Exceptional new Middle East beach redemption in Ras Al Khaimah using Marriott points

Long-term readers of Head for Points will remember that last year I visited The Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi desert resort in Ras Al-Khaimah about 60 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport.

The standard ‘room’ at Al Wadi Desert is the 1,700 square foot Al Rimal villa.  This is potentially bigger than where you live now.  All villas come with a private pool.

You can book Al Wadi for just 50,000 Marriott Rewards points per night.  To put this in context, I value a Marriott point at 0.5p usually, yet Al Wadi sells for over £600 per night including taxes at peak periods.  That implies a valuation of 1.2p per Marriott Rewards point or 3.6p per Starwood Preferred Guest points (they transfer at 1:3 into Marriott).

But what if you don’t want to stay in the desert ….

The Ritz-Carlton has thought of you too!  It has opened, just down the road in Ras Al-Khaimah, The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra Beach resort.  And it looks stunning. 

Imagine a beach resort with just 32 rooms …..

…. except that each room is actually a private villa with its own private pool …..

…. and that these villas line the beach and are all 180 square metres (including the outdoor area)

It all sounds horribly expensive, doesn’t it?  By the standards of Dubai it is actually fairly reasonable – over October half term you are looking at £600 per night including taxes.

It makes far more sense, of course, to use Marriott Rewards points.

The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra is just 50,000 Marriott Rewards points per night.  This gets you 1.2p per Marriott Rewards points and 3.6p per Starwood Preferred Guest point.

Due to the Marriott Rewards ‘five nights for the points of four’ deal, it gets even better value on longer stays.

The only slight downside is that, as it is a The Ritz-Carlton branded hotel, you won’t get free breakfast whatever your status in Marriott Rewards.

If you combined a few days at Al Hamra with a few days at Al Wadi you would have a very interesting – and cheap, with Marriott Rewards points – two centre Middle East holiday.  There is also a more traditional Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al-Khaimah which I reviewed here and which I also recommend if you want to add on a few nights at somewhere ‘buzzier’.

I have booked into Al Hamra on points for a couple of nights in October so, if my plans don’t change, I will be able to check it out first hand.  In the meantime, here are some TripAdvisor reviews.  The hotel website is here.

(EDIT:  I later stayed for three nights at Ritz Carlton Al Hamra Beach – here is my review.)

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (June 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 15th July 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is TRIPLED to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This would convert into 25,000 Avios or into 40 other airline schemes. It would also get you at least £300 of Marriott hotel stays based on our 0.5p per point low-end valuation. Other T&C apply and remain unchanged. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

60,000 points (to 15th July) and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed The Platinum Card from American Express in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• The American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• The American Express Business Gold Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• The American Express Business Platinum Card (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.