Last edit by: Jaffar
:-: Welcome to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Wiki! :-:
Notes: All prices are in US Dollars and are exclusive of taxes unless specified (by ++)
Tax Information
• 10% Service Charge (levied by resort. For info on this and how it's distributed, see this post)
• 16% T-GST (Tourist Goods & Services Tax, levied by the Maldivian government, current as of Jan 1, 2023). Old 2022 rate was 12%.
• Total tax is 27.2%, not 26% as one would think. Example; $100 + 10% = $110, then add 16% on to $110 for a total of $127.20.
• Tip: To work out prices before the 27.2% taxes, multiply by 0.7862, i.e; 127.2 * 0.7862 = 100
• A Green Tax of $6pp/pn (levied by the Maldivian government) has been introduced starting from 1 November 2015. Points/Redemption bookings are exempt from the tax for up to two guests per room
Booking with points
• Bookings must be cancelled 30 days prior in order to avoid one full night's charge at BAR. (some days cancellation period is 14 days check your reservation details for the exact applicable cancellation policy)
• Website and phone agents state that a cash deposit equivalent to the BAR per night will be taken when booking stays with points. This is an error. NO CASH DEPOSIT IS TAKEN WHEN MAKING A POINTS BOOKING
• Free night certificate: The phone agent states that a cash deposit equivalent to the BAR per night will be taken when booking your free night. This is an error. NO CASH DEPOSIT IS TAKEN WHEN USING YOUR FREE NIGHT CERTIFICATE
• This hotel is extremely popular. Rooms are released to be booked with points about 1 year in advance. It seems to be a partially manual process so it's not an exact science. After being released those rooms get booked within a matter of minutes. If you have specific dates you want you need to book them one at a time a year in advance, or risk booking last minute. Yes that makes it hard to use the 5th night free. You can book 5 individual nights and cancel them all to rebook getting the 5th night free, but there's only about a 50% chance the rooms go back into inventory so it's risky. There is no secret, just check Hilton.com all the time. If you don't want to do that, someone else will and they'll get the rooms.
Transfers To and From Resort
• Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi is located in South Malé Atoll, 23km southwest of Malé and Velana International Airport [MLE] (also known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Ibrahim Nasir International Airport)
• Transfer experience includes personal service for your group after luggage pick-up until arrival on the yacht; yacht includes dedicated server for champagne, non-alcoholic beverages, and light snacks. Departure experience on the yacht is the same, and your group be personally escorted through airline check-in until airport security.
• Pricing in 2021 is $650++, 2020 is $600++ per person, and 2019 it was $350++ per person per way ($1724.80 return inclusive of taxes for 2 passengers). The price for kids 5 and under is complimentary while kids 6-11 years old are charged $300++ per person. If the yacht is not available, a speedboat will be provided by the resort. If this happens, you may be refunded the yacht transfer fee.
• Pricing for 2022 will increase to $730++ for adults and $365++ children 6-12, see website by clicking here.
• Pricing for 2023 will increase to $780++ for adults ($995.28 nett) and $390++ for children 6-12
• The resort offers the ability to redeem Hilton Honors points for your transfer, .strValue1=all&promoGroupList[1].strValue1=en_US&qt[0].type=fieldsearch&qt[0].name=panname_country_s&qt[0].value1=MDV&rc=24&sort=timeleft_asc]click here.
• See this post for a detailed review of the yacht transfer (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Third party transfers are not permitted by the resort.
• Transfer to / from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island: A private seaplane transfer from the Waldorf to the Conrad, taking approximately 25 minutes, is approximately USD 8,125++. Most guests travel between the resort booking the standard round trip seaplane from Male to Rangali and then the Yacht transfer round trip from Male to Waldorf.
Time
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi time has been set one hour ahead of Male’ time to give an extra hour of daylight each day. For ease, set phone or Dhaka Sri Lanka time zone.
