Sep 11, 2019, 9:23 am
Last edit by: ryandc99
Email contact at hotel: [email protected]
Official Grand Opening
November 1st, 2019
Room types
November 1st, 2019
Room types
Overwater Pool Villa (10 sunrise, 9 sunset)
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2519 sqft
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2519 sqft
Beach Pool Villa (13 sunrise, 3 sunset)
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2669 sqft
Duplex Overwater Pool Villa (12 villas)
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2949 sqft
Duplex Beach Pool Villa (13 villas)
- Maximum occupancy 5 guests (2 adults and 3 children or 5 adults)
- 3068 sqft
Royal Pool Villa (1 villa)
Offseason upgrades (as of September 2019)
From Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise to Sunset is additional, USD 182++ per night.
From Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise to Duplex Overwater Pool Villa is USD 546++ per night.
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2669 sqft
Duplex Overwater Pool Villa (12 villas)
- Maximum occupancy 3 guests (2 adults and one child or 3 adults)
- 2949 sqft
Duplex Beach Pool Villa (13 villas)
- Maximum occupancy 5 guests (2 adults and 3 children or 5 adults)
- 3068 sqft
Royal Pool Villa (1 villa)
Offseason upgrades (as of September 2019)
From Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise to Sunset is additional, USD 182++ per night.
From Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise to Duplex Overwater Pool Villa is USD 546++ per night.
February 2020 upgrade price from Beach or OVW Sunrise to OVW Sunset USD 136++ per night.
Transportation
Seaplane - $600 per adult r/t
- JW Maldives has a seaplane lounge and will provide transportation to and from the MLE airport or hotel on Male.
Domestic flight w/ speedboat - $600 per adult r/t
- You can mix domestic flight one-way and seaplane one-way
- Domestic flight is currently to Ifuru Domestic Airport (70 min) and then a speedboat (50 min)
- Funadhoo Domestic Airport may be open by the end of 2019 cutting down the length of speedboat trip
- Domestic flight is the best option for those arriving after 3pm to MLE
Restaurants
Menus as of mid-October: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VarY3T33N_xWEdangWGkH6JztUU8sA8Y
Aailaa – breakfast/lunch/dinner, 96 seats all-day dining restaurant
Fiamma – Lunch, Italian pizza 20 seats
Kaashi – Lunch, Treetop Thai restaurant 30 seats
Hashi – Dinner, Japanese 24 seats (reservations required)
Shio – Dinner, Modern grill 24 seats (reservations required)
Riha – Dinner, Indian/Curry Pit 24 seats, “under the stars” (reservations required)
In-Villa Dining - breakfast/lunch/dinner
Fork & Drink - lunch/dinner, destination dining, they set up a table anywhere on the island?
Activities
Lounge 18 – club house for “adults” w/ cigar room, billiards table, karaoke, board games, etc..
Pool 18 – 18 years+ pool
Horizon Pool
Little Griffins (Kids club/pool)
Open Air Cinema – nightly movie
Photo studio
Transportation
Seaplane - $600 per adult r/t
- JW Maldives has a seaplane lounge and will provide transportation to and from the MLE airport or hotel on Male.
Domestic flight w/ speedboat - $600 per adult r/t
- You can mix domestic flight one-way and seaplane one-way
- Domestic flight is currently to Ifuru Domestic Airport (70 min) and then a speedboat (50 min)
- Funadhoo Domestic Airport may be open by the end of 2019 cutting down the length of speedboat trip
- Domestic flight is the best option for those arriving after 3pm to MLE
Restaurants
Menus as of mid-October: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VarY3T33N_xWEdangWGkH6JztUU8sA8Y
Aailaa – breakfast/lunch/dinner, 96 seats all-day dining restaurant
Fiamma – Lunch, Italian pizza 20 seats
Kaashi – Lunch, Treetop Thai restaurant 30 seats
Hashi – Dinner, Japanese 24 seats (reservations required)
Shio – Dinner, Modern grill 24 seats (reservations required)
Riha – Dinner, Indian/Curry Pit 24 seats, “under the stars” (reservations required)
In-Villa Dining - breakfast/lunch/dinner
Fork & Drink - lunch/dinner, destination dining, they set up a table anywhere on the island?
Activities
Lounge 18 – club house for “adults” w/ cigar room, billiards table, karaoke, board games, etc..
