by: PLPosted on:

26 Overwater Bungalows You Can Book With Points and Cash Upgrade [2022]

Advertiser Disclosure: We love living points life by using points and miles to elevate travel experiences. In the interest of being transparent with you, we may be compensated from an approved credit card's application, or from some of the products and services recommended on this site. This only happens when you click on our affiliate links. We also earn commissions from purchases made through Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Thank you for your support and especially for reading this blog! Please see our Advertiser Disclosure for more details!

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card
Earn 70,000 Bonus Miiles + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare!

UPDATES:

  • Hilton Maldives Amingiri in the Republic of the Maldives accepts reservations starting July 2022. The standard award room is booked into the One-Bedroom Overwater Pool Villa. 
  • Hyatt has a new overwater bungalow: Alila Kothaifaru Maldives in the Republic of Maldives is opening in April 2022 as a Category 7 World of Hyatt property! You can now book and redeem Hyatt points for the stay there. 
  • November 17, 2021 – Marriott’s overwater villas are coming to Saudi Arabia’s the Red Sea. The press release indicated that the St. Regis Red Sea Resort and the Red Sea EDITION will open in 2023. We’ll update this post once they can be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points.  

There’s no need for me to justify how stunning and luxurious Overwater Bungalows are. That’s why those Overwater Bungalow resorts can be costly to vacation at. The room rate can be sky-high, easily at least $1,000 per night. Fortunately for living points life, hotel rewards programs such as IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), HILTON, HYATT, MARRIOTT, and RADISSON allow you to use reward points to redeem for free nights at the resorts that offer Overwater Bungalow room types around the globe.

Overwater Bungalows You Can Book With Points
Photo Credit: Overwater Bungalow at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Table of Contents  [show/hide]

    IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)

    If you have an eligible Chase IHG credit card, Chase IHG Traveler Credit Card (no annual fee), Chase IHG Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee), or Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card ($99 annual fee), you will receive a 4th night free on points stays of 4 consecutive nights or more. Moreover, if you have the discontinued old IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card ($49 annual fee), you also receive the 10% rebate on points stays.

    • InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa in French Polynesia – Emerald Overwater Villa – Award availability is difficult to find. 
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your IHG Anniversary Free Night with IHG Rewards points when the reward night is above the 40,000 point redemption level.

    IHG: Upgrade to Overwater Bungalow With Cash

    • InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora in French Polynesia – Beach Bungalow
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your IHG Anniversary Free Night with IHG Rewards points when the reward night is above the 40,000 point redemption level.
    • InterContinental Resort Tahiti in French Polynesia – Garden View Room
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your IHG Anniversary Free Night with IHG Rewards points when the reward night is above the 40,000 point redemption level.
    • [UPDATE] This resort is permanently closed as of May 2020 – InterContinental Resort And Spa Moorea in French Polynesia – Dynamic points pricing based on demand (seasons) (Lanai Room)
    • Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives in Republic of Maldives – Standard Room
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your IHG Anniversary Free Night with IHG Rewards points when the reward night is above the 40,000 point redemption level.
    • Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu in the Republic of Vanuatu – Low IHG points per night is a steal for this resort!
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your IHG Anniversary Free Night with IHG Rewards points when the reward night is above the 40,000 point redemption level.
    • InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort in the Republic of Maldives – Award reservation is unavailable. Their start-out room type appears to be a Beach Pool Villa??
    • Six Senses Laamu in the Republic of Maldives – IHG has acquired Six Senses, but this property has not been included in the IHG Rewards Club program.

    Hilton

    Hilton does not have an award chart anymore. They also got rid of hotel and resort categories, and they instead have a range of points required that are seasonal or peak/off-peak based on the cash price, a.k.a dynamic award pricing. 

    Please remember that Silver, Gold, and Diamond elite members will receive every 5th night free on points stays of five consecutive nights or more.

    Hilton: Upgrade to Overwater Bungalow With Cash

    Hyatt

    Hyatt is pretty generous for award night redemption using 100% Hyatt points. The resort fees are waived when you redeem complete Hyatt points at any Hyatt resort. This benefit, however, does not apply to Hyatt points + cash bookings.

    Please note that Hyatt benefits are not included with stays at Small Luxury Hotels (SLH). This includes complimentary parking on free night awards, club lounge access, complimentary bottled water, waived Resort or Facility fees, etc.

    Hyatt’s award chart now includes off-peak, standard, and peak redemption. 

    Hyatt currently does not have a property that allows booking points into an overwater bungalow.

    Hyatt: Upgrade to Overwater Bungalow With Cash

    Marriott

    Marriott Bonvoy program moved to a dynamic award pricing model without an award chart on March 29, 2022. Nightly points redemption rates now change with hotel rates and availability. In addition, by the end of April, Marriott Bonvoy members can also top off a Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 

    Marriott Bonvoy program offers the Marriott 5th Night Free benefit automatically applied when you redeem Marriott points for a minimum of a 5-night stay. You do not need to hold any Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards or have any high elite status with Marriott. 
    Finally, Marriott does not waive resort fees on award stays, and most of their Maldives properties have local fees which are not waived.

    • [UPDATE] The resort is closed for renovations (18 – 24 months). Le Méridien Bora Bora in French Polynesia – Classic Bungalow. 
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 

    Editor’s Note: We stayed at Le Méridien Bora Bora resort, the description of the classic bungalow with resort view is misleading. There are only two classic rooms there, actually “overwater.” However, one does not have stairs into the water, and another has stairs onto the rock leading to the water. If you want a true overwater bungalow, you can use points + cash to book into the Overwater Lagoon View Bungalow. See our Review All Things About Booking Le Meridien Bora Bora On Points For Overwater Bungalow, Upgrades And Benefits For Platinum And Titanium Elite Members

    • JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa in the Republic of Maldives – Overwater Pool Villa
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • [NEW RESORT OPENING AUGUST 2021] Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa in the Republic of Maldives – Sunrise Overwater Villa
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 

    Marriott: Upgrade to Overwater Bungalow With Cash

    • Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay in Fiji – Lagoon View Guest Room. 
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort in French Polynesia – Reefside Villa
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort in the Republic of Maldives – Garden Villa
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • W Maldives in the Republic of Maldives – Beach Oasis King Room
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa in the Republic of Maldives – Deluxe King Room
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 
    • The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort in the Republic of Maldives – Island Villa Pool
      • Dynamic Award Pricing.
      • Top up your Marriott Free Night Certificate up to 15,000 points per night. 

    Radisson

    Radisson has joined other hotel chain programs and introduced the first Radisson Blu Resort property in the Maldives.

    Radisson Rewards is split into two programs: Radisson Rewards Americas and Radisson Rewards International. The Radisson Blu Resort Maldives is available for booking through the Radisson Rewards Outside the Americas. If you have been collecting Radisson Rewards points with the Americas, you can transfer points to Radisson Rewards outside the Americas at a 1 to 1 ratio for free. 

    Please remember that Radisson Silver, Gold, and Platinum Elite members may receive complimentary room upgrades.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *