DallasBeyond

Been following the thread for a few years which got me thrilled about the resort and lead me to booking my trip almost a year ago, using HHonors points. Unfortunately, as our arrival date is three months away, I have yet to request room upgrades/locations- work and the family has gotten in the way.

We'll staying for 7 nights-- arriving into MLE at 8pm, so plan to book a beach villa for the first two nights, as we'll be shaking off jet lag. Happy to spend the extra money for a Deluxe if it's worth it. Thoughts? I plan to ask for 216- we'd like to be next to the house reef.

For the remaining nights, plan to upgrade to a water villa. Are the Deluxe villas worth the extra money? This will be a vacation sans kids, so looking for a beautiful sunset and near good snorkeling- don't really care about the $$$. I heard #315 is quite nice.

Oh, and is there an updated link for the Dropbox site?

Thank you!

texmanufan

Hi fellow Dallasite! Hope you are traveling in style because it is a long trip. My 1st trip here I paid $200 per night for upgrade from BV to DBV and thought that was about right. Significantly more for my second vist last year was offered and I passed. I may be in the minority here but I really liked the Retreat Water Villas especially if proximity to good snorkeling is important. I know it is not on the quiter island but the spacing between the overwater villas is actually further and the maps of resort confirm this.

MaldivesFreak

Hi DallasBeyond.

Unfortunately DropBox is no longer used by Conrad. You'll have to email them for anything you want.


If you're going with kids then I recommend a standard BV(Beach Villa). The DBVs(Deluxe Beach Villas) are designed differently and are narrower throughout and so without kids, this would be a better choice. Obviously they are better than the standard BVs and you won't have to worry about purple walls should you choose one (see discussion on the new decorations of the BVs since closure quite a few pages back in this thread). The DBVs are also free-standing, unlike the BVs so that's a plus as far as privacy & noise from neighbours is concerned. If you aren't worried about cost then by all means, splash out on a DBV and you won't regret it. Ask for one on the sunrise side and preferably close to the reef; 217-228 are perfect and the beach outside those villas is the best on that side of the island too.


By "Deluxe villas", I presume you mean "anything better than a standard (water) villa". 315 is a stock standard WV, not a deluxe villa. Also, there's a specific villa type called Deluxe Water Villa (DWVs numbered 343-348) and, even though they are sunset-facing, they are on the smaller island where the snorkelling isn't good. I'd take texmanufan's advice and go for one of the RWVs (Retreat Water Villas). They aren't cheap but again, they are close to the good snorkelling areas (the resort's second reef so to speak) and they offer great privacy as they are spaced out further apart than most other OWVs(Over Water Villas). 421 is the best of the RWVs and you might get lucky and get it. Send the reservations department an email about a week out (when they get close to doing the villa assignments) and ask them if they could possibly put you in #421 or somewhere near the end on the sunset side if they can't assign you that specific villa.

BTW, are you overnighting in Male or going to catch a domestic flight and get to the resort the same night you arrive?

pineapple_09

I'd actually disagree with the above. 421 is fabulous but the standard water villas are amazing too. Regarding snorkelling, we were in 318 and 421. Snorkelling was way better off 318 - there's not much reef around 421. Obviously the difference in price is fairly sizeable so depends on what your budget is.

421 however is extremely private. You're right on the far end with nobody on either side which was bliss. I'd prob pick 421 if I had to choose but it's a tough decision as the smaller island is lovely. And if it was a case of better snorkelling as the deciding factor, then 318 would win. But if privacy is important, then the gap between each RWV is massive (unlike the other WVs).

Oh and 315 is in a great location - good privacy and very quiet. It's beside the Premier WVs (313, 314).

Private Pyle

I dunno for snorkelling because it really doesn't take long to get from 421 to the house reef either by walking or swimming there.
If 421 was more modern it would be an easy decision between that and 318 for us, depends what each individual wants obviously.

We're currently at the Park Hyatt Hadahaa. Whilst it isn't perfect the service knocks spots off the Conrad, I sill laugh about the Conrads old 6 star claim .

As for the Hyatt I've been on the house reef a couple of times and seen next to nothing, it's supposed to be one of the best, I've possibly been unlucky but so far I've found the reef at Conrad better. I've got a few days left though so will be trying again.

texmanufan

I haven't stayed yet on the quieter island in the overwater villas here. Just relaying my research. I am sure there are some of the RWV that do not have fish close to it like 421. The RWV I stayed in was about halfway down and had great access to good snorkeling. We even swam to the house reef from there a few times.

I agree that PH Hadahaa has much better service although the Conrad had improved on my visit last year. I also kind of understand your impression of the snorkeling there. I thought the PH had a fuller, healthier reef and possibly thus hindered the ability to spot interesting things hiding in it. We did have better luck on the outer part where it drops off.