Resort Information / Spa / Activities
• WA Ithaafushi is made up of three islands (95% man-made)
• There are 2 standalone OWVs (Over Water Villas) and 121 villas in total
• Click here (Hilton's website) or here (dedicated website) to visit the resort on the web
• The kids club (one of the biggest in the Maldives) is for children between 4 to 11 years. Click here for detailed information and here for the schedule. Click here, here and here for basic reviews and comprehensive sets of pictures (All courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• See this and this post for info on the Christmas Eve and New Years Eve Gala Fee
• Click here to visit the resort's listing on TripAdvisor
• Tennis courts: See this post
• For a new map of the resort click here
> For the old map of the resort click here * Note that this map is orientated north and so the SUNRISE and SUNSET written on it are incorrect. Also note that you receive a black and white map when you arrive and this is not as good nor as detailed as the one posted here. For comments on the quality of the map, click here
• Snorkelling spots and other info 3e4sd:Link to post: (Courtesy of AirForceFlyer)
• Scuba Diving pics :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Activities Brochure (prices as of July 2019)
• Spa pics and review :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Wellness Programme :Link to post: (Courtesy of AirForceFlyer)
Resort Information - F&B and Menus
• The resort has 11 restaurants / bars
• Kids under 6 eat free when ordering from the dedicated kids menu (all restaurants except the adult only ones have kids menu; does not apply to in-room dining)
• Some restaurant menus are available in PDF format on the resort's website. Click here to visit the relevant page on their website
• Menus for most restaurants as of early October 2020: See this post
• For pictures of most of the menus: Part 1 and Part 2
• Dining Programme / restaurant opening times: See this post and the post below it
• IVD (In Villa Dining) menus: See this post
• Yasmeen - Menu version discussion here.
• Terra is $298.00++ per person. As of December 2019, the set menu includes Amuse Brioche (3 selections per person), a starter (tuna, avocado, caviar), 2 courses highlighting lobster and wagyu beef with a pallet cleanse in between, a dessert course, then finishing with 3 additional sweet selections per person.
• The Ledge - See this post. Note that this menu changes daily but there are probably only 2 for each day and 14 in total (7 for lunch and 7 for dinner). Chefs rotate to the resort from Burnt Ends in Singapore.
+ Peacock Alley 1/2 priced drinks daily after 9:30pm. High-quality cocktails and liquors available at a very affordable price ranging from $13-$15 post discount
+ Tasting Table full buffet breakfast with made to order entrees and complimentary Champagne for $65++/person or Free for Hilton Diamond / Gold
+ Glow and Yasmeen wine selections are priced in the $65 - $85 ++ range per bottle.
• Lunch can be purchased at the main pool or beach from Nava or The Ledge. The majority of lunch entrees cost $30-$50++. Lunch is also available at Tasting Table, Tangled, or In Villa Dining.
• A new pizza oven was flown in from Italy to replace the original oven installed at Nava, and an Italian chef traveled to the resort to work with the team to elevate pizza quality in early December of 2019.
• During festive season 2019, the resort introduced a lobster & champagne dinner on the beach, including tasting stations, free flow champagne, and a live band for $298++ per person.
Miscellaneous Information
• Villa pool depth: See this post
• Best snorkelling spots: See this post and this post
• Complimentary water (in villa): See this post
• Walking / getting around the resort: See this post
• Sunset / Sunrise at the resort: See this post and this post
• Power outlet configuration: See this post
Elite member benefits:
Accommodation:
At opening the resort defined Beach Villas as the lowest category of accommodation (only this category bookable with points). The next highest category was Reef Villas then above that, the Overwater Villas. Note: villas on the Private Island do not count.
This will change in 2020. Quote from the resort "Please be informed that for next year we have changed our villa category. Kindly note that the Reef Villa will be our base category, next will be the Overwater Villa and then the Beach Villa. Basically the Beach Villa will be a higher category compared to reef Villa and Overwater Villa."
See this post for the conversation related to this. Pricing has changed as well to reflect this. See below for 2020 pricing.
Note that as of August 2019 the BV is still available to book on points in 2020. This may change, however.
