With the Marriot and Starwood coalition coming soon, many Starwood cardholders are looking for more ways to redeem their SPG points before the two programs unite. One of the better options is to book at Starwood’s latest flagship property coined as the “Maldives”, which could actually be a better alternative than our normal recommendation of getting your points at a 2.5 cent value apiece.
The St. Regis Maldives is set to open within the next month, however, the hotel is only accepting bookings in November and the room rates are prodigious to say the least. Starwood is now letting SPG members redeem their points for free stays at an exceptional rate.
Alternative Credit Card Bonuses:
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Hilton HHonorsTM Card from American Express
- Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi
| BONUS LINK | OFFER | REVIEW |
| Chase Business Complete Checking® | $300 or $500 Cash | Review |
| Chase Private Client | $3,000 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Checking® | $300 Cash | Review |
| Chase College CheckingSM | $100 Cash | Review |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | Up To $700 Cash | Review |
| Chase Secure BankingSM | $100 Cash | Review |
| Room Type | Base Rate | Award Per Night | Value Per Point | Award Per Night (5th Night Free) | Value Per Point |
| Garden Villa | $1,771 | 31,500 | $0.056 | 25,200 | $0.073 |
| Overwater Villa | $2,011 | 32,500 | $0.062 | 26,000 | $0.077 |
| Beach Villa | $2,331 | 60,000 | $0.039 | 48,000 | $0.049 |
| Sunset Overwater Villa | $2,371 | 75,000 | $0.032 | 60,000 | $0.040 |
| Overwater St. Regis Suite | $2,491 | 90,000 | $0.028 | 72,000 | $0.035 |
| 2-Bedroom Family Villa | $3,211 | 120,000 | $0.027 | 96,000 | $0.034 |
Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card Features:
- New: No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- New: Receive free in-room, premium internet access. Booking requirements apply.
- New: Enjoy complimentary, unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide. Enrollment required.
- Earn free nights at over 1,200 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries with no blackout dates.
- Some hotels and resorts have mandatory service charges.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Terms and limitations apply.
Final Analysis:
Marriott and Starwood’s Merger is expected to happen in the near future and the BCS team wants to get your point booking right before this event happens. There’s no minimum-stay requireemnts attached, but it would make more sense to book at least a 5 night stay considering that it’s $700 per person for a seaplane from Male Airport (MLE) to the hotel. I strongly urge that you book a hotel via phone call at 888-625-4988 because booking isn’t available online. Keep in mind that rates fluctuate so be sure to book your award as soon as possible. You can yield a 7.7 cent apiece when booking 130,000 Starpoints for five nights at Overwater Villa. Don’t forget to check out our full list of Credit Card Bonuses for all of your credit card needs.
