It looks like Hilton is increasing the top redemption level from 120,000 to 150,000 points per night, at least for the Waldorf Astoria Maldives.
A few years ago Hilton did away with their award charts but we were assured that hotels would not get more expensive than the current top prices. (At the time, 95,000 points was the highest redemption price “tier.”)
But then we saw the introduction of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives at 120,000 points per night. And now we are seeing prices for this property costing a minimum of 150,000 points per night.
Well, kind of.
It seems that the prices are still showing both 120,000 points and 150,000 points for standard room awards but it’s not clear how long that will last.
It is clear that this price hike was not a mistake as View from the Wing relayed a statement from Hilton:
We’re pleased to offer Hilton Honors members standard redemption rates at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives. The resort is uniquely set up with an all-villa offering with a private pool in each villa and, priced at a premium rate, is also one of the most highly sought after properties in our global portfolio appealing to Hilton Honors members.
The resort has seen steady traction in occupancy and offers rates of well over $1,000 per night for standard rooms, even amidst a challenging period for the global travel industry and this has resulted in a higher price cap for the resort. In addition, across our luxury properties which have a number of specialty room types, the number of rooms classified as “standard” varies across each hotel. We are pleased to share that members will still be able to enjoy the 5th Night Free benefit as well as redeem free weekend night certificates, providing our members greater value at this award-winning resort in an iconic destination.
Aside from some dates right around the corner, availability for standard rooms at this hotel is extremely limited so if you have plans to visit, you’ll likely need to keep a close eye on availability.
If you can’t find a standard room chances are you will need to shell out several hundred thousand or 1,000,000+ points per night.
This could be a sign that some of the top Hilton luxury hotels will get more expensive in the near future. This could especially be true as pent up travel demand continues to build and bookings start to soar at some of these top properties.
So if you have been eyeing a Hilton property going for 95,000 points and it is one of the more popular locations, just be prepared for a potential hike in the price over the next few months.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