Prices - Accommodation (2020):
***** March 2020 Figures *****
• Beach Villa USD 2630
• Overwater Villa USD 2430
• Reef Villa USD 1930
Prices - Accommodation (2019):
***** July 2019 Figures *****
• 2 Bedroom Beach Villa with Pool USD 3850
• 2 Bedroom Over Water Villa with Pool USD 4350
***** October 2019 Figures *****
• Beach Villa USD 2100
• Grand Beach Villa USD 2300
• Reef Villa USD 2300
• Grand Reef Villa USD 2500
• Overwater Villa USD 2500
• Grand Overwater Villa USD 2700
***** Upgrade Costs - Jul 2019 *****
• Two Bedroom Beach - US 2000
• Two Bedroom Grand Beach - US 2200
• Two Bedroom Reef - US 2200
• Two Bedroom Overwater - US 2400
***** Upgrade Costs - Oct 2019 *****
• Reef Villa USD 200
• OWV USD 400
Villa Types and Abbreviations used in this thread (listed in order from most basic to most luxurious)
-- BVs (Beach Villas) --
BV (Beach Villa)
GBV (Grand Beach Villa)
-- RVs (Reef Villas) --
RV (Reef Villa, the Garden Villa category shown in the pre-opening promo video)
GRV (Grand Reef Villa, also a type of Garden Villa shown in the pre-opening promo video)
-- OWVs (Over Water Villas) aka Ocean Villas in rewards booking --
OV (Overwater Villa)
GOV (Grand Overwater Villa)
SMR (Stella Maris Residences)
-- Occupancy Information --
See this post for maximum occupancy of each villa type
Villa Selection
• See this post and this post
• Privacy - Beach Villas: For pics, info and opinions, see the following posts; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Travel & Safety Information
• The Maldives is listed in Category 1 (the highest category) on the
WHO Zika virus classification table. However, don't let that scare you because as of April 13, 2017 there has only been one confirmed case of Zika in the Maldives
• Click here for information related to the single Zika infection in the Maldives (reported in January of that year)
Contact
• General Enquiries: [email protected]
• Reservations Department: [email protected]
• Tel: +960-4000-300
• Click here for hilton site and click here for Waldorf Maldives website
Weather:
Note: since the resort is close to Mahibadhoo (where there is a weather station), I have added this info from the Conrad Maldives thread as both resorts are close by and the weather will be the same as far as forecasts go (MaldivesFreak)
• General info on weather in the Maldives: Link 1 Link 2 (Maldivian government website)
• Recommended Android weather app: eWeather HD. See this post for detailed info on the app, settings, tips and general weather info (Courtesy of MaldivesFreak)
• Want to get an idea about the weather in the month of August? Click here to read a post from a FT member that spends 2 weeks at Rangali during this month (Courtesy of Splotly)
Pictures - Resort under construction:
• January, 2018 :Link to post:
• June, 2018 :Link to post:
• Approx October, 2018 :Link to post:
• January, 2019 :Link to post:
Pictures & Videos - Post-opening:
• General pics of the resort (July, 2019) :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• The Stella Maris exclusive! :Link to post with links to videos: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #1 :Link to post: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #2 :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #3 :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #4 :Link to post: (Courtesy of Another Getaway)
• IVD(in villa dining) :Link to post: (Courtesy of Stivelio)
• Terra (views from all 7 'cages') :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Terra and Family Pool :Link to post with link to video: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Reef Villa with sunset view :Link to post: (Courtesy of Stivelio)
• Views in the direction of Male (night & day pics) :Link to post 1: (Courtesy of wekxbrainx) :Link to post 2: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Bicycle tour :Link to post:
• Various resort and villa pics from a stay in November 2019 :Link to post: (Courtesy of aspenedelen)
Reviews:
• Review by Jermyn
• Review by goldelite8
• Review by escape4
• Review by Falcons05 (text only)
Historical Information for high rollers:
+ $135 shisha, Check out this post
+ If you do NOT have Gold/Diamond status with Free breakfast AND you decide NOT to pay the $65++ for full buffet at Tasting Table, then you may or may not encounter a $35 charge for a single egg
+ 106,000 dollar bottle of wine: Click
here for a picture of the wine menu (reactions follow on subsequent pages)
Notes: All prices are in US Dollars and are exclusive of taxes unless specified (by ++)
Tax Information
• 10% Service Charge (levied by resort. For info on this and how it's distributed, see this post)
• 16% T-GST (Tourist Goods & Services Tax, levied by the Maldivian government, current as of Jan 1, 2023). Old 2022 rate was 12%.
• Total tax is 27.2%, not 26% as one would think. Example; $100 + 10% = $110, then add 16% on to $110 for a total of $127.20.
