goliath

It's really a glass bottom boat, a Looker 320.

MaldivesFreak

Actually, on the subject of Muraka and millions of points, I'm guessing they'd probably want something like 10mil for a night. I wonder if they would do say a million or two for 2hours in there, say lunch or dinner. They'd surely get some takers. Are you reading this, Stefano?

Splotly

Splotly

MaldivesFreak

Guilty as charged!

MaldivesFreak

No. They did actually have a sub. It was a Nemo 100. Check this out: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...li_Island.html

MaldivesFreak

No and you are correct for the most part. I think there was a Maldivian dish at one of the restaurants quite a few years back - a (tuna?) salad I think - but I think there was only one and the menus have been changed recently so it doesn't really count.

brodielayne

Returned last night after a 6 day stay at this fine property. Our first 3 nights in a DBV with the remaining 3 nights in a DWV. Overall we had a great trip and look forward to a future stay. Below are my impressions of the resort:

Pros:
- While occupancy was at a stated 80%, it felt like the resort was rather empty. The biggest crowds we saw were at Vilu happy hour.
- Vilu Happy hour was enjoyable, and we managed 3-4 drinks in the hour. The staff was always moving, and worked hard to keep everyone happy.
- Vilu breakfast was preferred to the buffet at Atoll. I also liked the fact that you could get some sparkling wine to start the day.
- Deluxe Beach villa really is a nice room, with plenty of space, especially once you incorporate the outside areas. Our plunge pool was long enough to do laps(room 227).
- We enjoyed all the food options with the lone exceptions of the Wagyu hamburger(Meatloaf) and Maldivian night(mystery meat). Sunset Grill was our favorite, though we also thoroughly enjoyed Mandhoo and Vilu.
- Quiet zone was our go to on several days where we relaxed in the pool, enjoyed happy hour after Vilu happy hour, and fired up the hookah. You can order food here, and it arrives rather fast considering they do not have their own kitchen.
- I thought the sand on the beach in most areas was outstanding, especially the closer you got to the water. A few areas it was a little rough, but for the most part it was better than expected after reading several complaints.
- Massages were a bargain, relative to the other pricing on the property. Both Spa Retreat and the Over Water Spa were enjoyable, with incredibly solid staff. I did prefer the Over Water Spa, watching the sea life for half of the massage experience. The undergarments provided are rather interesting and well............ I have a hard time finding a solid massage therapist, and the two that I used were both on point and did a great job. We booked a package at the Conrad lounge awaiting our seaplane. We both received a 75 minute massage, as well as a lunch at Mandhoo for a little over $800 including the 23% tax/service charge. As a Diamond they offered 15 additional minutes for one of the massages. I asked about the 30 minutes I had read about and was told it was 15 minutes. It was a set menu at Mandhoo, however since I do not eat fish the chef offered me to pick anything off the A la carte menu, so I went with the tenderloin.
- Housekeeping did a great job with overall cleanliness, and also once asked kept the room well stocked with bottled water. I like to drink when on beach vacations, and I never once felt dehydrated as a result of the plentiful water offered up.
- Weather was damn near perfect, with one day providing an overcast sky with a little afternoon rain. The Quiet Zone bar provided a great spot to hang out while it rained.
- Staff was awesome! I did not come across a single employee who did not offer to the great stay. The GM Stefano was interesting to talk with, and provided a look at his place, which is a nice setup sort of hidden on the smaller island.
- Speaking of the smaller island, this would be my preferred spot to stay when we return. I like all the island has to offer, and it is a bit more laid back than the larger island.
- Received a late check out right up until our seaplane departed in the afternoon. This allowed half of a day of additional chilling with the opportunity to shower up right before we left.

Cons:
- It's pricey! My wife and I averaged roughly $1k a day on food and drink, with the included breakfast and happy hour as a Hilton Diamond. We likely drink more than most, so take that into account when planning.
- Felt like we overpaid for the DWV and would gladly pick a SWV next time. This would have saved us nearly $1k, for almost the same room from what I can tell.
- Sea life was less than expected around the DWV. I only have our amazing room at the Conrad Bora Bora to compare it to, which is not a fair compare as our room in Bora Bora was in much deeper water.
Overall we had a great stay and will make sure to stay longer due to the long trip from Los Angeles. I should add that I prefer a one stop thru Doha vs the added stop going via Singapore. Singapore Airlines recently started up a non stop from LAX-SIN, and we might take advantage of that going forward as the timing is rather good, though was not available when we booked.

Trip cost:
Airfare was only taxes outside of the seaplane expense as we used points. Seaplane is $590 including taxes per person
Singapore Airlines First LAX-ICN-SIN, Silkair Business from SIN-MLE.
Qatar Business MLE-DOH-LAX.
Room rate was around $2k total, which was upgrade pricing for all 6 nights as we used 475,000 HH points for our 6 night stay.
Nanny $1,500
Total cost around $9-10k.

A big thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.

lhrhappy

Were you ever concerned about the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar? It looks like their product and award availability are both absolutely stellar, but I have a hard time making plans that could be derailed by a political scuffle.

Kagehitokiri

incredible wiki and fascinating posts re muraka details !

less impressive (and not unique like muraka) but cost a lot less >
atlantisthepalm.com/hotel-rooms/signature-suites/signature-suites-underwater ($4K)
rwsentosa.com/en/hotels/ocean-suite/overview

brodielayne

Ironically I booked my trip dates to get away from politics. LOL
I had zero concern, in fact my only concern was the rhetoric about Qatar leaving Oneworld, and what impact that might have on my award ticket. DOH is a really nice airport with rather thorough screening at the gate.

pineapple_09

lhrhappy

Use of the lounge upon departure is not complimentary for anyone--even diamond members--anymore. If you want it, you must pay the supplement. And it's normally only open until 6PM.

brodielayne

Qsuites is not coming till next Feb for this route, however the current setup is more than comfortable for the flight. Out of the three I would stick with Qatar, especially if you have AA miles to burn. We did take the 20:20 flight and did not use the Conrad lounge as it does not have much more to offer than the airport lounge. Luckily we had a later seaplane and were not in the airport all that long.

lizakramer

Hi Pineapple - I am flying Qatar DOH-MLE this Thursday (8:25am departure) and the aircraft is showing QSuites. If you have not already done so, you should check out the Qatar Airways board on FT - there is an entire thread dedicated to the QSuites discussion. If you'd like my feedback, please PM me and let me know if you have any specific questions.