St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort [Master Thread]
Dec 10, 2019, 1:27 am
#3421
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: AA: EXP, Marriot: Platinum, SPG: 50 Night Platinum, Hilton: Gold, UA: Silver
Posts: 3
your life sounds wild. My wife and i are here, let me know if you want to grab a drink
Dec 10, 2019, 2:48 am
#3422
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Ambassador , Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 50
Dec 10, 2019, 1:27 pm
#3423
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: Delta - Diamond, Bonvoy - Ambassador
Posts: 11
I had a wonderful stay but now running into issue with point posting. Point didn't post correctly. Both Stay Add Marriott agent, as well as two Ambassadors, claim folio charge is in MVR. Hence, my qualifying spend is only $160.
Yeah, I wish my roundtrip seaplane transfer were only $45. I understand seaplane transfer is non-qualifying but $45 would have been a great deal. 
Trying for my fourth claim, with credit card statement attached, now. 
Marriott should let their agents and Ambassadors know the operating currency of their properties.
Yeah, I wish my roundtrip seaplane transfer were only $45. I understand seaplane transfer is non-qualifying but $45 would have been a great deal. Trying for my fourth claim, with credit card statement attached, now. Marriott should let their agents and Ambassadors know the operating currency of their properties.
Dec 10, 2019, 1:56 pm
#3424
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: Delta - Diamond, Bonvoy - Ambassador
Posts: 11
I just finished a great 9 day stay. I booked 7 nights in a Garden Villa at 60k points/night and 2 nights in a regular OWV at 125k points/night. I have ambassador status and we were upgraded from the GV to a Beach Villa for the first 7 nights but no upgrade for the OWV reservation to SOWV or suite on the last 2 nights. My partner LOVED the Beach Village - it's completely spoiled him for any future vacation spots. I liked both the BV and the OWV for different reasons.
Overall we had a wonderful time, my biggest complaint was around the check-in process. It was raining really hard when we got there which apparently delayed people getting out and them getting rooms turned over (this was the third day in a row of heavy rain according to others who were there). We were stuck in the waiting room area with a bunch of other people for over 4 hours before our room was ready - our seaplane landed at 10:30am and our room wasn't available until 3pm (which I realize is the normal check-in time). After we had been in the waiting room for over an hour they brought in some water and snacks but it was clear they just weren't prepared at all. Our butler just left us without even our hand luggage from the seaplane so we didn't even have chargers for our devices (or all of our devices) and she didn't give us her contact info, there wasn't a phone in the room and with the rain and no umbrellas at the building we couldn't really get out to explore.
My other minor complaint is the clear glass for the toilet. Why oh why not use some frosted glass so it's easier for the other person to use the rest of the bathroom?
The prepaid $300 for $350 F&B credit was great since we did Decanter. If we hadn't done Decanter we probably wouldn't have spent that much unless we tried. We had big breakfasts and never bought lunch other than our first day. I brought lots of snacks but we never needed them. Our butler also never mentioned the deal so thanks FT yet again for help on this trip and for flagging!
The free cooking class that's once or twice a week for Bonvoy elites was fun (and a delicious afternoon snack). We also went to the Marine presentation that's free on Sundays for Bonvoy elites. It's not elaborate - pretty simple PPT presentation but it was interesting to talk to the Marine biologist they have do the presentation and ask questions especially after we had gone snorkeling.
We did the morning "local island trip" which was interesting but definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea. We were actually the only ones that signed up so it was a cool private speed boat ride too. The heat of the sun on the island just emphasized how well designed the STR is with the landscaping and shade available as you walk around the island.
We really enjoyed the Sunset Maldivian Fishing outing. Our boat caught a bunch of fish and we basically could pick as many as we wanted to have prepared for our lunch or dinner the next day (for $75pp).
We did parasailing which I had never done before - loved the views and it was a super serene/peaceful experience (vs being more of a thrill ride which is what I was expecting)
In-room dining is the same price for dishes as ordering them at the restaurants so we did that a couple of nights and it was a great experience.
Dinners - we didn't love Cargo, but Whale Bar Grill, Orientale and Alba we enjoyed quite a bit. Decanter was a special meal with a visiting one Michelin starred Dutch chef. That meant it was more expensive $595++ per person instead of $395++ but there is a $100 discount per person for elites. The food was great but the pairings were not IMHO. It was the only dinner where water was included in the price though which was nice. We brought water from our room to all of our other dinners (it's free at breakfast). Otherwise it's $19 (!!!!) plus tax and tip for Pellegrino or $14 for regular bottled water.
I did the anti-gravity yoga but didn't love it. The silk hammock cuts in kind of tightly and it was $55 including service and tax even after the discount for elites.
Let me know if you have any questions. I hope I get a chance to go back and be a "returner."
