Park Hyatt Maldives REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Jan 13, 22, 12:27 pm - Wikipost
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May 18, 11, 8:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
Park Hyatt Maldives REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
My wife and I spent our part of honeymoon at the Park Hyatt Maldives, Hadahaa last week and it was an awesome experience!. 5 days of pure luxury and bliss.
photos
Location
Getting in
We arrived at Male from SIN at around 1130am and was welcomed by an airport rep. who escorted us to the domestic terminal for our flight to Kaadedhdhoo (KDM). We were scheduled to depart at 1.30pm but the flight was delayed till 2.45pm. Resort guests have access the Moonimaa lounge which resort guests have access to. (light snacks, drinks, wifi). Flight time was an hour on a Maldivian Dash8-300 aircraft.
Upon Arrival at KDM, A resort staff greeted us and we were whisked into a waiting speedboat which was more like a luxury yacht. The ride took 75 minutes but we dreaded it as the waters were really rough.
The return transfer (domestic flight + speedboat) costs US$450 each before 10% tax. There are no other options to get to the resort and the domestic flight would cost US$400 alone if booked directly via Maldivian.
Seaplanes do not serve the Gaafu Alifu Atoll as there aren't many resorts in the area.
The Resort:
Designed by SCDA Architects, Opened in 2009 as Alila Villas Maldives. Still doesnt feel like a Park Hyatt yet. The resort occupies the entire Hadahaa island, boasts pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and an untouched housed reef.
To maximize daylight, the resort operates island time, which is an hour ahead of Male Time (GMT+5)
The Villas:
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
This is possibly the smallest Hyatt property in terms of number of guestrooms, and has the largest mean room size.
We booked a passport escape award for 5 nights (145k) points and received an upgrade to the Pool Villa. Not too sure if its a standard diamond upgrade or due to low occupancy (less than 30% occupancy) when we were there. Some of the villas are under refurbishment as well.
In-Room amenities
Nespresso Machine with 6 capsules, replenished daily
a collection of Dilmah VSRT Tea (Dilmah's luxury line of teas)
an outdoor bath area with a rainshower and a large terrazzo bathtub.
Being an eco-friendly resort, shower amenities were stored in clay bottles instead of plastic bottles. The scents were not to my liking though, but these are temporary shower gels as the resort awaits their customized ones.
"His and Her" sinks and amenities
Dining:
There are 2 restaurants The Dining room and Battuta's, Bell's bar and 24 hour in-villa dining.
Breakfast is included for all guests at the dining room, and in-villa for a US$15 tray fee. Breakfast is served a-la-carte and you can choose any 3 dishes from the menu.
As part of the passport escape award, I received 3 dinners and they can be consumed at any of the resort's dining venues or in-villa. There were no spending caps (excludes alcohol).
each meal was valued at US$300 consisting of
an appetizer (average US$25)
a soup / salad (average US$20)
a main course (US$35 - US$55)
a dessert (US$11 - US$22)
1 litre of evian (US$11)
juice (US$8)
We tried out both restaurants and they were pretty good. Battuta's serves local gourmet cuisine and was outstanding (mainly curries, tagines, kebabs)
According to the GM and F&B Manager who was from the GH Muscat, the menus were from the Alila villas era and they are in the process of revamping it.
This is the first property i found making sense to spend the passport escape award at. The 3 meals were well worth the additional 35k points.
The resort arranged a complimentary honeymoon dinner for us and that was a nice touch.
Activities :
Snorkeling(free rental of mask and fins)
Kayaking
Diving (onsite 5* padi dive centre)
in total, we spent under US$150 at the resort, excluding the transfers.
i have photos of the in-room dining menu if anyone needs them.
photos
Location
Getting in
We arrived at Male from SIN at around 1130am and was welcomed by an airport rep. who escorted us to the domestic terminal for our flight to Kaadedhdhoo (KDM). We were scheduled to depart at 1.30pm but the flight was delayed till 2.45pm. Resort guests have access the Moonimaa lounge which resort guests have access to. (light snacks, drinks, wifi). Flight time was an hour on a Maldivian Dash8-300 aircraft.
Upon Arrival at KDM, A resort staff greeted us and we were whisked into a waiting speedboat which was more like a luxury yacht. The ride took 75 minutes but we dreaded it as the waters were really rough.
The return transfer (domestic flight + speedboat) costs US$450 each before 10% tax. There are no other options to get to the resort and the domestic flight would cost US$400 alone if booked directly via Maldivian.
Seaplanes do not serve the Gaafu Alifu Atoll as there aren't many resorts in the area.
