Booking the Conrad Rangali in the Maldives without spending 28 thousand euros: the success story of Joseph
Here at TFC we are always happy to give space to our readers' reviews and even more so to stories [...]
Maldives
Here at TFC we are always happy to give space for our readers' reviews and even more to success stories when you are able to redeem award tickets and vacations paid for with points. We have told many of them before, but this to date is perhaps the one that, on balance, breaks all records. For this we asked Joseph, one of the members of our "secret" Facebook group, to tell us how he pulled off the millennium heist in 10 minutes.
In this article:
Here is the story of booking his upcoming Christmas vacation at one of the world's most exclusive resorts. E we are happy to say that he is not the first TFC reader to take home this vacation dreamy for a few euros.
Of course, everything is based on the principle of Be enrolled in the Hilton Honors loyalty program. The thing I like about this reservation is that Joseph spun off by taking advantage of all possible benefits because he was ready and with all the boxes ready to go, namely:
- Free Gold status linked to Amex Platinum Which opens up the possibility of getting the 5th night free when you book with points
- Points on the account Membership rewards to be transferred In a few hours in the chosen loyalty program
- More active accounts on Hilton So that you have the ability to buy (almost) infinite points
- Subscribed to the newsletter and the secret group of TFC
- Taken advantage of the 100% bonus Of free points to buy the points
Word to Joseph.
Foreword
It had already been a few months since I was keeping an eye on bookings and award nights to book a trip to the Maldives for next winter, obviously aiming for Reward Travel.
For about a year and a half now, after discovering The Flight Club and studying all the articles and tips, I have started maximizing all the expenses on my Amex and accumulating one status after another. First I was a "squanderer" of points Now instead I am an avid bid-seeker.
After the experience in the US with flights and free stay at Conrad Downtown, as well as after several trips in 2022 all made taking full advantage of statuses in Hilton chain hotels and in particular the Conrad, among the various Maldivian facilities I had targeted another facility to sign. Conrad the Maldives Rangali Island.
Talking to several Conrad staff members, especially in Singapore, I had described to us this facility, newly renovated by the way, with a crazy 5-star paradise.
The travel program
We were thinking of a nice trip in January or early February trying to get the basic room with the minimum rate of 120,000 points per night and still encountering some difficulties when, yesterday morning, I suddenly get a notification of a new article in The Flight Club announcing the opening of award nights for December 2023 at Conrad Rangali!
Within 3 minutes I silence the phone, postpone all appointments I lock myself in my study and I start clicking like a madman doing all the possible simulations and calculations of points and award nights.
My budget starts from 200,000 HH points (accumulated from stays over the past few months including those on the U.S. trip) and from the ability to purchase up to 320,000 HH points (160,000 per account between my wife and me) with the 100% free bonus promotion also reported by The Flight Club last month.
So I have a spending potential of 520,000 points.
The shopping list
Without consulting my wife, I point to the 2 peak season Christmas and New Year's "periods". For New Year's Eve the various simulations would allow booking at the minimum price of 120k points per night only the Beach villa but only with a minimum stay of 8 nights, so for a minimum of 840k points. I'm going over my points budget and don't trust waiting for the transfer from my Membership Rewards account.
For Christmas, however, the minimum stay to get the promo rate is 5 days then, Following the 5 night complimentary rule, within 10 minutes I purchase 280,000 HH points for 1,400 $ allowing me to book 5 nights from 23/12 to 28/12 in a Sunrise Water villa in the new adults only section of the resort for only 480,000 HH points!!!
The exact same reservation made at the same time for the same days has a cost of $19,429.68!
Upon booking confirmation I almost fainted and immediately wrote to Matteo to thank him.
Appetite comes with eating
But the goal is to do at least 7 nights so I decide to take it a step further, it turns out the same room is available for a minimum of 3 nights from 20/12 to 23/12 for another 360,000 HH points. Therefore, while not being able to lock in the rate, I decide to take a chance by transferring another 360,000 MR points from my Amex account to my Hilton account.
And this morning, in exactly 24h, I receive the notification of the points transfer and rush to the Hilton website where the rate for the 3 additional nights from 20/12 to 23/12 is still available, which I can then book for another 360k HH.
The same additional 3 nights would have cost an additional $9,075.17.
All done, monstrous savings
After 24 hrs of tension like a crazy sigh of relief and with an expenditure of 1,400$, many clicks and much jubilation, I'm taking home a 28,000$-plus reservation with only 1,400$ for 9 days in the Maldives over Christmas In a 5-star resort that promises to be beautiful! All thanks to The Flight Club and Matteo!
Definitely will do a super review of the trip but now the next goal is clear, Flyhunting reward!
TFC's comment
What to say Joseph: you hit the table, in a casino after such a win they would put the black banner on the roulette wheel. Congratulations from the entire TFC team.
