Jan 2, 2019, 3:02 pm
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}
Jun 23, 2021, 12:14 pm
#961
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 83
Upgrades are hit or miss, depends on their occupancy level. If you have the reef villa, it's half over the water already and has some benefits over the full overwater.
Jun 23, 2021, 12:17 pm
#962
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1
Is everyone getting their free Tasting Table breakfast buffet? Wiki says gold/diamond gets free breakfast but it contradicts their benefits website that ends with /en/explore/benefits/maldives.html (I cannot post the full url). Or maybe they just updated that website today when I visited and are slowly making cost cutting features.
Last edited by gamer4life; Jun 23, 2021 at 12:17 pm Reason: Added why cannot post full url
Jun 23, 2021, 1:40 pm
#963
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 83
Is everyone getting their free Tasting Table breakfast buffet? Wiki says gold/diamond gets free breakfast but it contradicts their benefits website that ends with /en/explore/benefits/maldives.html (I cannot post the full url). Or maybe they just updated that website today when I visited and are slowly making cost cutting features.
Jun 24, 2021, 4:13 am
#965
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 95
Is everyone getting their free Tasting Table breakfast buffet? Wiki says gold/diamond gets free breakfast but it contradicts their benefits website that ends with /en/explore/benefits/maldives.html (I cannot post the full url). Or maybe they just updated that website today when I visited and are slowly making cost cutting features.
Jun 25, 2021, 1:45 am
#966
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: IAH
Programs: Hilton Diamond; UA Gold; Marriott Gold; Accor Gold;
Posts: 232
Just got here, no upgrade on night one into a RV. Moved to OWV for last 6 nights, no upgrade. Resort at 60%. Wife hates moving rooms so I am sure we could have gotten one if we were more flexible but she wanted to unpack and settle in.
Jun 25, 2021, 9:51 am
#967
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Glasgow / London
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 3,457
I looked at that option too, but ended up going through a 3rd party and finding a much better deal. I did ask the hotel to quote for the same, but their price was almost twice as much as I ended up paying through an agency for a package that also included transfers and half board. It means giving up points and diamond benefits, but I'm saving over $20k on the overall cost, which more than makes up for it. Happy to send you details via PM, if you're interested?
Jun 25, 2021, 10:13 am
#969
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 83
I looked at that option too, but ended up going through a 3rd party and finding a much better deal. I did ask the hotel to quote for the same, but their price was almost twice as much as I ended up paying through an agency for a package that also included transfers and half board. It means giving up points and diamond benefits, but I'm saving over $20k on the overall cost, which more than makes up for it. Happy to send you details via PM, if you're interested?
YES, please I’m interesting to compare prices.
Jun 25, 2021, 3:38 pm
#970
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,665
We will see you all soon! About 2 hours left LAX -> SIN, then 2.5 h layover and MLE -> SIN. Literally arriving with the clothes on our back. Southwest lost our bags stateside so we have to follow-up to make sure that they were transferred to SQ and SQ will get it to MLE. And Waldorf has to pick it up from SQ in MLE. Wonder if we can spend the next 9 nights naked in paradise!
Jun 25, 2021, 7:10 pm
#971
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: IAH
Programs: Hilton Diamond; UA Gold; Marriott Gold; Accor Gold;
Posts: 232
We will see you all soon! About 2 hours left LAX -> SIN, then 2.5 h layover and MLE -> SIN. Literally arriving with the clothes on our back. Southwest lost our bags stateside so we have to follow-up to make sure that they were transferred to SQ and SQ will get it to MLE. And Waldorf has to pick it up from SQ in MLE. Wonder if we can spend the next 9 nights naked in paradise!
Last edited by tex1721; Jun 26, 2021 at 12:21 am
Jun 26, 2021, 3:53 am
#972
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,665
Thanks for the offer. We are all checked in, overlooking the private island + stella maris villas at the moment. The manager on duty offered to launder the clothes we had. We have what we have on and another set, bags will probably make it here 2 days later (they're on a night flight tomorrow). Everyone is a bit tired so we won't make happy hour and early dinner at Ledge tonight. Let's make sure to meet up in the next few days though!
