Five Star Traveller

Thanks for the clarification, everybody. Regarding the water villas, I am not sure which to request. #51 seems the most private since it doesn't look onto any other villa, but I see there is a large public area on the jetty in plain view from the deck of the villa. It is my understanding that they stage private dinners on this jetty and that there is usually a group of people at sunset time. Perhaps #50 would be more preferable if this is the case? I definitely want to be as far at the end of the jetty as possible.

gleff

I've stayed in villa #51 twice. Last year people did go out to the end of the dock during the day on occasion. It wasn't anything like a constant stream, but you did see people. This year the spot it now blocked, they have put up a barricade of sorts that prevents anyone from walking out to the end of the pier. So #51 is absolutely the most private. You can request it of course but there's no way for them to guarantee it in advance.

flyhen

So that's what that deck is for -- private dinners and such. When we were there last month, we wondered if it's just a platform for more villas to be put there. Good to know~

m0hamed

I was told they are constructing something there. I imagine a small function space.

Five Star Traveller

I think someone mentioned that they are building a Presidential Villa on that spot.

travelkid

Anyone tried or experienced the ceremonial wedding there?

kmcbrid2

Couldn't get wife to re-up our vows

Seems some of reviews on Trip Advisor were weddings

todorovic

Now that I had some time to unwind from the trip to the other side of the planet let me comment on some of our experiences at this hotel. Our visit was in late February and we stayed for 7 nights.

Accommodations: We were assigned villa 31 for the duration of our stay. It is the basic room type at this resort but we found it to be very good. We had minimal issues with ants, probably because we were careful not to leave any food in the open. The internet speed was adequate and we had little issues completing daily Skype calls to the US. The location of the villa was perfect for us as it was right by the dawn jetty and it cut our walking to the deep water entry points significantly. The beach in front of the villa was not eroded at this time of the year and it had a decent span of corral-free water where we could just spend some time enjoying the water without having to worry about stepping on the corrals. We also had the opportunity to check out other types of villas and IMO we did not miss on anything by staying in the basic villa. The upgrade to the pool villas is pointless since the "pool" is really small and resembles the tub more than anything else. The OW villas are nice but the major drawback in our opinion is the fact that once you go down the ladders you enter the water in the middle of the corral-rich zone, which can be a big issue during the low tide. Since there are no ladders at the end of the OW dock, the closest point where one could enter the deep water would be at the end of the 2 jetties which would be a significant hike.

Restaurants: the food is of good quality and the portions are adequate for our taste. The amount of food is definitely smaller than what one would expect based on the typical US restaurant experience (which is too much food IMO). That being said, the food is nothing spectacular and should be better for the prices they charge. What ticked us the most was the fact that they charge $4.50/person for water during dinner - the same water they provide for free during breakfast and in the villas. The other major complaint we had was the service during meals (regardless of the time of the day although early breakfasts were notoriously bad). It takes way too long for the servers to bring even the basic stuff like the above mentioned water and the food took on average 40 minutes to arrive during the dinners in the main restaurant. The fact that multiple servers show up at your table during a single meal lead to confusion and on more than one occasion we were asked about part of our order (e.g. coffee, juice, condiments, etc.) multiple times. There seems to be no accountability when it comes to service issues as no one "owns" a single table/group of tables. The only exception to this lack of service was the Island Grill, probably due to the fact that you can see the cooks and servers right in front of you and they have no way of hiding behind the walls. To be fair, the executive chef did a great job accommodating our specific diet and has personally showed up at our table on several occasions to make sure that there were no issues with the ingredients used in our meals.

Activities & Spa: we went with the 3-day couples massage offering and it was great. On the first day we were also offered a complementary 30 minute head or foot massage, which was a nice touch. We also went on a traditional Maldivian fishing trip and had a nice time. The crew was helpful and between 2 of we caught a lot of fish using just the line and the hook. Most of it was the red snapper although we got one white snapper and one small barracuda. The fact that we were able to get some of that fish prepared for us in the restaurant that same evening added to our satisfaction. The first fish was free and the other ones were $25 each, which we found to be reasonable. We have also rented the underwater camera for 4 hours ($60 + tax) and the quality of pictures we took was good. My gripe with this experience was with the fact that the lever that controls the zoom was broken (based on the comment by one of the staff within a month of purchasing the enclosure) and I had to get very close to the objects I was shooting to get good pictures. I definitely expect a fully operational camera if I am paying this much to rent it from them - based on availability they are probably raking in close to $100/day from renting it out and it makes zero sense not to get another enclosure when they can pay off the investment within 2 days. Little things like this really put a dent in our experience at PH Maldives.

