With Marriott’s shift to dynamic pricing, there are only a handful of luxury properties where using points still gives you solid value. These are some of the best redemptions available if you’re sitting on a stash of Bonvoy points.
Westin Bora Bora
The newly renovated Westin Bora Bora might just be the best Westin in the world right now. While it doesn’t carry the same prestige as the nearby St. Regis, the point-to-dollar ratio is excellent — averaging about 1.7 cents per point.
Award nights typically cost between 80,000 and 95,000 points, depending on the season. If you have the time to travel deep into the South Pacific, this property should be high on your list.
And if you’re willing to spend a little extra cash, the Mountain View overwater bungalows offer some of the best views of Mt. Otemanu, rivaling even the Four Seasons and St. Regis.
St. Regis Bora Bora
This is one of the most luxurious and expensive St. Regis properties in the world, and many consider it on par with the Four Seasons Bora Bora. I’ve mentioned it before because it’s a flagship aspirational property for Marriott fans.
Cash rates can exceed $3,000 per night during peak season. The lowest award redemption I found was 110,000 points, but the standard room is a reef-side garden villa, not an overwater bungalow, which is a bit of a letdown.
If staying in an overwater villa is a must for you, the Westin might be a better option unless you’re willing to pay extra to upgrade.
That said, you can still get an average of 1.4 cents per point at this property, and sometimes even more depending on the season and cash rates.
St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
If you want another overwater paradise, the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is a fantastic use of points. Whether you go with Bora Bora or the Maldives depends mostly on where you’re flying from, but either way, it’s going to be a full travel day.
Award availability here is tough to find, especially for multiple nights in a row. But as of mid-July, there’s been a decent amount of availability for August, so looking about a month out might be your best bet.
Redemption rates for standard rooms start at around 110,000 points per night, with a point value around 1.1 to 1.3 cents. It’s not amazing, but still better than shelling out $2,800+ in cash. Both the garden villa and overwater villa cost the same on points, so always pick the overwater option if you can.
One catch: transportation to the resort adds about $1,700, so factor that into your decision.
W Maldives
Next up is W Maldives, another secluded luxury resort. W Hotels are known for their loud, colorful, party vibe, but this one is dialed down to match the peaceful island atmosphere.
You can get there via seaplane or speedboat, which is nice if you’re trying to avoid the risk of weather delays from seaplane-only transfers. But if you’re prone to seasickness, be warned — the speedboat takes over an hour.
Redemption value comes in at around 1.1 to 1.5 cents per point, and the cheapest room I found was 89,500 points per night, although sites like Rooms.aero show it sometimes dipping to 80,500 points.
Transport adds another $1,300 round-trip from MLE airport.
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Island
This Ritz-Carlton stands out with its unique architecture and stunning design, making it one of the most visually distinct Marriott properties anywhere. It also holds the title of the highest base redemption rate I’ve seen that isn’t a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
I’ve seen the lowest price at 130,000 points per night, but multi-night stays tend to jump past 150,000 points per night quickly. On top of that, fees and taxes still apply even when booking with points.
Expect transportation costs of around $2,000, which is even higher than what you’d pay for transfers at the St. Regis or W Maldives. It’s a beautiful property, but not a cheap one.
JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge
Finally, something that’s not in the Maldives or Bora Bora. The JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge is tucked deep in the Kenyan wilderness and delivers a unique safari experience. Instead of water views, you’ll be surrounded by wildlife.
To get there, most travelers fly into Nairobi’s NBO airport, then take a short flight from Wilson Airport (WIL) to one of the nearby Masai Mara airstrips. These are small, single-propeller planes. While they’re generally safe, if you’re anxious about flying, especially on small aircraft, this might not be for you.
Award nights start at 216,000 points per night, and the cash price averages over $2,600 per night, which gives you a redemption value of around 1.1 to 1.2 cents per point.
And if you really want to go all out, there’s the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp which costs over 300,000 points per night, but delivers 1.34 cents per point value with cash rates hitting $4,400 per night.