• Tip: To work out prices before the 27.2% taxes, multiply by 0.7862, i.e; 127.2 * 0.7862 = 100
• A Green Tax of $6pp/pn (levied by the Maldivian government) has been introduced starting from 1 November 2015. Points/Redemption bookings are exempt from the tax for up to two guests per room
Booking with points
• Bookings must be cancelled 30 days prior in order to avoid one full night's charge at BAR. (some days cancellation period is 14 days check your reservation details for the exact applicable cancellation policy)
• Website and phone agents state that a cash deposit equivalent to the BAR per night will be taken when booking stays with points. This is an error. NO CASH DEPOSIT IS TAKEN WHEN MAKING A POINTS BOOKING
• Free night certificate: The phone agent states that a cash deposit equivalent to the BAR per night will be taken when booking your free night. This is an error. NO CASH DEPOSIT IS TAKEN WHEN USING YOUR FREE NIGHT CERTIFICATE
• This hotel is extremely popular. Rooms are released to be booked with points about 1 year in advance. It seems to be a partially manual process so it's not an exact science. After being released those rooms get booked within a matter of minutes. If you have specific dates you want you need to book them one at a time a year in advance, or risk booking last minute. Yes that makes it hard to use the 5th night free. You can book 5 individual nights and cancel them all to rebook getting the 5th night free, but there's only about a 50% chance the rooms go back into inventory so it's risky. There is no secret, just check Hilton.com all the time. If you don't want to do that, someone else will and they'll get the rooms.
Transfers To and From Resort
• Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi is located in South Malé Atoll, 23km southwest of Malé and Velana International Airport [MLE] (also known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Ibrahim Nasir International Airport)
• Transfer experience includes personal service for your group after luggage pick-up until arrival on the yacht; yacht includes dedicated server for champagne, non-alcoholic beverages, and light snacks. Departure experience on the yacht is the same, and your group be personally escorted through airline check-in until airport security.
• Pricing in 2021 is $650++, 2020 is $600++ per person, and 2019 it was $350++ per person per way ($1724.80 return inclusive of taxes for 2 passengers). The price for kids 5 and under is complimentary while kids 6-11 years old are charged $300++ per person. If the yacht is not available, a speedboat will be provided by the resort. If this happens, you may be refunded the yacht transfer fee.
• Pricing for 2022 will increase to $730++ for adults and $365++ children 6-12, see website by clicking here.
• Pricing for 2023 will increase to $780++ for adults ($995.28 nett) and $390++ for children 6-12
• The resort offers the ability to redeem Hilton Honors points for your transfer, .strValue1=all&promoGroupList[1].strValue1=en_US&qt[0].type=fieldsearch&qt[0].name=panname_country_s&qt[0].value1=MDV&rc=24&sort=timeleft_asc]click here.
• See this post for a detailed review of the yacht transfer (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Third party transfers are not permitted by the resort.
• Transfer to / from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island: A private seaplane transfer from the Waldorf to the Conrad, taking approximately 25 minutes, is approximately USD 8,125++. Most guests travel between the resort booking the standard round trip seaplane from Male to Rangali and then the Yacht transfer round trip from Male to Waldorf.
Time
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi time has been set one hour ahead of Male’ time to give an extra hour of daylight each day. For ease, set phone or Dhaka Sri Lanka time zone.
Resort Information / Spa / Activities
• WA Ithaafushi is made up of three islands (95% man-made)
• There are 2 standalone OWVs (Over Water Villas) and 121 villas in total
• Click here (Hilton's website) or here (dedicated website) to visit the resort on the web
• The kids club (one of the biggest in the Maldives) is for children between 4 to 11 years. Click here for detailed information and here for the schedule. Click here, here and here for basic reviews and comprehensive sets of pictures (All courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• See this and this post for info on the Christmas Eve and New Years Eve Gala Fee
• Click here to visit the resort's listing on TripAdvisor
• Tennis courts: See this post
• For a new map of the resort click here
> For the old map of the resort click here * Note that this map is orientated north and so the SUNRISE and SUNSET written on it are incorrect. Also note that you receive a black and white map when you arrive and this is not as good nor as detailed as the one posted here. For comments on the quality of the map, click here
• Snorkelling spots and other info 3e4sd:Link to post: (Courtesy of AirForceFlyer)
• Scuba Diving pics :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Activities Brochure (prices as of July 2019)
• Spa pics and review :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Wellness Programme :Link to post: (Courtesy of AirForceFlyer)
Resort Information - F&B and Menus
• The resort has 11 restaurants / bars
• Kids under 6 eat free when ordering from the dedicated kids menu (all restaurants except the adult only ones have kids menu; does not apply to in-room dining)
• Some restaurant menus are available in PDF format on the resort's website. Click here to visit the relevant page on their website
• Menus for most restaurants as of early October 2020: See this post
• For pictures of most of the menus: Part 1 and Part 2
• Dining Programme / restaurant opening times: See this post and the post below it
• IVD (In Villa Dining) menus: See this post
• Yasmeen - Menu version discussion here.
