Choosing hotels was probably one of the harder tasks on our trip around the world. We wanted the bulk of the cost to be covered by hotel points, but we obviously weren’t working with unlimited amounts of points – especially with the one realistic Maldives option being 20,000 Starwood points per night – so we had to be as strategic as possible. Except for a bed & breakfast booked through Airbnb in Colombo, all the lodging was in fancy-ish hotels via loyalty program points or certificates.
Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre
Between the hotels showing me crazy prices (like $400 & up), and the availability of options that worked with my stash of points, the list of potential Reykjavik hotels was pretty short. I generally have a preference for Starwood & Marriott hotels, since I have elite status with them, so staying within the brand usually makes for a more comfortable experience (nicer rooms, earlier check in, late checkout, etc), and I save money things like breakfast or bottled water – sometimes there are freebies like afternoon snacks or complimentary poolside cabana.
However, the few Iceland Starwood options charged more points than I was willing to part with for the one night we’d be staying. Using 70,000 Hilton points meant that we got to try out their newish Canopy brand while using a points stash that I’ve been trying (and failing) to find a good redemption for.
Canopy by Hilton was a charming choice in a great location – it was easily walkable and if you wanted to venture out, there were bikes on loan for guests. They also had a local beer and snack tasting in the evening. We were a little taken aback when we walked into the lobby, since Hilton made an interesting design choice to completely do away with a reception desk and station the front desk staff at a large communal table with laptops. It honestly looked like a comfortable living room with coworking spaces. It was different than most hotel experiences and contributed towards an enjoyable stay. And the breakfast spread was one of the best I’ve ever seen anywhere – the fact that it’s complimentary for all guests should be a major draw to anyone considering a stay.
The room was on the small side (but not, as it turned out, anywhere near as small as the next hotel would be), but it was incredibly comfortable and cozy. There were abundant electric outlets on each bedside table, a cute little lounge chair, and the furniture and décor choices made for a room that felt very boutique – more like a bedroom than a standard hotel room. 
There was an open closet concept that was nontraditional but seems to be getting more popular in hotel room design. While I do like having a designated surface for my bag, I’m still deciding how I feel about not being able to hide the disaster zone of my half-unpacked suitcase behind the closet door.
The bathroom was adorable, even if I did have to work stupid hard to get water from the spigots in the shower. I really think every hotel should equip the bathroom with illustrated instructions on how to work the shower – having to figure out an entirely new system every time I want to get clean can be super frustrating. The black and white tile in the bathroom was a little dramatic, but it worked and I enjoyed it. The Apivita bath products were too strongly scented for my sinuses to tolerate, so if I ever when back I’d try to remember to bring my own.
Great Northern Hotel
We left Iceland and headed to London, which I gather is somewhat known for small-sized hotel rooms, but even so I was unprepared for the coziness of our room at the Great Northern Hotel. We were upgraded one or two room categories to a Cubitt room, and while it definitely wasn’t lacking in luxury, space was another thing entirely. There was an adorable little couch and table at the foot of the bed, and that was basically all the extra space in the room. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in terms of both comfort and location (GNH is right above King’s Cross Station – ayyyy Harry Potter!).
I paid 12,000 Starwood points per night – Starwood and Marriott have since combined programs, so I paid what would now be 36,000 points per night. Marriott has since recategorized the property to 50,000 points per night, so I’d say we got a pretty good deal on a property even before factoring in that two nights would have cost nearly $700 that weekend.
The bathroom was equally tiny and all white, but I appreciated the two shelves set into the wall so for organizing your toiletries. And that shower was everything. Basically, my 3-word description of GNH is going to be “small but mighty.”
AC Hotel Mainz
After London, it was almost time to catch our super fancy flight to Singapore. We had an overnight in Frankfurt beforehand, so we spent it at the AC Hotel Mainz, located in a small town a short train ride from the airport. We chose this one due to location, and also because it was an eligible property to use my Marriott free night certificate that we’d earned through a promotion earlier in the year. It all worked out perfectly – a completely free hotel night conveniently close to the airport, and even without the certificate, the hotel rates were really pretty good.
The location of the property is fantastic – it is literally across the street from the train station, which made it easy to to arrive from and depart for the airport, and it’s in the old town district, which was delightfully quaint and great for exploring. It’s situated in a renovated historic building, and the common spaces are lovely. The room I stayed in looked very similar to the one other AC Hotel I’ve been to (in Chicago), was generally spacious, and had useful touches like electric outlets next to the bed, a luggage bench, as well as bathroom that was much nicer than I was expecting.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
We chose the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach because we originally wanted to stay at the Marina Bay Sands hotel for their incredible rooftop infinity pool. However, room prices were outrageous, I couldn’t figure out a way to travel hack a free or cheaper night, and the JW also had an infinity pool that looked out on a similar view. Plus, I’d be able to use points and the stay would be completely free. It made way more sense, especially since we knew our spending in Maldives would be pretty high. So, I donated 40,000 Marriott points to the cause and we had ourselves a free night in an excellent hotel, with some great perks due to my Platinum status.
