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 »

More articles by Gary Leff »

Comments

  5. Sounds amazing!

    Favourite auction item: 2 Nights At Ku Sungula Safari Lodge, Greater Kruger Park, SA

    My wife would love to go to the Maldives! (and to safari, going to take a closer look at that now..)

  6. Not only does the Loama resort look unreal!!! But I can also take AAdvantage of American’s new Indian Subcontinent routing rules on award tickets to get there!! Have always wanted to give Sri Lankan a try!

  8. My wife recovered from stage 4 breast cancer at the same time my company lost 1.5million in 2010. We both have worked 2-3 jobs since then and are now able to work one each. We would love to stay here to reconnect and re new or wedding vows.

  12. Never been into Maldives.. Yesterday only saw some amazing pics at instagram… Can’t wait 🙂

  13. Oh, I’d totally love “4 NIGHTS & ALL INC. SPA TREATMENTS AT FUSION MAIA DA NANG” in Vietnam! Granted an hour long foot massage only costs $6 in Thailand, so I’m assuming its the same in Vietnam… but that sounds like a great excuse to go back to Southeast Asia. Granted, the Maldives sound nicer.

  14. The Maldives is definitely on my short list of places to visit. And judging from the photos, Loama seems like an amazing place to stay. I usually stay at tiny hostels on the beach, so getting a luxury hotel would be a wonderful treat. Maybe I’ll win this for my honeymoon…

  16. I would love to take my wife on a trip later this year to celebrate the birth of our first child. Maldives has been on our bucket list for a number of years now.

  21. Double-take on a Maldivian resort with the Park Hyatt, hopefully get to experience both in the same trip.

  23. The loama resort looks like paradise. I have always wanted to go to the Maldives. And could not picture a more beautiful spot to stay.

  26. I would stay at Loama Resort because:
    … Seriously?! Why would you not want to stay at a luxury resort on a paradise island surrounded by waters so turquoise that it almost feels unreal?!
    🙂

  30. Lazing on a bed just a few feet over the aquamarine blue waters of the Indian Ocean, Dev felt all was right with the world for a change. The Loama Resort wasn’t too far from his hometown, but it might as well have been a world away. None of the stresses of everyday life appeared to have infected this paradise, and certainly none of the bigger problems which took up his mindspace on a daily basis. Just the gentle breeze, the calming blue expanse and gentle snoring of his wife seemed to exist here.

  33. Let’s goo on a safari, my favorite item; 8-NIGHT CAMPING & HOTEL SAFARI WITH BIG FOOT TOURS, BOTSWANA

  40. The 4-night stay for 2 in a Water Pool Villa at the 5-Star Milaidhoo Island in the Maldives seems like a very good deal on Luxury Travel Diary!

  44. I’d like to stay at Loama because my wife recemtly told me she’s no longer interested in cheap or even moderately nice hotels.

  47. I’d like a Laoma stay in the Maldives because not only do I need to try out the Maldives as a first time destination, but to stay in a brand new, non hotel chain resort would be a fantastic way to hopefully get a more authentic feel for the place. Would love it!

    PS. Also love being VERY far away. Total agreement about the time difference.

  49. The Loama would be a dream come true. It’s like something from a fantasy for most people — me included (and I’ve stayed at many nice hotels around the world).

  50. Loama would be an amazing opportunity to explore the Maldives for the first time! I just booked a trip to the Maldives for next February, so this would be ideal.

Comments are closed.