• Terra is $298.00++ per person. As of December 2019, the set menu includes Amuse Brioche (3 selections per person), a starter (tuna, avocado, caviar), 2 courses highlighting lobster and wagyu beef with a pallet cleanse in between, a dessert course, then finishing with 3 additional sweet selections per person.
• The Ledge - See this post. Note that this menu changes daily but there are probably only 2 for each day and 14 in total (7 for lunch and 7 for dinner). Chefs rotate to the resort from Burnt Ends in Singapore.
+ Peacock Alley 1/2 priced drinks daily after 9:30pm. High-quality cocktails and liquors available at a very affordable price ranging from $13-$15 post discount
+ Tasting Table full buffet breakfast with made to order entrees and complimentary Champagne for $65++/person or Free for Hilton Diamond / Gold
+ Glow and Yasmeen wine selections are priced in the $65 - $85 ++ range per bottle.
• Lunch can be purchased at the main pool or beach from Nava or The Ledge. The majority of lunch entrees cost $30-$50++. Lunch is also available at Tasting Table, Tangled, or In Villa Dining.
• A new pizza oven was flown in from Italy to replace the original oven installed at Nava, and an Italian chef traveled to the resort to work with the team to elevate pizza quality in early December of 2019.
• During festive season 2019, the resort introduced a lobster & champagne dinner on the beach, including tasting stations, free flow champagne, and a live band for $298++ per person.
Miscellaneous Information
• Villa pool depth: See this post
• Best snorkelling spots: See this post and this post
• Complimentary water (in villa): See this post
• Walking / getting around the resort: See this post
• Sunset / Sunrise at the resort: See this post and this post
• Power outlet configuration: See this post
Elite member benefits:
Hilton Honors GOLD MEMBERS:
- Full breakfast at Tasting Table
- In-villa VIP welcome bottle of wine and fruits
- Complimentary daily afternoon delights (see here for pic) with a fine selection of beverages crafted by mixologist and sommelier from 16:00 to 17:00 at Peacock Alley. Note The afternoon delights have been removed and replaced with a bowl of nuts or crisps for example
- 50% special offer on selected beverages at Nava Beach Club from 22:00 to 23:30
- Full breakfast at Tasting Table
- Free item from the kids menu for kids under 6 y.o. (staff are somewhat flexible on this age limit)
- In-villa VIP welcome Champagne, sweet and savoury amenities, note this could be downgraded to a bottle of red wine.
- [Diamond only benefit] With a selected 60-minute massage, enjoy a complimentary additional 30-minute at Waldorf Astoria Spa
- Complimentary daily afternoon delights (see here for pic) with a fine selection of beverages crafted by mixologist and sommelier from 16:00 to 17:00 at Peacock Alley. Note : The afternoon delights have been removed and replaced with a bowl of nuts or crisps for example
- 50% special offer on selected beverages at Nava Beach Club from 22:00 to 23:30 (January 2021: Currently at Peacock Alley as Nava closes at 7pm due to Covid-19 service changes)
Accommodation:
At opening the resort defined Beach Villas as the lowest category of accommodation (only this category bookable with points). The next highest category was Reef Villas then above that, the Overwater Villas. Note: villas on the Private Island do not count.
This will change in 2020. Quote from the resort "Please be informed that for next year we have changed our villa category. Kindly note that the Reef Villa will be our base category, next will be the Overwater Villa and then the Beach Villa. Basically the Beach Villa will be a higher category compared to reef Villa and Overwater Villa."