The Resort:
Designed by SCDA Architects, Opened in 2009 as Alila Villas Maldives. Still doesnt feel like a Park Hyatt yet. The resort occupies the entire Hadahaa island, boasts pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and an untouched housed reef.
To maximize daylight, the resort operates island time, which is an hour ahead of Male Time (GMT+5)
The Villas:
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
This is possibly the smallest Hyatt property in terms of number of guestrooms, and has the largest mean room size.
We booked a passport escape award for 5 nights (145k) points and received an upgrade to the Pool Villa. Not too sure if its a standard diamond upgrade or due to low occupancy (less than 30% occupancy) when we were there. Some of the villas are under refurbishment as well.
In-Room amenities
Nespresso Machine with 6 capsules, replenished daily
a collection of Dilmah VSRT Tea (Dilmah's luxury line of teas)
an outdoor bath area with a rainshower and a large terrazzo bathtub.
Being an eco-friendly resort, shower amenities were stored in clay bottles instead of plastic bottles. The scents were not to my liking though, but these are temporary shower gels as the resort awaits their customized ones.
"His and Her" sinks and amenities
Dining:
There are 2 restaurants The Dining room and Battuta's, Bell's bar and 24 hour in-villa dining.
Breakfast is included for all guests at the dining room, and in-villa for a US$15 tray fee. Breakfast is served a-la-carte and you can choose any 3 dishes from the menu.
As part of the passport escape award, I received 3 dinners and they can be consumed at any of the resort's dining venues or in-villa. There were no spending caps (excludes alcohol).
each meal was valued at US$300 consisting of
an appetizer (average US$25)
a soup / salad (average US$20)
a main course (US$35 - US$55)
a dessert (US$11 - US$22)
1 litre of evian (US$11)
juice (US$8)
We tried out both restaurants and they were pretty good. Battuta's serves local gourmet cuisine and was outstanding (mainly curries, tagines, kebabs)
According to the GM and F&B Manager who was from the GH Muscat, the menus were from the Alila villas era and they are in the process of revamping it.
This is the first property i found making sense to spend the passport escape award at. The 3 meals were well worth the additional 35k points.
The resort arranged a complimentary honeymoon dinner for us and that was a nice touch.
Activities :
Snorkeling(free rental of mask and fins)
Kayaking
Diving (onsite 5* padi dive centre)
in total, we spent under US$150 at the resort, excluding the transfers.
i have photos of the in-room dining menu if anyone needs them.
May 18, 11, 8:28 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 601
Originally Posted by w.sg
...We booked a passport escape award for 5 nights (145k) points and received an upgrade to the Pool Villa...
Originally Posted by w.sg
...The Villas:
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
May 18, 11, 8:39 am
#3
No longer used by Hyatt; use World of Hyatt Concierge
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,628
Those were some great pictures! Thanks for sharing!
-Nick B.
-Nick B.
Originally Posted by w.sg
My wife and I spent our part of honeymoon at the Park Hyatt Maldives, Hadahaa last week and it was an awesome experience!. 5 days of pure luxury and bliss.
photos
Location
Getting in
We arrived at Male from SIN at around 1130am and was welcomed by an airport rep. who escorted us to the domestic terminal for our flight to Kaadedhdhoo (KDM). We were scheduled to depart at 1.30pm but the flight was delayed till 2.45pm. Resort guests have access the Moonimaa lounge which resort guests have access to. (light snacks, drinks, wifi). Flight time was an hour on a Maldivian Dash8-300 aircraft.
Upon Arrival at KDM, A resort staff greeted us and we were whisked into a waiting speedboat which was more like a luxury yacht. The ride took 75 minutes but we dreaded it as the waters were really rough.
The return transfer (domestic flight + speedboat) costs US$450 each before 10% tax. There are no other options to get to the resort and the domestic flight would cost US$400 alone if booked directly via Maldivian.
Seaplanes do not serve the Gaafu Alifu Atoll as there aren't many resorts in the area.
The Resort:
Designed by SCDA Architects, Opened in 2009 as Alila Villas Maldives. Still doesnt feel like a Park Hyatt yet. The resort occupies the entire Hadahaa island, boasts pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and an untouched housed reef.
To maximize daylight, the resort operates island time, which is an hour ahead of Male Time (GMT+5)
The Villas:
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
This is possibly the smallest Hyatt property in terms of number of guestrooms, and has the largest mean room size.
