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

  2. I’d love to stay at the Al Maha as it would be absolute paradise with peace and tranquillity away from the nonsense of every day life. If I win, I might even put my phone in the bin so there’s nothing to disturb such a blissful break!

  5. After the Al Maha nights, the best-looking item — among many — looks to be the private Parisian apartment…beautiful!

  6. 3 SUITE NIGHTS AT BOND MOVIE “SPECTRE” LOCATION, AUSTRIA – can never resist visiting movie scenes

  7. I would LOVE to stay at Al Maha Desert Resort since it’d be a chance to take my wife to Dubai for the firs time and experience true luxury!

  8. My favorite auction is the “3 Suite Nights At Bond Movie “Spectre” Location, Austria”… I mean, WHAT?! That is incredible!

  10. 2 nights at Gili Lankanfushi luxury resort in the Maldives would be great since I’ve been wanting to the Maldives for a while now

  12. I’d love to stay at the Al Maha as it looks really nice property Meals are included and of course: Falconry!

  18. Omg, I’d die for the “3 Nights In A Villa At Loama Resort Maldives At Maamigili”. Maldives are on my bucket list.

  19. Al Maha looks amazing! Didn’t realize it was a Starwood property. If I don’t win I have to plan a trip there anyway!

  20. Al Maha Desert Resort? Who doesn’t want to stay at one of the best properties in the world?

  21. What would I bid on? 3 Nights For 12 People In Snowdonia National Park, Wales. I miss Snowdonia.

  22. I would like to stay at Al Maha because it seems like a great property with excellent amenities.

  23. The best item is definitely 4 nights for 6 guests in at Villa Sungai in Bali because the more, the merrier.

  24. The Al Maha Desert resort; a desert mirage or the best Starwood Resort? I’d love to experience this!

  25. Al Maha Desert Resort is one of the best destinations in the world. Name one reason not to stay there.

  26. Paradise without the price tag. Sign me up….. 3 NIGHTS IN A VILLA AT LOAMA RESORT MALDIVES AT MAAMIGILI

  29. Previously, Al Maha Desert Resort was managed by Emirates. Now that it’s gone under Starwood’s wing, it’s now more lavish than ever. I wish I could have stayed there when I was based in Dubai, but I wasn’t able to. Hopefully this is my chance!

  30. I would love to visit Al Maha to experience a dessert and to ride a camel with one the activities!

  31. Definitely love the 2 Nights At Gili Lankanfushi Luxury Resort In The Maldives which would be great to go to after the al maha

  32. Want to go to Al Maha Desert Resort in style using etihad airways first class apartments before the aa devaluation.

  33. I’d most enjoy the 4 nights at the Hotel Minho in North Portugal. I have always have wanted to go to Portugal.

  34. I would greatly enjoy the 2 nights at the Al Maha because I have always wanted to travel to the UAE, and this would be a great way to spend 2 days there.

  36. My favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary would be 3 NIGHTS IN A VILLA AT LOAMA RESORT MALDIVES AT MAAMIGILI

  38. I’d love an excuse to visit Dubai again. The property in Dubai looks great, and I’ll check out this service next time I’m looking for a place in London.

  39. My auction item of choice at Luxury Travel Diary would be 2 nights at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Switzerland!

  40. Would love a stay at Al Maha; the property looks great. I would love to go horseback riding in the desert!

  41. My favorite auction would have to be the 2 Nights At Gili Lankanfushi Luxury Resort. $1.45 for two nights at a fantastic property? What a great deal!

  46. I haven’t been to Qatar yet and a free stay at Al Maha Desert Resort would surely have me route a lengthy layover through it.

  47. My favorite auction would have to be the 2 Nights For 4 In A Luxury Apartment in London. We are heading there with family this summer and it has been hard to find an affordable option. Would be great!

Comments are closed.