[ARCHIVE 2018 to 2019] Conrad Maldives Rangali Island {MDV}
Aug 10, 2018, 3:23 am
#1276
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Virgin Gold; HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 417
Just arrived - looks like a great weather year (jinxed now for sure). Ruined only by the fact they haven’t upgraded us to the under water villa! (I suppose it is still only half built but even so I’d have been willing to give it a test run for them if they’d begged me to!)
Snazzy new TVs in the rooms (including full smart functionality for the hour while the wife’s hair is drying and other assorted faffing around is being endured). And it includes an info section that sets out various ‘policies’ including one on the use of drones - which for sure will divide opinions 50/50. (I happen to be in the camp where I don’t own one but would love to take a few great overhead shots for the album if I did - and feel confident I could be trusted - but feeling equally confident I’d feel jolly uncomfortable and on edge trusting others if I saw one scooting about overhead - oh the hypocrisy of that ah!)
Feels like there’s a rather quieter crowd here this year, which feels nice!
Snazzy new TVs in the rooms (including full smart functionality for the hour while the wife’s hair is drying and other assorted faffing around is being endured). And it includes an info section that sets out various ‘policies’ including one on the use of drones - which for sure will divide opinions 50/50. (I happen to be in the camp where I don’t own one but would love to take a few great overhead shots for the album if I did - and feel confident I could be trusted - but feeling equally confident I’d feel jolly uncomfortable and on edge trusting others if I saw one scooting about overhead - oh the hypocrisy of that ah!)
Feels like there’s a rather quieter crowd here this year, which feels nice!
Aug 10, 2018, 3:33 am
#1277
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,060
It's supposed to rain tomorrow and Sunday. 
We have no basis for comparison since it's our first time here, but we feel like it's quiet. Certainly there was more activity when we walked over to the main island awhile ago, but on the water villa island it seems like there aren't many people around.
We have no basis for comparison since it's our first time here, but we feel like it's quiet. Certainly there was more activity when we walked over to the main island awhile ago, but on the water villa island it seems like there aren't many people around.
Aug 10, 2018, 7:59 am
#1278
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LGB
Posts: 1,205
And it includes an info section that sets out various ‘policies’ including one on the use of drones - which for sure will divide opinions 50/50. (I happen to be in the camp where I don’t own one but would love to take a few great overhead shots for the album if I did - and feel confident I could be trusted - but feeling equally confident I’d feel jolly uncomfortable and on edge trusting others if I saw one scooting about overhead - oh the hypocrisy of that ah!)
Imagine: If your villa neighbor's teenage brat could shoot 8K video using something as small as a coconut and no louder than the waves crashing on the beach, wouldn't that absolutely demolish any feelings of privacy that you thought you could enjoy on your exclusive getaway?
Aug 10, 2018, 10:06 am
#1279
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Virgin Gold; HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 417
Sensible policies need to exist. It's less of an issue right now because the good drones are huge and expensive. But as technology gets cheaper and smaller, the best resorts will set themselves apart by banning or severely restricting the use of the stupid things.
Imagine: If your villa neighbor's teenage brat could shoot 8K video using something as small as a coconut and no louder than the waves crashing on the beach, wouldn't that absolutely demolish any feelings of privacy that you thought you could enjoy on your exclusive getaway?
Imagine: If your villa neighbor's teenage brat could shoot 8K video using something as small as a coconut and no louder than the waves crashing on the beach, wouldn't that absolutely demolish any feelings of privacy that you thought you could enjoy on your exclusive getaway?
Currently sat on th deck watching shooting stars with the wife. Score is currently 5-1 to me even though I’m doing this!
Aug 10, 2018, 10:20 am
#1280
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
Imagine: If your villa neighbor's teenage brat could shoot 8K video using something as small as a coconut and no louder than the waves crashing on the beach, wouldn't that absolutely demolish any feelings of privacy that you thought you could enjoy on your exclusive getaway?
Aug 11, 2018, 6:52 am
#1281
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Virgin Gold; HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 417
Just swapped to a retreat water villa (from a deluxe water villa)... first time we’ve ever tried one of these - loving it - we should keep how good these are a secret!
Aug 11, 2018, 6:58 am
#1282
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ZRH
Programs: M&M SEN (*G), HH Diamond
Posts: 2,418
Aug 11, 2018, 8:26 am
#1283
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: HH Lifetime Diamond, DL PM, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 920
Aug 11, 2018, 8:10 pm
#1284
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Virgin Gold; HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 417
Afraid I didn’t notice on the sounds system front. Just went inside and had a look for that in this retreat water villa for you - there’s a sub woffa but I’m damned if I can I the speakers or remote etc to tell what/if there is one here!
Aug 12, 2018, 1:47 am
#1285
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
There were some posts about it a few pages back. 30-50K/N, ++ I presume.
Exactly. They are putting the squeeze on everything profit-wise and have been since Stefano took over. A recent TA member put it well, and he finished his review with something like "Raise the room rate instead of nickel and diming, forcing guests to buy bottled water and charging the earth for it." I agree and it's not exactly environmentally friendly either.
Do they use pretty much the exact same phrasing?
Bora Bora resorts do the same thing. We were traveling with our 5 year old one year and told them we would not be attending as she would be asleep. They let us get room service that night, since all other restaurants were closed, and only charged us the regular room service rate.
Aug 12, 2018, 3:39 am
#1286
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,060
I requested the stuffed animals from our host, and upon returning from breakfast this morning we found a dolphin and a manta ray in a Conrad labeled bag. It's my understanding that they're mostly out of stock and haven't chosen to restock them, but the original set used to contain 6?
Last edited by Majuki; Aug 12, 2018 at 3:52 am
Aug 12, 2018, 9:40 am
#1287
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
Honeslty, I don’t mind them being in the same place. I feel it’s got to be a convenience factor for buggies etc. since SO many people go to both. From a perspective of where it’s held, back in 2009 on our first visit tea was at Rangali Bar, so Mandhoo or Vilu is a 100% upgrade.
Aug 12, 2018, 4:51 pm
#1288
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 248
Do children under two years also receive a baggage allowance on the flight?
Are there high chairs available at all the various restaurants ?
Are there high chairs available at all the various restaurants ?
Aug 12, 2018, 7:11 pm
#1289
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
is it 25 kg baggage allowance per human (regardless of whether human is 1 day old or 99 years old)
?
Aug 12, 2018, 7:12 pm
#1290
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
I requested the stuffed animals from our host, and upon returning from breakfast this morning we found a dolphin and a manta ray in a Conrad labeled bag. It's my understanding that they're mostly out of stock and haven't chosen to restock them, but the original set used to contain 6?
just curious - are these soft toys typically given to guest brand new on the bed for you to take home? or is it only meant for decoration on bed and are recycled each time for new incoming guest?