Pool 18 – 18 years+ pool
Horizon Pool
Little Griffins (Kids club/pool)
Open Air Cinema – nightly movie
Photo studio
JW Maldives [Master Thread]
Jul 4, 2019, 6:55 am
#181
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 655
hard to tell before it opens but I’m going to see how the JW reviews are and stay there in an OWV unless the feedback is negative. It’s a better price than the W and STR and feel like the OWV is what makes the Maldives special.
Jul 4, 2019, 7:37 am
#182
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
All of these three hotels JW, W, Westin and St regis are all priced on the same points/night but JW offers OWV on base level points and for what I've seen a much better daily rate. Could be a no brainer here? After all 340 000 points is a lot of points for five nights (85k x 4). To add further points in order to upgrade to a OWV is IMO a slap in the face for higher elites.
Can see there will be some price competitions to our advantage. But imo JW is the one I'm watching closely for a perhaps next year booking.
JW almost never disappoints so it's gonna be interesting to watch this thread after the hotel opens up.
Can see there will be some price competitions to our advantage. But imo JW is the one I'm watching closely for a perhaps next year booking.
JW almost never disappoints so it's gonna be interesting to watch this thread after the hotel opens up.
Jul 4, 2019, 8:36 am
#183
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,737
All of these three hotels JW, W, Westin and St regis are all priced on the same points/night but JW offers OWV on base level points and for what I've seen a much better daily rate. Could be a no brainer here? After all 340 000 points is a lot of points for five nights (85k x 4). To add further points in order to upgrade to a OWV is IMO a slap in the face for higher elites.
Can see there will be some price competitions to our advantage. But imo JW is the one I'm watching closely for a perhaps next year booking.
JW almost never disappoints so it's gonna be interesting to watch this thread after the hotel opens up.
Can see there will be some price competitions to our advantage. But imo JW is the one I'm watching closely for a perhaps next year booking.
JW almost never disappoints so it's gonna be interesting to watch this thread after the hotel opens up.
Jul 4, 2019, 8:57 am
#184
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
Also, what do most people here think about the experience in non OWV? I hear a lot about the OWV experience and I'm now wondering if it's worth going if I'm not getting the OWV (especially since my reservation in St Regis is mostly non OWV and I likely won't be able to upgrade to the OWV).
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jul 5, 2019 at 11:14 am Reason: Consecutive posts by same member
Jul 4, 2019, 12:44 pm
#185
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
Also, what do most people here think about the experience in non OWV? I hear a lot about the OWV experience and I'm now wondering if it's worth going if I'm not getting the OWV (especially since my reservation in St Regis is mostly non OWV and I likely won't be able to upgrade to the OWV).
Jul 4, 2019, 12:44 pm
#186
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold, UA Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 342
have you guys actually seen what this resort looks like from a non-room POV (i.e beaches, house reef, etc)? if i recall correctly the viceroy was talked negatively about (on tripadvisor mainly) not for its rooms or privacy or service but for the fact that literally half the island had no accessible beach surrounded by sea barriers. and a very choppy lagoon.
if you look at old videos you can see that the lagoon was always very wavy and not as beautiful as that of the W, or conrad, or other non-chainresorts. it also wasn’t very blue. ive been to the maldives many times (next year will be my 7th visit) so maybe that’s why i’m picky, but i personally would not stay here.
i do agree that the rooms here look nicer than at the W but not as luxurious as those at the st regis. however i think that the W is a way prettier island than the JW. it’s a matter of whether you travel to the maldives for rooms and luxury or for the natural beauty of the island, which the JW lacks IMHO.
if you look at old videos you can see that the lagoon was always very wavy and not as beautiful as that of the W, or conrad, or other non-chainresorts. it also wasn’t very blue. ive been to the maldives many times (next year will be my 7th visit) so maybe that’s why i’m picky, but i personally would not stay here.
i do agree that the rooms here look nicer than at the W but not as luxurious as those at the st regis. however i think that the W is a way prettier island than the JW. it’s a matter of whether you travel to the maldives for rooms and luxury or for the natural beauty of the island, which the JW lacks IMHO.
Jul 4, 2019, 12:49 pm
#187
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold, UA Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 342
Also, what do most people here think about the experience in non OWV? I hear a lot about the OWV experience and I'm now wondering if it's worth going if I'm not getting the OWV (especially since my reservation in St Regis is mostly non OWV and I likely won't be able to upgrade to the OWV).
if you go in low season it can get very windy on the WV jetties and getting to dinner, etc can be an unpleasant experience as you get rained on... a lot. i personally no longer go out of my way to stay in an OWV but if it’s the cheapest room category available then i’m totally fine staying in one.
