Originally Posted by TalkingPoint

We had a very nice stay. The staff, as expected, were great. That said they are definitely in a soft opening period but at the going price that was expected. There's hundreds of construction workers living and working on the island to get the OWV up and running by July, but it wasn't too much of an eyesore or inconvenience. They are still struggling with supply chain issues so many of the menu items are not available but they're working on resolving those issues. I think the property will be great once it fully opens but nobody staying during the soft opening period should expect a polished product.

The main drawback of this property for me is the room design - the entire bathroom is outdoors. I found using the toilet in 35C weather with 100% humidity unpleasant and I never spent any more time in there than absolutely necessary. Fumbling around at 2am to get to the outhouse was an adventure I don't miss. Every time you need to use the sink or access running water you need to go outside so there is a lot of running in and out which in turn brought a lot of mosquitoes and flies inside. As to be expected with a new island, they have a lot of problems with these insects but I expect them to get this under control before opening and the GM said it was on the top of his priorities. Additionally, the watersports options were disappointing as they do not believe in motorsports due to the brand ethos. Yet you will see people on jetskis daily as those on the nearby islands ride over to explore the island but you won't be able to do the same. Finally, there are wild chickens and roosters on the island. They are neither friendly nor quiet.

On the positive, the spaces and facilities are very open and inviting. The food options were both tasty and of high quality. The breakfast is only a la carte, but that could just be due to low occupancy. They come over to your table and offer you fruit and bread from a basket each morning but I could imagine this being a mini buffet in the future to compliment the menu. Each morning they rearranged and restocked fruits in the living room basket which was a nice touch. They also offer high tea from 3-4 at the coffee shop where you could get a free tea or coffee which was nice, but not as generous as the afternoon tea or happy hours offered by other properties in the Maldives.

In total, I think this place will be a popular redemption because it wasn't put in as a category 8. Being the same category as the PH but a newer property, I assume it will become the more popular redemption, especially since every villa has a pool. From a cash perspective, I don't see how this property is going to demand over 3x the nightly rate of the PH. The PH similarly has limited dining and activities, but does have the advantage of being more private and intimate than Alila with better diving. The beach pool villa at the PH also has a larger patio and lounge space, especially if you have the deluxe beach villa, and we enjoyed quite a few dinners out there. There is no great place to do in room dining at the Alila unless you wanted to eat from the couch on the coffee table so we never did it. The PH also gives you the option of indoor or outdoor shower, and you can brush your teeth and get dressed/do your makeup in an air conditioned bathroom. However, WA will remain my favorite redemption property due to room style, variety of dining options (Aila has just Sea Salt open for now, with a Japanese restaurant coming, in addition to a bar and coffee shop) and activities offered. I think that hits most of the main points but I'm happy to answer any specific questions anyone has.