Book Al Maha Resort Before Marriott Changes Kick In
After the integration of SPG and Marriott and the introduction of Marriott Bonvoy, a slew of changes were introduced. One of the major ones were the peak and off-peak redemption. At that time, we had no specific date on which this would be start. Now we have one.
Peak and Off-Peak Pricing from Sep 14, 2019
This is the new pricing chart.
The good news is that you can redeem as low as 5,000 points (Category 1 at off-peak rates). The bad news is that Category 8 redemption will cost a whopping 100,000 in peak season.
AL MAHA, A LUXURY COLLECTION DESERT RESORT & SPA, DUBAI, UAE
There aren’t many Category 8 hotels and resorts out there. However, there are three in the UAE
- Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
- The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
Of these, the most expensive and redemption-worthy is the Al Maha Luxury Resort. It is an all-inclusive resort. I had covered the property in one of my earlier posts – Marriott Bonvoy Redemption Opportunities in Middle-East.
As you may know, Category 8 was newly introduced back then. Before that, this property could be redeemed for 60,000 points only (which was a steal!). However, I dare say, even at 85,000 points it would be a great redemption.
Do not believe me? Look at the availability for November – February (likely peak season for this property) for two nights.
In other words, if you plan to stay at the property, redeem now. It is very likely that redemption will cost 100,000 points per night from Sep 14, 2019. For every night you save 15,000 points.
But what about the value per point – a metric we all look at? The average nightly rate during this period is AED 6,000 to AED 7,000 including taxes ($1,600 – $1,900). At 85,000 points per night, you get a value of 1.9 cents – 2.2 cents a night. This is great value.
So what are you waiting for?