Jul 4, 2019, 12:54 pm
#188
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
OWV is a bucket list item for many. I imagine you'll have just as an enjoyable trip with or without the OWV. Having one might make the trip feel more special/memorable. Properties in the Maldives are typically held to a higher standard by travelers. The experience is what you make of it.
i’ve experienced both and tbh WV are a bit of a gimmick. yes they’re nice and if you plan on never coming back you should stay in one but generally BV are more spacious and provide for a better experience since you have your own private beach.
if you go in low season it can get very windy on the WV jetties and getting to dinner, etc can be an unpleasant experience as you get rained on... a lot. i personally no longer go out of my way to stay in an OWV but if it’s the cheapest room category available then i’m totally fine staying in one.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jul 5, 2019 at 11:12 am Reason: Consecutive posts by same member
Jul 4, 2019, 1:26 pm
#189
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
have you guys actually seen what this resort looks like from a non-room POV (i.e beaches, house reef, etc)? if i recall correctly the viceroy was talked negatively about (on tripadvisor mainly) not for its rooms or privacy or service but for the fact that literally half the island had no accessible beach surrounded by sea barriers. and a very choppy lagoon.
if you look at old videos you can see that the lagoon was always very wavy and not as beautiful as that of the W, or conrad, or other non-chainresorts. it also wasn’t very blue. ive been to the maldives many times (next year will be my 7th visit) so maybe that’s why i’m picky, but i personally would not stay here.
i do agree that the rooms here look nicer than at the W but not as luxurious as those at the st regis. however i think that the W is a way prettier island than the JW. it’s a matter of whether you travel to the maldives for rooms and luxury or for the natural beauty of the island, which the JW lacks IMHO.
if you look at old videos you can see that the lagoon was always very wavy and not as beautiful as that of the W, or conrad, or other non-chainresorts. it also wasn’t very blue. ive been to the maldives many times (next year will be my 7th visit) so maybe that’s why i’m picky, but i personally would not stay here.
i do agree that the rooms here look nicer than at the W but not as luxurious as those at the st regis. however i think that the W is a way prettier island than the JW. it’s a matter of whether you travel to the maldives for rooms and luxury or for the natural beauty of the island, which the JW lacks IMHO.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140401...ani_Atoll.html
Jul 4, 2019, 3:19 pm
#190
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 655
I haven't found a working link for the Viceroy Maldives, but wayback has a capture for 2016:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140401...ani_Atoll.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140401...ani_Atoll.html
Jul 4, 2019, 4:54 pm
#191
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold, UA Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 342
i was talking about the tripadvisor forum comments about the viceroy, sorry if that that wasn’t clear. if you go on the tripadvisor forum website and type in “viceroy” you’ll see a few mentions about it. and even then, the forum comments weren’t bad, but there were a few instances here and there where some frequent maldives visitors commented about the far away reef, poor beach and choppy lagoon. those were enough to deter me away and sadly those things won’t have been fixed by the renovation.
i’m sure that if you’re just going to the Maldives/JW for room and service you will be blown away as the JW appears to be top notch in those areas, but for me rooms and service take a back seat as the beauty of the maldives lays in nice beaches, close by reef and a lagoon that’s has hundreds of shades of blue... not a two story water villa with a private pool. but that’s just me and everyone is different.
also, actual tripadvisor reviews for maldives resorts are pretty useless since 95% of them are from first time visitors who have nothing to compare the island they visit to. and since the maldives setting is unique and like anything in the world, the first time visitor is going to be blown away no matter what.. the forum is where the true content lies as it’s populated by users who have been 10+ times and can really offer a good pov/opinion on several resorts.
i’m sure that if you’re just going to the Maldives/JW for room and service you will be blown away as the JW appears to be top notch in those areas, but for me rooms and service take a back seat as the beauty of the maldives lays in nice beaches, close by reef and a lagoon that’s has hundreds of shades of blue... not a two story water villa with a private pool. but that’s just me and everyone is different.
also, actual tripadvisor reviews for maldives resorts are pretty useless since 95% of them are from first time visitors who have nothing to compare the island they visit to. and since the maldives setting is unique and like anything in the world, the first time visitor is going to be blown away no matter what.. the forum is where the true content lies as it’s populated by users who have been 10+ times and can really offer a good pov/opinion on several resorts.