The JW in Singapore was my first encounter with a European split king bed and I was and still am completely perplexed. I have so many questions. Why do we want this? The front desk told us there were no upgrades available, but we could check in earlier if we wanted an accessible room with two beds instead of the one we’d booked (part of our failed strategy to get a complimentary upgrade to a suite – suites often only have one bed) so we said sure, we’ll take two, no problem. Then, we open our room and see this? One headboard, two mattresses. WHYYYYYYY? Why market this as two beds? I remain perplexed.
Despite the odd bedding, the stay was top notch. I love a good hotel robe and the JW robes didn’t disappoint.
The hotel has a lounge for Platinum members and it’s pretty awesome. There’s breakfast, afternoon snacks, occasionally wine, and lots of space to relax or get some work done.
And, we got our infinity pool + a great view of Singapore!
Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur
This Le Méridien came highly recommended by other Platinum members and was kind of a steal at 7,000 points per night (currently equivalent to 21,000 points, and due to the re-categorization of Marriott’s award chart, it actually costs fewer points than that now). Because of the amazing reviews I’d read, I was slightly disappointed that there was no upgrade available for our 2-day stay. Despite that, it really is an excellent property, with attentive staff, amazing breakfast, and gorgeous bathrooms.
As an added bonus, we arrived to a lovely surprise that some friends had coordinated with the hotel staff. After the hiccup in our arrival (we’d managed to miss our flight and so arrived several hours later than planned), a box of delicious macarons and a bottle of bubbly were a more than welcome surprise.
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort
The Sheraton Maldives cost the least amount of points of the Starwood resort options, and the other two choices (the St. Regis and the W) also charged $300-$500 more for transportation from the airport to the property. By contrast, we were able to reserve two nights here for 40,000 SPG points (currently equivalent to 120,000 Marriott points) plus $136 per person for the speedboat from the airport. Since the program merge and until the end of this year, if you can find availability it’s possible to book the St. Regis or W for an equal number of points, but at the time this was definitely our best option with the types of points we had available.
About three months before our trip, I read an extremely discouraging (and I now believe, unfair) review about the Sheraton Maldives, so I was slightly apprehensive, even while secure in the knowledge that this was the best option for our trip. As it turned out, the Sheraton exceeded my expectations at every turn and banished any doubts I might have had from that blog post. In particular, I found the food and service to be exceptional.
When we arrived, our luggage was whisked off to our room as we were greeted with a coconut and driven in a golf cart to the Club Lounge for our personalized check-in. The lounge itself was impressive – a large, airy space with complimentary fruits and drinks available throughout the day, and an exclusive infinity pool overlooking the ocean.
We were ecstatic to find that they had upgraded our room to an overwater bungalow and then decorated it in celebration of Rosio’s birthday! They even provided birthday cake and some savory snacks, and a bottle of wine. It was such a nice touch, and we were able to enjoy the food on our private patio in the incredible weather with a view of the super clear waters. There was a little staircase that allowed us to climb directly into the Indian Ocean from our room whenever we wanted.
Since we weren’t in a big city with major points of interest to explore, it was really nice to be able to take two days and simply relax, get massages, eat delicious food, and take gorgeous photos. I think the most strenuous thing we did was probably snorkeling, but that was fun so it doesn’t count!
Moss BnB
There weren’t many (any?) good redemption opportunities for Sri Lankan hotels, and with the exchange rate being heavily in our favor, lodging was extremely low-cost for us so we decided to book modest accommodations through Airbnb to keep our total trip cost within budget. We paid about $60 per night for our room, and it was much nicer than most places I’ve seen at similar price points in the US. On the whole, it was pretty comfortable, if a bit spartan, but it had some ventilation issues with the AC unit, and I think the bed would have dearly benefited from the addition of a comforter, even with it being so hot outside.
All in all, I was really happy with our hotel choices. I thought each hotel meshed really well with our location preferences and our expectations of this trip. We also managed to get free breakfast everywhere (except for the “BNB” in Colombo – go figure), which really helped keep our vacation affordable.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the post on the different modes of transportation we used throughout the trip! Next up, I’ll talk about the different things we were able to do and see in each location. 