[ARCHIVE 2018 to 2019] Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi {MDV}
Feb 11, 2019, 5:21 pm
#331
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold, UA Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 342
In all fairness I think you should have used this pic instead
Well, maybe the SAii Lagoon Curio comes into the essentially everything that the maldives shouldn't be category.
I agree with the fact that there is a serious lack of natural flora. The fact that a lot of the resort's area is mostly reclaimed land certainly makes it feel artificial. Conrad has tons of what this resort doesn't. I'll go once just because it's new and it will be interesting, however I don't expect it to hold my interest for multiple visits like Rangali does.
Regarding the lagoon, I have to disagree with you there. Where the main islands are situated there is a perfectly normal lagoon. The six boats in the picture above are in the lagoon and it's plain to see that the water isn't that deep even right in the middle. The water in the middle of Rangali's lagoon between the 2 islands is deeper than that.
As for swimming and beaches, you have to take into consideration the size of the resort and then calculate roughly how wide the beaches are and how far out the depth increases. For example, the middle section of the resort with the beach villas (the strip where the Welcome Centre is located) looks to have at least 10m of beachfront and then 30 or 40m of reasonably shallow water before it gets to any dropoff / deep water. The BVs on the other side of the resort are a different story, however.
Well, maybe the SAii Lagoon Curio comes into the essentially everything that the maldives shouldn't be category.
I agree with the fact that there is a serious lack of natural flora. The fact that a lot of the resort's area is mostly reclaimed land certainly makes it feel artificial. Conrad has tons of what this resort doesn't. I'll go once just because it's new and it will be interesting, however I don't expect it to hold my interest for multiple visits like Rangali does.
Regarding the lagoon, I have to disagree with you there. Where the main islands are situated there is a perfectly normal lagoon. The six boats in the picture above are in the lagoon and it's plain to see that the water isn't that deep even right in the middle. The water in the middle of Rangali's lagoon between the 2 islands is deeper than that.
As for swimming and beaches, you have to take into consideration the size of the resort and then calculate roughly how wide the beaches are and how far out the depth increases. For example, the middle section of the resort with the beach villas (the strip where the Welcome Centre is located) looks to have at least 10m of beachfront and then 30 or 40m of reasonably shallow water before it gets to any dropoff / deep water. The BVs on the other side of the resort are a different story, however.
when i was referring to there being very little lagoon infront of the water villa, i was talking about the 2/3 lines of water villas closer to the unfinished side of the island. the strip of blue seems very narrow to me. im also not impressed with the colors of the lagoon near the welcome center. it seems to be very much one shade of blue rather than the many shades that can be found at the conrad (and many other resorts in the maldives).
im still of the idea that if im spending 1.8K a night for a room/island in the Maldives, it better be damn perfect. i think that 1.8K goes a lot further in other, non US chain islands in the maldives than it does here at the WA.
Feb 11, 2019, 5:36 pm
#332
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: HH Lifetime Diamond, DL PM, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 920
I just booked 7 nights the week before Christmas. I used a free night certificate and also got the 5th night free. I had to ask to be transferred because the first person on the phone wasn't seeing standard room availability. The second agent was able to help and got everything booked.
Last edited by Michael19887; Feb 11, 2019 at 6:29 pm
Feb 11, 2019, 10:09 pm
#333
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: SPG Plat, AE*E, Hyatt Diamond, AAdv, BA Exec
Posts: 257
We have a confirmed trip to Maldives dec 22-27 or 28 to Maldives and would appreciate if someone who booked the standard rate and thinking about cancelling to coordinate! I lost the opportunity to book the standard rate. Will really appreciate it! Thanks.
Feb 11, 2019, 10:52 pm
#334
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,304
Before the points options went live the website had an April opening date. You could book April and later by emailing directly. Now the website has July 1st bookings available online.
Curious if anyone knows what day they plan to open? I presume the July 1st date is giving them some security in case the final push to complete the resort is delayed. With a resort of this size and price point a soft opening would not be out of line.