Overall we had a wonderful time, my biggest complaint was around the check-in process. It was raining really hard when we got there which apparently delayed people getting out and them getting rooms turned over (this was the third day in a row of heavy rain according to others who were there). We were stuck in the waiting room area with a bunch of other people for over 4 hours before our room was ready - our seaplane landed at 10:30am and our room wasn't available until 3pm (which I realize is the normal check-in time). After we had been in the waiting room for over an hour they brought in some water and snacks but it was clear they just weren't prepared at all. Our butler just left us without even our hand luggage from the seaplane so we didn't even have chargers for our devices (or all of our devices) and she didn't give us her contact info, there wasn't a phone in the room and with the rain and no umbrellas at the building we couldn't really get out to explore.
My other minor complaint is the clear glass for the toilet. Why oh why not use some frosted glass so it's easier for the other person to use the rest of the bathroom?
The prepaid $300 for $350 F&B credit was great since we did Decanter. If we hadn't done Decanter we probably wouldn't have spent that much unless we tried. We had big breakfasts and never bought lunch other than our first day. I brought lots of snacks but we never needed them. Our butler also never mentioned the deal so thanks FT yet again for help on this trip and for flagging!
The free cooking class that's once or twice a week for Bonvoy elites was fun (and a delicious afternoon snack). We also went to the Marine presentation that's free on Sundays for Bonvoy elites. It's not elaborate - pretty simple PPT presentation but it was interesting to talk to the Marine biologist they have do the presentation and ask questions especially after we had gone snorkeling.
We did the morning "local island trip" which was interesting but definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea. We were actually the only ones that signed up so it was a cool private speed boat ride too. The heat of the sun on the island just emphasized how well designed the STR is with the landscaping and shade available as you walk around the island.
We really enjoyed the Sunset Maldivian Fishing outing. Our boat caught a bunch of fish and we basically could pick as many as we wanted to have prepared for our lunch or dinner the next day (for $75pp).
We did parasailing which I had never done before - loved the views and it was a super serene/peaceful experience (vs being more of a thrill ride which is what I was expecting)
In-room dining is the same price for dishes as ordering them at the restaurants so we did that a couple of nights and it was a great experience.
Dinners - we didn't love Cargo, but Whale Bar Grill, Orientale and Alba we enjoyed quite a bit. Decanter was a special meal with a visiting one Michelin starred Dutch chef. That meant it was more expensive $595++ per person instead of $395++ but there is a $100 discount per person for elites. The food was great but the pairings were not IMHO. It was the only dinner where water was included in the price though which was nice. We brought water from our room to all of our other dinners (it's free at breakfast). Otherwise it's $19 (!!!!) plus tax and tip for Pellegrino or $14 for regular bottled water.
I did the anti-gravity yoga but didn't love it. The silk hammock cuts in kind of tightly and it was $55 including service and tax even after the discount for elites.
Let me know if you have any questions. I hope I get a chance to go back and be a "returner."
Dec 10, 2019, 8:32 pm
#3425
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Brazil
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat, KE elite, United Gold
Posts: 36
Raining.
its raining here in st regis. I hope the weather clears up, but its still beautiful and serine.
my butler mentioned the weather season is becoming more vague in Maldives. I was hoping sunny weather for my stay in Dec, but the forecast shows heavy rain for the next 4 days. I believe its a much better deal to come during May when the halfboard promotion Is in effect.
anyway, the cocktail party for the members yesterday was a nice touch. We felt a bit awkward to talk to anybody but it was kinda nice still
Rainy day at alba
my butler mentioned the weather season is becoming more vague in Maldives. I was hoping sunny weather for my stay in Dec, but the forecast shows heavy rain for the next 4 days. I believe its a much better deal to come during May when the halfboard promotion Is in effect.
anyway, the cocktail party for the members yesterday was a nice touch. We felt a bit awkward to talk to anybody but it was kinda nice still
Rainy day at alba
Dec 11, 2019, 8:48 am
#3426
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz PC, Avis 1st
Posts: 313
Really appreciate all of the helpful info in this thread!
My (soon-to-be) wife and I will be staying at the St. Regis for our upcoming honeymoon. We've currently booked an overwater villa (non-sunset view) but have the option to upgrade to a 2 bedroom sunset overwater villa for about 200k points more for our stay. FWIW the reservation was booked by my fiance who is Titanium so we're hoping we'd have a chance to be upgraded to a normal sunset overwater villa.
We have plenty of points to spare, but was hoping to get some insight on the 2 bedroom villas and if it'd be worth it.
My (soon-to-be) wife and I will be staying at the St. Regis for our upcoming honeymoon. We've currently booked an overwater villa (non-sunset view) but have the option to upgrade to a 2 bedroom sunset overwater villa for about 200k points more for our stay. FWIW the reservation was booked by my fiance who is Titanium so we're hoping we'd have a chance to be upgraded to a normal sunset overwater villa.