Jun 26, 2021, 6:10 am
#973
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: IAH
Programs: Hilton Diamond; UA Gold; Marriott Gold; Accor Gold;
Posts: 232
Thanks for the offer. We are all checked in, overlooking the private island + stella maris villas at the moment. The manager on duty offered to launder the clothes we had. We have what we have on and another set, bags will probably make it here 2 days later (they're on a night flight tomorrow). Everyone is a bit tired so we won't make happy hour and early dinner at Ledge tonight. Let's make sure to meet up in the next few days though!
Jun 26, 2021, 9:21 pm
#974
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 95
Here is my follow up with some additional thoughts on the property since returning home.
Villas:
Beautiful and the individual villas have already had quite a bit of commentary, so I won’t repeat what I put in my previous post. I don’t see how anyone could be disappointed with any one of these villas, although I assume if you are paying cash your expectations will be higher than mine. The villa pools are huge and we threw an impromptu mini party in one with 4 other new friends we met (6 people total) and we still had plenty of room for more people. While there may technically be better overwater villas somewhere out there, they are probably not a “base villa” and I would say you will probably be somewhat ruined for overwater luxury villas after spending your time here.
General Property:
I should point out that we did not have a bad meal while we were at the Waldorf Astoria, which is good because everything is expensive. We were on a reasonable budget for a trip of this magnitude and ended up spending around $500/day in food and drinks for two people. That cost average was based upon eating free breakfast each morning at the Tasting Table, only eating two dedicated lunches during the week (we were stuffed everyday after breakfast), and a full dinner each night as mentioned below.
Regarding alcohol, we did not splurge much, but did take advantage of the Hilton benefits where we could. We had mimosas at breakfast. Typically, we had one or two “reasonably” priced drinks each ($18-$30 per drink) at dinner. We also did buy a $325, 750ml bottle of whiskey for the room as well as about $150 in mixers. Additionally, each day we went to the Hilton cocktail hour at Peacock Alley from 4PM-5PM and capitalized on this benefit. You can definitely pick up 3 or 4 free drinks here each day if that is your thing. It’s also a good way to meet others if you want to socialize. I’m very glad that we met some really cool and interesting people at this cocktail hour. We never made it to the ˝ price happy hour from 10PM-11:30PM at Nava. After all day activities in the sun and 11 time zones from home, it felt very late.
All staff were wearing a mask always. Almost no tourist was wearing a mask. The only time that we had to wear a mask was when visiting the buffet at the Tasting Table. Almost everything, including restaurants have outdoor seating or are at least open air. I am not a doctor, but I have become highly familiar with conservative COVID protocols. I think the likelyhood of catching COVID from staff here is very low. Being vaccinated, the likelyhood is almost none. There is almost certainly a greater risk (although still low) from close contacts on the long airplane trips, congested airports, or just voluntarily letting your guard down to mingle with other guests.
We received our departure COVID test at 11:00 AM the day before departure and received the results the next morning. The test was a PCR nasal swab as well as another throat swab test that I am not familiar with.
I was told that no guest had tested positive for COVID, but have no way to know if this is true. I was also told that if we tested positive, that we would have the option to quarantine onsite, or move to a government facility. I don’t know how the payment of such an arrangement would work out and I’m very glad that I did not have to find out. We did purchase the relatively affordable insurance policy provided by the Maldives through Allied, where you do have to put in the resort at which you are staying.
Weather:
We stayed for 7 nights and never saw a single rain shower hit the island. Some days were windier than others, but the weather was overall great the whole trip. Weather apps continued to show rain in the days ahead but it kept being delayed. Our last day showed 70% chance of rain, but it never materialized.
Other Thoughts:
Would we return to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives? Definitely, but there are so many other wonderful places that we would like to visit that it makes it difficult to know if, or when we would. If we were bringing our children, we would almost certainly come back to the Waldorf versus trying another resort in the Maldives. I would feel very good about bringing well-behaved children here.
