[ARCHIVE 2018 to 2019] Conrad Maldives Rangali Island {MDV}
Jun 13, 2018, 10:56 am
#976
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 93
It is not difficult for us because we normally eat two meals a day (breakfast and late lunch or dinner) and between meals we have fruit. We live in the U.S.
When we arrived at Conrad Maldives, we received a basket of fruit, a box of chocolate and a bottle of wine in our villa. We are gold members. So free breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour at Vilu make us full and we cannot eat anything more. One night we had dinner at Sunset Grill for my husband's birthday celebration and we had to skip the afternoon tea and the happy hour at Vilu before the dinner. I don't drink alcohol. My husband drinks wine at dinner. So I asked for tap water at Sunset Grill but they only had Voss water ($19.99 per bottle if I remember it correctly).
This was our second time at Conrad Maldives. So we did not pay for the upgrade like the first time.
When we arrived at Conrad Maldives, we received a basket of fruit, a box of chocolate and a bottle of wine in our villa. We are gold members. So free breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour at Vilu make us full and we cannot eat anything more. One night we had dinner at Sunset Grill for my husband's birthday celebration and we had to skip the afternoon tea and the happy hour at Vilu before the dinner. I don't drink alcohol. My husband drinks wine at dinner. So I asked for tap water at Sunset Grill but they only had Voss water ($19.99 per bottle if I remember it correctly).
This was our second time at Conrad Maldives. So we did not pay for the upgrade like the first time.
Jun 13, 2018, 11:45 am
#977
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
I envy you. I have to eat 5, soon to be 6 times a day. If I only ate twice or three times a day I'd actually feel hungry again before each meal.
Jun 13, 2018, 1:40 pm
#978
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 93
It was our wonderful trip in January 2018. We flew from Seattle to Narita (ANA) and Narita to Bangkok (Thai) and flew back from Bangkok to Taipei (Thai) and Taipei to Seattle (EVA). All legs were business class (using United miles). We paid only $500 for round trip tickets for 2 from Don Muang (Bangkok) to Maldives by Air Asia. (A lot cheaper than Bangkok Airways when we flew to Maldives our first time in May 2016.) The priority pass lounge at Don Muang Airport was nicer than the Bangkok Airways lounge.
We also went to Koh Samui. We stayed at Intercontinental 2 nights using Chase free nights and 2 nights at Conrad Koh Samui using points. We got upgraded from a standard room to a two-bedroom villa plus free dinner for two after I complained about the bad smell in the standard room. At Conrad Koh Samui, we booked a 1-bedroom waterfront villa but got upgraded to a 1-bedroom oceanview villa. Not sure if it was really an upgrade but we were happy with the view and the room. We liked our stay at Intercontinental better than at Conrad Koh Samui. The food at Intercontinental was more delicious and we liked the long pathways down to the beach. But the villa at Conrad was nicer.
When we were back to Bangkok, we stayed 2 nights (Chase free nights) at Grand Hyatt Erawan and another 3 nights with points at Intercontinental Bangkok. At Grand Hyatt Erawan we got upgraded to a spa cottage suite. What a surprise! We did not expect any upgrade because we are only Discoverist. When we moved across the street to Intercontinental Bangkok, we got upgraded to a deluxe room with free breakfast. We did not expect this one either because we are Platinum with Chase card. The breakfast at Intercontinental Bangkok was better than the club lounge at Hyatt Erawan.
We liked our stay at Conrad Maldives the most for this trip. We were happy we got the beach villa we requested. We saw a lot of fish when snorkeling and five rays swam by in front of our beach villa. The weather in January was a lot nicer than in May.
We also went to Koh Samui. We stayed at Intercontinental 2 nights using Chase free nights and 2 nights at Conrad Koh Samui using points. We got upgraded from a standard room to a two-bedroom villa plus free dinner for two after I complained about the bad smell in the standard room. At Conrad Koh Samui, we booked a 1-bedroom waterfront villa but got upgraded to a 1-bedroom oceanview villa. Not sure if it was really an upgrade but we were happy with the view and the room. We liked our stay at Intercontinental better than at Conrad Koh Samui. The food at Intercontinental was more delicious and we liked the long pathways down to the beach. But the villa at Conrad was nicer.
When we were back to Bangkok, we stayed 2 nights (Chase free nights) at Grand Hyatt Erawan and another 3 nights with points at Intercontinental Bangkok. At Grand Hyatt Erawan we got upgraded to a spa cottage suite. What a surprise! We did not expect any upgrade because we are only Discoverist. When we moved across the street to Intercontinental Bangkok, we got upgraded to a deluxe room with free breakfast. We did not expect this one either because we are Platinum with Chase card. The breakfast at Intercontinental Bangkok was better than the club lounge at Hyatt Erawan.
We liked our stay at Conrad Maldives the most for this trip. We were happy we got the beach villa we requested. We saw a lot of fish when snorkeling and five rays swam by in front of our beach villa. The weather in January was a lot nicer than in May.
Jun 13, 2018, 3:54 pm
#979
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
Has anyone used the Wellness lounge at the airport that is part of the Plaza Premium lounges? Recent blog posts say that you get free admittance by being an Amex Platinum card holder.
Jun 13, 2018, 4:17 pm
#980
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA,CX, BA, Priority Club, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,397
not sure about amex platinum in general. But this is Priority Pass lounge. So if you have US Amex Platinum, then the PP covers it.
Jun 13, 2018, 4:42 pm
#981
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: CT
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 429
Skipping dinner is doable. In fact, as a Gold/Diamond you could almost not need to pay for any food - have a late breakfast, then you skip lunch, head to afternoon tea and go wild there. Sure you miss out on other dinner experiences afterwards but if one wants to be frugal, not need to eat a lot or whatever, then it is possible. I recall having afternoon tea and not wanting to eat any dinner afterwards, so when I had dinners booked in the days following like at Ithaa and the lobster BBQ buffet, I skipped afternoon tea / happy hour to save ourselves feeling full.
Jun 13, 2018, 8:11 pm
#984
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 190
Since both the water villa and beach villa are 95k points are upgrade prices to better rooms the same whether you book a beach villa award or water villa award?
Jun 14, 2018, 1:19 am
#985
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
The wiki has the figures.
Jun 14, 2018, 5:07 pm
#986
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 83
How's light pollution at the resort? Planning on taking a camera/tripod and taking some astronomy pictures. Any thoughts?
Jun 14, 2018, 10:44 pm
#987
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
Not too bad. There have been some great photos at night from a couple of members posted here a couple of years ago. You could search for them using the search function but it might take some time and just the right search terms.
Jun 15, 2018, 6:16 am
#988
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 52
with Olympus TG-5 , my first attempt at live composure photo , deck umbrella is blocking full moon
That side of small didn’t have too much of light pollution, unless your neighbors leave deck lights on all night
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Jun 15, 2018, 10:43 am
#990
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
This pic gives you a very good idea of where the UWS is
The angle that the recent pics were taken from gives the impression that the walkway extends from close to the bottom of Rangalifinolhu Island but as we can see it's just about in the middle of it and the staff island.
The angle that the recent pics were taken from gives the impression that the walkway extends from close to the bottom of Rangalifinolhu Island but as we can see it's just about in the middle of it and the staff island.