MaldivesFreak

OK, since there are already a number of reviews on TripAdvisor I thought I'd make a post with links to them.

1. Cruise ship ruined Conrad Rangali experience ::Rating: 1 out of 5::
2. HOTEL INVITED ENTIRE CRUISESHIP TO OVERRUN THE PAID GUESTS AMENITIES! ::Rating: 1 out of 5::
3. Cash grab to the extreme -- Happy VDAY from Conrad Rangali ::Rating: 1 out of 5::
4. Conrad Rangali Subordinates Guest Safety For Money ::Rating: 1 out of 5::
5. Damage by Cruise Ship ::Rating: 1 out of 5::
6. Inconsistent service and Cruise ship tender ruins the experience ::Rating: 2 out of 5::
7. 游轮上的野蛮人 ::Rating: 1 out of 5:: (February 22, 2019)
8. Not a special place anymore ::Rating: 2 out of 5:: (February 26, 2019)
9. ::Rating: x out of 5::
10. ::Rating: x out of 5::
11. ::Rating: x out of 5::

You'll also note that while the average 4 or 5-star review gets a couple of likes / thumbs up, the first negative invasion review has gotten more than 50 and a few of the other early ones are in the vicinity of 15-20 per review! This shows you how many people are reading them and how much impact they are having.

alanslegal

This was our set dinner, back in late 2017

You pay the same price as you would at Osteria Francescana, the Best Restaurant in the World, but with food nowhere near as exciting, imaginative and dreamy.

You do however get that underwater experience, the food presentation is still gorgeous, and food quality is still solid for any resort restaurant.



The Menu:-


Caviar:-


Foie Gras and Truffle Dumpling:-


Crab & Prawn Tartare


Reef Lobster Stuffed Pasta:-


Green Apple and Ginger Sorbet:-


Sous Vide Wagyu Beef Tenderloin:-


Chocolate and Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta

MaldivesFreak

For Rangali, whenever someone complains about guests' race / racism / preferential treatment based on race etc on TA, Stefano posts a generic reply
That particular text was from the previous GM, Lyle Lewis. Stefano just uses most of Lyle's text, cut & pasted.
Actually there are over 600 staff, making for a staff to guest ratio of about 1.5:1 if you assume nearly full occupancy and 100 or so kids in addition to couples.
As for myself, I asked about it on our first visit to Rangali as I was curious about it after seeing it mentioned somewhere at another resort. You should be able to get this information from any resort if you email them.

MaldivesFreak

LOL!

Actually it's $394.24 all up for the cheeseburger! Having said that, it's still a helluva lot cheaper than these burgers!


For a week's stay I wouldn't do 2 beach BBQs but if you are really into them then why not. I would, however, suggest you swap one BBQ for Koko Grill if you did want to be on the beach and vary it a little.
I would do the Cheese Fondue, Cheese & Tapas or, if you drink, the The Wine Cellar dinner instead of a second night at Rangali Bar, i.e; on Sun 24th. And finally, I would not leave out Sunset Grill so make sure you go there (putting it at the end of your stay is a good idea, too, like Vilu).

I would recommend the Deserted Island Picnic and either Whale Shark or Snorkelling Safari excursions.
As for the boat, I think it's $400++ per hour with maybe a 5-6hour day so you're looking at around $2500-$3000 all inclusive for the day. Don't take that as gospel however, as the current Day Planner PDF has the exact pricing and duration. There should be a link to it in the wiki but I would ask for a current one from the resort if you want 100% up-to-date info.

lhrhappy

I'm going to throw out an unconventional opinion: Build in one night (or maybe two) for room service dinner. It's the same fare you'd see at Rangali Bar, but you can enjoy it in your villa. And regardless of whether you're on the beach or over the water, it's really special and intimate to enjoy a meal in your own space in paradise, overlooking whatever view you have.

Cynicor

MaldivesFreak

If it's your first time to the Maldives, if you have never stayed in this kind of accommodation and / or you are not planning another trip to the Maldives in the near future, I would most definitely do both and split between the two, doing BV (2 nights) first then OWV (3 nights).
Yes, AFAIK they are still doing the Cheese Fondue. Remember it is flexible and if you do want to change the day from what is advertised (Mon & Sat) you should ask them at least a few days beforehand.

texmanufan

brodielayne

Curious what Sunset grill has to do with a beach town? I grew up and have lived near a beach for over 95% of my breaths, and the last thing I connected with the Sunset grill was the beach.

Majuki

Our menu in August 2018 was practically identical to these photos.

Private Pyle

We will be here on Monday for 10 nights.
It'll be a different trip for us this time as we will have our 15 month old with us
The recent cruise ship incident will not detract from our trip in the slightest, if another one docks whilst we are there then that will be a different story. I am relieved though as I was trying to get us to Rangali over valentines day but I was a bit too slow with the BA Avios booking so had to settle for a later date.
If I'm being on honest if WA was open right now we would've gone to that resort to try it out, the cruise ship incident wouldn't have anything to do with it.

We will try to make afternoon tea/happy hour but obviously our boy will be our priority but hopefully we will bump into some fellow FT'ers if there are any there (I completely understand if you would prefer to avoid us too!)

texmanufan

SirAlfonso

That's perfect, cheers!

Are the Gold/Diamond perks still the same as mentioned in that blog and are they for everyone staying in the room?

Complimentary Daily Breakfast (7am-11am)
Complimentary Daily Afternoon Tea (4pm-5pm)
Complimentary Daily Happy Hour (5pm-6pm)

canesfan

shosana

I see, yes this will be our first time and not sure when will be able to go back. Is there a reason why you do BV 2 nights and then OWV 3 nights instead of vice versa?

In terms of numbering I do know that the sunset side for BV is from 100-140 and 200-239 for sunrise side, and for snorkeling is it better on the 200's side or 100 side? P2 has only been snorkel once in Hawaii and can get pretty nervous on the open water despite being a strong swimmer. I think I will just pick the BV on the side where she can snorkel..

Also, is there any snorkeling mask that you guys recommended?

Also, I know you guys do not like someone to bring drones. As it can invade privacy as well as the annoying sound that the drone produce. I did contact them and this is what I got
"Greetings from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Thank you for your e-mail. In order to protect the safety and security of all our guests, team members and resort property, as well as for individual privacy for guests, the resort has a strict operating policy with regards to the operation of aerial systems (commonly referred to as drones) by the general public – including recreational users and hobbyists.
We can find some time to allow you to fly the drone. However this does need to be at a specified time and location.
A drone may only be allowed to be flown to capture an aerial view of the resort and surrounding lagoon and should be flown at or above 50 meters from the ground. The resort has a designated location in which drones can be flown from and can only be flown in said location.
A drone is not permitted to be flown:
· Above guest Villas
· Beaches in front of guest villas
· Public beaches of the resort
Upon arrival please ask your concierge host about a time to fly the drone and they will coordinate with our security team. Please note that security must be informed as they know the timings of planes landing to the resort."

So my question is that even at the specific area for drone flying to take some aerial photos at 50m or above would that also be a nuisance to other guests? Obviously I am trying not to be that guy but if I can get a couple of aerial shots, I would love to do so...

As always, thank you thank you thank you!