sfoactuary

Everything you mentioned above (aside from the OW vs. beach villa, not sure if that's a preference or deal-breaker for you) was pertinent in our decision-making process, and we ended up going to Cocoa Island by COMO which I'd highly recommend. Happy to provide more details that if that's a place you'd consider.

Kagehitokiri

good for number of rooms.

one and only reethi rah might also be good for size of island.

DCtrAAveler

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I'll check out both properties. Beach v. OW isn't a deal-breaker. OW seem to be very sought after, but I actually like a nice beach, so it's a preference more than a requirement.

blueline7

I am at the Taj right now. It was my first time in the Maldives. I have been very pleased with the Taj. If you are considering the Taj, I would recommend the Deluxe One Bedroom villas that are right on the beach and have their own plunge pool. After touring all of the various villas, these were the best in my opinion. I stayed in an overwater villa and it was perfectly fine but will benefit from the updating that I understand they are planning, and really the benefit of being on the beachfront far outweighs the novelty of being in an overwater villa. Service was excellent and the food was the best in terms of quality and selection that I have experienced at a resort. But budget about $200 pp per day, not including alcohol, for food. Let me know if you have any questions.

DCtrAAveler

Glad to hear you're enjoying Taj. Seriously considering this, esp, since I could book through AMEX FHR and have at least one dinner covered (minus drinks, taxes, etc.). Do you think the Deluxe Beach w/ pool is better than the Premium Beach w/ pool? Thanks, and enjoy the rest of your stay.

blueline7

Both looked great to me. My understanding from my tour was that the main difference was that the Deluxe was right on the sand, steps from the water, whereas the Premium was on the other side of the pathway that runs through the resort, right above the water (no beach). The Premium ones had some nicer features such as the bathtub and deck layout including what looked like a larger pool, and I would be happy with either, but the Deluxe is RIGHT on the beach, making it personally preferable to me.

rots5

Does anyone have any reviews on the Anantara Veli, LUX or Gangehi Island resort?

Nediag

Does anyone have an estimate for how much the cost of riding the yacht/boat/water taxi is to get to O&O RR from MLE Airport ?

Also, to those who have been to O&O RR, what are the estimates for food/drink pp. for a meal? (if dining at a restaurant, etc.)

theLuxuryTravelExpert

I made a top 10 of my favorite Maldives here: http://theluxurytravelexpert.com/201...-the-maldives/

When it comes to Overwater villas, my favorite resorts are:
- Gili Langkanfushi: amazing villas.
- One & Only: also great villas but less private (IMHO, beach villas here are better).
- Shangri-La resort (just more difficult to reach as compared to the other 2)


Dining at O&O RR is very expensive (and a little higher as compared to other high-end Maldives resorts). In Decemeber 2013, a fixed dinner was around $130 pp (excluding taxes and service, which add up another 30%, and excluding wine). A beach barbeque was $250 pp. Food was excellent though and Michelin-star quality.

Big_Foot

Cheval Blanc just raised prices by 30% comparing to last year.
Kind of excessive if you ask me.
We were sold on going there, but not so sure anymore...

If you can recommend the newest, cleanest, no kids, seaplane access
if possible resort, what would it be?

A pool water villa is our preference. I don't dive, I just want great views,
sunrises and sunsets. Ideally would like to avoid resorts popular
with some loud tourists from well known destinations...

I'm looking at Niyama or Baros, maybe COMO, but not sure...
I'm not sold on Water World architecture style and bare feet thing,
so no Gili Lankanfushi for us. Maybe O&O? Didn't look into it.

theLuxuryTravelExpert

One resort that is very high on my Bucket list (not visited yet) is the new Como Resort (not Cocoa Island but Maalifushi). Photos look stunning, especially of the pool villas, and initial reviews are great. I think it may fit the profile of the resort you are looking for.

O&O is great, and highly recommanded.

