St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort [Master Thread]
Feb 15, 2017, 8:20 am
#346
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Malibu, CA
Programs: AA CK / Marriott Worthless Ambassador
Posts: 1,158
Green Tax
Staying here now. Charged $6 a night per a person for a "green tax." Even though SPG points bookings should include taxes??? Ads up. $80 or so for a couple for 6 nights.
Feb 15, 2017, 7:28 pm
#350
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Marriott LT Platinum+Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Delta Plat, United Silver, AX Biz Cent
Posts: 705
IIRC Award rates will cover taxes which are a percentage (ie: 5% of room rate per night), but will not cover taxes which are a fixed fee (ie: $6 per person per night).
The hotel is $2000 a night, paying $6 is really not that much. I would not complain.
The hotel is $2000 a night, paying $6 is really not that much. I would not complain.
Feb 16, 2017, 6:45 am
#352
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: SPG
Posts: 713
Hi JBauer,
Thanks for your comment. We understand the frustration and have advised our colleagues to make this information more visible.
If you check the Tax description in your confirmation email, you will find the note that the Green Tax is not included in the rate.
Please feel free to message us if you have any further questions.
All the best,
Alice Kons
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Feb 16, 2017, 4:06 pm
#356
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
"SPG Participation Disclaimer
All accommodations are villas and suites; therefore, Starpoint Award reservations must be booked at a higher Starpoint rate through your local customer contact center. Also, since all accommodations are either suites or villas, upgrades for Starwood Preferred Guest members do not apply."
Does this help?
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Feb 16, 2017, 6:25 pm
#357
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 243
To book this property with points you have to do it over the phone or chat.
Last edited by beastieb; Feb 17, 2017 at 1:52 pm
Feb 20, 2017, 8:12 am
#358
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Malibu, CA
Programs: AA CK / Marriott Worthless Ambassador
Posts: 1,158
We visited for 6 nights in February, two couples with no kids. Booked two Overwater Villas as a Platinum 100 member.
Overall it's an incredibly idyllic locale, situated in a manner that has you feeling you are at the end of the world. You won't find better ocean water anywhere in the world. It's like glass...Everything on the island is brand new -- to a fault. Villas, technology and bedding are all top notch, service, while good intentioned, is a work in progress. Nevertheless, if you're seeking out a one-of-a-kind escape, this is the place.
Airport/Seaplane: Seamless pick-up at MLE, they gather you into a waiting ST Regis van with AC and wifi, while they check you into your seaplane flight. St Regis has a very nice waiting lounge. Seaplane is incredibly expensive, hot and old with barefoot pilots and amazing views. But it certainly is an experience. Nothing captures the beauty of this hotel better than approaching by plane -- you will never have a better arrival at a hotel.
Check in: The best thing is you never see a lobby or check-in. You are greeted by smiling and waving butlers and whisked away to your villa.
Butlers: Perhaps the marquee St Regis offering. At first we were assigned one butler while the other couple we were with were assigned a different butler (very curious decision). After one day it became evident that their butler was amazingly proactive, and ours was incredibly inept. Some examples:
Our Butler:
-Never showed up to pick us up for activities
-Told us restaurants were booked and didn't try to get us in
-Never checked on us- was like a ghost.
-Messed up a snorkeling booking. When times were switched she did not tell us visibility is usually better in the morning and she promised we'd get a bigger, upgraded boat (wrong).
Their Butler:
-Very proactive
-He was always there to pick them up for activities (even if they didn't call him)
-Looked for solutions, not excuses
Needless to say we summoned the head of service, Irman, and he was an amazing help. We explained everything and he was very apologetic and we were both switched to Sadam, who is an amazing butler we recommend to all.
Villas: We booked 2 regular Over Water bungalows on points and were upgraded as Platinum to Sunset Over Water bungalows. The bungalows are insanely modern and gorgeous with everything controlled by an ipad. After reading about the layout I requested 542/543, which gets nearly all day sun, great for lounging on the deck but even better for the plunge pool -- keeping it nice and warm. These bungalow also provide nice privacy without being way far out on the pier. For those concerned about privacy, there are walls separating the bungalows and you can tan/swim as you see fit, with the understanding that snorkelers may pop up in front of your deck.
