco Shop Cards rather than a dramatically lower base rate. It is smart to compare the total cost and inclusions against booking directly with the hotel or through another travel site before deciding.

Q4. What happens if I need to cancel a hotel-only reservation from Costco Travel?
Most hotel-only reservations can be canceled online through your Costco Travel account, often up to 24 hours before check-in. If you cancel outside the hotel’s penalty window, you usually receive a refund without additional fees from Costco, although some rates and properties may be partially or fully nonrefundable. Within the penalty period, the hotel’s own cancellation fee applies.

Q5. How do cancellations work for Costco Travel vacation packages that include flights?
Vacation packages are subject to each supplier’s rules. Canceling a package can trigger airline penalties, loss of nonrefundable fares, or cancellation fees from hotels or tour operators. Costco typically does not add its own extra penalty but must pass along supplier fees. Your invoice will show a cancellation timeline, and in some cases you can retain airline ticket value as a credit for future travel according to the carrier’s policies.

Q6. Can I book multiple hotel rooms at once through Costco Travel?
For hotel-only reservations, Costco currently allows one room per booking. If you need multiple rooms, you must create separate reservations, each with its own lead traveler. For certain vacation packages, additional rooms or guests may be added by working with a Costco Travel representative, subject to availability and supplier rules.

Q7. Does Costco Travel still offer Disneyland Resort hotel packages?
Costco Travel is no longer accepting new reservations for Disneyland Resort vacation packages. Members with existing Disneyland packages for travel through 2025 can typically still modify their bookings by contacting Costco Travel, but new package sales have been discontinued, even as other Disney-related offers such as Walt Disney World, Aulani, and Disney cruises remain.

Q8. When is it better to book a hotel-only stay instead of a vacation package with Costco?
Hotel-only bookings are generally better when you want flexibility, plan to use airline miles or book flights separately, or need simple short stays where packaged extras are less important. Vacation packages make more sense for larger trips and resort destinations where Costco’s bundled perks, such as included breakfasts, transfers, or Shop Cards, materially improve overall value.

Q9. Will Costco Travel help if something goes wrong during my hotel stay?
Yes. Costco Travel acts as your travel agency and can assist if there are issues with your hotel stay, such as reservation problems or significant service failures. You should first try to resolve issues with the hotel directly, but if that fails, contacting Costco Travel with your booking details can provide an additional layer of advocacy and support.

Q10. Can nonmembers benefit from Costco Travel hotel deals if a member books for them?
Indirectly, yes. A Costco member can book hotels and vacation packages for nonmember friends or family, allowing them to benefit from Costco’s rates and perks. However, any Costco-specific rewards tied to the booking, such as Shop Cards or Executive membership 2 percent rewards, accrue to the purchasing member, not to the nonmember traveler.