Originally Posted by
brandonpkt
Happy you had a nice time at CMRI! Our third stay there last week may be an example of the service downgrade that
ScubaRoo is referencing (see my posts and discussion on the Conrad forum).
We are at the WA now and we think it is far superior to the Conrad on many levels (just our personal opinion - of course everyone has a different experience and perspective so YMMV).
persoid I am interested to hear about your experiences at both properties: what is your comparison of the hard and soft product at both WA and Conrad? Also, if you were at the WA recently then there is a chance that we overlapped
I read your posts on the other forum
brandonpkt and I'm sorry to hear about your experience. We were at the WA Dec 20-23, and the CRM Dec 23-29. We couldn't book it all at the WA, due to a lack of availability, so we decided to also visit the Conrad again, despite the added transfer cost. It's possible we overlapped at the CRM maybe?
As far as the hard product at both properties goes there's no comparison; the WA is brand new and superior in every aspect. I do agree that the CRM is starting to show its age a bit. I found the service to be comparable at both properties, though we felt much more pressure to "spend" at the WA. Also, the exorbitant price of the yacht transfer at the WA left a very bitter taste. I would not mind paying the higher (yet to be expected) food prices in the Maldives, but I felt that the yacht transfer is designed to rip you off. I hired a private speedboat in 2013 to go visit a local island, and went twice the distance of the WA from Male, and only paid $75.
In terms of natural beauty, I definitely think the Conrad has the edge. It is for this reason that I will be returning to the Conrad. It's what I value most in the Maldives. Hopefully, next year, after the OWV refurbishing project is complete, my experience will be even better.