TD
Curious if anyone knows what day they plan to open? I presume the July 1st date is giving them some security in case the final push to complete the resort is delayed. With a resort of this size and price point a soft opening would not be out of line.
TD
Last edited by Canarsie; Feb 18, 2019 at 1:55 pm Reason: Consolidation.
Feb 11, 2019, 11:04 pm
#335
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,830
OK so you can book a two queen beach villa for std 120k pts. But only for two adults. You add two kids, and the std awards go away. That's real cool.....
Feb 11, 2019, 11:16 pm
#336
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,304
The BV at the Conrad are smaller and they allow 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. Hopefully they are still just working out some website kinks. The website has “Two Queen Bedded”. What’s a Bedded?
bed·ded
/ˈbedəd/
adjective
GEOLOGY
- (of rock) deposited in layers or strata, especially in a way specified.
"thinly bedded carbonate mudstones"
TD
Feb 11, 2019, 11:32 pm
#337
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
Put the frog in warm water before you turn up the heat otherwise the frog jump out!
Nope, just one of the tricks (I mentioned above) Hilton has been doing for a while. Change you to a preferred room and pay more points when you add a third body. Although I mostly look at Japanese Hiltons since I live here, I've been seeing this consistently happening here. In the case of WA here, I added my kid as "Additional Guest" to the final pages to counteract this ploy.
Another trick to be on the look-out for are 2-day point bookings vs. 3 or more days consecutively. For example, you might find a Thursday and Friday night together being discounted. Book both together and you get that discounted rate. But add Saturday night, at 95k for only that night with the Thurs and Fri nights, those two nights you think you'll get discounted are suddenly the full 95k each as well, 95k x3 vs. 66k + 66k + 95k. Single nights will often show up as the maximum and lots of 3 do the same. So be careful when you need 3+ nights, look for multiple bookings of 2-day lots when the hotel has a variable rate.
Another trick to be on the look-out for are 2-day point bookings vs. 3 or more days consecutively. For example, you might find a Thursday and Friday night together being discounted. Book both together and you get that discounted rate. But add Saturday night, at 95k for only that night with the Thurs and Fri nights, those two nights you think you'll get discounted are suddenly the full 95k each as well, 95k x3 vs. 66k + 66k + 95k. Single nights will often show up as the maximum and lots of 3 do the same. So be careful when you need 3+ nights, look for multiple bookings of 2-day lots when the hotel has a variable rate.
Last edited by scwam; Feb 11, 2019 at 11:48 pm
Feb 11, 2019, 11:35 pm
#338
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,304
Was looking through my reservation to see if it had anything about occupancy. Nothing specific, but I did find this attached to the reservation
Family policy
We recommend families with children reserve Beach Villas. Should you wish to reserve Reef or Overwater Villas, a legal waiver must be signed on confirmation of booking. Contact hotel for more info.
Sonone would have to deduce the BV supports mire than 2 people. I guess they could restrict the points stays in those rooms to just 2 people, but don’t think that will be the case.
TD
Family policy
We recommend families with children reserve Beach Villas. Should you wish to reserve Reef or Overwater Villas, a legal waiver must be signed on confirmation of booking. Contact hotel for more info.
Sonone would have to deduce the BV supports mire than 2 people. I guess they could restrict the points stays in those rooms to just 2 people, but don’t think that will be the case.
TD
Feb 11, 2019, 11:36 pm
#339
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,621
Feb 12, 2019, 12:02 am
#340
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,304
Website has “From 234sq.m./2,518 sq.ft., spacious villa, pool, beach access, pavilion”
In theory, the 234 covers everything listed. The 85 on the floorplan they sent me only covers the interior Villa space. The website has “From 234”, and the map has 675 total area. So presumedly the “total area” could vary a bunch.
It also only shows 9 of KBV. In posts above, there was mention of 10 KBV being open for points. So the map I posted may have been an early concept. Though they did just send it to me.
TD
In theory, the 234 covers everything listed. The 85 on the floorplan they sent me only covers the interior Villa space. The website has “From 234”, and the map has 675 total area. So presumedly the “total area” could vary a bunch.
