Woman stays at luxury resort worth Rs 3 lakh for free, claims she used…

A chartered accountant from Pune revealed how she turned Rs 4 lakh spent on her American Express Platinum travel card into a vacation at the Westin Himalayas in Uttarakhand. In a detailed thread on X, she explained how she used her credit card points to secure a three-night stay at the luxury hotel, which normally costs almost Rs 3 lakh, at a significantly reduced price.

Located around an hour’s drive from Dehradun Airport, The Westin Himalayas offers a tranquil view of the greenery of Uttarakhand. The chartered accountant and her husband opted for a taxi from the airport for Rs 1,500, avoiding the hotel taxi service that charges Rs 5,000. She described the check-in process as “well-organized,” noting that while the lobby may not have met her expectations in grandeur, the hotel’s interiors and services provided were efficient and well-executed.

The highlight of the visit was the unexpected room upgrades. Initially assigned to a Premier Room, the couple was later upgraded to an Executive Suite for two nights, valued at over Rs 90,000 per night, which offered an elevated level of service.

How I turned a 4 Lakh spend on my AMEX Platinum Travel Card into a dream vacation at one of the best Marriott resorts in India!
Hello from Westin Himalayas
I’m excited to share details of how I valued this amazing stay using credit card points
Read until the end pic.twitter.com/JztTOUBhYq

-Priti Jain (@mepritijain) October 19, 2024

The statutory auditor stated that his visit at the end of August provided ideal weather conditions. In addition, your stay brought several exclusive benefits. Marriott typically doesn’t include free breakfast when redeeming award nights, but the couple received complimentary breakfast for each night of their stay without having to request it.

The Westin also offers complimentary daily Hi-Tea and hosts a Ganga Aarti ceremony on a deck near the Ganges. This spiritual event, accompanied by live music, has become a highlight of their evenings. The team even surprised her husband with birthday wishes and a Negroni cake.

When it came to food, the couple enjoyed a variety of local and international cuisines. Notably, they praised the live barbecue at Haven and the Japanese offerings at Toya.

How did they secure this deal?

To book the three-night stay, the chartered accountant used 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which were acquired by transferring 58,000 American Express Membership Rewards points during a 30% bonus promotion.

The suite upgrade and additional perks, originally valued at Rs 1.5 lakh, ended up making the stay worth almost Rs 3 lakh, all financed entirely through credit card points.