We booked a passport escape award for 5 nights (145k) points and received an upgrade to the Pool Villa. Not too sure if its a standard diamond upgrade or due to low occupancy (less than 30% occupancy) when we were there. Some of the villas are under refurbishment as well.
In-Room amenities
Nespresso Machine with 6 capsules, replenished daily
a collection of Dilmah VSRT Tea (Dilmah's luxury line of teas)
an outdoor bath area with a rainshower and a large terrazzo bathtub.
Being an eco-friendly resort, shower amenities were stored in clay bottles instead of plastic bottles. The scents were not to my liking though, but these are temporary shower gels as the resort awaits their customized ones.
"His and Her" sinks and amenities
Dining:
There are 2 restaurants The Dining room and Battuta's, Bell's bar and 24 hour in-villa dining.
Breakfast is included for all guests at the dining room, and in-villa for a US$15 tray fee. Breakfast is served a-la-carte and you can choose any 3 dishes from the menu.
As part of the passport escape award, I received 3 dinners and they can be consumed at any of the resort's dining venues or in-villa. There were no spending caps (excludes alcohol).
each meal was valued at US$300 consisting of
an appetizer (average US$25)
a soup / salad (average US$20)
a main course (US$35 - US$55)
a dessert (US$11 - US$22)
1 litre of evian (US$11)
juice (US$8)
We tried out both restaurants and they were pretty good. Battuta's serves local gourmet cuisine and was outstanding (mainly curries, tagines, kebabs)
According to the GM and F&B Manager who was from the GH Muscat, the menus were from the Alila villas era and they are in the process of revamping it.
This is the first property i found making sense to spend the passport escape award at. The 3 meals were well worth the additional 35k points.
The resort arranged a complimentary honeymoon dinner for us and that was a nice touch.
Activities :
Snorkeling(free rental of mask and fins)
Kayaking
Diving (onsite 5* padi dive centre)
in total, we spent under US$150 at the resort, excluding the transfers.
i have photos of the in-room dining menu if anyone needs them.
photos
Location
Getting in
We arrived at Male from SIN at around 1130am and was welcomed by an airport rep. who escorted us to the domestic terminal for our flight to Kaadedhdhoo (KDM). We were scheduled to depart at 1.30pm but the flight was delayed till 2.45pm. Resort guests have access the Moonimaa lounge which resort guests have access to. (light snacks, drinks, wifi). Flight time was an hour on a Maldivian Dash8-300 aircraft.
Upon Arrival at KDM, A resort staff greeted us and we were whisked into a waiting speedboat which was more like a luxury yacht. The ride took 75 minutes but we dreaded it as the waters were really rough.
The return transfer (domestic flight + speedboat) costs US$450 each before 10% tax. There are no other options to get to the resort and the domestic flight would cost US$400 alone if booked directly via Maldivian.
Seaplanes do not serve the Gaafu Alifu Atoll as there aren't many resorts in the area.
The Resort:
Designed by SCDA Architects, Opened in 2009 as Alila Villas Maldives. Still doesnt feel like a Park Hyatt yet. The resort occupies the entire Hadahaa island, boasts pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and an untouched housed reef.
To maximize daylight, the resort operates island time, which is an hour ahead of Male Time (GMT+5)
The Villas:
50 Villas, 3 Villa Categories - Park villa, Park Pool Villa, Park Water Villa. All villas have a similar architecture other than a 1.2m deep plunge pool for the Pool Villa and built over the Indian Ocean. The villas range from 100 sq m to 120sq m.
This is possibly the smallest Hyatt property in terms of number of guestrooms, and has the largest mean room size.
We booked a passport escape award for 5 nights (145k) points and received an upgrade to the Pool Villa. Not too sure if its a standard diamond upgrade or due to low occupancy (less than 30% occupancy) when we were there. Some of the villas are under refurbishment as well.
In-Room amenities
Nespresso Machine with 6 capsules, replenished daily
a collection of Dilmah VSRT Tea (Dilmah's luxury line of teas)
an outdoor bath area with a rainshower and a large terrazzo bathtub.
Being an eco-friendly resort, shower amenities were stored in clay bottles instead of plastic bottles. The scents were not to my liking though, but these are temporary shower gels as the resort awaits their customized ones.
"His and Her" sinks and amenities
Dining:
There are 2 restaurants The Dining room and Battuta's, Bell's bar and 24 hour in-villa dining.
Breakfast is included for all guests at the dining room, and in-villa for a US$15 tray fee. Breakfast is served a-la-carte and you can choose any 3 dishes from the menu.
