Maldives Reviews and Questions: Consolidated Thread
Aug 19, 2015, 6:26 am
#91
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
That certainly is important, however not sufficient to outweigh negatives IMO.
I suppose it could make sense for people with hundreds of thousands of spg points to burn, but even then I would rather use those points for air miles or perhaps high value city hotel redemptions.
I suppose it could make sense for people with hundreds of thousands of spg points to burn, but even then I would rather use those points for air miles or perhaps high value city hotel redemptions.
Aug 23, 2015, 6:36 pm
#93
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: MEL
Programs: QFF, AA, LM, EY
Posts: 762
We're an old couple in our 30's and thought COMO was great, particularly the food, service and spa. I would not recommend Maalifushi but Cocoa because of your trip length and that Cocoa is unlikely to have many kids. We loved Maalifushi, though.
I would budget $500 PP per day in food and drink at any of these places and maybe 50% more at Cheval Blanc, where we almost went but decided against.
I would budget $500 PP per day in food and drink at any of these places and maybe 50% more at Cheval Blanc, where we almost went but decided against.
Aug 24, 2015, 3:36 pm
#96
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
I know you've discounted it already but we'd pick O&O again in a heartbeat. We don't go to the Maldives for the snorkelling (we go for the weather, the beach and the sunsets) and for us it ticked all the boxes. Excellent service, excellent accommodation (not over the top like Cheval or Velaa) and amazing food / wine. There's a reason they have such high levels of repeat guests.
Aug 25, 2015, 12:11 pm
#98
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort
I am surprised no one ever talked about Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort on this platform. Opened its doors and welcomed its first guests on August 1.
Aug 25, 2015, 6:32 pm
#99
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
I am surprised no one ever talked about Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort on this platform. Opened its doors and welcomed its first guests on August 1.
Aug 25, 2015, 8:43 pm
#100
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,854
Aug 25, 2015, 8:55 pm
#101
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
Aug 26, 2015, 2:02 am
#102
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: MEL
Programs: QFF, AA, LM, EY
Posts: 762
I know you've discounted it already but we'd pick O&O again in a heartbeat. We don't go to the Maldives for the snorkelling (we go for the weather, the beach and the sunsets) and for us it ticked all the boxes. Excellent service, excellent accommodation (not over the top like Cheval or Velaa) and amazing food / wine. There's a reason they have such high levels of repeat guests.
And the "grand" overwater pool villa is US$7k a night ?
Is the latter worth the 100% price premium over the former ?
I am thinking five nights so the difference is a fair stack.
Cheers
Aug 26, 2015, 11:40 am
#103
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Huvafen vs. O7=&O
Hi - I was curious if you ended up going to Huvafen Fushi and what you thought? And how you think this compares to the One and Only?
Aug 26, 2015, 11:53 am
#104
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
I would be very surprised if this was a luxury property as Outrigger is a big Hawaiian hotel group that has yet to create anything in the luxury market, IMHO. Unless the family owners have decided to change tack!
Aug 28, 2015, 1:10 pm
#105
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New York
Programs: Marriott Gold, AA, United, Delta, Alaska
Posts: 144
We just got back from our stay at Cocoa Island, and for us it lived up to high expectations. Here are my thoughts.
We found the food to be very good--not 3 Michelin star level (not our expectation), but definitely better than the average resort, and all the dishes we had were tasty. We missed the seafood grill night (arrived late on Thursday) but were there for the Thali and Thai nights, and both were excellent although pricier ($110 per 3 course set) than the usual mains. We were able to share one Thali set while getting a separate entree, so they don't force you to get it for the whole table. Overall the variety was good enough for a 6 night stay... I would say we might have started to order off menu if we stayed longer, though they do rotate dishes almost daily. Sfoactuary was right in that they provided ample food at breakfast.
They actually upgraded us from a Dhoni Suite to a Dhoni Loft Suite (also beyond expectation given that they were pretty full), which was fantastic. The living room and bathroom were very spacious. The spacing between suites didn't bother us. I had read that some people thought the decorations were a bit sparse, but I thought the overall look was quite nice (then again I am not that picky with decor). This was our first time staying over the water, and I gotta say it was amazing that we were able to 1) jump into the water and snorkel straight from our patio, and 2) hear the water while we sleep. That said, if you must have a quiet room for sleep, then this accommodation might not be good for you, as there are windowless wooden screens on either side of the bedroom, so you could definitely hear the water outside (louder than the living room). The water depth at our villa was around chest to neck level depending on tides, so it was swimmable but definitely not too deep. The coral starts about 10 feet out, so you can't walk too far away.
Snorkeling was really good, and we went out almost every day. The water was clear and generally calm, and it was sunny every day despite being in wet season (it rained most nights). They have a good house reef, and we could see fish wherever we went, even right outside our suite. We saw lots of variety of fish as well as a reef shark while we were in the water. We also ended up seeing a sting ray and a bunch more small reef sharks just walking outside the suites, as they seem to like the shallow water area. We kept our eyes out for turtles and shellfish (like lobsters) but didn't see any.
