Back in May, I wrote about Hilton Hotels and the different options available with them and then about Hilton credit cards. In the article I mentioned about how I find it difficult with free nights because I feel under pressure to use those nights at a top-tier hotel. Many races are not in the areas with these top-tier hotels, but there are some options. I thought it might be helpful to outline the hotels and marathons that align to make the Citi Hilton Reserve card (2 free weekend nights after spending $2,500 in the first four months) work for the traveling runner. These free nights are only good on weekends which works great for marathoning!
Hilton Top-Tier Hotels in Marathon Cities
Maui Marathon
Date: September 21, 2014
Place: Maui, Hawaii
Hotel: Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel
TripAdvisor Reviews: Grand Wailea
Marathon Guide Reviews: Maui Marathon
Who doesn’t want to go to Maui? People rave about the beauty of the area and the relaxation of island life. Combine all of that with a marathon and luxurious hotel it makes for a must-do marathon. This hotel gets excellent ratings and is perched atop the new Hilton category classifications in the Category 10 column. Rooms for the weekend of the marathon can still be purchased for cash or for points. The cash layout is $339 a night and the point requirement sits at a high 70,00 per night. If you were to use your two free weekend nights you get with the Hilton Reserve card, you would be getting a room that would otherwise require 140,000 points or $700! Not a bad sign-up bonus!
The combination of Maui in September, a marathon in paradise, and an up-scale hotel makes this a nice way to use the Hilton Reserve awards!
Tokyo Marathon
Date: February 23, 2014
Place: Tokyo, Japan
Hotel: Conrad Tokyo
TripAdvisor Reviews: Conrad Tokyo
Marathon Guide Reviews: Tokyo Marathon
Conrad Hotel
Tokyo is a fantastic city! I was able to spend a day there a couple of years ago and just scratched the surface of the city. You can easily spend a few days in Tokyo, but if you wanted to use your two free nights from the Hilton Reserve card, you could spend two of the days around the marathon in the Conrad Tokyo. The marathon is one of the races in the World Marathon Majors series. There are over 35,000 runners that start the race and almost 2 million people gather throughout the city to watch. It is known for its strong elite field as well as touring the city’s greatest landmarks. It should be on your list for a future marathon and having your stay in this hotel will make for a marathon in style!
The Conrad Tokyo is rated very highly. It is also a Category 10 and costs 80,000 points per night the weekend of the marathon. If you were to pay cash for the two nights, it would cost you just under $1,000! Instead, you can use the two free weekend nights from the Hilton Reserve card – that makes one credit card application worth almost $1,000. Not a bad use! This hotel is in a great area with fantastic cityviews. It would make a fine platform from which to start your marathon weekend.
Seychelles Marathon
Date: February 23, 2013
Place: Seychelles (Indian Ocean)
Hotels: Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa and Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
Trip Advisor Reviews: Hilton Labriz / Hilton Northolme
Hilton Labriz Resort & Spa
Here is one of the cool things about writing a running/travel blog – I had no idea there was such a race as the Seychelles Marathon! I would never have known if I had not began researching this post! I am kind of excited about this one as the Seychelles are on the short list for our 10th wedding anniversary. Could I convince my wife to do the half-marathon on our anniversary trip so we are doing the thing together? 🙂
Anyway, the Seychelles Marathon actually has a full marathon, half marathon, and 10K as part of the day’s festivities. It was formed to highlight the island and bring the island together. About 300 people participate each year and it only costs 45 euro for the whole and 30 euro for the half. I can only imagine how beautiful the marathon must be as it travels all around the coastline of this gorgeous place. I am sure this would not be a PR type race but definitely a fun activity to let you see much of the area while you are there. BTW, the winning time this year was 3:01 and the women’s winning time was 3:33. If you did want to turn it into a PR race, you might have a shot at a prize!
This is one area that Hilton really has it covered – they have two hotels in the Seychelles. Both are highly spoken of and well-regarded. You definitely would not be disappointed in either one! This first one listed is the Hilton Labriz Resort and Spa. It looks to be a magnificent resort with beautiful rooms, exquisite dining options, and grand views – from all rooms. As a category 10, it commands a stunning 95,000 point per night redemption. If you were to pay with cash, you would again be looking at over $700 for the two nights! From a point perspective, this puts the Citi Hilton Reserve card’s two free weekend rooms at a value of 190,000 points!
Price and availbility
Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
The next option is equally stunning – the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa. With gorgeous views and elegant restaurants, you would not be disappointed in making this your marathon home either. This also sits at the Category 10 level – this equals 95,000 points per night and almost $700 for the two nights if paid with cash. Again, another fine redemption method for your two free weekend nights.
Cost and availability
Summary
That sums up this look at Marathoning in Style – Hilton Hotels Edition. Check for further looks at ways that you can use award nights from certain cards and chains at high-end places in marathon areas. It is pretty fascinating to see these different places and know that you can have what it takes to stay in one of them with one credit card application – the Citi Hilton Reserve Card. Getting to these places is another story 🙂 but we will cover that as well. Just think, should you stay at, for instance, the Conrad Tokyo, you may very well be staying in better accommodations than the world-class elite marathons who’s footprints you will follow in on race day!