DallasBeyond

Hello from Big D! Yes, we planned ahead- doing Cathay Pacific 1st class long-haul w/2 nights in HKG en route to MLE and Etihad w/2 night in AUH (1st class non-stop to DFW) on the way home.

Thanks for the tips!

DallasBeyond

Oh, not traveling with kids, would be happy to take them to the Maldives one day but not on this trip. Adults-only!

I appreciate the tips on the RWVs-- will plan ask for an upgrade. Should I assume $475/night for the last week of May?

We are going to catch the domestic flight-- no overnight in MLE. Want to spend as much time at the Conrad as possible.

DallasBeyond

Sorry to hear about the snorkeling at PH-- I got very close to booking there based on the reef reputation.

MaldivesFreak

For a BV to DBV yes, maybe that...but for a BV to a RWV you're probably looking at $1000 minimum. It's hard to say as the quotes on the Wiki are hit and miss to say the least. You will be in low season so that's a bonus. Remember to negotiate with them. Works most of the time.

Ouch. You lose half a day that way. Any chance you can change your inbound flight to arrive a day early? If you get to Male a day early you'll get the first seaplane to the resort the next morning (on your original day of check-in, that is). Doing it that way you'll arrive at the Conrad at about 1000-1030AM and have the whole day before your first night there. If you catch the domestic flight you'll arrive at 1100PM thereabouts and you'll miss the morning and afternoon of your first day.


Regarding the snorkelling. check out the coral formations on the latest map
https://www.google.at/maps/@3.620350.../data=!3m1!1e3

There's very little coral around the OWVs on the Western side of Rangali Island (all 300s) whilst there are 3 major patches near the RWVs at Rangalifinolhu. There's what the resort calls their second house reef (Southwest and Northwest of the spa), the Northern extension of the house reef going all the way up the Eastern side and then there's the coral off the end of the RWVs to the North and Northwest...all within easy reach/swimming distance. Admittedly I haven't snorkelled the last patch, I can however say that there's no comparison between the coral and marine life on the Western side of Rangali and the house reefs. The entire bed of coral on the Western side of Rangali was almost completely dead back in 2013 when we first visited. A month ago I snorkelled right out to the edge of the lagoon - about 500m from 338 - and even though the coral is starting to recover nicely in what was the vast coral wasteland that made up the entire Western section of the lagoon - the tips of the coral are now white and light blue and there are quite a few small to meduim-sized fish swimming around - it can't compare at all to the house reef or even the smaller, second house reef near the spa. The main house reef (directly outside 225) is fantastic, especially at the drop-off! If you look at the map you can see the darker the greenish-brown of the coral, the better the condition and the better the marine life.

There's something else you should consider if you really want a susnset-facing OWV, and that is you have a 50/50 chance of getting one if you book either a RWV or a standard WV. If you want to guarantee you get a sunset then you need to book either a SWV, DWV or a PWV. The SWVs are a good option and we always take them for this reason. They are excellent value for money as well as very nice inside and have a better pool than the plain plunge pool that the WVs have. Also, the beds are facing the walls in the WVs, but in the other categories mentioned above the beds face the water/sunset. This is the second most important thing for us...it's nice to relax on the bed and look out of the villa at the ocean...while playing some nice music to boot! That and the view is unadulterated - you see the open ocean and there are no islands, people, other villas to spoil the view. Can't beat it. ^^^

texmanufan

Going against the wind pretty much the whole trip but sitting in CX F and EY F who cares?

I was going back through my notes as we stayed in RWV 409. About halfway down on sunset side. When asked which one we wanted then I replied whichever is closest to best snorkeling as we had just switched rooms from DBV on house reef.

nic3456

That was our exact trip (except 3 nights in HKG) - we are heading home today - instead of taking the late arrival boat into conrad we stayed overnight at the hotel octave - neat little boutique in male with excellent service and roundtrip free transfers - cost about $130 all in.

Btw - the Muslim call to pray at 5 am was quite interesting - i wasn't ready for that - fortunately it only lasted about 3 minutes

nic3456

Btw - does resort enforce the no kids under 12 in OWV? Twice yesterday I saw two different families go straight from plane to smaller island with suitcases each with a kid probably 6 or 8 (no way they were 12)

texmanufan

This has come up before on this thread. Evidently these rules aren't strictly enforced by the resort regarding small children on the quieter island in the OWV.

Private Pyle

I haven't given up all hope just yet.

Thanks Tex, the stuff about the size of the reef makes sense. I was on the drop off though, I followed it from the main jetty to an imaginary line straight off the point of the last water Villa. I've seen small numbers of fish and one three foot black tip shark.

Good to hear the Conrad have improved. We still haven't totally ruled out a return visit but it's still unlikely. We wouldn't travel as far down as the Hyatt in future either, it's just a bit too tedious getting here.