Top Luxury Hotels in Maldives to Stay on Points
One of the places on my bucket list and possibly yours is the Maldives. So I've been researching the top luxury hotels in Maldives to stay on points.
The Maldives has been on our bucket list because it's absolutely gorgeous and it might not be around forever. In 2013 Jeff read a National Geographic Magazine article about how the Maldives were sinking and ever since then we've been hoping to visit.
We had tickets booked for May 2014 but had to cancel our plans. But this time, we're going.
Actually, I'm going to the Maldives.
Jeff recently got a promotion and his work schedule is changing. So I debated, do I go by myself or cancel...again. I'm going.
Yes, I'm that wife.
The one that goes jetting around the world without her husband. But if you've been reading my blog for a while, you already know this. 🙂
Naturally, I want the best value for my buck. Everything is expensive in the Maldives. So it's definitely a place where using points for your hotel makes financial sense.
Read: What you need to know before you redeem points for hotel stays
Top Luxury Hotels in Maldives to Stay on Points
Currently, there are only six hotels in the Maldives where you can use points to pay for your hotel stay. By next year, there will be seven.
Here are my picks for the best hotels in Maldives to stay on points.
Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
Photo courtesy of Park Hyatt Maldives
Because I LOVE Hyatt, I'm leaning towards the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa can cost $1,900 per night. But you'll only pay 25,000 Hyatt points.
And if you're a Hyatt Diamond member, you get:
- Free breakfast daily
- Free drinks and hors d'oeuvres from 5 pm to 7 pm on Saturday
- 15% discount off drinks after 7 pm
You'll pay $520 per person for round-trip seaplane transfers between the airport and the hotel.
Short on Hyatt points? You can instantly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card and other Chase Ultimate Rewards earning cards.
If you don't have Hyatt points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can earn Hyatt points with The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
The bonus from the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card covers two nights. The Chase Sapphire Reserve has an annual fee of $550 so it might not be the best card for everyone.
You could earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Photo courtesy of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Although Hyatt is my first love, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is pretty appealing.
At the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, you could pay $2,800 a night or 95,000 Hilton points. One of the benefits of using points to stay at Hilton hotels is the 5th-night free offer. You only pay for four nights of your five-night point stay.
If you have a Hilton American Express card like the Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, and Hilton Honors Surpass® Credit Card, you can get the 4th-night free. So you only pay for three nights and you get the fourth night free.
If you're a Hilton Gold or Diamond member you get:
- Free breakfast daily
- Free afternoon tea (sandwiches, scones, cookies, biscuits, and tea) from 4 pm to 5 pm
- Free drinks during Happy Hour (5 pm to 6 pm)
- Fruit basket refilled daily
- $25 off a spa treatment
The round-trip seaplane transfers cost $500 per person.
Need Hilton points? You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton at a 1:1.5 ratio.
Pro-tip: If you have the American Express Gold card issued in Israel, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton at a 1:3.5 ratio. So for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer, you get 3,500 Hilton points.
If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express issued in Israel, you get 4,500 Hilton points for every 1,000 Membership Rewards.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Photo courtesy of St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort opens on November 1, 2016.
You could pay $2,880 a night or normally 35,000 Starpoints points for a category 7 hotel.
But because every room is a villa or suite, the point structure is out the window. And no free upgrades are offered for Starwood Preferred Guest members.
I called and was told that Garden Villas are no longer offered on points. Granted I only had time to call once you might get a different answer.
An overwater villa costs 90,000 points per night and a beach villa is 120,000 points.
You'll pay $645 per person for round-trip seaplane transportation. At 90,000 points a night that's more than I'd like to pay per night.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Hotels.com | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
W Maldives
Photo courtesy of W Maldives
The W Maldives costs $1,300 a night and is also a Category 7 hotel which normally would cost 35,000 points per night.
But because all rooms are villas or suites, you'll pay 90,000 points per night. And there are no free upgrades if you're a Starwood Preferred Guest member.
Round-trip seaplane transfers cost $505 per person. Or you can pay $350 per person for round-trip speedboat transfers.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Hotels.com | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa
Photo courtesy of Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa
The Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is a more economical option if you want to stay at a Starwood hotel in the Maldives on points.
You could pay $430 a night or 20,000 to 25,000 Starpoints. The Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa often have Cash & Points rates available for 10,000 Starwood points + $180.
Round-trip speedboat transfers are $136 per person.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Hotels.com | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives
Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives
The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives can cost $540 a night or 40,000 IHG points per night.
I could only find standard rooms being offered for points. Unlike Bora Bora where you can get overwater bungalows using points.
You'll pay $229 per person for round-trip speedboat transfers.
Check rates and reviews: Expedia | Hotels.com | Travelocity | TripAdvisor
Conclusion
The Maldives can be an expensive destination. But you can save money by using hotel points. There are currently six hotels in the Maldives to stay on points.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Maldives Hulhumale is expected to open in January 2017. So there will be another point option for free hotel stays in the Maldives.