If you are coming from the United States, this can be up to a two day journey each way. Even in premium cabins, the trip is not easy, especially if you have limited vacation time or family commitments you need to navigate. I would not stay for less than six nights unless your journey is shorter or it was part of longer vacation.
Excursion Schedule and Pricing
Villas:
Beautiful and the individual villas have already had quite a bit of commentary, so I won’t repeat what I put in my previous post. I don’t see how anyone could be disappointed with any one of these villas, although I assume if you are paying cash your expectations will be higher than mine. The villa pools are huge and we threw an impromptu mini party in one with 4 other new friends we met (6 people total) and we still had plenty of room for more people. While there may technically be better overwater villas somewhere out there, they are probably not a “base villa” and I would say you will probably be somewhat ruined for overwater luxury villas after spending your time here.
General Property:
- Yacht Transport – Much faster and better than additional plane rides but not even close to being worth $800/person roundtrip. Yes, the yacht is nice for the 45 minutes you are on it, but this is just a money grab as others have pointed out.
- Landscaping - It’s crazy to think about the fact that these islands are almost entirely manmade. The sheer amount of trees, flowers and foliage is astounding.
- Public Pools – We saw them but never even went in. Why would I when we have our own giant private pool at our villa? This seemed to be a common sentiment.
- Beach – The public beach is fine but we did not spend much time there. Beach space at this resort is at a premium here and much of it appears to be man-made. If direct beach access, or a larger beach is very important to you, then you may want to look at another resort.
- Snorkeling – Due to the shape of the island, which is long and narrow, you will typically only want to snorkel along the drop off to see the most. I was satisfied as we saw many fish and coral, but this reef is not quite as expansive as others in the Maldives.
- Activities – There are many options available. Unmotorized activities are free. Motorized activities have a price. There are a number of excursions – all are very expensive, probably at least double the price of similar activities at other nice properties. We did not do any excursions at the Waldorf.
- Transportation – We used our bikes regularly to travel to breakfast and back. Our concierge was quick about arranging a buggy (golf cart) when we needed to go anywhere else.
- Families/Children – We saw a number of families with children at this property. The resort has fantastic areas for children, including a splash pad, which made me immediately consider bringing ours if we ever returned. From another family we met, we were told that the supervised facility is free for children over 4 years old until 7PM. You need a nanny for children under 4 years old or to supervise any age after 7PM. Nanny rates were $25/hr before 7PM and $35/hr after 7PM. Considering the cost of everything else at thIs resort, this was a lower cost than I expected.
I should point out that we did not have a bad meal while we were at the Waldorf Astoria, which is good because everything is expensive. We were on a reasonable budget for a trip of this magnitude and ended up spending around $500/day in food and drinks for two people. That cost average was based upon eating free breakfast each morning at the Tasting Table, only eating two dedicated lunches during the week (we were stuffed everyday after breakfast), and a full dinner each night as mentioned below.
Regarding alcohol, we did not splurge much, but did take advantage of the Hilton benefits where we could. We had mimosas at breakfast. Typically, we had one or two “reasonably” priced drinks each ($18-$30 per drink) at dinner. We also did buy a $325, 750ml bottle of whiskey for the room as well as about $150 in mixers. Additionally, each day we went to the Hilton cocktail hour at Peacock Alley from 4PM-5PM and capitalized on this benefit. You can definitely pick up 3 or 4 free drinks here each day if that is your thing. It’s also a good way to meet others if you want to socialize. I’m very glad that we met some really cool and interesting people at this cocktail hour. We never made it to the ˝ price happy hour from 10PM-11:30PM at Nava. After all day activities in the sun and 11 time zones from home, it felt very late.
- Tasting Table – We only ate the free breakfast here. It was excellent. Bottomless mimosas? Yes please! The selection and variety was so much that it was not difficult at all to be full until dinner, if that is cost-saving strategy you want to pursue.
- Yasmeen – I saw a lot folks rave about this location, however for whatever reason it was my least favorite of the restaurants we tried. I got the lamb shank and the presentation was excellent, but the lamb was not any better than what I get locally. The food was not bad, I think it just was the least value for the price.
