For those that have been reading my post about Tips for Booking Hard to Book Marriott Awards including App vs Website Differences, you may have stayed up late last night after midnight ET only to be disappointed that little, it anything new came online for the hard to book resorts. Bora Bora was especially disappointing with the St Regis Bora Bora opening zero standard rooms for the new week in December 2019 now theoretically open to bookings.
Meanwhile, if you don’t mind a garden villa (not directly on the beach) in one of the nicest resorts in the world bookable with points and have some time in February, the St Regis Maldives has a standard room available every single night in Feb 2019.
And at still just 60k a night, that makes it easy to book 5 nights and get the 5th night free for a total of 240,000 Marriott points.
Cash rates don’t get any lower than $1,230 a night plus tax of $174 a night. That is 2.71 cents a point in value for your Marriott points, a currency I value at just 0.7 cents a piece.
While you can’t use points to upgrade to a beach or overwater villa, the hotel will generally offer cash upgrades in the range of $400-$500 a night.
How has your luck been booking these aspirational awards? Let me know here, in the comments, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group.
New to all of this? My new “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available now.
| Small Business Credit Cards | Bonus Offer | Best Features | More info |
|---|---|---|---|
 Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $8,000 in your first 3 months | Earns 3x points on travel, advertising, and shipping. This massive Welcome Bonus offer makes this card a great first business card. The bonus alone is worth $1,250- $1,500 at a minimum. These points can be transferred to a range of Ultimate Rewards partners like United and Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio or spent in the Ultimate Rewards portal on travel with a value of 1.25 cents per point. Also provides complimentary cell phone insurance if you pay your monthly bill with the card. | Learn More |
 Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | Get $750 in the form of 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $6,000 in your first 3 months. Points are transferrable if you also hold a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred. | Best for small businesses with a lot of every day spend. This card earns 1.5x everywhere. If you don't spend a lot in the bonus categories of other cards, or want a second card to pair with one that you use in the bonus categories, this is a great card. No annual fee. Pair this with the Chase Ink Preferred for a killer 1-2 card combo. | Learn More |
 Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Earn $350 in the form of 35,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 in the form of 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening. Points are transferrable if you also hold a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred. | 5x points on up to $25,000 in office supplies, internet, cable, and phone annually. There are lots of ways to maximize this amazing 5x benefit. If you combine these points into a Chase Sapphire Reserve account to book travel, it's like 7.5% effective cash back. No annual fee. | Learn More |
 The Business Platinum Card(R) from American Express | 120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 within 3 months. Terms apply. | Access to Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Delta SkyClub lounges (with Delta ticket) $200 annual airline credit | Learn More |
 Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card | 60,000 Rapid Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in 3 months | Those trying to get a Southwest Companion pass (the bonus points count). Read more about how to qualify for the Companion Pass here. | Learn More |
 The Business Gold Card | 70,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $10,000 in 3 months | Earns 4x Membership Rewards points on two categories that you spend the most on each statement cycle - up to $150,000 a year in spend). Other eligible purchases earn 1X. This card is a good choice IF you will spend heavily on at least one of the bonus categories, as this card has a moderately high annual fee. | Learn More |
 Capital One Spark Miles for Business | You will earn a bonus of 50,000 miles when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of opening your account | This card earns 2 miles per dollar. These miles are transferable to 11 frequent flyer programs (0.75 airline miles per one Capital One mile for most partners). | Learn More |
