The Best Giveaway I’ve Ever Done, Comment Here for Chance to Win 2 Nights at Al Maha!

by Gary Leff

I’m going to visit Al Maha Desert Resort next month. Lucky called it his favorite Starwood Starpoints redemption ever. It’s an all-inclusive with standalone villas and infinity pools in the desert outside Dubai where rates can exceed $1700 per night and is consistently deemed one of the world’s best properties on TripAdvisor.

For bookings made by March 8 Starwood is offering awards there for ‘only’ 39,000 points a night instead of the usual 60,000. And I’m going to use some of my points there.

And I’m going to give away a couple of nights there, too! And it’s thanks to Luxury Travel Diary.

Luxury Travel Diary is a high-end travel blog with great reviews based in the UK that has a bunch of travel auctions with real bargains.

I suppose that folks who already know about these auctions don’t like this added attention, because frankly there aren’t enough bidders relative to the value of the offerings and some of these items go too cheap.

Luxury Travel Diary wanted to highlight some of their deals, and offered to help organize a giveaway of a 2 night hotel stay at Al Maha Desert Resort. As I said, it’s an inclusive resort. So you get breakfast, lunch and dinner. That even includes room service. And you even get two desert activities per night stay at the property. This is a giveaway worth ~ $3000 or 78,000 – 120,000 Starwood points.

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 Al Maha Desert 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 Friday, January 29 at Noon eastern. I will draw winner with the assistance of random.org.

The fine print: The winner will be able to pick when to redeem the nights within 6 months. It’s not available on public holidays, Eid, Christmas and New Years (both of which are beyond 6 months anyway, but in the terms I was given). Advance booking is required and it’s subject to availability.

For avoidance of doubt, my own stay next month is paid for with my points. I have no affiliation with Luxury Travel Diary or Al Maha Desert Resort. I am not getting anything in exchange for running this giveaway other than an opportunity to share the place with readers.

I will put the winner in touch with the hotel for booking. They are 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!

You probably won’t fly to Dubai and back for a 2 night stay, though you might add onto it and do other things in the region (great opportunity to spend American AAdvantage miles and fly Etihad first class at 90,000 miles each way before the March 22 devaluation, and Etihad even provides a car service anywhere in the UAE… or to spend Alaska miles and fly Emirates).

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’ve been on safari, on ocean liners, riverboats, and train journeys, but I’ve never had a stay in the desert. Al Maha, you are the stuff of dreams.

  3. I’d love to stay there because I have never visited the area and it also has the Leff Seal of Approval!

  4. Always wanted to stay at the Al Maha to experience the desert activities. Been to Dubai many times for work, never been out to the desert.

  5. I’d bid on the 3 night villa in Goa. I’ve never been able to get the family to go to India, but maybe a luxury villa would be enough to tempt them there!

  8. I would love to visit the Al Maha Desert Resort to make my Arabian Nights dreams come true! That and to experience living the luxury life in a desert – and of course, the spa.

  9. My favourite auction would definitely be the 3 Luxury Nights At The Iconic Santorini, Greece, because c’mon, it’s Greece!! What is there not to love and be excited by?

  12. My favorite item up for auction is a 3-course dinner for 2 at Tavern at 15, London Worth £100, as I am studying in the UK and would enjoy a nice meal on the cheap.

  13. I would choose to stay at the Al Maha because it is near Dubai, which is somewhere I have been wanting to go for a while. Its all-inclusive nature is also a draw for me, as it would remove some choices I often spend too much time debating over, such as what to get for breakfast, which wold allow me more ease to do the other things.

  19. My absolutely favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary that I have been eyeing for the last 2 weeks is the “5 nights at the 6-Star Imperial Springs in Conghua, China” auction. The photographs are simply breathtaking with its serenity and colors – would be thrilled to go there & perhaps combine it with Al Maha trip (if I’m lucky enough to win!) and come up with the ultimate healing trip combo.

  21. I would love to stay at A Maha for a few days of solitude and relaxation, before enjoyiung the vibrancy of Dubai.

  22. I grew up in Dubai, left when I was 10 years old. I haven’t been back since. I used to love camping in the desert as a child. This giveaway would be the most perfect nostalgic return trip ever…in the lap of luxury!

  23. My favorite auction is 2 Nights In A Park Suite At Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. Gorgeous hotel in a beautiful city.

  27. Have been researching Myanmar quite extensively last month, including river cruises. The vintage luxury yacht cruise – 4 nights at £4.00? Gotta be kidding me.

  28. I’ve wanted to stay at Al Maha for many years. Being in the desert with the wildlife, the amazing scenery and a great tent room would be very memorable.

  30. 3 NIGHTS IN A VILLA AT LOAMA RESORT MALDIVES AT MAAMIGILI would be my pick from the Luxury Travel Diary auction.

  32. My favourite up for auction has got to be 8 Nights At Amaya Resorts & The Kingsbury, Sri Lanka – I’ve never been to Sri Lanka and this resort looks lovely! 🙂

  33. And why would I choose to stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort? Simply because it screams luxury! 🙂

  35. It has to be Auctions for Quintessential Europe stays in the UK or abroad, these places are little gems for comfortable/relaxing stays in some unique establishments – always a winner with a loved one!

  37. I think the 7 nights for 10 people in a luxury villa in Agarve is my favorite. I always travel with a crowd–big family problems–and everyone could bring someone along with this one!

  38. My favourite item to win in the auction would be the 2 nights in a Suite at Paradis Plage Resort in Morocco!

  39. I would love to stay for 3 Luxury Nights By The Beach In Tropea, Italy or would really enjoy the AL Maha Desert Resort as it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and fiancé!

  40. And I would love to stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort for a taste of all-inclusive luxury! (Have never stayed in all-inclusive places before! The closest I come to is half board with afternoon cake!)

  42. I’ve always wanted to stay at the Al Maha to experience the desert activities,it looks such a wonderful hotel

  44. My auction choice would definitely be the suite nights at Das Central in Solden to live out my James Bond fantasies!

  45. I have always wanted to stay at Al Maha as I have read so many great reviews about the resort.

  46. Grand Hyatt Singapore would be my choice from the Luxury travel diary. Always wanted to go and that looks like a great home base to explore Singapore!

  49. My favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary is 2 Nights At The William Hotel New York – USA.

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