As part of the passport escape award, I received 3 dinners and they can be consumed at any of the resort's dining venues or in-villa. There were no spending caps (excludes alcohol).
each meal was valued at US$300 consisting of
an appetizer (average US$25)
a soup / salad (average US$20)
a main course (US$35 - US$55)
a dessert (US$11 - US$22)
1 litre of evian (US$11)
juice (US$8)
We tried out both restaurants and they were pretty good. Battuta's serves local gourmet cuisine and was outstanding (mainly curries, tagines, kebabs)
According to the GM and F&B Manager who was from the GH Muscat, the menus were from the Alila villas era and they are in the process of revamping it.
This is the first property i found making sense to spend the passport escape award at. The 3 meals were well worth the additional 35k points.
The resort arranged a complimentary honeymoon dinner for us and that was a nice touch.
Activities :
Snorkeling(free rental of mask and fins)
Kayaking
Diving (onsite 5* padi dive centre)
in total, we spent under US$150 at the resort, excluding the transfers.
i have photos of the in-room dining menu if anyone needs them.
May 18, 11, 8:44 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
Was not offered the Water villa and didnt ask about an upgrade as i wasnt keen.
The water villas have very bad heat insulation and i would not recommend staying in them till hyatt fixes them. There are about 3 full length glass windows with sunlight coming straight in. The a/c can only cool the room down to 28 deg.
Even in the beach villas, the temperature in the day remains at around 24 deg with the a/c at full blast and privacy screens drawn.
The water villas have very bad heat insulation and i would not recommend staying in them till hyatt fixes them. There are about 3 full length glass windows with sunlight coming straight in. The a/c can only cool the room down to 28 deg.
Even in the beach villas, the temperature in the day remains at around 24 deg with the a/c at full blast and privacy screens drawn.
May 18, 11, 8:50 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 601
Originally Posted by w.sg
Was not offered the Water villa and didnt ask about an upgrade as i wasnt keen.
The water villas have very bad heat insulation and i would not recommend staying in them till hyatt fixes them. There are about 3 full length glass windows with sunlight coming straight in. The a/c can only cool the room down to 28 deg.
Even in the beach villas, the temperature in the day remains at around 24 deg with the a/c at full blast and privacy screens drawn.
The water villas have very bad heat insulation and i would not recommend staying in them till hyatt fixes them. There are about 3 full length glass windows with sunlight coming straight in. The a/c can only cool the room down to 28 deg.
Even in the beach villas, the temperature in the day remains at around 24 deg with the a/c at full blast and privacy screens drawn.
May 18, 11, 9:00 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: Hyatt&Hilton&BW Diamond,GHA Black,Marriott Plat,SPG Gold,AB Platinum,TK Elite,AZ Alata Plus,EY Gold
Posts: 224
Great report, thanks a lot!
I have one big and important question:
At the time of your reservation, what did they charge to your credit card?
The full rack rate as a security for a point stay as i was told by GP?
Thanks for a quick answer, i really need this information!
I have one big and important question:
At the time of your reservation, what did they charge to your credit card?
The full rack rate as a security for a point stay as i was told by GP?
Thanks for a quick answer, i really need this information!
Last edited by nighthawkrs; May 18, 11 at 9:07 am
May 18, 11, 9:08 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
nothing was charged to my credit card at point of reservation. I spoke to the customer service officer regarding this as well. i wast just informed that the booking can not be cancelled or amended or i will lose the points.
even the transfers were not charged at point of reservation.
even the transfers were not charged at point of reservation.
May 18, 11, 9:11 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: Hyatt&Hilton&BW Diamond,GHA Black,Marriott Plat,SPG Gold,AB Platinum,TK Elite,AZ Alata Plus,EY Gold
Posts: 224
Well, that sounds pretty good. Did you book via GP or directly at the hotel?
I think i will have to go in discussion with GP.
Or is there anybody here from GP who can help me out with the rules for point stays at this property? It would be really helpfull!
I think i will have to go in discussion with GP.
Or is there anybody here from GP who can help me out with the rules for point stays at this property? It would be really helpfull!
May 18, 11, 9:24 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,901
Originally Posted by w.sg
in total, we spent under US$150 at the resort, excluding the transfers.
Last edited by sfvoyage; May 18, 11 at 12:32 pm
May 18, 11, 10:34 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
Passport escape awards are bookable only via GP.