Diamond recognition: very spotty and very inconsistent. At the time of our visit the hotel was at the maximum capacity and I was very happy that we were given the villa on the side of the island we requested. I assume our preference was honored b/c of my diamond status. At check in we were not given any information regarding any special offerings for diamond members. Only after I asked on our way to the villa we were told that we were entitled to 2 cocktails/mixed drinks at the bar without any mention of the time of the day limitations. It turned out that the offer stands only between 6 and 8 PM (sun-downers) and as a result we were charged for the first 2 cocktails on 5 of our 7 days. When I pointed out the vagueness of the initial description at check out I was given a lukewarm apology and the charge remained on the final bill. I did not feel like ruining my mood on the last day on the island so I let it slide but it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. They need to be very clear when disclosing what is included for diamonds. Other than those cocktails and the welcome bottle of Proseco sparkling wine (top 3 cheapest bottle of wine on their menu) we did not get any special recognition due to our diamond status. Given the fact that the breakfast and internet is included for all guests I feel that this hotel needs to do decide what else they can do for the diamonds that visit their island and then do it consistently. Leaving your diamond guests feeling nickle-and-dimed is not a good way of doing this.

Overall, we had a good stay that could have been excellent had we not had the issues outlined above. IMO, this is a 4 (and maybe half) star hotel that still has some work to do to rise to the 5* level. The fact that the hotel is located on a beautiful island does not absolve the management and their staff from the work that needs to be put in to make this a truly 5* property.

kmcbrid2

I agree that things are not clear. I thought we were told that the 2 for one happy hour was from 4-5:30 pm but we were charged regular prices for all of our drinks. When we checked out the guy checking us out did not know the times for happy hour, or personnel concierge was there at check out and didn't know (but he knew ever excursion/activity to sell us during our stay) so they called the bar. Apparently happy hour is 3-5pm. I never received any of our bar bills as we never wanted to wait around for the bill.

Same goes for the lunch menu, I could never find out the hours the lunch was served.

Not to rain on your diamond amenities but I received the sparkling wine as well and I'm platinum. Actually I think all guest receive the sparkling wine regardless of status so the only thing you may receive as diamond is the sun downer.

RTW1

I don't really get this part of your review.... you get exactly what you are entitled to as a Diamond. That all other guests also receive a "free" breakfast and internet doesn't mean you should get anything extra.

The free cocktails sounds nice. But they should be able to tell you exactly what the conditions are.... guess they found a way to offer a benefit that results in an unsatisfied customer.

m0hamed

I asked about the Diamond benefits on day 2, only because I knew through FT about the sundowners. The operator was unimpressed that we weren't told at check in by our host.

Frankly, I would go back and complain to GP and the property. This appears to be a consistent issue and you are entitled to a refund, at least, or GP points.

ma91pmh

You are entitled to nothing. Diamond benefits are delivered. Sun-downers are over and above

And people wonder why others think folks are over-entitled

m0hamed

If the property offers sundowners and canapes as a Diamond benefit, in writing and informed on property then you are entitled.

The above OP was also charged standard prices for drinks during happy hour.

FYI - we were charged standard pricing during happy hour, until we questioned it on the first day. Then they were all charged at 50%. If the OP also paid for a drink at the bar during the Diamond reception time (entitled to two sundowners and canapes) then that too would be ground for complaint.

Five Star Traveller

It's odd that they would charge people regular prices during Happy Hour. Surely, the bar staff must be familiar with it given how long the resort has been open.

peter42

Fully agree taht the restaurant service was very slow and inconsistant, often we did not get what we ordered.