Pros:
-The island (large to Maldivian standards) is the epitome of paradise. There are no words to describe to beauty of the 12 white beaches, the coconut grooves, the blue lagoons. It will be love at first sight guaranteed. And you get bikes to get around.
-The staff is extremely friendly (kudos to all of them!) and is there to serve and pamper you. Service at this hotel was second to none. Simply the best ever. I read on Tripadvisor before we visited the resort that some people were disappointed in the service at the resort and the attitude of the staff, but either they must have been staying at another resort or the hotel must have changed it staff training, because the staff and service was BRILLIANT.
-The room : we stayed in an over water on the west side of the island. The villa was very large and very tastefully decorated (asian style villa). Bed was heavenly soft. In room technology was superb! While the hotel is not new, the villa still felt very modern and updated.
-Breakfast buffet is superb. Name it and you can have it at breakfast. Truly, the most impressive and delicious breakfast that I ever saw (and I have seen a lot of them already . Breakfast is served until 11 am. That is great, but for European tourists, like us, having to deal with a 5 hour jetlag, that was a little troublesome in the beginning. It would have been nice if they would have extended the breakfast buffet with 30 or 60 minutes for the European clientele (to adapt better to the jetlag).
-The food is delicious and on pair with the best restaurants worldwide. They have 4 restaurants on site (Japanese, Arabian, chef’s Garden, and the main restaurant), and also offer many buffet nights, so you will not get bored gastronomically, even if you stay at the resort for 1 or 2 weeks. Only restaurant (the Japanese one) requires a more formal dress code, but the others were more relaxed (which I found great). The Wednesday evening barbeque on the beach is not to be missed (albeit expensive at 250 USD per person) !
-Between 4 and 5 pm, the hotel offers complimentary tea near the main pool. In fact, it is more of a complimentary buffet, with pancakes, scones, amuse bouches, fruits, cakes, and so on. That was just such an awesome feature (never experienced this at a hotel before, although I stayed at their sister hotels in Mauritius and Cape Town before). So, if you have late breakfast, no need to have lunch, as you will be able to still your afternoon hunger with this tea buffet.
-Do not miss the happy hour (2 coctails for the price of one) at Fanditha bar
-De not miss a treatment at the spa (which has a wonderful layout)

Things to know :
-The island is largely man-made (the original island was largely extended). You can not really “see” it at first. The vegetation is very tropical and does feel very natural, as are the beaches and the lagoons. Nevertheless, when you go the beach at the Beach Club, which is the most stunning one with powdery white sand (and an incredible blue lagoon), than you can feel the difference with the other 11 beaches where the sand is little more rough (or less powdery) to walk on. But this may not put you off : the island’s beauty is beyond words and even (much) nicer than some of the authentic Maldevian islands. And definitely the most beautiful one compared to the other resorts in the Maldives that we have visited before (Gili and Naladhu)
-While the water villas are tremendously impressive, their outside decks do not offer any privacy at all, especially during daylight. Your neighbours will see you as well as the (few) people on the beaches as you are exposed to them. So, if outdoor privacy is a must for you, then do not book a water villa but a beach villa (where outdoor privacy is guaranteed).
-The resort is not cheap, but you know that when you book here. Having said that, it is a little more expensive than the other top resorts in the Maldives we stayed at (Naladu, Gili). A 3 course meal (without win and without taxes) at the restaurants will be around 130 USD per person, so try to book a halfboard package. The most important thing is that, while it is not cheap, it is worth the investment as you will experience a brilliant, top-notch holiday.
-“The hotel is lacking a house reef” is one of the many comments made. I do not share this opinions. Granted, there a more beautiful house reefs in the Maldives. But about 100 meters in front of the beach club, there is gorgeous reef with plenty of underwater life (you can reach that reef, either swimming or taking a pedalo). In addition, at night, there were always stingrays and sharks in the waters surrounding our overwater villa.

Kagehitokiri

cheval blanc rates (USD) >

jul 16 > sep 2014
1300 island
1500 water / 1500 garden water
3700 2BR island / 3850 2BR garden water

then >
2100 water 2500 garden water 2650 island 4750 2BR garden water 5250 2BR island - oct > dec 19 2014
2700 water 3150 garden water 3300 island 5950 2BR garden water 6700 2BR island - jan 11 > may 15 2015
1600 water 1900 garden water 2100 island 3700 2BR garden water 4100 2BR island - may 16 > sep 2015
2200 water 2600 garden water 2800 island 4900 2BR garden water 5500 2BR island - oct > dec 19 2015

to answer, OO RR transfers (one way incl fees) are currently >
shared - $475 yacht / $666 plane (per couple, half that for single)
private - $1069 speedboat / $3208 yacht / $3327 plane
(OO RR website lists it after choosing date/room)
those prices are up slightly from last september >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post21525155

(cheval blanc currently $1770 per couple one way)

Big_Foot

Thank you!

The new Como looks great, it's just a PITA to get to. As we also booked
4 nights at the PH (can't beat 4 free nights, right?), I wanted something easier
to get to, that's why I picked Baros (a short boat ride from MLE)
and CB - a great seaplane option.

O&O looks very nice, kind of reminds me IC Thalasso Bora Bora. You can see
it's older, which I'm not super excited about. They don't have any rates
for 2015 yet.

I think I'll wait. I'm not in any rush to pay 50% now as we are going
in Feb/March 2015. I'll see what's available closer to my dates. Will keep
my booking as a backup.

No info about Baros? Their water pool villa looks very nice. It's more
expensive than the new Como or O&O though.


Kage, Cheval Blanc is also $3000/couple for transfer (+ tax) -
the only option.

Michael82

Velaa private island looks nice, will try it out in Nov.

Ozchinois

Thanks for the link. Gili is one out of 8 resorts I've stayed which I will return to. Never thought of Shang for my next trip but will definitely look into it now. Have always wanted to check out OORR, my seaplane stopped there once when I stayed at Kanuhura when it used to be O & O.