It also only shows 9 of KBV. In posts above, there was mention of 10 KBV being open for points. So the map I posted may have been an early concept. Though they did just send it to me.
TD
Feb 12, 2019, 1:12 am
#341
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
@MF: are you now splitting your Dec stay to include the WA? Or are you still doing all 31 at Conrad? We are now doing 6 night at Conrad and 11-13 nights at Waldorf. Still should have a window to meet up with other FlyerTalkers at Conrad happy hour, or up in the trees at WA 
@Traveler Dave
Your first floorplan shows Grand Beach Villa with Pool in the title then on the actual graphic there is BEACH VILLA - 1 BEDROOM KING SITTING
The second floorplan shows Beach Villa with Pool in the title then on the actual graphic there is BEACH VILLA - 1 BEDROOM KING
The second seems to match so I suppose the SITTING would indicate Grand. You'd expect it to read BEACH VILLA - 1 BEDROOM KING GRAND. Might have to pay attention to the phrase sitting standing for sitting room (and there being no grand written) as we get more floorplans.
Did they give you one for the Two Queen Bedded Beach Villa with Pool? Would be intereted to see the few sq.m in size difference of the bedroom to make sure it's not a typo and the villa's bedroom is actually slightly larger to accommodate the two beds.
And there really should be a hyphen between queen and bedded to make 100% sense. Otherwise they might indicate the two queen beds are actually made of stone, or embedded in stone, LOL.
Feb 12, 2019, 1:19 am
#342
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
Exactly! Little inconsistencies like these make you wonder who they hire to proofread these things. They should get their clever revenue team to work on that too.
Last edited by scwam; Feb 12, 2019 at 1:25 am
Feb 12, 2019, 1:36 am
#343
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
Nope, just one of the tricks (I mentioned above) Hilton has been doing for a while. Change you to a preferred room and pay more points when you add a third body. Although I mostly look at Japanese Hiltons since I live here, I've been seeing this consistently happening here. In the case of WA here, I added my kid as "Additional Guest" to the final pages to counteract this ploy.
Another trick to be on the look-out for are 2-day point bookings vs. 3 or more days consecutively. For example, you might find a Thursday and Friday night together being discounted. Book both together and you get that discounted rate. But add Saturday night, at 95k for only that night with the Thurs and Fri nights, those two nights you think you'll get discounted are suddenly the full 95k each as well, 95k x3 vs. 66k + 66k + 95k. Single nights will often show up as the maximum and lots of 3 do the same. So be careful when you need 3+ nights, look for multiple bookings of 2-day lots when the hotel has a variable rate.
Another trick to be on the look-out for are 2-day point bookings vs. 3 or more days consecutively. For example, you might find a Thursday and Friday night together being discounted. Book both together and you get that discounted rate. But add Saturday night, at 95k for only that night with the Thurs and Fri nights, those two nights you think you'll get discounted are suddenly the full 95k each as well, 95k x3 vs. 66k + 66k + 95k. Single nights will often show up as the maximum and lots of 3 do the same. So be careful when you need 3+ nights, look for multiple bookings of 2-day lots when the hotel has a variable rate.
Feb 12, 2019, 1:47 am
#344
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
Which brings us again to the resort's too crowded nature and the lack of beachfront to have this kind of thing. Shame that. I don't really see anywhere to host a beach BBQ either. The only places I could see them hosting an event with 25 or 30 or more tables is the beachfront outside the main pool (hardly a good place to host a BBQ) or even behind the staff quarters (on the promo video anyway), LOL.
He was talking about hotels in Japan where he lives.
Last edited by Canarsie; Apr 30, 2019 at 11:57 am Reason: Consolidation.
Feb 12, 2019, 3:14 am
#345
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Virgin / BA
Posts: 11
BMG certificate
I see some of you mentioning certificate stays?
Is that a BMG? I've booked 5 nights here on points - can i add an additional night with a BMG certificate?
Is that a BMG? I've booked 5 nights here on points - can i add an additional night with a BMG certificate?
