jmail1

If you dive you’ll have a blast. We’ve met great people on the dive boats and ended up having cocktails with them.

If you don’t dive then it’s a great place to get certified.

The difference here and most other dive places is the dive sites are 10 minutes away, we’ve never even lost sight of the resort.

thereisnoaddress

hello! You are me! I was in the exact same situation last summer — ex broke up with me but MLE has always been a bucket list item.

I went alone anyway; even on the seaplane I was considering cancelling because I thought it was “weird”. It was not; it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

They prepared tables at restaurants for just me. My butler had an event list planned out for just one person. It was such a nice trip; I did a lot of reflection and meditation in my room, in the pool, and around the resort. I also made some friends there at the bar and at the gym — both hotel staff (I feel like they liked talking to me because they felt like they were interrupting other couples) and other travellers.

They had all the activities planned out for me, but tbh I just wanted to go and reflect, but I’m sure the activities would’ve been a blast.

Please feel free to ask me anything! And I’m so sorry to hear about your breakup; I hope you’re taking care of yourself.

kkl

Looks like the renovations will be going ahead. June July is blocked off

noeatbutgo

My points earned from my recent stay have been just posted which suggests my spending was only $300. No way. I feel already tired to contact the resort and/or customer centre. By the way, I have sent over my feedback on the stay to the property but didn't get any single email. I seriously don't like the management's attitude.

raylee123

June and July have been blocked off for approximately a month already. That might have been what triggered folks inquiring about a potential closure.

I noticed the dates in June and July being blocked for award bookings about 3-4 weeks ago when I wanted to check on tweaking my award reservation.

Cash bookings were still available to be booked so I figured 1) either other folks booked all the available award booking dates before the dynamic pricing goes into effect (unlikely) or 2) they were reducing / removing award availability for those months due to the change to dynamic pricing soon.

That changed a week or 2 ago, as now even cash bookings are not available for June and July so I reached out to the hotel to see what was up. Then I checked flyertalk and read about the potential closure due to renovations. The short notice definitely sucks, but probably works great for the hotel, as it is off-season and with the upcoming change to dynamic award pricing, they can benefit a bit more after renovations.

As I and others have said, the hotel said a final decision will be made on March 11, but I would bet the renovations and closure are going ahead. I am mostly curious how they are going to re-accommodate guests with confirmed reservations, if at all.

If they are going to just refund points and/or cash and say we are on our own finding a new place to stay, this will leave a bad taste in the mouth of many. It isn't like they are doing this 9 or 12 months out, but 2 and a half to 3 months out. Most folks have 20-30+ hour flights that are set in stone. To make them scramble for new accomodations a couple of months out, will definitely turn off many. This doesn't even account for other details like time off work, getting babysitters, etc.

Planning a trip to the Maldives isn't easy and painless for most folks. Many are also coming here for special occasions. It's not the same as your local Marriott canceling your weekend staycation reservation.

Derman0524

I appreciate the message and sincerities. That's what I'm aiming for now, to go and reflect and come back with a new positive way of thinking and a path forward. But I'm glad to here the butlers and wait staff will be more talkative and will be attentive to be solo needs.

rucksack

It's a great place to get certified from a dive quality perspective, but getting certified in the Maldives is very expensive. If I were Derman0524's position, I'd recommend going to the Gili Islands in Indonesia instead. It has the same quality of remoteness as the Maldives but without the opulence. Getting scuba certified only costs like $500 there and the drift dives are world class. Plus, there's a lot more single travelers if you're looking to make friends.

Derman0524

Definitely something to consider, thanks for the insight!

willyplur

Just bought some miles to lock in this 7 night award stay before the dynamic pricing. Feels good to get this finalized before Marriott screws us over. Account is empty. Still 175 nights and 1 year left to get LT plat but I won’t go out of my way once I’ve locked that up. Excited for the StR.

exmike

Heading there in a couple days myself, ill whisper "nexus" whever i walk by a single person and feel free to say hi or ignore me

Enishi

Do they give more water in the villas if there's 3 people in the OWV? Can I ask for more if we run out?

Icenoft

Just completed a 5 night stay during the last week of February to the first week of March. I booked the GV with points and requested a cash upgrade to an OWV which was not granted due to the hotel being at full capacity (according to arrival staff and butler). While this was very sad to hear on my arrival, my disappointment didn't last too long as I was impressed by the GV. Definitely book straight into the OWV if that's what you want. It's a gamble booking a GV and hoping to upgrade to an OWV especially during peak season. Cash upgrade option was not available prior to arrival.

Overall rating 3.5 out of 5.

