Did you try processing the booking? Normally you get a credit card error when you hit confirm

Heres the lies marriott is feeding out when you inquire via SM,


"Yes, this hotel can be booked with points. However, we are experiencing a technological glitch that is temporarily preventing some hotels from being available for point redemption. We plan to deploy a solution soon. At this time, we cannot confirm whether this particular suite will be available using points. We appreciate your patience"

Thanks everyone for their input.

I finally got hold of the concierge at the resort. He said that the flight cutoff is 3:30 PM Arrival to the airport. Anytime before that should be ok for same day transfer.

I imagine in some scenarios you are probably ok even later than that but it's no guarantee. So hopefully the flight isn't late!

For those that have been to the property would you still consider going if "all" you could manage is a Garden Villa on points? I certainly understand the point of going to Maldives/Bora Bora for many is mainly the OWV.

I would! You'll never get a deal to stay there like this again. Getting the chance to stay on points at such an expensive and desirable luxury property like this is RARE. It's especially rare in the Maldives. The fact that the StR is the nicest luxury property in the Maldives that you can book using points is also a massive point in your favor.

You're still going to be able to enjoy all that is the StR and the incredible setting. You won't wake up to the glorious ocean view from your garden villa--until you walk about 10-20 feet outside your villa, anyway. But you still will have the most incredible garden villa and the most incredible luxury property with the views everywhere else you look.

I've not been to this StR, but I've been to the StR Bora Bora. Having the "best" views is lovely...but these still are truly amazing properties with views from everywhere around the property. You won't have any problem getting to enjoy the incredible ocean views as you hang out around the property. (And at night, there is no view but darkness when you have only an ocean view; take it from someone who lives with an ocean view in California!)

I also can tell you as one who desperately wants great air con that the Maldives are notorious (but improving) on keeping their OWVs sufficiently cooled during the heat of the days--largely because the ocean water is so much warmer on average in the Indian Ocean than in the Pacific. As a result, I've always wanted to stay at beach villas in the Maldives rather than OWVs.

I think you'll have a fabulous time. Good luck!

Thank you! This was my thought exactly. I have heard that the A/C at this location do a great job of keeping them cold, but I typically like it REALLY cold when I sleep, as-in we keep the house in the LOW 60s at night.

Ha! I'm just noticing that in your signature. A/C is another big reason Bangkok is my favorite hotel city in the world, the St. Regis there is heaven for A/C fanatics as you probably know but most hotels keep things really cold.

I wish I wasn't as temp sensitive, it's reduced may ability to enjoy some out of way places that have more basic accommodation. Between that and rock hard beds without decent pillows I'm screwed. You can't enjoy a vacation when you can't sleep. My wife can sleep almost anywhere so it always puts us at odds.

We have FF tix to Maldives for the Spring-our 25th. Trying to get someplace in the Marriott family on points. Hopefully will be able to when all of this shakes out. So far only the Sheraton is avail. That doesnt seem to have a house reef.

Has anyone release a night and seen it go back to award space (or back to inventory at all)? If so, how quickly? I suppose I could book and release as an experiment, but wondering if anyone has already done it.

Why do I get the feeling like we are going to get f*cked over here? It's going to turn out that the folks that scored OWVs at 85k/night will have lucked out, and everybody else will get screwed.

All that stuff from Marriott about how this property should be bookable with points and no blackout dates will turn out to just be BS.

I'm worried about this too, but with all the other IT screw-ups and the reaffirmation that points bookings will be available I still think they come back.

It's frustrating though because the only reason I couldn't book these the first day they were available was that my points didn't transfer over properly for a couple of days so the agent couldn't see all the points I had to make the booking, even though I had plenty available.

I'm still seeing the odd single night with garden villa space, but when I called the agent said they didn't see the same, so there may be a legit IT problem...but I also suspect they're going to block availability too.

Exactly my problem too!