See this post for the conversation related to this. Pricing has changed as well to reflect this. See below for 2020 pricing.
Note that as of August 2019 the BV is still available to book on points in 2020. This may change, however.
Prices - Accommodation (2020):
***** March 2020 Figures *****
• Beach Villa USD 2630
• Overwater Villa USD 2430
• Reef Villa USD 1930
Prices - Accommodation (2019):
***** July 2019 Figures *****
• 2 Bedroom Beach Villa with Pool USD 3850
• 2 Bedroom Over Water Villa with Pool USD 4350
***** October 2019 Figures *****
• Beach Villa USD 2100
• Grand Beach Villa USD 2300
• Reef Villa USD 2300
• Grand Reef Villa USD 2500
• Overwater Villa USD 2500
• Grand Overwater Villa USD 2700
***** Upgrade Costs - Jul 2019 *****
• Two Bedroom Beach - US 2000
• Two Bedroom Grand Beach - US 2200
• Two Bedroom Reef - US 2200
• Two Bedroom Overwater - US 2400
***** Upgrade Costs - Oct 2019 *****
• Reef Villa USD 200
• OWV USD 400
Villa Types and Abbreviations used in this thread (listed in order from most basic to most luxurious)
-- BVs (Beach Villas) --
BV (Beach Villa)
GBV (Grand Beach Villa)
-- RVs (Reef Villas) --
RV (Reef Villa, the Garden Villa category shown in the pre-opening promo video)
GRV (Grand Reef Villa, also a type of Garden Villa shown in the pre-opening promo video)
-- OWVs (Over Water Villas) aka Ocean Villas in rewards booking --
OV (Overwater Villa)
GOV (Grand Overwater Villa)
SMR (Stella Maris Residences)
-- Occupancy Information --
See this post for maximum occupancy of each villa type
Villa Selection
• See this post and this post
• Privacy - Beach Villas: For pics, info and opinions, see the following posts; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Travel & Safety Information
• The Maldives is listed in Category 1 (the highest category) on the
WHO Zika virus classification table. However, don't let that scare you because as of April 13, 2017 there has only been one confirmed case of Zika in the Maldives
• Click here for information related to the single Zika infection in the Maldives (reported in January of that year)
Contact
• General Enquiries: [email protected]
• Reservations Department: [email protected]
• Tel: +960-4000-300
• Click here for hilton site and click here for Waldorf Maldives website
Weather:
Note: since the resort is close to Mahibadhoo (where there is a weather station), I have added this info from the Conrad Maldives thread as both resorts are close by and the weather will be the same as far as forecasts go (MaldivesFreak)
• General info on weather in the Maldives: Link 1 Link 2 (Maldivian government website)
• Recommended Android weather app: eWeather HD. See this post for detailed info on the app, settings, tips and general weather info (Courtesy of MaldivesFreak)
• Want to get an idea about the weather in the month of August? Click here to read a post from a FT member that spends 2 weeks at Rangali during this month (Courtesy of Splotly)
Pictures - Resort under construction:
• January, 2018 :Link to post:
• June, 2018 :Link to post:
• Approx October, 2018 :Link to post:
• January, 2019 :Link to post:
Pictures & Videos - Post-opening:
• General pics of the resort (July, 2019) :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• The Stella Maris exclusive! :Link to post with links to videos: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #1 :Link to post: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #2 :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #3 :Link to post: (Courtesy of Traveler Dave)
• Breakfast buffet at Tasting Table - Post #4 :Link to post: (Courtesy of Another Getaway)
• IVD(in villa dining) :Link to post: (Courtesy of Stivelio)
• Terra (views from all 7 'cages') :Link to post: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Terra and Family Pool :Link to post with link to video: (Courtesy of alanslegal)
• Reef Villa with sunset view :Link to post: (Courtesy of Stivelio)
• Views in the direction of Male (night & day pics) :Link to post 1: (Courtesy of wekxbrainx) :Link to post 2: (Courtesy of jphripjah)
• Bicycle tour :Link to post:
• Various resort and villa pics from a stay in November 2019 :Link to post: (Courtesy of aspenedelen)
Reviews:
• Review by Jermyn
• Review by goldelite8
• Review by escape4
• Review by Falcons05 (text only)
Historical Information for high rollers:
+ $135 shisha, Check out this post
+ If you do NOT have Gold/Diamond status with Free breakfast AND you decide NOT to pay the $65++ for full buffet at Tasting Table, then you may or may not encounter a $35 charge for a single egg
+ 106,000 dollar bottle of wine: Click
here for a picture of the wine menu (reactions follow on subsequent pages)
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi {MDV}
#2131
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: SFO
Posts: 93
Snail-pace slow?