TLDR: Stay was good, but not mind blowing. Maybe my experience was skewed from all the hype in this thread. Airport team made the arrival and departure process as seamless and smooth as possible. Hotel was at capacity. GV was nicer than expected, service was good when it was received, food/drinks are good but very overpriced. Orientale is definitely the best restaurant on the resort followed by Alba. Not enough staff at restaurants during peak hours (breakfast/dinner). Butlers were always busy/not seen often and were not as readily available due to other guest. No interaction with management during the entire stay. Lots of fish can be seen from the beach and when snorkeling. Coral is limited at beach in front of Alba (didn't go close enough to JJA). Whale shark excursion is an expensive gamble, but sunset fishing is highly recommended. Excursions and private beach dinners need to be booked far in advance during peak season. Would I come back again? Most likely not. Especially not on a cash stay. Resort is priced very high, service above average but not amazing, management completely absent, no flexibility with compensation, and butlers not going above and beyond probably due to management restrictions. I've honestly had better experiences at other St Regis hotels in cities at fractions of the cost to stay at this resort.

Airport Arrival Team (5 out of 5)

The airport team was waiting holding an iPad with the St Regis Maldives logo very close to the door after exiting airside. They were very quick to take all luggage as soon as I stepped out of the secure area. One staff member gave a warm welcome and escorted us to an air conditioned van waiting for us outside the airport. Another staff member took passports and luggage to get boarding passes and the bags checked for the sea plane transfer. Evian water was provided and butlers pointed out a QR code for WiFi. While waiting for another group of guests to finish clearing immigration and collecting bags, the staff member responsible for escorting gave us an iPad to watch a welcome video from the butler responsible for my stay, Ernie. Once the other group arrived we were all taken to the Great Room.

Great Room (4 out of 5)

Clean, spacious, fresh flowers, view of the sea plane dock, comfortable seating, nice bathrooms with showers and amenities. There was some signs of wear and tear, but overall the lounge is still very nice. Food selection in the lounge is a la carte and very limited. Beverages are non-alcoholic only. The vegetable quiche and tapioca pie is recommended! Service was attentive until the lounge started filling up with other guests that were arriving or departing. At one point, the lounge was completely full. I had to flag down waiters to order food and drinks during the rush. Adding another staff member would easily solve this problem. Hotel check in was started while waiting for the sea plane where I was informed that the hotel was at full capacity and that my request for an OWV could not be done. Was very disappointing to hear.

Arrival and Villa (GV 103 - 4.5 out of 5)

Butlers were waiting for guests as soon as the sea plane arrived. Guests were all guided to the arrival pavilion and presented with a fresh coconut with the St Regis logo stamped onto it and a flower.



After a short chat with Ernie and sipping on the coconut, we were driven by buggy around the island to show the location of all the points of interest (restaurants, water sports centre, fitness centre, etc.) before being taken to the garden villa. After being shown around the villa, I asked my butler Ernie if a room change was possible later on during the stay. She promised to look into it but was unfortunately unable to fulfil this request due to the property being overbooked (according to Ernie). While it was very disappointing to be assigned this room, I was quite surprised by how nice, spacious, and private it was. The villa was well maintained with minimal signs of wear and tear. There is a concrete wall around the entire area of each GV, so there is no chance of seeing any other guests especially with all the greenery. The outdoor space is extensive. Lighting is added in key spots making the outdoor space very inviting during the nights. There is a small pavilion with a large wooden swing. The pavilion also has a ceiling fan to provide air circulation. The villa has a high ceiling making it feel spacious. The bed inside the room was oversized (probably a Wyoming King but I didn't measure). A regular king size would've probably looked too small! Bathroom was gorgeous. Large soaker tub, separate his and hers sink/wardrobe, and very spacious outdoor showers. Amenities provided are higher quality (eg. wooden comb), but toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash) were not my favorite. Much prefer the new archive products being introduced at other St Regis hotels. The outdoor patio at the back has 2 showers with a single chair side table combo. Definitely gives a Bali feel! The outdoor showers were really nice to use after coming back from the beach, or to get rid of any sand on your feet before going inside the villa! The outdoor patio has high fences on all sides and is further covered by surrounding trees, so privacy definitely wasn't an issue. Room temperature, blinds, and TV were all controlled by an iPad as expected. In room dining menu, excursions, spa menu, restaurant information, and more was also available on the iPad.









On the first night, I found sand in the bed. As it was already late at night and my butler had retired, I reached out through the Marriott app chat to get new sheets. This was done fairly promptly. Apologies were given, but nothing was offered as compensation. On the third day of the stay, the door was left open with the bolt. I brought this up to the butler. They apologized deeply for the mistake and brought up the issue to the villa attendants. The villa attendant came to the room and apologized in person, but again no other compensation other than the apology.

