Originally Posted by raylee123

We have a 7 night reservation at the St. Regis for the last week of June. After hearing about a potential / likely partial to full closure of the resort for renovations during our trip dates, I've been reading up on the RC thread. It seems like the RC is a pretty nice backup option, even without much elite recognition.

From posts, reviews and comparisons of the two resort, I guess these are the main pros and cons between the two:

To give additional context, we had secured the St. Regis suite on points, plus a very nominal cash upgrade price of $75 per night.

Pros of St Regis:
1). Larger space - StR Suite is almost 2x the size of RC's regular OWV.
2) More vibrant reefs, wildlife and much better snorkeling
3) Free breakfast for Platinum and above (Titanium status).
4) usually better upgrade potential, but as we already booked the StR Suite, not sure there is much realistic upgrade path left.

Pros of RC:
1). More varied dining options in the resort and neighboring island
2) Free a) mini / honour bar and snacks (excluding alcoholic drinks) b) free afternoon tea c) free still / sparkling water throughout resort d) free happy / drink hour for elites?
3) newer rooms so less wear and tear
4) more free resort activities
5) more flexible transfer options, as the boat isn't daylight / weather dependent like the seaplane. This allows for less time waiting in Male on arrival and a later resort departure (we have a 9pm flight on QR returning home)
6) better beach (less erosion) villas, but I think we prefer to stay overwater, as we aren't coming with our kids.

As to service, it seems to be mixed opinions as to which is more attentive and personable.

I used to be an avid diver and still enjoy snorkeling, but my wife just wants a week away from the kids to do nothing but relax, eat well and stare at endless clear blue waters. So the new construction, resulting in little marine life and not much of a local reef, probably isn't a big deal to us.

It seems from a cost savings perspective, the two resorts might be a wash in terms of "freebies", as the free breakfast from StR probably is countered by the other fee amenities that RC provides.

It also seems the best unobstructed views of the ocean differs between the two resorts. At the StR, it is usually the sunset side with unobstructed views of the ocean. While at the RC, it is usually the sunrise side with unobstructed views of the ocean. I think most folks, including us, would prefer a sunset unobstructed views, but not sure there are too many options at the RC for that.

I think I would prefer the extra space from the St Regis Suite. But I will cancel my reservations there if I don't get clarity on their renovations / closure situation within the next week or so. I want enough time to rebook our reservations to the RC before the dynamic award pricing / devaluation at the end of the month. I would hate to be scrambling for reservations at a new resort a month or two before departure time (our flights are pretty much set in stone, as I was able to get some rare availability on Singapore Suites and QR F and QSuites.)

Is there anything I might be missing in my analysis?