Marriott has over 50 hotels in United Arab Emirates (UAE) across 6 emirates – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Here is the entire list of Marriott properties redeemable on points in UAE. This article narrows down the 4 best value Marriott Bonvoy Points Redemption in UAE.
Read more: Marriott Bonvoy New Member Offer – 1 free night after 2 stays
Introduction – Marriott Bonvoy Points in UAE
A Marriott Bonvoy Point is valued by The Points Guy at $0.9c/point, and by Lucky (One Mile At a Time) at $0.7c/point. We, at The Points Habibi value Marriott Bonvoy Points at around $0.8c/point given the redemptions and values across UAE and the Middle East.
Out of the 50+ hotels in UAE, there are 4 Marriott hotels that give you the best value for your Bonvoy points at almost all times in the year, whether you’re on vacation, or a large family, or a budget traveler.
1) Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa – 85,000 Points / Night
Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai is the most sought after luxurious Marriott hotel on points in UAE. On your points, Al Maha also offers full room and board including 3 meals, along with 2 free activities like camel trek, horseback riding, falconry, archery, etc! (See a Review of all Al Maha activities by OMAAT: Al Maha Desert Resort Activities Review)
The rates range from AED 3000 – AED 7000+, making 85,000 points a real steal. (Peak pricing would be introduced later in 2019. Note this hotel is 70,000 points off-peak and 100,000 points in peak season)
Availability at this hotel is rare on points, and make sure you plan ahead if you’d like to redeem your points here. Also, note that children under 10 are not permitted at this resort.
I won’t get into reviewing this hotel since all our favorite travel bloggers out there have a detailed review of this hotel. Here’s a recent review of Al Maha Resort by Point Hacks.
2) Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotels and Suites – 35,000 Points / Night
The Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotels and Suites is conveniently located on the Dubai Marina and is accessible to the JBR Walk.
The one main reason why this hotel has such a good value for its redemption, is that it offers a full 2-bedroom apartment at 35K Points/night. It is also one of the rare hotels that allows Points bookings for 4 guests at a time. Typically, when you search bookings on points for 4 guests, most hotels drop out from the search. Hence, this is perfect for large families visiting Dubai!!
To top it all, the Dubai Marriott Harbour has a full 2 bedroom apartment with a separate living room, a fully equipped kitchen and a washer/dryer.
At any time of the year, the rates for the 2 bedroom apartment vary from AED 1100 – AED 1500+ (including taxes and VAT), while the points redemption at 35K/night will cost around AED 1027. And if you book 5 nights on points, you get the 5th night free, costing you only 140,000 points (AED 4000, saving over AED 1000). As a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member in UAE, I was also upgraded to a sea facing 2 bedroom apartment on my points redemption.
3) Aloft Al Ain – 7,500 Points / Night
As of February 2019, the Aloft Al Ain is the only Category 1 Marriott Hotel in the United Arab Emirates. Al Ain is a beautiful city, also known as the Garden City of the UAE, with hot springs, nice mountains and a large zoo, as well as other attractions. The hotel is conveniently located in the Al Ain Square right next to the famous Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
Aloft Al Ain can be redeemed at 7,500 points / night or 30,000 points for 5 nights. The cash rates are typically over AED 200 at this hotel, and you will always end up saving, when you book 1 night or 4+1=5 nights at this hotel. I was upgraded to a Suite as Marriott Platinum and the breakfast was amazing too.
Like all Aloft Hotels in Asia, this new Aloft also beats its counterparts in the US. It is modern, trendy and really chic. In all fairness, Aloft Al Ain is a hidden gem and is way more valuable than a Category 1 hotel, but I secretly hope they don’t go up to a Category 2 at any time in the future.
On a side note, the iconic Hilton Al Ain also left Hilton on 31st December 2018 and will be rebranded as Radisson to be launched in April 2019, making Aloft Al Ain the best Marriott Bonvoy Points redemption in Al Ain (UAE).
4) The Ritz-Carlton, Al Hamra Beach, Ras Al Khaimah – 85,000 Points / Night
Fancy staying in an exclusive and luxurious Ritz Carlton with only 32 private villas with a private pool and beach access right from your villa? Meet The Ritz-Carlton at Al Hamra Beach in Ras Al Khaimah. This hotel works wonders for a weekend getaway to Ras Al Khaimah and an escapade in solitude.
The rates here are typically always above AED 2000, which makes 85,000 points seem like a no-brainer and 5 night points redemption an awesome value.
Note: When booking on points, The Ritz-Carlton properties do not offer free breakfast even for Marriott Bonvoy Elites. Breakfast at this property ranges around AED 165 per person per day, but breakfast discounts may be offered to Marriott Bonvoy elite members when redeeming points (UAE).
Summary – Marriott Bonvoy Points in UAE
These are the 4 most valuable Bonvoy points redemptions Marriott Hotels in Dubai and UAE. At all times, your points will always take you further than expected at these 4 properties. And all of these hotels are our favorites and are among our best recommendations.
Read more: PointsOfArabia has a recommended Marriott Bonvoy points redemption list across the Middle East.
Have you stayed at any of these? What are your thoughts? Is there any other Marriott hotel in UAE that should make this list? Let us know in the comments.
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