I've seen a few others mentioned that the wifi is slow. Did anyone run a speedtest to measure how slow? I'm sure streaming Netflix is out of the question but are we talking about dial-up modem speeds when trying to view basic emails? Should we switch to a text-only web browser?
#2132
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
#2133
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Globalist Hyatt, Diamond Hilton
Posts: 38
I've seen a few others mentioned that the wifi is slow. Did anyone run a speedtest to measure how slow? I'm sure streaming Netflix is out of the question but are we talking about dial-up modem speeds when trying to view basic emails? Should we switch to a text-only web browser?
Here's a speed test from the property.
#2134
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Globalist Hyatt, Diamond Hilton
Posts: 38
I spoke to the server about this and it's for both Gold and Diamond members. He also mentioned that it's usually just Americans that are there for the Happy Hour. I guess that makes sense, since I don't see any other nationality have status with Hilton.
#2135
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 58
Did some searching and didn't see this information. I guess this is a two part question. What is the earliest time the yacht starts to run? And how early can one check in to the resort?
Etihad has a flight that arrives in Male at like 5:30am in the morning so I'm wondering how long is have to wait around before I can get to the island to check in. Thanks
Etihad has a flight that arrives in Male at like 5:30am in the morning so I'm wondering how long is have to wait around before I can get to the island to check in. Thanks
#2136
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,165
Yes, still for both Diamonds and Golds.
No difference of treatment between the 2 status levels.
I didn't measure the speed, but it was very slow in a sense that web surfing was not pleasant.
Any website I try to load would take a few seconds to load, and often times pictures within a webpage would time out to load.
No difference of treatment between the 2 status levels.
I've seen a few others mentioned that the wifi is slow. Did anyone run a speedtest to measure how slow? I'm sure streaming Netflix is out of the question but are we talking about dial-up modem speeds when trying to view basic emails? Should we switch to a text-only web browser?
Any website I try to load would take a few seconds to load, and often times pictures within a webpage would time out to load.
#2137
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,453
If you have bad internet speeds I would urge you to ask your concierge to reach out to IT.
When I arrived on property on Sunday, all my devices were barely getting 0.5Mbit downstream, but upstream was fine, indicating that the router layer was doing something to limit traffic to my devices.
Someone from IT had their network forget my device MAC addresses and after re-registering I was getting 20Mbit downstream.
For reference, I just got 24Mbit symmetric on speedtest from my villa. My laptop is currently on the 5GHz 802.11n network.
It definitely seems like they have some WiFi issues though. I experienced the same problem last year, but I resolved it myself by rotating my MAC address to re-trigger the login page.
Their IT also uses Fast.com to test which is not as useful as they think it is, because it's made by Netflix specifically for testing downstream speeds. It would completely miss the symptom I was experiencing in my case.
Also keep in mind that regardless of speeds, if you're accessing web pages and whatnot that are served from servers in NA, the initial load is still going to feel slower than usual due to the latency.
When I arrived on property on Sunday, all my devices were barely getting 0.5Mbit downstream, but upstream was fine, indicating that the router layer was doing something to limit traffic to my devices.
Someone from IT had their network forget my device MAC addresses and after re-registering I was getting 20Mbit downstream.
For reference, I just got 24Mbit symmetric on speedtest from my villa. My laptop is currently on the 5GHz 802.11n network.
It definitely seems like they have some WiFi issues though. I experienced the same problem last year, but I resolved it myself by rotating my MAC address to re-trigger the login page.
Their IT also uses Fast.com to test which is not as useful as they think it is, because it's made by Netflix specifically for testing downstream speeds. It would completely miss the symptom I was experiencing in my case.
