Geoff Whitmore of "NoobTraveler" blog

As a frequent traveler and lover of miles and points, I have had the pleasure of staying at many great Hyatt properties worldwide. My favorite Hyatt memory (and it's hard to choose just one) is actually a recent one, when my wife and I visited Napa, California and stayed at Avia Napa. In addition to the hotel's great location, the modern-chic design of this boutique hotel was clean, inviting and comfortable.

We have grown accustomed to excellent service whenever we visit any Hyatt property, and this was no different. Since it was our first time to Napa, we were a little overwhelmed with where to go and what to see. The concierge circled all the top wineries and restaurants that we should visit on the map, and we thoroughly enjoyed every one of her recommendations. Thanks to her handy map, we ate way too much food and drank way too much wine... Yep! We had a wonderful time.

As a Diamond Hyatt Gold Passport member, I cashed in one of my suite upgrades on our trip to Avia Napa as a surprise for my wife. Seeing her reaction when we walked into the suite was the highlight of the trip! She loved the spacious living area complete with a chaise, 42" LCD (I may have loved that more than her) and big floor-to-ceiling windows where you could look out over downtown. But her favorite part of the room was definitely the bathtub in the bedroom. It was awesome!

I'm a big fan of saving up Gold Passport points and using them for weekend getaways with the wife, or when city hopping in Europe. My next Hyatt stay is going to be at the Grand Hyatt in New York, and we're looking forward to redeeming for upcoming trips to Paris and Seattle.

Overall, to be a "Point Pro" I would say:

• Sign up for Hyatt Gold Passport, and shoot for status. I highly recommend trying to achieve Diamond status if you travel often. The complimentary breakfast (which was killer at Avia Napa, by the way), 30% extra points, lounge access, free internet, and four suite upgrades are well worth it.
• Build your Hyatt Gold Passport point balance with reward credit cards. I love the Hyatt Credit Card because it lets me earn 3x points per $1 spent at all Hyatt properties. It also comes with two free award nights at any Hyatt hotel worldwide after you use it once. I will be using my two free nights at my favorite Hyatt location, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, in September. The card also gives you free Platinum status!
• Transfer points. I also redeem award nights by transferring points over from my Sapphire Preferred card. Hyatt is a transfer partner of Chase's Ultimate Rewards program. That is a huge perk, and one I take advantage of regularly.
• Keep in contact with Hyatt. Read the e-mails, and follow @HyattPR and @HyattConcierge on Twitter. You won't regret it, because you'll stay "in the know" on all of the Hyatt promotions and Hyatt happenings.

Learn more about Geoff, Hyatt promotions and what you can do with your Hyatt Gold Passport points by visiting Geoff's blog, NoobTraveler.