[ARCHIVE 2018 to 2019] Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi {MDV}
Feb 20, 2019, 5:49 am
#527
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 827
This looks like something new which may be interesting for those of us who would like to take the kids too. They have posted their family policy and it looks like extra beds for kids under 12 will be free :
Family Policy
Hotel requires parent/guardian to sign a liability waiver to accommodate children below 12 years. Rollaway beds are complimentary for children under 12 years old, cribs are complimentary. For more information, please contact [email protected]
Feb 20, 2019, 7:07 am
#528
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: MUC
Programs: LH Sen, HH Diamond, IC RA
Posts: 313
A recent experience from a friend.
If you add 1 kid to your booking with 2 adults, you can only select Grand rooms or bigger.
2 kids > Two bedroom Villas.
As he previously booked a 2 queen bed villa with points, he contacted the hotel and wanted to add the two kids <12y to the reservation.
He was told, that a King or 2Queen bed Villa cannot accomodate more than 2 people and would have to pay to upgrade to a Grand villa
Basically rollaway beds are complimentary, but you have to pay for an upgrade to put these beds in your room.
If you add 1 kid to your booking with 2 adults, you can only select Grand rooms or bigger.
2 kids > Two bedroom Villas.
As he previously booked a 2 queen bed villa with points, he contacted the hotel and wanted to add the two kids <12y to the reservation.
He was told, that a King or 2Queen bed Villa cannot accomodate more than 2 people and would have to pay to upgrade to a Grand villa
Basically rollaway beds are complimentary, but you have to pay for an upgrade to put these beds in your room.
Last edited by tom-schmitt; Feb 20, 2019 at 7:41 am
Feb 20, 2019, 7:55 am
#529
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 93
A recent experience from a friend.
If you add 1 kid to your booking with 2 adults, you can only select Grand rooms or bigger.
2 kids > Two bedroom Villas.
As he previously booked a 2 queen bed villa with points, he contacted the hotel and wanted to add the two kids <12y to the reservation.
He was told, that a King or 2Queen bed Villa cannot accomodate more than 2 people and would have to pay to upgrade to a Grand villa
Basically rollaway beds are complimentary, but you have to pay for an upgrade to put these beds in your room.
If you add 1 kid to your booking with 2 adults, you can only select Grand rooms or bigger.
2 kids > Two bedroom Villas.
As he previously booked a 2 queen bed villa with points, he contacted the hotel and wanted to add the two kids <12y to the reservation.
He was told, that a King or 2Queen bed Villa cannot accomodate more than 2 people and would have to pay to upgrade to a Grand villa
Basically rollaway beds are complimentary, but you have to pay for an upgrade to put these beds in your room.
Thank you for the email.
May I reconfirm that 2 adults and 1 child will be travelling? In this case, our standard award room will not be able to accommodate 2 adults and 1 child.
We will be able to accommodate 3 guests in our Grand Beach Villa with Pool. Upgrade of $200++ per night
Feb 20, 2019, 9:02 am
#530
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
That's a bunch of nonsense. I wonder since when did it become the norm and accepted for these hotels to start making money off of 3 guests when you got 2 beds. Or additional guests period for that matter. Seems like this trend started less than 10 years ago.
Last edited by scwam; Feb 20, 2019 at 9:10 am
Feb 20, 2019, 10:59 am
#531
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 827
I had feared that this would be the case. I hope they decide to change this at some point, as I find it hard to believe that a 254 Sq meter room can't fit an extra bed. I expect it's more about $$$.
Feb 20, 2019, 11:44 am
#532
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: So Cal
Posts: 933
254 sq meters is not the room size. This measurement is inclusive of the deck, pool, etc. Annoying!!
Feb 20, 2019, 12:04 pm
#533
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
It even says it can accommodate 3.
Last edited by scwam; Feb 20, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Feb 20, 2019, 5:01 pm
#535
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,621
They should just ban children entirely. Charging for children as a way to deter their parents from bringing them is better than nothing.
Feb 20, 2019, 6:43 pm
#536
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
I’ve been to the Maldives countless times, and obviously love it.
I love getting rooms north of $2000 a night for pennies on the dollar and with very valuable elite benefits. And the chance to be in what I consider pure paradise, in superb properties with fabulous amenities, service and food.
Do I try and spend as little as possible however... yes of course. Do I enjoy the overpriced add ons... No way.
I love getting rooms north of $2000 a night for pennies on the dollar and with very valuable elite benefits. And the chance to be in what I consider pure paradise, in superb properties with fabulous amenities, service and food.
