Originally Posted by
joecool1885
What is it that you're after? Which Maldives properties have you already been to? And why would you be more optimistic about Alila? Not only would you have to hope it opens by then, but you'd have no advance idea whether service/hard product is solid. There'd be no guarantee of anything.
I've only been to four properties out there, but Park Hyatt just hits the spot vs the others.
Your cons: older rooms, smaller rooms, less variety in activities, less variety in Food. Long transfer.
Your pros: superior service. Genuine investment in your experience and not just maximizing profit. Food quality is superb and some of it takes from Maldivian cuisine. Property is intimate. Property is extremely eco friendly. Reef is amazing, beach is second-to-none.
Look, places like the Waldorf, St Regis, Conrad... they're all great. Many people would genuinely be more comfortable in some of them. Heck, the convenience of a yacht transfer and the luxury of giant rooms all with decent sized pools (W.A)... that's even up my alley, and I loved every minute of it. But it still isn't the same. And as my sister told me on our most recent trip, she enjoyed the St. Regis, but didn't understand what the Maldives was about until she arrived at the Park Hyatt.
All that said, I can't guarantee you'll feel the same way. Four of us in my family do.
The only Maldives experience I've had so far was at the Six Senses a few years ago when I was still in college. It was pretty great. Not particularly pressed to visit the Maldives to really get a "Maldives" experience. I am mainly interested in enjoying a nice, relaxing, luxurious vacation with my friends and family.
For this trip, we are going to spend more than 2 weeks at the Maldives. The trip has changed a lot but we have eventually settled on the St. Regis, the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, and Velaa Private Island. Still open to change if you can convince me. But the property itself at the Park Hyatt is just not very attractive to the group I'm traveling with. Very few certified divers (just me + 1 other) whereas the rest are mainly interested in just going deep on spa treatments and random "lazier" activities.
This is my gift to family and close friends to celebrate making it out of (an ultimately successful) 2021. I just want it to be as luxurious as possible (private charter blade helicopter to airport, Emirates First Class for everyone, private drivers in Dubai, individual burj al arab rooms, etc). Is the Park Hyatt really a good fit for something like this? After thinking about it carefully, I really do not think it is. No doubt that it's a great resort for many people but I do not think it is the right resort for this trip.
Not particularly optimistic about the Alila, just hoping it is a good property.