unpopular opinion here, but ive seen quite a view videos & pictures of the new Waldorf and i simply cant see why anyone would pay upwards of $1,800 to stay in an island that is overbuilt, ugly and essentially everything that the maldives shouldn't be. ive been to the maldives 5 times (visiting 5 different islands) and ive yet to see a resort island that looks as unnatural as the Waldorf (except for maybe Centara Ras Fushi & the Sheraton!). its very clear by the unique shape off the island that a lot of the sand has been artificially pumped, and the island does not appear to have any sort of big blue lagoon that is typical of maldivian resort islands. the water villas are built in extremely long lines with a very narrow lagoon infront of them which in my opinion will make swimming not so enjoyable as the reef drop-off is so close by.
yeah the rooms are really nice but you can get nice rooms in dubai or other locations.. what makes the maldives a special destination is the sheer natural beauty of the island and its surroundings, and the Waldorf appears to lack all of that. while the conrad (or, even better, non US hotels such as Anantara Kihavah, Amilla Fushi, Vakkaru etc ), are seemingly less luxurious, they provide for a much more quintessential maldivian holiday.
i mean look at this aerial image. yes its still under construction but i cant see it getting any better...