The best value in terms of the least amount of points you'll pay is the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. At only 25,000 points per night, you'll pay fewer points to stay at the Park Hyatt than at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives or the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa.
You'll pay the most points, 95,000 per night at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Followed by the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort and the W Maldives, both charge 90,000 points per night.
Using hotel points to stay in the Maldives will save you a lot of money. Which is a good thing because you'll need all that money you're saving on your accommodations to pay for food.
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Featured image courtesy of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
The information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by TravelingWellForLess. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through TravelingWellForLess.
Good post Debra. I've never been either, and those prices just hurt to look at. The prices at the W are obscene. I wish SPG would change their policy on using points for suites. Double the cost does not translate to double the room in almost any scenario I've come across.
My partner in crime at work just honeymooned at the Conrad and said it was amazing. (Of course it was!). They did the underwater restaurant and the whole bit. Very cool.
I've caught myself trying to work out the math from time to time, but as a Dad with grade-school kids, I'm not sure it's quite worth it (yet). I do have my eye on the new Park Hyatt St. Kitts or some other spots in the Caribbean where there might be better value in an overwater bungalow. We'll see...
Safe Travels!
-Carrick
I would LOVE to see the Maldives in person one day. It is on my bucket list. I had a friend go for her honeymoon and she stayed at one of these adorable bungalows over the water. Thanks for the tips!
Maldives looks beautiful! I'd stay at any of those beautiful hotels. I'm glad you get to go regardless. I'd be missing my hubby though.
How do you get this?? I cant find it anywhere on Amex site.
If you have the American Express Platinum card (personal or business), you get 4,500 Hilton points for every 1,000 Membership Rewards.
Hi Lisa,
At the time I wrote this post the Hilton site still showed a transfer ratio of 1,000 MR points to 4,500 Hilton points for AX Platinum members.
The Hilton website has since been updated. Now only Platinum cards issued in Israel can get the 1,000 MR point to 4,500 Hilton point transfer.
I've updated the post to reflect this.
These all look like really beautiful places to stay. Would love to visit there.
All of these place looks super relaxing to stay at. I have Amex gold so I will take your advice on it.
Those look like great places to stay! Sounds like you will have a great trip!
Wow! The views are stunning in Maldives. I would love to go there someday. Bet the hubs would love to go there too!
I am long overdue for a vacation I would be happy at any of these spots right now!
Wow all of those options are absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. It's sad to hear that it's sinking, which means, ill probably never get a chance to see it.
holy frickin paradise baby! that's a place I could get comfortable in, my goodness it looks perfect!
How are you getting the transfer ratio of 1000 MR:4500 HHonors points with an Amex Platinum? I have a Platinum and the best ratio I've seen is 1000:1500.
Hi Chris Daniels,
When I wrote the post the transfer ratio of 1,000 MR points to 4,500 Hilton points for AX Platinum members was posted on the Hilton site.
However, the Hilton website has recently been updated. Now only Platinum cards issued in Israel can get the 1,000 MR point to 4,500 Hilton point transfer.
I've updated the post to reflect this.
Wonderful and informative. Although I haven't been to Maldives, my parents did a while back and stayed at the Taj and loved it. I'm just waiting for my kids to grow up a little before going because I believe Maldives is more of a laid-back spend your days doing nothing kind of a holiday destination?
What? Holiday Inn has places with over the water bungalows. So crazy!! Not that I mind staying in them generally but sometimes brands really do surprise you. Hope to make it out there one of these days.
Great tips. All the hotels on your list are amazing. I need to accumulate more points first.
A lot of great places, I would have a hard time deciding. Maybe spend a little time in a couple of them.
I'm usually loathe to use my frequent flier points on hotels and look for cheaper alternatives. The Maldives however don't have many options. This is a terrific idea to save money and enjoy them while we can.
Wow they all look fantastic. I'd love to stay in all of them! Three nights in each one would do me just fine. Maldives has moved right up there to the top of my bucket list.
These are great points on using points for a luxury Maldives holiday. This is a great way to use points if you have accumlated them, however there are some really really good deals if you book hotel and flight together!
Hotel points definitely seem like the best way to enjoy the Maldives in luxury. I visited French Polynesia last year and stayed in a tiny Airbnb. While it was amazing and allowed me to travel to paradise on a budget, I can't deny that a part of me didn't wonder what it would be like to stay in an overwater bungalow! These hotels look incredible. I hope you enjoy your visit!
Oh Deb, you have piqued my curiosity with this list. So many of my favorite hotel chains. I love the looks of most of them, but the W and St. Regis take my top spots. Wow. Great post. 😉
I am definitely bookmarking this as heading to the Maldives early next year. It just looks too beautiful to miss! I like the look of W Maldives the best.
I have not doubt that Maldives is beautiful and it's definately on my to go to list but all the points stuff is too much for me to stay on top of.