bhrubin

Help please! My husband and I are considering the Maldives for 2016, so plenty of time to plan. We are avid divers and foodies but prefer casual elegance (so barefoot luxury is fine with us). Price isn't really an object, but we don't want to pay for stuff/overly formal; we'd rather pay more for better service and food availability. We'd prefer a pool villa, and I can do either OW or beach, but my husband likely will prefer OW. We are open to trying more than 1 property if the transfer isn't too crazy, but it would be nice to stay at one if that's available, especially so we can dive more. I'm also a point whore, so we both will get Hyatt Visas (I'm Plat but will be Diamond by then) to give us 4 free nights at the Park Hyatt--since we understand they have great diving. We also have tons of Chase UR points to blow on more nights at the PH if appropriate. Still, that doesn't restrict us to the PH if that isn't the best place for what we want, but offers us the choice to stay there or stay there and another great property...or we can just stay somewhere else and use the 4 Hyatt nights for another great Park Hyatt location. Good AIR CON is critical--as I need it to be 18 C or cooler to sleep.

We like having privacy and views with our villa/suite, but we enjoy meeting other some people too when out and about. I like the idea of fewer children. I'm SPG Plat but don't think the W will cut it for us--even though I have plenty of SPG points to stay for free there (unless I learn that the diving in that vicinity is amazing!). We mostly want a fantastic villa with amazing food and service at a property that has access to incredible diving. We had considered the 2 FS properties and the FS Explorer, but many have been critical of the diving quality. We've been to the Blue Hole Belize and Red Sea, which are the best diving we've enjoyed thus far, so we don't like just good diving--we're looking for big pelagic life, whale sharks, sharks, rays, turtles, etc. Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef was good but not amazing diving in our estimation for perspective--and Lizard was overpriced for what we got IMO, even with us at their amazing Pavilion.

For the record, we've loved Amanjiwo (pool suite), Amankila (Indrakila Suite), Amanusa (Amanusa Suite), Cayo Espanto (Belize), Halkin by Como, Upper House in HK, Peninsula Bev Hills, Amansara (pool suite), Dock House Cape Town, La Residence Franchhoek, and other high end places. We liked the idea of Amanwana but the diving was terrible when we went and the air con unsatisfactory. We are not fans of too fancy or pretention, and I don't want to dress up in paradise (even being gay!). My husband likes spa stuff, I could care less--and I don't think it would make the difference on property selection.

Appreciate any help you can share!