Anantara hotels selling gift cards with a 30% bonus

Anantara Resorts is a luxury hotel chain with ~50 properties worldwide. The footprint is mainly concentrated in Thailand, but they have secondary clusters in Indonesia, the Maldives, and the UAE as well. 

Anantara also has a more value-oriented sister chain called Avani. Both Anantara and Avani are part of the GHA, which means elite members can enjoy benefits like free breakfast and room upgrades when they stay. 

Anatara’s gift card sale

From now till 28 June 2020, Anantara is offering a 30% bonus when you purchase gift cards. These gift cards are valid for stays within 12 months of purchase, but are non-transferable (so only the person whose name is on the gift card can use it). 

Gift cards are available in both USD and THB, in the following denominations:

• US$50, 100, 150, 250, 300, 400, 500, 750, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000
• THB 1,500, 3,000, 4,500, 6,000, 7,500, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 30,000, 45,000, 60,000, 90,000, 120,000, 150,000

These can be used for accommodation charges, spa services and dining. 

Unlike other hotel gift cards, Anantara gift cards must be used in a single transaction. In other words, if you purchase a US$500 gift card but your bill is only US$400, you’ll waste US$100 by redeeming the gift card. 

Where are Anantara gift cards accepted?

Do note that while these gift cards are valid at the majority of Anantara and Avani resorts, not all are participating. Here’s the list of eligible properties:

Anantara
Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort Anantara Angkor Resort Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort Anantara Chiang Mai Resort Anantara Cruises Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort Anantara Guiyang Resort Anantara Hoi An Resort Anantara Hua Hin Resort Anantara Kalutara Resort Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort Anantara Layan Phuket Resort Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort Anantara Mui Ne Resort Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort Anantara Quy Nhon Villas Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort	Anantara Seminyak Bali Resort Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm Villa Resort Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort Anantara Vacation Club Phuket Mai Khao Anantara Veli Maldives Resort Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavis Marbella Resort Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara Naladhu Private Island Maldives Niyama Private Island Maldives Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara Royal Pavilion Villas by Qasr Al Sarab
Avani
Avani Adelaide Residences Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort Avani Atrium Bangkok Hotel Avani Avenida Liberdade Lisbon Hotel Avani Bentota Resort Avani Central Busan Hotel Avani Deira Dubai Hotel Avani Gaborone Hotel & Casino Avani Hai Phong Harbour View Hotel Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai Avani Kalutara Resort Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino Avani Maseru Hotel	Avani Melbourne Box Hill Residences Avani Pattaya Resort Avani Pemba Beach Hotel Avani Quy Nhon Resort Avani Seminyak Bali Resort Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel Avani Victoria Falls Resort Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino Avani+ Hua Hin Resort Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel Avani+ Samui Resort FCC Angkor, managed by Avani Hotels & Resorts

What credit card should I use to purchase Anantara gift cards?

Anantara gift cards should code as foreign currency hotel purchases. You can use the following cards to maximize the miles earned on this transaction.

	Earn Rate	Remarks
DBS Woman’s World Card Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$2K per c. month
UOB Visa Signature Apply here	4 mpd	Min S$1K FCY per s. month, cap at S$2K FCY per s. month
UOB Lady’s Card Apply here	4 mpd*	Cap S$1K per c. month
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply here	4 mpd*	Cap S$3K per c. month
SCB X Card Apply here	3 mpd	Until 30 Jun 20. Min S$2K per c. month
SCB Visa Infinite	3 mpd	Min S$2K per s. month
BOC Elite Miles	3 mpd	Until 15 Jun 20
DBS Altitude Apply here	3 mpd	Cap S$5K per c. month
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month *Must declare travel as quarterly 10X category

Conclusion

Anantara’s 30% bonus on gift cards is potentially attractive, but the T&Cs are more restrictive than most other chains- the entire value must be used in a single transaction, it’s only valid for 12 months and it can’t be transferred.

On the other hand, most other gift card sales we’ve seen have been 20% bonuses, so perhaps that’s the cost of the incremental 10%…

(HT: Frequent Flyer bonuses)