The grounds are simple but nice. The pool area is very pretty, particularly at sunset. The beach sand was well maintained but a bit coarse, and definitely not as nice as at the FS Seychelles (sand there was like powder), but we spent more time on our patio when we wanted a relaxing water view.
Service overall was excellent. I wouldn't call it perfect or exceedingly beyond expectations, but it was solid and consistent, and there were no flaws big enough to point out. They do their best to please guests. Example: they didn't refill the in-room fruit platter one day because we requested room service pretty late in the afternoon. When we called to ask for some fruit, we told them our favorites were mangosteen and longan, and they gave quite a bit of extra for us.
We did a yoga session, which was ok. It felt a bit repetitive (I know you do sun salutations in sets, but the instructor literally said the exact same words in the exact same tones every time), and the pacing was a bit weird (there was a mini 5 minute shavasana in the middle of the session, and then another one at the end), so we didn't return.
We didn't do any massage or facial treatments at the spa, but we were so relaxed from the beautiful scenery and ambiance that we didn't need it.
We didn't stay anywhere else in the Maldives, but I can say that we did appreciate the 40 min boat ride vs. having to take a seaplane, given that we arrived late at night and had a noon departing flight. If we wanted to stay somewhere else with seaplane transfers next time, I would book different inbound and outbound flights.
Overall we had an amazing time and didn't want to leave. The location itself (Maldives) is a big part of the draw, but Cocoa did a great job at filling in everything else. We found a good deal which made it significantly cheaper than similarly rated resorts, but we still felt were at a 5 star location. Highly recommended if you are looking for a simple yet solid resort with good food and snorkeling.
We found the food to be very good--not 3 Michelin star level (not our expectation), but definitely better than the average resort, and all the dishes we had were tasty. We missed the seafood grill night (arrived late on Thursday) but were there for the Thali and Thai nights, and both were excellent although pricier ($110 per 3 course set) than the usual mains. We were able to share one Thali set while getting a separate entree, so they don't force you to get it for the whole table. Overall the variety was good enough for a 6 night stay... I would say we might have started to order off menu if we stayed longer, though they do rotate dishes almost daily. Sfoactuary was right in that they provided ample food at breakfast.
They actually upgraded us from a Dhoni Suite to a Dhoni Loft Suite (also beyond expectation given that they were pretty full), which was fantastic. The living room and bathroom were very spacious. The spacing between suites didn't bother us. I had read that some people thought the decorations were a bit sparse, but I thought the overall look was quite nice (then again I am not that picky with decor). This was our first time staying over the water, and I gotta say it was amazing that we were able to 1) jump into the water and snorkel straight from our patio, and 2) hear the water while we sleep. That said, if you must have a quiet room for sleep, then this accommodation might not be good for you, as there are windowless wooden screens on either side of the bedroom, so you could definitely hear the water outside (louder than the living room). The water depth at our villa was around chest to neck level depending on tides, so it was swimmable but definitely not too deep. The coral starts about 10 feet out, so you can't walk too far away.
Snorkeling was really good, and we went out almost every day. The water was clear and generally calm, and it was sunny every day despite being in wet season (it rained most nights). They have a good house reef, and we could see fish wherever we went, even right outside our suite. We saw lots of variety of fish as well as a reef shark while we were in the water. We also ended up seeing a sting ray and a bunch more small reef sharks just walking outside the suites, as they seem to like the shallow water area. We kept our eyes out for turtles and shellfish (like lobsters) but didn't see any.
The grounds are simple but nice. The pool area is very pretty, particularly at sunset. The beach sand was well maintained but a bit coarse, and definitely not as nice as at the FS Seychelles (sand there was like powder), but we spent more time on our patio when we wanted a relaxing water view.
Service overall was excellent. I wouldn't call it perfect or exceedingly beyond expectations, but it was solid and consistent, and there were no flaws big enough to point out. They do their best to please guests. Example: they didn't refill the in-room fruit platter one day because we requested room service pretty late in the afternoon. When we called to ask for some fruit, we told them our favorites were mangosteen and longan, and they gave quite a bit of extra for us.
We did a yoga session, which was ok. It felt a bit repetitive (I know you do sun salutations in sets, but the instructor literally said the exact same words in the exact same tones every time), and the pacing was a bit weird (there was a mini 5 minute shavasana in the middle of the session, and then another one at the end), so we didn't return.
We didn't do any massage or facial treatments at the spa, but we were so relaxed from the beautiful scenery and ambiance that we didn't need it.
We didn't stay anywhere else in the Maldives, but I can say that we did appreciate the 40 min boat ride vs. having to take a seaplane, given that we arrived late at night and had a noon departing flight. If we wanted to stay somewhere else with seaplane transfers next time, I would book different inbound and outbound flights.
Overall we had an amazing time and didn't want to leave. The location itself (Maldives) is a big part of the draw, but Cocoa did a great job at filling in everything else. We found a good deal which made it significantly cheaper than similarly rated resorts, but we still felt were at a 5 star location. Highly recommended if you are looking for a simple yet solid resort with good food and snorkeling.