Traveler Dave

jphripjah

I don't know if this is relevant but when I was there waiting to leave a third party transfer (small speedboat) arrived and a white bearded guy stepped out and started bossing staff around and even poking his fingers in the chest of a staff member, which made my girlfriend audibly say "Wowww"

We later asked the "yacht concierge" who he was and she said he was the CEO of the company that built the resort or something like that.

They must have deliveries, and staff, and vendors arriving all the time and have probably had close to zero guests arriving on third party transfers so I, like you, find the argument that many customers were complaining about third party transfers to be BS.

I'm very curious to what they would say to someone who says "you told me I could take a third party transfer and I intend to to that, otherwise I expect you will transfer me for the same price I agreed with the third party vendor (easy solution) or cancel my reservation without penalty and reimburse me for the plane tickets I already bought."

flyerchatter

I suspect that the transfer cost was recently revised to $300++, rather than this being a discount specifically offered to you due to your complaint. Here is an excerpt from an email in late July (copied from another FT thread) which also lists a transfer fee of $300++. Interestingly, they have also provided a new fee for children.

Our shared luxury yacht transfer fee is fee is at US$300+23.2% Tax and service charge per adult per way. For children below 5 years, the transfer is complimentary and US$150+23.2% Tax and service charge per child per way for children between 6 to 11 years.

Mary Ann Bascon
Reservations Sales Agent
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi


I really hope that the dinner buffet on the beach becomes a regular event. It would provide the resort with a Maldivian dining experience that the other venues currently lack. It would also be nice if the resort could offer more activities, eg cooking classes, cinema on the beach. By the way, what was the charge for the buffet that night?



Speedboat would be an upgrade. More like "boat with dated furnishings".

beefninja

I have a reservation in March 2020, and currently it's in a 2-queen bed Beach Villa (which is the only thing that was available on points).

I emailed asked for the upgrade cost to a King Reef Villa. Per reading the wiki and the thread, I figured that the upgrade cost would be $200 per night. The hotel just got back to me and let me know that they could switch us with no upgrade fee, which I found quite surprising.

For dates near my date (on which I can find any Beach Villa availability), the beach villas seem to be more expensive than reef villas. However, that seems to almost be a pricing quirk, as the Beach Villa room is clearly smaller and their original pricing had the beach villas being the cheapest rooms (there was originally a clear pricing hierarchy with $200 differences to go to Reef or $200 further to go to Overwater), which is why award stays booked into them since they were their most basic room.

For dates near my date, the a BV is $2630, a RV is $1930 (which is I guess why they're offering me no upgrade fee?), and an OV is $2430. Should I accept the free RV upgrade, or am I missing something? And should I try seeing if the upgrade to a OV is potentially free?

rish

They haven't updated this on the website yet. I was quoted $350++ around end of May via email. Arriving at WA in <2 weeks and wouldn't mind saving money on this ridiculously priced transfer.

MaldivesFreak

I guess the BVs are almost sold out for that date. Limited availability = higher price.
Might as well see if the upgrade to an OWV is FOC. You have nothing to lose.

And maybe it's one of those, you know, 'glitches' that has prevented it from being added to the website. Just like the one they had before that changed "per person return" to "per person per way".

EuropeanPete

MaldivesFreak

I doubt it would make much difference. In my experience it doesn't matter where they are, they'll still smoke outside anyway and not really care whether the smoke blows over to other guests.

Israshot

When I saw your post I decided to email them (my stay is in February). This is what they answered:
"Please be informed that for next year we have changed our villa category. Kindly note that the Reef Villa will be our based category next will be the Overwater Villa and the Beach Villa.

Basically the Beach Villa will be a higher category compared to reef Villa and Overwater Villa.

If you need any further assistance please do let us know."

I can't see any reason they are doing this, why they structure their prices in such a manner? Anyone that stayed in the OWV or RV saw any downside to stay there?

Duben

I received this mail (stay Sept 28 to Oct 3.2019):

Beach Villa with Pool to Reef Villa with Pool – US $ 200 + 23.2% tax and service charge per night

Beach Villa with Pool to Overwater Villa with Pool – US $ 400 + 23.2% tax and service charge per night

beefninja

Yep. As you thought, I am apparently allowed to change from a Beach Villa to a Reef Villa or an Overwater Villa (my choice) for no charge because the resort is currently considering them as downgrades, apparently based on the price for those dates.

It's definitely weird that the Beach Villa is now priced higher than both the Reef Villa and Overwater Villa, given that the RV/OWV seem to be larger and that people generally pay a premium to be overwater. Have read through the thread, but haven't seen anyone specifically say that the RV or OWV were preferable to BV. Anyone have any reason why they preferred a BV? Otherwise, am going to jump on this.

escape4

So if you book in 2019, the beach villa is the cheapest, and if you book for dates in 2020, the BV is now priced above the RV and the OWV. To add to confusion, the room you can book with points continues to be the BV in 2020 despite the higher price.

All of this is mind boggling. I think my takeaway is that I will not pay for any kind of upgrade if the property itself cannot even make up its mind on what room type is more valuable.

beefninja

Yes, that is all correct. Originally, Beach Villa was the cheapest room and the points option. Now, it is the most expensive of the (non-2BR) rooms, but is still the points option.

Definitely will not be paying to upgrade. Am mostly trying to determine if I'm missing something, so that I can confirm my "downgrade" to a OWV before the resort changes its mind again.

escape4

This is exactly what I am considering as well, pending further feedback from people who have been to the resort already. I want to "downgrade" to OWV even though my stay is in 2019. There is nothing magical about December 31 2019 vs January 1 2020 to make one room type more valuable overnight!

beefninja

One potential funny side effect of this:

Given that they have decided that the Reef Villa is their base room, if they decide that they want RV's to be the points option...

... and since current points bookings are all in BV's, and I doubt the hotel would change them from BV to RV without our consent (though who knows?)...

... and since RVs are available basically every day during high-season...

...That could potentially open up a ton of points availability for RVs during high-season.