Welcome bowl of fruit, bottle of champagne, and sweet treats were provided upon arrival to the villa. Fruit bowl was not replenished as noted in previous posts. This wasn't a problem since there was more than enough fruit to be had at the breakfast buffet, and most days I felt too full.



Butler also advised guests not to bring complimentary water in the villas to restaurants. I guess previous guests have been doing this a lot, but I can't blame them!

Resort (4.8 out of 5)

Island is beautiful and decently maintained. Water is pristine, greenery is lush, and the views are incredible. Staff were seen repairing the boardwalk to address noise complaints, raking sand daily, cleaning fallen leaves, and watering plants.




Whale Bar & Grill

Breakfast at Alba (4 out of 5)

Vast buffet spread and a la carte menu. Definitely recommend duck confit with waffles as this was probably my favorite, followed by the lobster & crab omelet. Chinese options at breakfast were terrible, Indian/western options fairly good, pastries/breads are excellent but somewhat soggy/stale due to climate, and fruit was fresh and delicious. Quality of ingredients is definitely up there, but the preparation could be better for some items (especially for the Chinese food). Service was very warm and welcoming when it was provided. Like others have mentioned, Pom was the most welcoming and most memorable. During the breakfast rush, staff seemed to be stretched thin so getting drink refills or ordering more items off the a la carte menu became difficult.


Duck confit and waffles

Lunch/Dinner (4.5 out of 5)

A la carte offerings at all food outlets was much better at lunch and dinner. However the price was hard to justify for some items. Bottled water was $14, which is complimentary at breakfast (included with buffet)! Service was much more attentive and personable at each restaurant during dinner. Rotating complimentary amuse bouche is served first at dinner. At most venues, the chef would come out to greet guests. My restaurant preferences from most to least preferred are Orientale > Alba > Whale Bar & Grill > Cargo.

Cargo serves more middle eastern style food. Food was decent, but nothing special. I do not recommend the cold mezze platter as most of these items were available at breakfast! During my stay I saw the hummus, labneh, baba ghanoush, and muhammara.

Whale Bar Grill - Snacks are provided when ordering drinks. Recommend getting to the bar at around 6:00-6:30 PM to get a good seat for the sunset. Food was tasty. Some items are more reasonably priced for the portion received (eg. Wagyu Ribeye 300g for $110, enough for 2 people). Complimentary warm fresh bread is served with meals. Extra can be provided at no additional charge.

Alba Lunch - Delicious food, but very small portions. This was not a problem since most of the time I was feeling full from breakfast. Reef fish ceviche was tasty and generously portioned. Chicken tikka wrap was small, but this was expected based on the lower prices.

Alba Dinner - Serves Indian and Italian food. Waitress informed us that the chef was from India and specialized in Indian cuisine. With that knowledge, I ordered chicken biryani and tandoori prawns. Both items were delicious. Fresh warm bread was also provided at no charge. Staff were happy to give tours of Decanter so long as dining events were not happening.


Tandoori Prawns, Chicken Biryani

Orientale - Definitely the best tasting food! Preparation is more meticulous which shows in the dishes served. Korean Fried Chicken is recommended. Seafood used was fresh.


Dakgangjeong (Korean Fried Chicken) and Ocean Desire roll

Matcha Opera

Grilled Lobster w/ Miso cream, Wagyu Tenderlon, Truffle Fried rice

Beach (4 out of 5)

Staff immediately lay out clean towels over beach chairs for guests, adjust chair positions to maximize shade, and also provided water with ice at no charge. Staff will also take food orders if requested. SPF 30 and 50 sunscreen is available at the towel cart. Water is beautiful, there are plenty of fish, but coral by the beach is mostly dead. As you swim closer to the OWVs, the coral / sea life improves. Depending on the waves, it might be difficult to go far out. Thus OWVs are much easier to snorkel from.

Iridium Spa (4 out of 5)

Ginger tea (delicious) provided once guests are seated. Spa treatments were average, but a relaxing experience with the sounds of the waves and birds. 10% discount was provided for elites, and a $50 USD voucher was provided for a return visit. Voucher is usable only for the guest it is assigned to.

