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.
- Here are their auctions
- And here are the ones ending soon which are probably the best to check out right now – to get an idea of just how good a deal you’re likely to get.
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).
I would choose to stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort because it would give me an opportunity to relax and enjoy my first ever visit to Dubai!
The 3 Luxury Nights By The Beach In Tropea, Italy look like the coolest thing on Luxury Travel Diary to me…
I’d love to say at the Al Maha based on Lucky’s review.
I have not yet been to Dubai and want the chance to try out Emirates first class.
Staying at the al-maha to experience Dubai for the first time would be great.
3 nights in Santorini auction is the one that caught my attention
2 Nights In A Park Suite At Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
My favorite item is the 2 nights in a Park Suite at the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires.
I’ve never been to a desert, so some desert safari seems interesting at Al Maha Desert Resort
Staying at the Al Maha sounds like an awesome way to just get away from it all and relax! That is why I’d stay there, no mobile phone, no laptop, peace and relaxation!
I would stay at Al Maha looks quite interesting!
I would like to stay at Al Maha on our NYE 2017 trip to Dubai. We already have 5 nights at the Le Meridian Beach Resort. Two nights at Al Maha before our stay there would be awesome!
Favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary? 2 Nights For 4 In A Luxury Apartment In Belgravia, London!
I would like the opportunity to goto al maha desert.
want to stay here because it is a really baller hotel – just look at those pics!
I would like to bid on a stay at the Grand Hyatt Singapore for two nights before our trip to Bali in October.
would do the auction item “2 Nights At The Grand Hyatt Singapore” cuz there are tons of ladies working outside the lobby if you know what i mean
I would go for the 2 nights at The William Hotel New York. Quick weekend getaway to enjoy one of the greatest cities in the world.
I would choose to stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort because it will be a truly unique desert experience! (With so many amazing things included!).
For the auctions on Luxury Travel Diary, I would definitely go for the 3 Nights For 4 In A Luxury Parisian 2-Bedroom Apartment – looks fantastic and I love Paris!
Favorite auction: 7 nights for 10 people in a luxury villa in the Algarve
3 night at La Loama villa in the Maldives.
I love the Al Maha’s private swimming pools.
2 Nights In A Luxury Villa At The 5-Star Viceroy Bali
I would love to go there to experience the scenery!
Favourite item? “5 Nights At Green Leaf Boutique Hotel, Cambodia”
I was at Al Maha in November. It was spectacular. Gary – you will love it. Here’s my review:
http://www.alltherightpoints.com/2015/12/round-world-in-11-days-al-maha-desert.html
My favorite auction item is 6 Luxury Nights At Benvengudo Nr Avignon, South Of France.
My favorite item up for auction is the 2 Nights In A Park Suite At Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. One of the better Park Hyatts in the system!
3 nights in santorini. beautiful place.
I love the location of Al Maha Desert Resort – a luxury resort in the middle of a desert..
I’d stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort because I’ve never been to a desert before, and a luxury stay would be a fitting first time!
I’m going to put in a bid on the Grand Hyatt Doha….I’ll have a great middle eastern trip when I win the Al Maha stay!
Now that would be awesome with the family 🙂 Fly there in F and stay in luxury 🙂
I’d love to go to the Al Maha Desert Resort for the activities. Camel Riding and desert exploring. Count us in!
Nice (all inclusive), won’t have to worry about meals.
Why would I want to stay at Al Maha? Look at the place! It looks amazing!
The private pools at Al Maha overlooking the desert are just spectacular!
Nice! I would pick 6 nights at benvengudo nr avignon in the south of France from the auctions!
I like the auction for 2 Nights At Luxury Villa Laetitia, Rome, Italy2 Nights At Luxury Villa Laetitia, Rome, Italy
I would love to stay at Al Maha for 2 nights during my 4 night stay in Dubai. I want to experience a desert resort.
I would love the Al Maha prize as it would be a good excuse to talk my wife into going to Dubai.
Favourite auction: 2 Nights For 6 Guests At Los Sueños Resort In Costa Rica
Sure, I’ll bite. “Why I would stay at Al Maha” — well, I did once, already. By myself. Definitely not the kind of place you want to land solo, so I’d like a do-over, with my sweetheart in tow.
I would go to the Al Maha Resort as a Dubai stopover on my way to the Maldives.
I’ve read great things about Al Maha and would love to check it out myself. Thanks!
I’d like to visit Dubai and this hotel looks like a once in a lifetime experience.
My favorite auction item is the 2 nights at GH Singapore!
All-inclusive meals and amazing desert activities are 2 great reasons to stay at the Al Maha.
I’d love to stay at Al Maha because it looks like a phenomenal property.