Snorkeling: This has some of the best house reef snorkeling I've seen along the Sunset Over Water bungalows. Some great fish and coral. In front of the traditional OW bungalows the coral is basically dead and there is a difficult current for snorkeling. Everyone is given a complimentary snorkeling kit from their butler, which is quite nice.
Water Sports: Kayaks and SUP boards are free-- a great touch. See if you can beat our 16-minute kayak time of circumventing the island. Jet skis are obscenely expensive. One of the best deals is renting a private motor boat for $250 an hour -- especially with groups of people. They take you out snorkeling to reefs, but one of the coolest things is they bring you to a sandbar so you can basically stand in the middle of the ocean on a tiny island -- a great photo opportunity. Visibility was poor when we went out because of the weather and despite a fun trip, wish the staff would have warned us to postpone for better visibility, seems it's incumbent upon them to do that.
Beach Service: Very hit or miss. The staff was great about setting up chairs and bringing fresh cold towels and ice water. But our fist day they came around handing out frozen grapes and offering to wash your sunglasses ( a true luxury experience). The problem is, for the next five days that never happened again -- until we asked our final day and they said: "sure, why didn't you ask?" But proactively would have been better.
Breakfast: As others have said, it's insanely good. Everything from eggs to sushi to Indian Food to ice cream. Never seen anything like it. Basically plan a solid 2 hours, sit and relax. Service again, while friendly, is lacking. They occasionally forget things and sometimes disappear. But you can always help yourself at the buffet. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. In a bizarre twist, alcoholic drinks are included but sparkling water is not.
Lunch: Perhaps the best two values on the island. The beachside Pizza "Hut" and the Ice Cream Shack. The fresh made Pizza is amazingly good -- and at $40 it seems expensive except when you consider it feeds two people. The homemade ice cream and fresh made waffle cones are also incredible and at $3 a scoop, you could live all week on ice cream if you wanted to save money.
Dinner:
Oreintale: Japanese, Chinese, Indian out on the ocean. Very cool.
Cargo: a random assortment of 10 tables in the woods serving Middle Eastern Food. Not a fan. Tons of mist/smoke pumped in as if it's a Disney ride like Pirates of the Carrebean-- and smells a ton like incense, so all the food tastes like it.
Alba: By the pool. Was always empty. Very expensive and intricate menu.
There is an absurdity here that I've witnessed at other high-end resorts. Several times we tried to book one of the primary restaurants and were told they were "fully booked," which is not a very acceptable answer when you are on an island with three restraints (especially when the island is at about half capacity). Both times we insisted we were flexible on timing and they somehow "found" us a table. And guess what? Neither restaurant was even half full. They simply don't want to be full/busy. So don't back down. Get the booking you want. By far, our favorite restaurant was Orientale. All around prices are what you'd expect- expensive - $40-$60 entrees, but what's disappointing is that they are very small portions for a restaurant built around "sharing."
Whale Bar: Make sure you get a sunset drink here. A fantastically designed bar floating out over the sea. But they serve tiny tapas that are very expensive. One night we got $59 lobster bites and when the waiter served the plate there wasn't even enough for all four of us. We were shocked and the waiter said: "yeah, that doesnt look like enough." To their credit they cooked us another dish, but beware the proportions are not just respectably small, which is fine, they are absurdly tiny and vary by time of day and location.
Spa: Perhaps one of the most gorgeous Spas in the world, situated out over the ocean. Prices are what you'd expect, but somewhat annoying that you have to pay simply to use the facilities -- including the Blue Hole plunge pool, which costs $60 to jump in.
Gratuity: 10% service charge added to everything. And i mean everything-- even a hat at the gift shop. Additional tips on the bill seem to go to a staff pool -- not your waiter. So we found that with some strategically placed US $ tips during the week we got paid special attention, rather than tipping on the bills.
Other things:
-The weather was amazing. Five perfect days of sun with a little rain on the final day.
-Suntan lotion is $70 in the gift shop, but they do the right thing and offer free lotion at the pool.
-Free ice water at the beach and bottled water in the room is plentiful.
