Jay66

Some of the posts assuming that the taxes charged along with the points are for the sea plane transfer are a bit confusing, so I just wanted to confirm that all reward bookings at the st regis have taxes + sea plane, correct? So for a 5 night stay it's quoting me approx. 1500 in taxes for the OWV + Sea plane transfer. Or is this an error?

LovetoTravel83

I don't think so. There might be a slight advantage but that's all to it. Given that a dinner might cost around 200 USD which means that the seaplane transfer is almost free.

yorkboy24

I checked again. It’s 1400 net for breakfast + dinner (half board) only or 1600 net for half board sea plane package. It’s for minimum 4 nights.

So if you stay 4 nights (best value) from 1st - 5th July:

Half board package in Garden Villa (1200 night net) + seaplane added on for 2 people + taxes = 7452USD

Half board seaplane package (1400 night net) + taxes = 8437 - 1490 (seaplane to be deducted) = 6947 (a saving of 505 dollars).

If you stay 5 nights you save slightly but for 6 nights or more it’s better to buy the 1200usd half board package then add on the seaplane rather than pay for the seaplane package (1400 night net).

Actually the prepaid rate is only (I say "only" in the "this is the Maldives" sense of things) 5402 for 4 nights (with seaplane added on at usual price) so is it worth paying 193usd per person per night for dinner when it is set menu excluding beverages?! I’d just go for the prepaid rate especially if breakfast is thrown in for elites.

kkg

When it comes to free breakfast and other benefits on points stay, do they count status of the account holder from which points are used or the guest? I am gold but could get friends to book for me. Thanks.

TerryK

Offer shows up under point redemption rate details.

yorkboy24

Found it - you’re correct. That’s a good deal. Better than the paid one :-)

CPH-Flyer

The guest staying in the room.

If being generous and your friend is staying there at the same time, they may extend elite benefits to both rooms. But no requirement to do so.

circky

To be clear; my updated booking still showed the cost of seaplane as local fees: $1,490. It has not been uncommon from my experience with Marriott for certain costs to still show up in the reservation when it would be deducted/excluded at checkout and this was confirmed when I called the hotel directly that they saw my reservation with promotion and that I won't be charged for the seaplane upon checkout. To double down on that confirmation, the reservation agent e-mailed me details on other questions I had and reiterated that I would not be charged for the seaplane.

Jay66

Same! It shows me a total of 1562 Fees and Taxes so I always assumed these taxes were in addition to the seaplane transfer. Looking closely, 1490 of this is Fees equal to the amount of the seaplane. This would be great since I assumed I had to pay these taxes and fees in addition to the free transfer with the offer.

I booked in December and have not been charged btw.

Moflav

That is the exact information that I received from Marriott. I have a screenshot of the promo and I also questioned Marriott about having proof of the promo. Marriott opened a case file, contacted the resort and attached the promo to my booking.

hbtan

The manager's reception was on Tuesday. Didn't have Cargo due to the mixed reviews here, but I think the price went down relative to the previous posts (the menu I was emailed listed $210 for 2). There wasn't a visiting chef for Decanter while I was there (and I'm wondering if there was, would they have held the dinner regardless of hitting the min number of guests). I did also see that $595 price somewhere but can't seem to find where.

On the BV I liked the privacy (although that was compared to a regular OWV, if you're in a SOWV it might not be a factor). The BV's are offset from one another so it alternates being further from the beach and being right on the beach. We were in one of the ones further back which was nice for the added privacy through some trees, but I could see the appeal to some for being right on the beach. I think the OWV and SOWV's are a little more spacious compared to the BV's in interior space, but I really enjoyed the outdoor shower in the BV. One of the biggest tradeoffs I read about OWV and SOWV was the sun (with the OWV patio not getting much sun in the afternoon while the SOWV just gets completely blasted). The BV was a good mid-ground with the roof of the villa providing partial shade throughout the afternoon. Staying in a BV was also a good gauge for trying to plan for future trips (ie, is going to the Maldives worth it because it's one of the few places you could stay in an OWV, or would I be just as happy in a beach villa in a SEA country). Definitely happy I tried both and happy I spent more time in the OWV.

extremeromance

The free seaplane offer shows up for every month between April and September except for May curiously.

icec

They've also updated the promo language on the offer page to exclude May. Wonder what makes May so special?

Complimentary Return Seaplane Transfer

Marriott Bonvoy™ Exclusive Offer: Throughout April and June to September 2020, book for 6 nights or more to enjoy complimentary return seaplane transfers from Male for two.

intenso_project

Got here Tuesday night for 6 nights. Let me know if people have any specific questions / etc! Will post review / feedback when I get back

DenFlyer23

Enjoy your stay! Any feedback on water-sports (diving, good snorkeling spots, fishing), if you participate, would be helpful. Also if you could note any favorite dishes/meals... I always like reading about what people like dining wise.