- Glow – We ate at this restaurant twice, probably because the value was so excellent. I had the Patagonian Toothfish and the Snapper and they were both excellent. This is also a great place to be if you want to watch the sun go down at Amber right before you eat as they are literally right next to each other.
- Shimizu – Maldivian lobster was good, but not any better than other lobster I’ve had elsewhere. There were a lot of items on this menu I wish I would have tried, but we never made it for second visit.
- Nava – This location is hot at lunchtime when the wind does not blow. You know this must be a common occurrence since they have fans in the area. I had the Ledge Burger and it was excellent.
- Li Long – This location is one of the more expense ones, but my wife and I were blown away by the Beijing Duck and Dumplings. Everything we tried here was excellent, as was the presentation. If I could only schedule one more dinner, it would probably be at Li Long.
- Terra – Definitely the most expensive location. Presentation was superb and the location itself is truly unique. I would recommend getting there early enough to grab one of the two highest nests as the view is a big selling point. Was it worth $300++ per person (before drinks)? I would say yes, as a splurge experience. Our pictures certainly turned out well. I definitely would not go back on the same trip as I think it was not the best value.
- All restaurant service was great. I can’t say anything bad about any of them.
- Peacock Ally Cocktail Hour– There were less people here most days than I expected; usually only 5 to 7 tables. However, one day there were significantly more people and the staff was a bit overwhelmed. The drink selection was good enough to find options that we enjoyed.
- Our concierge was terrific. I can’t say enough nice things about him. I could tell he cared about doing a good job for us and others. We were able to communicate with him quickly and directly via WhatsApp.
All staff were wearing a mask always. Almost no tourist was wearing a mask. The only time that we had to wear a mask was when visiting the buffet at the Tasting Table. Almost everything, including restaurants have outdoor seating or are at least open air. I am not a doctor, but I have become highly familiar with conservative COVID protocols. I think the likelyhood of catching COVID from staff here is very low. Being vaccinated, the likelyhood is almost none. There is almost certainly a greater risk (although still low) from close contacts on the long airplane trips, congested airports, or just voluntarily letting your guard down to mingle with other guests.
We received our departure COVID test at 11:00 AM the day before departure and received the results the next morning. The test was a PCR nasal swab as well as another throat swab test that I am not familiar with.
I was told that no guest had tested positive for COVID, but have no way to know if this is true. I was also told that if we tested positive, that we would have the option to quarantine onsite, or move to a government facility. I don’t know how the payment of such an arrangement would work out and I’m very glad that I did not have to find out. We did purchase the relatively affordable insurance policy provided by the Maldives through Allied, where you do have to put in the resort at which you are staying.
Weather:
We stayed for 7 nights and never saw a single rain shower hit the island. Some days were windier than others, but the weather was overall great the whole trip. Weather apps continued to show rain in the days ahead but it kept being delayed. Our last day showed 70% chance of rain, but it never materialized.
Other Thoughts:
Would we return to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives? Definitely, but there are so many other wonderful places that we would like to visit that it makes it difficult to know if, or when we would. If we were bringing our children, we would almost certainly come back to the Waldorf versus trying another resort in the Maldives. I would feel very good about bringing well-behaved children here.
If you are coming from the United States, this can be up to a two day journey each way. Even in premium cabins, the trip is not easy, especially if you have limited vacation time or family commitments you need to navigate. I would not stay for less than six nights unless your journey is shorter or it was part of longer vacation.
Excursion Schedule and Pricing
Jun 28, 2021, 3:16 am
#975
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: 7,344
We will see you all soon! About 2 hours left LAX -> SIN, then 2.5 h layover and MLE -> SIN. Literally arriving with the clothes on our back. Southwest lost our bags stateside so we have to follow-up to make sure that they were transferred to SQ and SQ will get it to MLE. And Waldorf has to pick it up from SQ in MLE. Wonder if we can spend the next 9 nights naked in paradise!
This is why a solid travel insurance policy is so important on trips like these. Imagine having to buy a few days of clothes from the WA shop and then presenting an airline like Southwest with that bill because they lost your bags on a separtely ticketed domestic connection
