[ARCHIVE 2018 to 2019] Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi {MDV}
Jul 14, 2019, 9:16 pm
#1606
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: FLL
Programs: United Premier 1K; Alaska MVP 75K; Hilton Honors Diamond; Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 667
To the extent this info is helpful, I got them to upgrade me to a grand overwater room (from the basic beach villa on a standard redemption) for $250/night extra in Aug. I was pretty content with that based on what I have heard so far and they said they are exempt from the complimentary upgrade program.
Jul 14, 2019, 9:26 pm
#1607
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,306
To the extent this info is helpful, I got them to upgrade me to a grand overwater room (from the basic beach villa on a standard redemption) for $250/night extra in Aug. I was pretty content with that based on what I have heard so far and they said they are exempt from the complimentary upgrade program.
I was quoted $200++ just to upgrade to the Grand Beach Villa. $400++ for the Grand Reef and $600++ for the Grand OW they quoted you $250++
Maybe the UG prices are coming down a little.
TD
Jul 15, 2019, 1:08 am
#1608
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 73
Speaking of food prices, I was at The Ledge the other night and one of their entrees was a type of beef I think prime rib listed at $350 per kg. That’s the exception though, of course, I think it was a special item for that night, they change the menu daily.
The free breakfast fast includes a full buffet and eggs cooked to order, choice from the menu of omelette, eggs Benedict, poached, over easy, sunny side up, etc. There’s no extra charge for the eggs.
Here’s a weird thing about the breakfast buffet. Every other buffet I’ve ever been to has packs of butter out, usually on ice, generally located somewhere near the breads.
Not here. The butter packs are kept squirreled away presumably under lock and key. You have to flag down a waiter and ask for butter. Then he’ll bring you a pack of Beillevaire butter a few minutes later. After a day or two you’ll learn to order butter when you arrive and order your orange juice.
I guess this is a luxury butter and the WA guests couldn’t be trusted to have free access to it on the buffet line, lest we would be lining our pockets with pack after pack of butter and stuffing our suitcases with it when we leave.
Now I guess their explanation could be “We want to make sure the butter is served at the right temperature, for your enjoyment and for food safety reasons, we don’t want to put out rock hard butter that’s hard to spread and then have it melt or get warm as it’s sitting out there on the line.” But they’ve got a yogurt/smoothie fridge they could keep the butter in there and give us free access to as much as they want, if they dare.
Yes we also had to ask for butter.
It was a piece of cut butter and was tasteless.
We are foodie : breakfast comments
Selection are bare bone.
Quality surpar.
Regular coffee 2 thumbs down
Fresh juices weren't sweet rather tasteless too
Jul 15, 2019, 2:28 am
#1609
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London and Hong Kong
Programs: Hilton Diamond.
Posts: 118
1st breakfast at tasting today :
Yes we also had to ask for butter.
It was a piece of cut butter and was tasteless.
We are foodie : breakfast comments
Selection are bare bone.
Quality surpar.
Regular coffee 2 thumbs down
Fresh juices weren't sweet rather tasteless too
Yes we also had to ask for butter.
It was a piece of cut butter and was tasteless.
We are foodie : breakfast comments
Selection are bare bone.
Quality surpar.
Regular coffee 2 thumbs down
Fresh juices weren't sweet rather tasteless too
We are foodie. Lol.
Barebones???? It is far from barebones.
The french toast I had today was one of the best I’ve had.
The butter is kept that way because it melts super quick. It’s a very good imported brand. I even showed the post to the restaurant manager.
I think this post is very unfair. It’s not the best breakfast but it’s not near to the disaster being described.
Jul 15, 2019, 2:34 am
#1610
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
To the extent this info is helpful, I got them to upgrade me to a grand overwater room (from the basic beach villa on a standard redemption) for $250/night extra in Aug. I was pretty content with that based on what I have heard so far and they said they are exempt from the complimentary upgrade program.
Jul 15, 2019, 4:19 am
#1611
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,622
Why don't they put it in the fridge with the smoothies? Or in a special butter fridge? The last day I was there, I asked for butter when I arrived and it never came. Having a system where guests have to ask for butter, and then wait for butter, and staff has to make special trips to the kitchen to bring out a single pad or pack of butter for each guest on request is just silly.
