North Island Resort now bookable for 358,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

You may have heard of North Island Resort in the Seychelles.  If the name rings a bell, it is because it is where Prince William went on honeymoon, as did George and Amal Clooney.  It is situated 30km from Mahe Island, the capital of the Seychelles.

The resort website is here and it looks like this:

North Island Resort has a grand total of 11 rooms across its 500 acres.

‘Rooms’ is perhaps understating it, however.  The 11 villas are each 450 sq m, so about 6x the size of the average new-build UK house.

It is reassuringly expensive as you would expect, with rates at €6,500 per night before a 15% tax and 6% service charge.  That is £6,765 per night all-in.  If your children are 12+ there is an extra charge.

If you want to read a review, my friend and occasional HfP commentator Tom has been a couple of times.  He reviewed it on his blog – which is probably the worlds biggest source of private island resort reviews written by the same person – here and here.

Last February, as we covered at the time, ASMALLWORLD took over management of North Island.  Our 2019 article covers this in more detail, including its links to Harvey Weinstein and its ‘Facebook for rich kids’ history.

ASMALLWORLD decided to add North Island to “The Luxury Collection”, one of Marriott’s brands.  It has now become bookable on Marriott Bonvoy points!

Don’t rush to book though.  The cost is 358,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night:

The 2-bedroom villas will sleep four people, but even adjusting for that it is not exactly a bargain.  On the other hand, if you are one of those HfP readers who spends six-figures each month on credit cards (hello heavy Google and Facebook advertisers) then this could be for you.

Here’s the thing.  Given my valuation of 0.5p per Marriott Bonvoy point, this is actually a good deal.

Compared to paying £6,765 in cash, you are using £1,790-worth of Marriott Bonvoy points.  That is a pretty chunky saving.  In reality, the saving is less as Marriott appears to be selling the hotel for a little less than rack rate.

Redemption rooms only include breakfast so you are on the hook for your other meals.  You also need to pay for a helicopter transfer (€814 each way, per family group) and of course get to the Seychelles in the first place.

The North Island section of the Marriott website is here.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

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.

You can apply here.

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 American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

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

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 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. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)