Do I try and spend as little as possible however... yes of course. Do I enjoy the overpriced add ons... No way.
Heres the rub.... the hotels set the award inventory. They have control. Amazing isn’t it? It’s their business. They own it. They decide point structure and availability. You may think you can sue them or “people power” them into what you think is fair, but I doubt that will work. It just won’t.
If a a certain group (points redeemers) has a demanding, even threatening (shouting about emails being legal contracts, saying they won’t pay etc) there is a good chance the hotel (privately owned... not owned by Hilton as claimed/implied upthread) will shut down points availability in the future.
If in their position (I’m glad I’m not... in an increasingly competitive market, geographical issues and huge costs involved) I would do so.
If a a certain group (points redeemers) has a demanding, even threatening (shouting about emails being legal contracts, saying they won’t pay etc) there is a good chance the hotel (privately owned... not owned by Hilton as claimed/implied upthread) will shut down points availability in the future.
If in their position (I’m glad I’m not... in an increasingly competitive market, geographical issues and huge costs involved) I would do so.
I'm not an insider but AFAIK it is common knowledge that Hilton Corporate set such policies and decide on whether there are blackout dates, rooms available for redemption bookings, point rates and so forth. As for this property and point rates, you are 100% incorrect as there have been numerous posts here confirming that the resort was waiting for Hilton USA to set the rates - the property can not do this themselves. I mean come on, common sense would dictate that in a loyalty program where properties are graded into categories and there are various rules for redemptions - be it points or free night certificates, it is the brand and its owner, not the individual property that sets these rates. Can you imagine what chaos would ensue if Hilton allowed individual properties to set rates and decide to not make any inventory available for redemption? LMAO! There are posts about the almost zero lack of availability at some properties and some have suspected that there are one or two that have no award rooms but this has been proven not to be the case, at least in the Hilton portfolio. Every property must have some award space for redemption - it's part and parcel of being in the HHonors program. If you have infomation to the contrary, please do share it with links to verified sources.
Hmm, that's a bit of a turnaround.
Last edited by MaldivesFreak; Feb 21, 2019 at 10:56 pm
Feb 20, 2019, 11:00 pm
#537
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 253
Can’t find award availability for the next year ...???
Feb 20, 2019, 11:02 pm
#538
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 93
Delete
Last edited by sambo150; Feb 21, 2019 at 12:29 am
Feb 21, 2019, 1:21 am
#539
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,621
Looks like they have pulled all standard room award availability at least for the rest of the year. They have also discounted the rooms from $1,833 per night to $1,374 member rate for the first three months , not cancelable.
Feb 21, 2019, 4:40 am
#540
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: HHonors Diamond; Royal Ambassor
Posts: 475
Just a note, not only for you but for everyone reading this, most people believe that everything is imported. This is not the case by any means. Pretty much all vegetables are grown locally and most, if not all, of the fresh seafood is caught locally as well. Take lobster as an example - there is no imported lobster from Canadia, the US, the Caribbean etc nor is there any from anywhere else except the Maldives. The only frozen fish they import is that which happens to be on the menu but cannot be sourced locally.
Even Rangali, which hotel you are very familiar, used to have canadian lobster a few years ago, many others still have it on the menu, like the Reethi Rah
As you are always asking for proof, i added some links.
https://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/-/media/oneandonly/pdfs/reethi-rah/menus/tapasake/one-and-only-reethi-rah-tapasake-menu-oct2016.pdf?la=en-gb&v1
On your next visit to Rangali you should ask for a tour to staff island, i doubt you will find a lot of local products in the storage facilities.
They do some hydroponics (green salad), plant some Herbs, especially mint for the cocktails, spices, chillies...everything else is imported.
Even coconut milk, which used to be a local product is now imported.
The Cocal Cola Products are also importet from Middle-East,
. Althouth there is Coca-Cola Factory on the Maldives, which is the only one using desalinated water worldwide, the Hotels prefer
the Coke Products from other countries, as most guest find that the desalinated Coke tastes strange.
Here is another link to a Maledivian Supermarket, where you can find the origin of the different fruit and vegetables:
https://maldiviancart.com/
Even there you won´t find many local products from the Maldives.
Some more scientific work about this.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/56361515.pdf
Local products will be used for events like Maldivian night or can be bought at local markets or will be grown in private gardens.
Hopefully there will be more local production in the future, and actually there is more than a few years a go, but definitely not enough to deliver the hotels.