Jul 4, 2019, 5:25 pm
#192
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
i was talking about the tripadvisor forum comments about the viceroy, sorry if that that wasn’t clear. if you go on the tripadvisor forum website and type in “viceroy” you’ll see a few mentions about it. and even then, the forum comments weren’t bad, but there were a few instances here and there where some frequent maldives visitors commented about the far away reef, poor beach and choppy lagoon. those were enough to deter me away and sadly those things won’t have been fixed by the renovation.
i’m sure that if you’re just going to the Maldives/JW for room and service you will be blown away as the JW appears to be top notch in those areas, but for me rooms and service take a back seat as the beauty of the maldives lays in nice beaches, close by reef and a lagoon that’s has hundreds of shades of blue... not a two story water villa with a private pool. but that’s just me and everyone is different.
also, actual tripadvisor reviews for maldives resorts are pretty useless since 95% of them are from first time visitors who have nothing to compare the island they visit to. and since the maldives setting is unique and like anything in the world, the first time visitor is going to be blown away no matter what.. the forum is where the true content lies as it’s populated by users who have been 10+ times and can really offer a good pov/opinion on several resorts.
Maldives is probably a one time visit for us. I wouldn't say we would never go back, but highly unlikely. This will be our first time and an OWV is something we'd like to experience at least once in the Maldives. Being able to get that without paying for a cash upgrade is a huge positive. The seaplane is slightly cheaper, resort seems like it will host fewer guests, and a newly refreshed room all seem like positives. It would be nice to know what the platinum benefits will be like compared to the W and St. Regis, how the snorkeling compares, etc..
Jul 4, 2019, 5:43 pm
#193
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold, UA Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 342
On the flip side of 95% of comments being from first time visitors, there are comments about the St. Regis where people seem overly critical. So it seems highly subjective. Some have pointed out that the service is hit or miss at the St. Regis, while others think it is amazing. Some point out that the reef is subpar, and others think it's great.
Maldives is probably a one time visit for us. I wouldn't say we would never go back, but highly unlikely. This will be our first time and an OWV is something we'd like to experience at least once in the Maldives. Being able to get that without paying for a cash upgrade is a huge positive. The seaplane is slightly cheaper, resort seems like it will host fewer guests, and a newly refreshed room all seem like positives. It would be nice to know what the platinum benefits will be like compared to the W and St. Regis, how the snorkeling compares, etc..
Maldives is probably a one time visit for us. I wouldn't say we would never go back, but highly unlikely. This will be our first time and an OWV is something we'd like to experience at least once in the Maldives. Being able to get that without paying for a cash upgrade is a huge positive. The seaplane is slightly cheaper, resort seems like it will host fewer guests, and a newly refreshed room all seem like positives. It would be nice to know what the platinum benefits will be like compared to the W and St. Regis, how the snorkeling compares, etc..
we did not redeem points for the W for our next trip in march as the cash rate for a WV was just under 700 USD a night inclusive of breakfast. i took a quick look and pricing from my travel agent the regis for a base room was easily twice that and i dont think that the regis is "twice as nice" as the W, so to say.
to answer your question about platinum benefits, im not exactly sure what theyre like at the JW but i do know that at the W there is a 20% discount on food (which essentially cancels out the taxes). i dont believe that this is in place at the regis. room upgrades are not really something that happen at either resorts since all rooms are suites so elites are technically not supposed to expect an upgrade.
Jul 10, 2019, 8:53 am
#194
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
we did not redeem points for the W for our next trip in march as the cash rate for a WV was just under 700 USD a night inclusive of breakfast. i took a quick look and pricing from my travel agent the regis for a base room was easily twice that and i dont think that the regis is "twice as nice" as the W, so to say.
to answer your question about platinum benefits, im not exactly sure what theyre like at the JW but i do know that at the W there is a 20% discount on food (which essentially cancels out the taxes). i dont believe that this is in place at the regis. room upgrades are not really something that happen at either resorts since all rooms are suites so elites are technically not supposed to expect an upgrade.
to answer your question about platinum benefits, im not exactly sure what theyre like at the JW but i do know that at the W there is a 20% discount on food (which essentially cancels out the taxes). i dont believe that this is in place at the regis. room upgrades are not really something that happen at either resorts since all rooms are suites so elites are technically not supposed to expect an upgrade.
The JWMM is still not taking reservations. I believe the window for making cash or points reservations was only open for about two weeks. Marriott Lurker and their Twitter team didn't seem to have any further information. The hotel says it's an IT glitch, which I believe has been going on for 10 days. It could mean that the resort is fairly empty when they open in the off season.