-Beware of the evening bug spraying, almost rode right into a cloud of it -- though, i must say, ive never been to an island before that has zero bugs. Literally, there are none.
-Bikes: It's great having bikes all around the island to ride one when you need. Just wish they'd pay a little more attention to them and inflate the tires, fix squeaks etc. Also, beware, riding on the sand paths is slippery.
-Special shoutouts to our favorite staff: Sinan (by the pool), Anas (waiter), Mailo (waiter), Atif (Whale Bar)
Overall it's an incredibly idyllic locale, situated in a manner that has you feeling you are at the end of the world. You won't find better ocean water anywhere in the world. It's like glass...Everything on the island is brand new -- to a fault. Villas, technology and bedding are all top notch, service, while good intentioned, is a work in progress. Nevertheless, if you're seeking out a one-of-a-kind escape, this is the place.
Airport/Seaplane: Seamless pick-up at MLE, they gather you into a waiting ST Regis van with AC and wifi, while they check you into your seaplane flight. St Regis has a very nice waiting lounge. Seaplane is incredibly expensive, hot and old with barefoot pilots and amazing views. But it certainly is an experience. Nothing captures the beauty of this hotel better than approaching by plane -- you will never have a better arrival at a hotel.
Check in: The best thing is you never see a lobby or check-in. You are greeted by smiling and waving butlers and whisked away to your villa.
Butlers: Perhaps the marquee St Regis offering. At first we were assigned one butler while the other couple we were with were assigned a different butler (very curious decision). After one day it became evident that their butler was amazingly proactive, and ours was incredibly inept. Some examples:
Our Butler:
-Never showed up to pick us up for activities
-Told us restaurants were booked and didn't try to get us in
-Never checked on us- was like a ghost.
-Messed up a snorkeling booking. When times were switched she did not tell us visibility is usually better in the morning and she promised we'd get a bigger, upgraded boat (wrong).
Their Butler:
-Very proactive
-He was always there to pick them up for activities (even if they didn't call him)
-Looked for solutions, not excuses
Needless to say we summoned the head of service, Irman, and he was an amazing help. We explained everything and he was very apologetic and we were both switched to Sadam, who is an amazing butler we recommend to all.
Villas: We booked 2 regular Over Water bungalows on points and were upgraded as Platinum to Sunset Over Water bungalows. The bungalows are insanely modern and gorgeous with everything controlled by an ipad. After reading about the layout I requested 542/543, which gets nearly all day sun, great for lounging on the deck but even better for the plunge pool -- keeping it nice and warm. These bungalow also provide nice privacy without being way far out on the pier. For those concerned about privacy, there are walls separating the bungalows and you can tan/swim as you see fit, with the understanding that snorkelers may pop up in front of your deck.
Snorkeling: This has some of the best house reef snorkeling I've seen along the Sunset Over Water bungalows. Some great fish and coral. In front of the traditional OW bungalows the coral is basically dead and there is a difficult current for snorkeling. Everyone is given a complimentary snorkeling kit from their butler, which is quite nice.
Water Sports: Kayaks and SUP boards are free-- a great touch. See if you can beat our 16-minute kayak time of circumventing the island. Jet skis are obscenely expensive. One of the best deals is renting a private motor boat for $250 an hour -- especially with groups of people. They take you out snorkeling to reefs, but one of the coolest things is they bring you to a sandbar so you can basically stand in the middle of the ocean on a tiny island -- a great photo opportunity. Visibility was poor when we went out because of the weather and despite a fun trip, wish the staff would have warned us to postpone for better visibility, seems it's incumbent upon them to do that.
Beach Service: Very hit or miss. The staff was great about setting up chairs and bringing fresh cold towels and ice water. But our fist day they came around handing out frozen grapes and offering to wash your sunglasses ( a true luxury experience). The problem is, for the next five days that never happened again -- until we asked our final day and they said: "sure, why didn't you ask?" But proactively would have been better.
Breakfast: As others have said, it's insanely good. Everything from eggs to sushi to Indian Food to ice cream. Never seen anything like it. Basically plan a solid 2 hours, sit and relax. Service again, while friendly, is lacking. They occasionally forget things and sometimes disappear. But you can always help yourself at the buffet. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. In a bizarre twist, alcoholic drinks are included but sparkling water is not.