We have plenty of points to spare, but was hoping to get some insight on the 2 bedroom villas and if it'd be worth it.
Last edited by iahkid2014; Dec 11, 2019 at 9:05 am
Dec 11, 2019, 9:19 am
#3427
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: CPH
Programs: SAS Gold, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold
Posts: 162
Really appreciate all of the helpful info in this thread!
My (soon-to-be) wife and I will be staying at the St. Regis for our upcoming honeymoon. We've currently booked an overwater villa (non-sunset view) but have the option to upgrade to a 2 bedroom sunset overwater villa for about 200k points more for our stay. FWIW the reservation was booked by my fiance who is Titanium so we're hoping we'd have a chance to be upgraded to a normal sunset overwater villa.
We have plenty of points to spare, but was hoping to get some insight on the 2 bedroom villas and if it'd be worth it.
My (soon-to-be) wife and I will be staying at the St. Regis for our upcoming honeymoon. We've currently booked an overwater villa (non-sunset view) but have the option to upgrade to a 2 bedroom sunset overwater villa for about 200k points more for our stay. FWIW the reservation was booked by my fiance who is Titanium so we're hoping we'd have a chance to be upgraded to a normal sunset overwater villa.
We have plenty of points to spare, but was hoping to get some insight on the 2 bedroom villas and if it'd be worth it.
Dec 11, 2019, 12:08 pm
#3428
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,812
Sorry, somewhere in these 230 pages I got lost:
As far as I've understood it's strongly advisable to make dinner reservations before arriving at the hotel?
Or ist that only for Decanter (which we don't want to do)?
We don't care about Western food on vacation (no pizza or hamburgers, no thanks). We already heard that this "Catch your own fish" thing is good value, so we'll probably do that one evening.
But what about the rest? Should we prebook? If so, were?
As far as I've understood it's strongly advisable to make dinner reservations before arriving at the hotel?
Or ist that only for Decanter (which we don't want to do)?
We don't care about Western food on vacation (no pizza or hamburgers, no thanks). We already heard that this "Catch your own fish" thing is good value, so we'll probably do that one evening.
But what about the rest? Should we prebook? If so, were?
Dec 11, 2019, 1:01 pm
#3430
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,234
Sorry, somewhere in these 230 pages I got lost:
As far as I've understood it's strongly advisable to make dinner reservations before arriving at the hotel?
Or ist that only for Decanter (which we don't want to do)?
We don't care about Western food on vacation (no pizza or hamburgers, no thanks). We already heard that this "Catch your own fish" thing is good value, so we'll probably do that one evening.
But what about the rest? Should we prebook? If so, were?
As far as I've understood it's strongly advisable to make dinner reservations before arriving at the hotel?
Or ist that only for Decanter (which we don't want to do)?
We don't care about Western food on vacation (no pizza or hamburgers, no thanks). We already heard that this "Catch your own fish" thing is good value, so we'll probably do that one evening.
But what about the rest? Should we prebook? If so, were?
we didn't do Decanter and Cargo. For dinner, we dined at Orientale 3 nights, alba once and in-room once. All without any advanced reservation. I just told the butler where i wanted to dine and he had come to pick us up.
Dec 11, 2019, 1:18 pm
#3431
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 371
Yes - the $350 can be used to cover taxes and service charges. Whether this is too much for a couple with a baby for five nights depends on: (i) whether breakfast is included in your rate, (ii) how much you drink, (iii) whether you eat two or three meals a day. If breakfast is included in your rate, you don't drink much and have a large breakfast, small snack and then dinner, I think you will not use $350 per day.
Dec 11, 2019, 1:45 pm
#3433
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz PC, Avis 1st
Posts: 313
I agree with this. The upper floor of the two bedroom villa is wasted for a couple - we barely used it during our stay except to shower in the upstairs bathroom as the shower has nice views over the ocean. I would recommend a BV, OWV, SOWV or Overwater Suite for two people.
Dec 11, 2019, 1:47 pm
#3434
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: Delta - Diamond, Bonvoy - Ambassador
Posts: 11
It's $105 per person plus tax and service (23%) there is a 15% discount for Ambassadors and 10% for Titaniums for all water sport and dive center activities (including this trip) the lunch or dinner the next day cooking the fish is $75 per person ++
Dec 12, 2019, 12:11 pm
#3435
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 61
I'll be visiting the second week of February with my wife and our 22 month old (wild) baby..Does anyone know if there is an additional charge for a Crib/Play Yard? Also, any perks for small children anyone experienced? I'm Bonvoy Gold and booked a GV using points (5 nights)...so I know we wont get free breakfast or an upgrade due to just being gold, but any tips for our visit with a baby to make the most out of our time there would be greatly appreciated!