Jul 15, 2019, 4:56 am
#1612
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 586
I wonder what the cost of butter is there. I mean you can get extremely good butter in Poland or fine Hokkaido butter here in Japan, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I got a feeling I know why they are hiding it based on personal experiences living in Asia, but would be too culturally insensitive to mention why in this forum. It kind of reminds me of the norm of going to the toilet and not finding toilet paper.... BYOB
Jul 15, 2019, 5:06 am
#1613
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: FLL
Programs: United Premier 1K; Alaska MVP 75K; Hilton Honors Diamond; Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 667
Yep, it’s overwater. They even said it would normally be more but could do it for less if I confirmed right away. Perhaps they wanted to free up some more standard redemption space to bring more people to the resort.
Jul 15, 2019, 5:17 am
#1614
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,622
By the way, one reason why many staff members have now moved from Conrad to WA is that when they worked at Conrad there was no way on or off the island except by seaplane, and sometimes it was hard to get a seat on the seaplanes, so they might only leave the resort once a month or so.
Working at WA, the can go home to Male by speedboat when they finish work or when they have a day off.
There does seem to be some kind of "public ferry" speedboat service that staff members use to commute from Male to the resorts.
This raises the question of "Could guests who don't want to pay $700++ for a round trip yacht transfer use the same type of speedboat that staff uses to travel from Male to the resort?"
Working at WA, the can go home to Male by speedboat when they finish work or when they have a day off.
There does seem to be some kind of "public ferry" speedboat service that staff members use to commute from Male to the resorts.
This raises the question of "Could guests who don't want to pay $700++ for a round trip yacht transfer use the same type of speedboat that staff uses to travel from Male to the resort?"
Jul 15, 2019, 6:24 am
#1615
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
Some of the rich(er) folks here who can afford to pay cash might get a little bit upset (or maybe laughing and possibly chocking on their marble grade 8-9 wagyu steak) that cash poor - points peasants e.g Alanslegal, need to resort to such unproper behaviour.
Jul 15, 2019, 6:27 am
#1616
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 73
Here's the complimentary afternoon snack.
The left bottom row is a sample of some kind of meat, perhaps turkey.
Right bottom row is sample of salmon on cucumber.
1st top row sample of cut fruit.
Middle tow sample of desserts.
I passed on savory.
The desserts are mediocre.
Jul 15, 2019, 8:54 am
#1617
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 73
@jphripjah I am wondering what all the stuff is in front of villa 311. Could you take pictures of the beach in front of (reef villa) 311.
Thanks
Thanks
There is a house keeping pantry adjacent to villa 311
Last edited by Smurfettepharoh; Jul 15, 2019 at 8:56 am Reason: Add
Jul 15, 2019, 9:27 am
#1618
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,622
I can also confirm that I was not charged the $6 per person per night "green tax" on my points stay. My bill specifically says "Total Green Tax" $0.00.
I did have to "remind" the resort, both before arrival and upon check out, that my quoted transfer rate (pre-February 15 booking) was $370 per person round trip. They sent me a pre-arrival email stating that the transfer fee was $350 per way, and they also tried to charge me $350 per way upon check out.
Check your bill carefully if you expect to pay the lower transfer fee they were quoting up until February 15.
I did have to "remind" the resort, both before arrival and upon check out, that my quoted transfer rate (pre-February 15 booking) was $370 per person round trip. They sent me a pre-arrival email stating that the transfer fee was $350 per way, and they also tried to charge me $350 per way upon check out.
Check your bill carefully if you expect to pay the lower transfer fee they were quoting up until February 15.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:17 am
#1619
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 158
Food and beverage - I was pleasantly surprised with what we sampled :- Tasting Table, Glow, The Ledge, Li Long and in-villa dining. We did not try The Rock US$295++ pp set menu or Terra US$298++ / US$398++ set menu as we could not justify the cost and Terra looked underwhelming from an ambience point of view. We try to be foodies and chase / hunt down Michelin starred restaurant / Top 100 restaurants etc but for some reason did not feel the energy in going to these fine dining restaurants.
There are a few other view points, some much more well travelled than I can chime in about their experience / comparisons.
We were on the (mistake) $370++ per person round yacht trip deal so weren't too fussed at that point, and the fire alarm incident, we totally forgot about it at check out nor was it raised.
They had a $298 set menu at Terra? Was that lunch or something or just a level lower than the $400 one?
Jul 15, 2019, 11:09 am
#1620
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,837
Thanks for the numerous updates in this thread - appreciate very much.
Do you mind sharing if you received a complimentary upgrade or if you paid to upgrade, and if so how much?