Lunch: Perhaps the best two values on the island. The beachside Pizza "Hut" and the Ice Cream Shack. The fresh made Pizza is amazingly good -- and at $40 it seems expensive except when you consider it feeds two people. The homemade ice cream and fresh made waffle cones are also incredible and at $3 a scoop, you could live all week on ice cream if you wanted to save money.
Dinner:
Oreintale: Japanese, Chinese, Indian out on the ocean. Very cool.
Cargo: a random assortment of 10 tables in the woods serving Middle Eastern Food. Not a fan. Tons of mist/smoke pumped in as if it's a Disney ride like Pirates of the Carrebean-- and smells a ton like incense, so all the food tastes like it.
Alba: By the pool. Was always empty. Very expensive and intricate menu.
There is an absurdity here that I've witnessed at other high-end resorts. Several times we tried to book one of the primary restaurants and were told they were "fully booked," which is not a very acceptable answer when you are on an island with three restraints (especially when the island is at about half capacity). Both times we insisted we were flexible on timing and they somehow "found" us a table. And guess what? Neither restaurant was even half full. They simply don't want to be full/busy. So don't back down. Get the booking you want. By far, our favorite restaurant was Orientale. All around prices are what you'd expect- expensive - $40-$60 entrees, but what's disappointing is that they are very small portions for a restaurant built around "sharing."
Whale Bar: Make sure you get a sunset drink here. A fantastically designed bar floating out over the sea. But they serve tiny tapas that are very expensive. One night we got $59 lobster bites and when the waiter served the plate there wasn't even enough for all four of us. We were shocked and the waiter said: "yeah, that doesnt look like enough." To their credit they cooked us another dish, but beware the proportions are not just respectably small, which is fine, they are absurdly tiny and vary by time of day and location.
Spa: Perhaps one of the most gorgeous Spas in the world, situated out over the ocean. Prices are what you'd expect, but somewhat annoying that you have to pay simply to use the facilities -- including the Blue Hole plunge pool, which costs $60 to jump in.
Gratuity: 10% service charge added to everything. And i mean everything-- even a hat at the gift shop. Additional tips on the bill seem to go to a staff pool -- not your waiter. So we found that with some strategically placed US $ tips during the week we got paid special attention, rather than tipping on the bills.
Other things:
-The weather was amazing. Five perfect days of sun with a little rain on the final day.
-Suntan lotion is $70 in the gift shop, but they do the right thing and offer free lotion at the pool.
-Free ice water at the beach and bottled water in the room is plentiful.
-Beware of the evening bug spraying, almost rode right into a cloud of it -- though, i must say, ive never been to an island before that has zero bugs. Literally, there are none.
-Bikes: It's great having bikes all around the island to ride one when you need. Just wish they'd pay a little more attention to them and inflate the tires, fix squeaks etc. Also, beware, riding on the sand paths is slippery.
-Special shoutouts to our favorite staff: Sinan (by the pool), Anas (waiter), Mailo (waiter), Atif (Whale Bar)
Feb 20, 2017, 10:46 am
#359
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Back in Hell
Posts: 4,178
There is an absurdity here that I've witnessed at other high-end resorts. Several times we tried to book one of the primary restaurants and were told they were "fully booked," which is not a very acceptable answer when you are on an island with three restraints (especially when the island is at about half capacity). Both times we insisted we were flexible on timing and they somehow "found" us a table. And guess what? Neither restaurant was even half full. They simply don't want to be full/busy. So don't back down.
Feb 20, 2017, 10:03 pm
#360
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: NYC
Programs: SPG Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 106
JBauer, thanks for the very detailed review! Very helpful.
Can someone provide a listing of the food that's served at Decanter? I've heard the bill comes to around $900. How many courses of food, and different wines? How many couples usually attend in one night (what's the cap?)? Do the chef and sommelier get conversational with the couples?
Can someone provide a listing of the food that's served at Decanter? I've heard the bill comes to around $900. How many courses of food, and different wines? How many couples usually attend in one night (what's the cap?)? Do the chef and sommelier get conversational with the couples?