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 »

More articles by Gary Leff »

Comments

  1. This sounds perfect! I haven’t been to the UAE yet, but when I do, the desert is calling my name since I like outdoors better than cities. And since the resort is so high end, I won’t even have to convince someone to rough it with me! Best of all worlds.

  2. The Al Maha would be a fantastic way to travel in the Middle East for the first time. I’d happily be spoiled!

  4. As far as auctions, the 3 nights at Pumziko Safari and Wellness Lodge in Tanzania looks awfully interesting, and awfully undervalued at only 50 pounds at the moment.

  8. The bid they have on Tschuggen Grand Ski Hotel & Spa, Switzerland for 2 nights looks lovely especially looking at the modern architecture of that place.

  9. My favorite auction item is the suite nights at the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. Reminds me of a fabulous vacation in Argentina a couple of years ago that included a stay there.

  10. I think the 5 night stay in Green Leaf Boutique Hotel in Cambodia looks interesting as I have wanted to go to Cambodia for a while.

  11. Never been to Dubai or UAE, but I figure winning this prize would definitely make me go there for a pitstop when I go to Europe/Africa this spring and summer!

  13. I would stay at the Al Maha because it looks like the perfect place to relax and take my honeymoon. It’s gorgeous!

  15. 3 Nights For 4 In A Luxury Private Villa In Goa would be great, since we’re planning a trip to India at the end of the year.

  17. I’ve never experienced a resort as an all inclusive with SPG before. It’ll be nice to be able to stay there for free.

  19. Auction at the “Loama Resort Maldives At Maamigili” for £101.00 seems an awesome price (auction) for the place.

  20. Would love 2 free nights at the Al Maha as my fiance and I already have a 1 night stay planned for our honeymoon to Dubai and the Maldives. Traveling in Emirates First Class using Alaska miles of course. Thanks!

  25. I’d be excited to stay at the Al Maha because I’m planning a honeymoon to Dubai and the gorgeous desert views coupled with the dune riding activities would be amazing. Plus, the falconry would be cool too!

  28. Well, I have a one way ticket to Abu Dhabi this summer and no plans once I get there, so this would certainly help with the where-to-stay part of the trip!

  30. I would stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort because the desert activities (especially the falconry and wildlife drive) look great. Already have first class Emirates award tickets connecting in Dubai so this would make an awesome stopover for my upcoming birthday celebration. Pick me! Pick me! LOL.

  33. I will be honored and grateful to received a 2 nights complimentary all inclusive stay from Al-Maha Desert Resort and Spa for a luxury holiday in Dubai.

  37. I’d love to stay at Al Maha because I want to experience that view of the desert from that pool.

  39. My favorite item currently up for auction is 3 Nights In A Suite At The 5-Star Das Central, Austria b/c the views look stunning

  40. I would be excited to stay at the Al Maha b/c I’ve never done a desert centered vacation before and the property looks great

  48. My favorite thing up for auction has to be the 4 nights for 6 guests at Villa Sungai in Bali.

  50. We’re going to Dubai on February 15 to the 21st. It would be incredible to stay at the Al Maha Desert Resort!

Comments are closed.