We have our breakfast at around 10.20am, a full hearty 3 course breakfast consisting of fruits, pastries, eggs, and a main (chicken noodle / soba noodles / Maldivian tuna curry with rice) and head out to the beach / kayak till about sunset. Its more like a brunch.
only activity we paid for was the guided snorkeling ($35/person)
No dinner on the first evening as we got so seasick from the boat ride
We have our breakfast at around 10.20am, a full hearty 3 course breakfast consisting of fruits, pastries, eggs, and a main (chicken noodle / soba noodles / Maldivian tuna curry with rice) and head out to the beach / kayak till about sunset. Its more like a brunch.
only activity we paid for was the guided snorkeling ($35/person)
No dinner on the first evening as we got so seasick from the boat ride
May 18, 11, 10:36 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL FO, AA LT PLT, SPG Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, HHonors Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Other Crap...
Posts: 5,489
great feedback w.sg. we would have to spend more ourselves as would have to go diving! is the water center still called blue journeys? is "tom" still there?
May 18, 11, 10:37 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,550
Thanks for the report!
The place looks even more isolated than Bora Bora where one can wonder around the island with local life present.
Is there anything to do near PH without spending a fortune on boat related activities? Is the atoll populated?
The place looks even more isolated than Bora Bora where one can wonder around the island with local life present.
Is there anything to do near PH without spending a fortune on boat related activities? Is the atoll populated?
May 18, 11, 10:53 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL FO, AA LT PLT, SPG Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, HHonors Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Other Crap...
Posts: 5,489
Originally Posted by azepine00
Thanks for the report!
The place looks even more isolated than Bora Bora where one can wonder around the island with local life present.
Is there anything to do near PH without spending a fortune on boat related activities? Is the atoll populated?
The place looks even more isolated than Bora Bora where one can wonder around the island with local life present.
Is there anything to do near PH without spending a fortune on boat related activities? Is the atoll populated?
May 18, 11, 1:30 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
dive centre is still called blue journeys. not too sure about tom. I am rather inspired to learn to dive after this trip.
According to resort staff, Dhonis (a traditional boat) serve the nearby islands such as Kondey and Germanafushi. He uses it to return home on his off days, a 20-minute ride from the hotel for US$5 one way. However, the leisure concierge did not seem keen to have me booked on the Dhoni when i enquired about it. (they mentioned it does not exist). I was more keen to visit the islands the same way the locals did (and save US$250/pax)
I received a bottle of french sparkling wine valued at about US$13. 3 red apples each day except on the last day when we had some grapes instead.
Internet - Hotel has spotty wireless reception at common areas (Restaurants, Bars) and no wifi at the beach.
Every villa is equipped with a 4 port Planet Wireless G router that transmits an unencrypted signal without the usual authentication pages. This was useful as i was able to sign in from multiple wifi devices at the same time. However, internet was a tad slow. Speedtest to a server in Male was 0.2Mbps down, 0.7Mbps up. Youtube and other high bandwidth sites sites are blocked but you can get around it easily by connecting to a VPN. Internet is decent enough to make a skype call, light surfing and emails.
According to the GM, they are looking into ways to get better connectivity. I guess the island is located too far from any modern civilization.
The resort has an in-house water distillation facility for both still and sparkling water. Each villa gets 2 one liter glass bottles which are sterilized and reused. According to the description on the bottle, this helps the resort to save 100,000 plastic bottles each year.
According to resort staff, Dhonis (a traditional boat) serve the nearby islands such as Kondey and Germanafushi. He uses it to return home on his off days, a 20-minute ride from the hotel for US$5 one way. However, the leisure concierge did not seem keen to have me booked on the Dhoni when i enquired about it. (they mentioned it does not exist). I was more keen to visit the islands the same way the locals did (and save US$250/pax)
I received a bottle of french sparkling wine valued at about US$13. 3 red apples each day except on the last day when we had some grapes instead.
Internet - Hotel has spotty wireless reception at common areas (Restaurants, Bars) and no wifi at the beach.
Every villa is equipped with a 4 port Planet Wireless G router that transmits an unencrypted signal without the usual authentication pages. This was useful as i was able to sign in from multiple wifi devices at the same time. However, internet was a tad slow. Speedtest to a server in Male was 0.2Mbps down, 0.7Mbps up. Youtube and other high bandwidth sites sites are blocked but you can get around it easily by connecting to a VPN. Internet is decent enough to make a skype call, light surfing and emails.
According to the GM, they are looking into ways to get better connectivity. I guess the island is located too far from any modern civilization.
The resort has an in-house water distillation facility for both still and sparkling water. Each villa gets 2 one liter glass bottles which are sterilized and reused. According to the description on the bottle, this helps the resort to save 100,000 plastic bottles each year.
Last edited by w.sg; May 18, 11 at 1:33 pm Reason: added more info
