Bucket list destinations like the Maldives or Seychelles stay on bucket lists for a reason: They're obscenely expensive – and not just the $30-plus drinks and meals that may cost, but for the mandatory seaplane transfer to reach your secluded resort that can cost between $500 and $1,000 per person. That alone can make even a “free” hotel stay booked using points exorbitantly expensive fast.
But not at the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island. This relatively new Hilton resort in this dreamy island paradise is currently offering complimentary transfers from the Seychelles' primary Mahé (SEZ) airport straight to the resort and back on stays of six nights or more … including reservations booked using Hilton points! Those 20-minute plane rides typically cost $730 or so USD – saving you nearly $1,500 for a couples' vacation. Get this: You'll land on a runway that bisects the island.
Shockingly, there are just a few catches in the terms and conditions to take advantage:
- Again, you must book at least a six-night stay in order to be eligible for complimentary transfers … but let's be real: When it take 24 hours (or more) on a plane to get there, you want to stay more than six nights anyway.
- It's only valid for stays through Oct. 31, 2025. Luckily, that covers the entirety of the Seychelles peak dry season from April through September.
- A handful of dates are ineligible for these complimentary transfers: Through Jan. 15, from May 1 through May 10, and again from June 4 through June 11
A hotel representative explicitly confirmed to Thrifty Traveler that this offer extends to stays booked using Hilton points. Plus, you could even book a five-night stay using points, tack on a sixth night using a Hilton free night certificate, and take advantage of that free plane ride.
The Waldorf Astoria in the Seychelles is currently charging 130,000 points per night. Combined with Hilton's fifth-night free benefit – a perk available to anyone with Hilton Silver status, Hilton Gold status from *amex platinum*, or top-tier Diamond status from the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card – that could get you nearly a week in your own private pool villa on an island fit for Bond villain for 650,000 Hilton points. Yes, that's a lot of points … but it sure beats paying $10,000 or more!
We stumbled upon this relatively new perk while sending out an alert to our Thrifty Traveler Premium Hotel Alerts subscribers Tuesday morning, with wide-open award space from January all the way through mid-December bookable for 130,000 points a night.
This is a huge savings and a real rarity: Getting free seaplane rides in the Maldives or Seychelles is a major coup, as that's part of how these resorts make their money. One of the few points properties worldwide that offered complimentary roundtrip plane transfers – the Milaidhoo Maldives – recently dropped that perk … months after it joined the Hilton program via Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
Anyone booking six night or more can get those free transfers to the Waldorf in the Seychelles. But you can take things even further with Hilton status or the right co-branded credit card:
- Got Hilton Gold status or higher? You get free daily breakfast for two – a massive savings in the Seychelles!
- You could use one of two, $200 resort credits on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to cover some drinks or a meal at the resort
- With occupancy at this resort apparently low, travelers with Diamond status – an automatic perk from the Aspire card – might even have a shot to a bigger villa
Read our complete guide to the Hilton Honors program – free nights, credit cards, and more!
The Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island just opened its doors just last year. While we haven't stayed (yet) ourselves, it's gotten some rave reviews for excellent service and spacious guest villas in a surreal, breathtaking setting.
After your free transfer, you'll check into a One Bedroom Hawksbill Pool Villa: a 1,500-square-foot villa decked out with a terrace and its own private swimming pool. From there, you can walk out straight to the beach, go snorkeling or scuba diving in the incredible reef surrounding the island, or just treat yourself to a wellness day at the on-site spa. For traveling families, there's even free babysitting and a kids club at this resort!
Bottom Line
This is special.
Seaplane transfers to resorts in the Maldives or Seychelles typically cost another $700 or more … per person. But if you book at least six nights for a stay through Oct. 31, the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island will throw in complimentary transfers from the island nation's primary airport straight to the resort.
That's a huge savings of nearly $1,500 for a couple, arguably making this the best way to book a bucket-list trip on a true budget.
Lead image courtesy of Hilton