GIVEAWAY: Would You Like a Free Stay in the Maldives?

by Gary Leff

Regular readers know that I love the Maldives. I’ve been 5 years in a row. It’s the only place I’ve found where I can really unplug. The distance is a feature not a bug, by the time I get there I’m really ready to relax and the time difference helps me to do it — I can answer work emails in the morning, and everyone is gone from the office the rest of the day so I can just enjoy myself.

I’ve gone to the same place each time, because I could use points, but there are some fantastic properties that I’d love to try some day. One that’s really worth checking out is Loama Resort.

A new property, a 45 minute sea plane from the airport in the capital, this was a Buddhist refuge dating back centuries. Artifacts from the Ching dynasty were unearthed during the construction of the hotel. The property was listed in Conde Nast Traveler Middle East as one of the Best New Hotels in the World.

A beach villa here runs ~ $840 plus taxes. And I’m giving away 3 nights there with breakfast.

The resort looks fantastic, and gets a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor.

Whether you want to dive, snorkle, spa or just relax this is going to be tough to beat. Combine it with a points stay somewhere else in the country, or drop in on nearby Sri Lanka (flights from Male are cheap and it’s less than 500 miles) and make a bigger holiday of it.

This is a very special giveaway, thanks to my good friends at Luxury Travel Diary. Regular readers know them as a high-end travel blog with great reviews. They’re based in the UK and run travel auctions with real bargains.

As I’ve said before, folks who already know about these auctions don’t like this added attention, because there don’t seem to be enough bidders for many of their best offerings relative to the value available. Some of their items go way too cheap.

This prize is being given away by the hotel and Luxury Travel Diary, I’m just helping to highlight it and randomly select the winner.

To enter: leave a comment on this post with your favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary, or why you would choose to stay at Loama Resort. You may enter two times if you wish and answer those two questions one time each in separate comments.

Contest deadline and drawing winner: Entries close Sunday, September 4 at Noon eastern. I will draw winner with the assistance of random.org.

The fine print: Advance booking is required and it’s subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. Winner will have one week to respond to email notifying of the prize, otherwise the prize will be forfeit and made available to another reader.

For avoidance of doubt, I have no affiliation with Luxury Travel Diary or Loama Resort. I am not getting anything in exchange for running this giveaway other than an opportunity to share the place with readers.

The hotel is solely responsible for providing prize to winner. All decisions made in the course of running this giveaway are final and unappealable and your entry signifies your acceptance. The goal here is to make readers aware of a pretty cool auction opportunity, and to give away a stay. So please don’t make it hard on me for doing so!

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I think I would like to try the 5 nights at the Serenissima Boutique Hotel, Crete, Greece. First of all it is long enough to be my entire trip, and it gets great reviews everywhere I looked. Seems amazing, but I’m not sure I could actually afford to go there even were I to get the trip! Too new to collecting miles to fly on points. I can still dream though.

  4. I would stay at the Loama Resort because I have always wanted a nice relaxing beach vacation. Never managed to actually get it done though, this seems like it would ensure I’m unplugged and relaxing. If I win I want a post on here to ask for help figuring out how to (affordably) get there though!

  6. My favorite auction item would have to be the Flopz Massaging flip flops. I didn’t even know those existed!

  7. I would stay at the Loama Resort because I’ve never visited the Maldives and I’m sick of jealously reading all these trip reports from entitled bloggers. 😀

  8. I’d like 2 Nights At Makakatana Bay Lodge In South Africa. We’re going this summer and would love to tack that on!

  9. I’d like to stay at the Loama resort so I could go back to the Maldives. We went this past summer and it was the most incredible place we’ve ever witnessed!

  11. Favorite item on the Luxury Travel Diary:
    3 Nights For Up To 4 In An Apartment In Lisbon, Portugal

  12. I’d love to go back to the Maldives and experience a different Atoll, and Loama looks like the perfect place to unwind!

  16. Was just at Cringletie Castle earlier this year, and would love to go back. After a trip to the Maldives, of course.

  17. My dream is to go to the Maldives and be able to unplug and soak up the sun. The Loama sounds like the perfect place for that!

  18. Maldives is my wife most wanted to go place, and loama hotel has a nice beach villa is super nice that we really want to go.

  20. Why this resort? Because I too have been to the same place a couple times…actually saw you there once. So I’d like to visit the old (because I love it) and try something new.

  21. My favorite item up for auction would be the “4 NIGHTS IN A POOL VILLA AT THE 5* MILAIDHOO ISLAND MALDIVES”. I was going to pick a castle stay (because who wouldn’t want to stay in a castle!), but the picture of the pool villa beat the castle!

  22. Favorite item on auction? The rainforest Lodge in Belize. I’ve never been and I’d combine it with a dive trip because I hear the diving there is some of the best in the world

  26. I would choose to stay at the Loama Resort so I could use their dive center to see a Whale Shark!

  27. Favoirte item on the auction site: 2 Nights At The Stunning Paresa Resort In Phuket, Thailand

  28. I would like to stay at the Loama Resort because I want to dive in the Maldives before the country is lost due to sea level rise.

  29. Loama Resort because i’ve never been to the Maldives and this would be a great introduction.

  31. 3 Nights At The Serene Aava Resort & Spa In Khanom, Thailand looks awesome because I love thailand and their people and food.

  32. A return visit to the Maldives for my wife’s bday would be awesome, and a stay at Loama Resort would be that much better.

  33. I’d stay at the Loama Resort because I’ve never been to the Maldives and it looks amazing!

  39. If I were looking at the options though, Santorini would be amazing as well! 3 Nights At The Stunning Athina Luxury Suites In Santorini would be beautiful

  42. I would love to stay at the Loama Resort for a wonderful tranquil getaway with the woman of my dreams who I have been married to for 23 years and counting.

  43. I never been, but always want to, on the continent of Africa. A S. African safari would be one for the bucket list and a trip that this traveler would consider a lifelong highlight!

  46. Sitting over the water in the Maldives with a book in hand would be a phenomenal three day break!

  47. 8 night camping in Botswana is my favorite auction on the site. Botswana has been at the top of my list for a long time!

  48. Maldives … what more can you say … the word itself conjures up relaxing days on gorgeous sandy beaches and endless relaxation. I’d love to take my wife away from our hectic life with 3 children to a magical, well deserved vacation!

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