I have stayed at nine resorts in the Maldives over the past four years. During these stays, I discovered that – more than any other place I’ve visited – each resort has its own vibe and activities. I would like to say that each Maldives resort is probably the best for someone. Therefore, it is very important that you do your research when planning a trip to the Maldives to ensure that you choose the best resort for you.
I have a few favorite resorts in the Maldives, including Six Senses Laamu for its vibe, snorkeling options and rustic villas, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa for its 360-degree indoor pool and Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives for its affordability and ease of access. from Velana International Airport (MLE). But these resorts may not be the best for you, as you may have different preferences and priorities.
To help you narrow down your search, here are your best options for using points and miles to stay at a Maldives resort.
Related: Where are the Maldives, and is the long trip worth it?
Marriott Bonvoy Maldives Resorts
You can book nine Maldives resorts through the Marriott Bonvoy program. However, the soon-to-be-opened JW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll Island Resort does not offer award bookings yet.
Marriott Bonvoy rates its properties dynamically, so the award rate for any given night will vary depending on when you stay and when you book.
Here is a list of Maldives resorts that you can book with points through the Marriott Bonvoy program:
Some of these resorts have award rates low enough on select dates to make good use of a free night award certificate (some hotels have mandatory resort fees). For example, earlier this year, I used a free travel award of up to 40,000 points and 152,000 points for a six-night stay at Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa.
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Remember that you’ll get one night for zero points for every five nights you use Marriott points because of the “stay five, pay four” deal.
You can earn Marriott points in a variety of ways, including Marriott credit cards. However, if you need to increase your points balance quickly, you may want to purchase Marriott points or transfer points to Marriott from American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio), Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio) or – Built Rewards (1:1 ratio).
Related: 5 ways to maximize your Marriott Bonvoy award night spend
World of Hyatt Maldives Resorts
You can only book two Maldives resorts through the World of Hyatt program: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa and Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.
However, a Hyatt Regency in the Maldives will open in late 2027. Hyatt also recently acquired the Standard International Hotel group, so The Standard, Maldives, should finally be bookable with Hyatt points.
Prices for Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa and Alila Kothaifaru Maldives follow the standard Hyatt award chart. Both of these resorts are Category 7 properties, so you can redeem Hyatt points for a standard room – a building at the Park Hyatt and a beach pool villa at the Alila – at a cost of 25,000 points per night on odd days, 30,000 points. per night on regular days and 35,000 points per night on peak days.
You have several options for earning Hyatt points, including the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. But, if you need to quickly earn Hyatt points for redemption, you’ll usually want to buy Hyatt points, transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio) or transfer Bilt Rewards Points (1:1 ratio).
Related: When and how to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt
Hilton Honors Maldives Resorts
You can book nine Maldives resorts through the Hilton Honors program, including five SLH resorts that you can book with Hilton points.
Hilton Honors uses dynamic pricing, so award prices for each resort will vary depending on when you book and the dates you want to stay. However, award nights for standard rooms top out at 150,000 points per night.
Here is a list of Maldives resorts you can book with Hilton points:
When you earn free Hilton night certificates on Hilton credit cards, these resorts often make good use of these certificates. But if you need to earn Hilton points to redeem, you can buy Hilton points or transfer points to Hilton from Amex Membership Rewards (1:2 ratio) or Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio ). If you have Hilton elite status, you’ll get all five nights free when you use standard room rewards points (up to four free nights per booking).
Related: 8 ways to redeem points with the Hilton Honors program
IHG One Rewards Maldives resorts
Five Maldives resorts participate in the IHG One Rewards program, although the Vignette Collection Noku Maldives is not scheduled to open until Dec. 15, 2024, and was not taking award reservations at press time.
IHG uses dynamic pricing, so award prices depend on when you book and when you want to stay. Here is a list of Maldives resorts you can book with IHG points:
Cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card get a fourth night free when they redeem IHG points for a stay of four nights or more.
You can earn IHG points in a number of ways, including IHG credit cards. You can also buy IHG points or transfer points to Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio) or Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio) if you need to accumulate IHG points quickly.
Related: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Accor Live Limitless Maldives Resorts
You can book eight Maldives resorts with the Accor Live Limitless program.
The program links its reward rates directly to cash rates, so 1,000 points are worth 20 euros (about $22) per stay. As such, the award price of your Accor Live Limitless stay will vary depending on the rates paid at the time of booking.
Here is a list of Maldives resorts you can book with Accor Live Limitless:
- Angsana Velavaru
- Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
- Dhawa Ihuru
- Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort
- Movenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives
- Pullman Maldives All-Inclusive Resort (this resort offers a mermaid experience)
- Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort
- SO/Maldives
During the low-cost summer season, you can book the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort for as little as $351 per night. At current conversion rates, you can spend around 16,000 Accor points per night on these off-peak days.
You can quickly earn Accor points by transferring Capital One miles (2:1 ratio), Citi ThankYou points (2:1 ratio) or Bilt Rewards points (3:2 ratio).
Related: These are the best all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives, from overwater bungalows to family-friendly resorts
World’s Best Maldives resort hotels
The Premier Hotels of the World program has five Maldives resorts, although two (Constance Halaveli Maldives and Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon) were bookable with points on any of the dates I searched.
The Leading Hotels of the World program ties its award rates to paid rates, but you’ll typically earn about 8 cents per point. Here is a list of Maldives resorts that you can often book with points from the World’s Best Hotels program:
During the cheapest summer season, I found a night at the Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa booked for $652 or 9,016 points. You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to the World’s Best Hotels program at a 5:1 ratio, so you’ll need to transfer around 45,000 Citi points per night for this top-rated stay.
Related: The best ways to get to the Maldives with points and miles
Bottom line
Staying in the Maldives is not cheap, whether you pay cash or redeem points. However, redeeming points can help you lower your out-of-pocket costs in an area known for its high prices.
I did not discuss the Maldives resorts you can book with Radisson Rewards, as there is no way to earn Radisson points for transferable rewards earned with US credit cards. Likewise, while you can book almost any Maldives resort with points if you book through a credit card travel portal, you will almost always get a better value when you transfer your points to the hotel’s loyalty program and book your award stay.
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