Also keep in mind that regardless of speeds, if you're accessing web pages and whatnot that are served from servers in NA, the initial load is still going to feel slower than usual due to the latency.
#2138
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,325
#2139
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 20
Noob question, need genuine advise (also cross posted to the Conrad thread):
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
#2141
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Jose Cuervo Gold, Bud Light Platinum, Schwab 401K, VW Bug 2MM
Posts: 1,099
Long shot here
Anyone currently staying here have a usb-c iPhone cable I can borrow? We need to reset my fiancé’s phone.
Whatsapp five one zero five nine three 8256
Anyone currently staying here have a usb-c iPhone cable I can borrow? We need to reset my fiancé’s phone.
Whatsapp five one zero five nine three 8256
#2142
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Globalist Hyatt, Diamond Hilton
Posts: 38
Noob question, need genuine advise (also cross posted to the Conrad thread):
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
I think this is a tough question to answer. First, the WA is now 150k points a night, so you'll need an extra 120k for a 5 night stay. Second, the $4k you are referring to at the Pullman does not include the extra $1k in taxes, so it's actually $5k. I've never stayed at an all-inclusive but would imagine that the food quality is subpar. I just finished my stay at the WA and all of the meals I've had we pretty amazing, to the point that if those restaurants were in my town, those restaurants would be some of the best in town. I live in a large city with over 6 million people, so lots of competition. The rooms at the Pullman seem to be about a third the size of the WA and are very close together, possibly lacking privacy. I'm sure the Pullman is very nice, since many of the resorts in the Maldives are. To me staying at the WA was one of the most memorable stays I've ever had and can not even think of another beach resort in the world that would compare to it. The only one that comes to mind is Soneva Jani. You will have an excellent time in the Maldives at either resort, but it will be hard to match it again when you stay at the WA.
#2143
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 49
Noob question, need genuine advise (also cross posted to the Conrad thread):
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
This is actually something I've been thinking about for a while too, especially with the increase in points. I think it depends on how easily you can get hold of Hilton points and at what cost. Here in the UK, we don't have a Hilton branded credit card (it's been discontinued) and we don't get the same benefits/bonuses with AMEX as the US so it's actually quite difficult to get hold of 600k points for a 5-night stay without buying them. When you factor in the cost of buying points, transfers and lack of availability you need to ask yourself whether it's worth it. No doubt you're getting a deal based on the cash price but you're still investing quite heavily both time and money. I've stayed at the Conrad and have a stay at the Waldorf in a couple of weeks but I'm not sure I'll go through the process again (might change my mind in a few weeks!).
If you do decide to go all-inclusive I'd recommend trying to find somewhere that has individual restaurants that you can dine in rather than a single restaurant for the whole resort. We did that once and found it took away from the isolated experience as it felt a bit like a school canteen.
#2145
Join Date: Sep 2020
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 97
Noob question, need genuine advise (also cross posted to the Conrad thread):
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
TLDR: Why stay at Waldorf Astoria versus just getting a nice all-inclusive deal like this (5 nights all-inclusive OTW villa for $4k. Includes unlimited meals, unlimited cocktails, free sea plane transfer, free activity)
Long form:
I am super newly married and have been reading up on honeymoon via points and miles. And Waldorf Maldives seems to be a popular spot. I am getting the Hilton cards to gather points + FN, and in process to stack points worth 4 nights (120k x 4), but I am wondering how good is this deal versus just paying $4k to some other hotel chain. Waldorf will charge $800 per person for sea plane, and also additional costs for meals and drinks, plus activities and spa, etc.
Need bonus recommendation:
Wondering if it will be better to just use the Hilton points for a high-end resort in Maui, and get an all-inclusive deal for Maldives like the one I linked above?
Related, how good of a "deal" is redeeming points at WA vs the all-inclusive depends on how you value each option. If it's 10x as much time and effort to book WA and it's only 2x "better" then it probably doesn't make sense to (try to) book it. You can do a more objective valuation and look at cpp, but still buying something you don't really want will always be a waste of money (or "money").
Before you decide on spending your Hilton points/FNCs somewhere, take a look at the availability. WA Maldives and Maui are very hard to get, even if you have the points ready. Just don't get your heart set on something that'll be impossible to get even if you have the points for it.