Whale Shark Excursion (0.5 out of 5)

This excursion is basically a 5 hour boat ride to nowhere. Water bottles were provided. The boat journey to the whale shark location began at 10:30 AM and is about an hour and a half each way. The boat was very loud which made socializing with other guests difficult. The speed of the boat also made it dangerous to stand up to enjoy the journey. Staff encouraged everyone to be ready to jump into the water at a moments notice to see the whale shark. At the whale shark spot, another 2 hours was spent looking for whale sharks. At the very end of the 2 hours, one lone whale shark was spotted. Everyone rushed to jump into the water to see it, but this didn't last for more than 2-3 mins as the shark decided to swim down deeper and out of sight. After getting back onto the boat, it was time to go back to the hotel. A horrible lunch was provided for everyone: a very stale and bad tasting chicken salad sandwich with 2 fruit danishes (most likely from breakfast). At $490++ per person for the chance to see a whale shark, I cannot recommend this activity. A private speed boat could have been chartered for less. Some people may have had much better experiences, but this is such an expensive gamble. Myself and other guests on this excursion expressed disappointment and requested a waiver of this charge. Management firmly denied this request. No other compensation was given.

Sunset Fishing (5 out of 5)

In contrast to the whale shark excursion, this fishing trip was far more enjoyable and worth the money ($115++ per person). This was a much more leisurely trip as the boat was more spacious and driven at a slower speed. This allowed guests to walk around the boat, chat, have drinks (beer/water available), and enjoy the view. During the 20 min boat ride to the fishing spot, dolphins were spotted and continued to swim along the boat for a couple minutes. This was a very lucky encounter and felt extra special during sunset!. Staff cut up bait (way more than needed for the group) on the 20 min journey and prepared lines for fishing. There was way more bait than needed for a group of 6. Once at the fishing spot, staff would put bait on the hooks for each guest and instructed everyone on how to handline fish. Because of the huge number of reef fish, it was quite fast to get nibbles and to reel in fish. Staff would unhook the fish and keep them in a cooler. Watching the sunset from the boat was amazing while fishing. Guests had the option of eating the fish for a fee the following day. I highly recommend this excursion if it is available during a stay! This needs to be booked in advance especially during peak season.

Butler (4 out of 5)

All butlers and other staff would hold their hand on their chest when passing by. Ernie was the butler assigned to my villa. She was extremely wonderful and was much more fun to chat with in contrast to other butlers from what I saw during my stay. She attended to all of my requests (sometimes with a delay) as soon as she was able to. As she was also responsible for 2-3 other villas, sometimes I would go for a full day without seeing her. This was understandable but still disappointing for an ultra luxury resort. Ernie made sure to always communicate the itinerary each day over WhatsApp which was a nice reminder. I noticed that the signature St Regis straw hats were not in the villa on arrival, so I requested these of Ernie. She apologized and said there weren't any available, but later surprised me with the hats the following day. This was very nice of her as other guests did not seem to have the hats. As I was celebrating my birthday at the resort, Ernie surprised me with balloons, a chocolate passionfruit entremet, and a decorated bath in the villa. This was a nice surprise to come back to. While Ernie tried her best to honor all my requests, she was limited in what she could do (wasn't able to waive charges, book excursions on arrival, arrange private beach dinner as these were already booked by other guests).

Management (0 out of 5)

Many of the group excursions happening during my stay were fully booked for my preferred days. This was disappointing as I had requested suggestions and wanted to book excursions many weeks prior to arrival. It seems that the resort overall is understaffed (restaurant, butlers, great room staff, reservations/email). Management was nowhere to be seen for the entire stay. Elite recognition is limited to additional welcome treats, free breakfast, verbal thanks, and 10% spa discount. No effort was made to reach out to guests, meet in person, or make my stay extra special.

Departure (5 out of 5)

Ernie made sure I had taken all my belongings before leaving the villa. She caught one item that I had left behind! I had 4 Marriott gift cards to redeem, and this was done smoothly without any issue over WhatsApp. Guests departing were escorted by buggy to the arrival jetty. Butlers stayed and chatted with all guests at the arrival jetty until the sea plane was ready. Butlers waived as the plane started to 'taxi' until it was far from the dock. The same airport team was waiting for guests after arrival at the sea plane terminal. Staff immediately took all luggage and escorted guests to the van for the short drive to the Great Room. The airport team was meticulous when they were not as busy with other guests. When it was time to leave, staff accompanied guests through initial airport security screening and check in. Staff provided a hotspot with their own phones for guests to use. The staff members designated for me stayed until I had to pass through immigration/security. They stood waiving until I was completely out of sight. I couldn't have thought of a better way to depart. This departure experience is what I felt was missing from the rest of the stay.

nexusCFX

I see you're SF-based. Don't suppose you're on Friday's QR738?

jmail1

You’re stating this as if he’s choosing between Gili and the St. Regis, my comment was related to his question on whether it made sense to travel to the St. Regis alone. If you’re looking to enjoy this resort as a single traveler and fill some of that downtime you’d otherwise be spending with a significant other then I think diving is a great way to do so, albeit at a greater expense. I can get certified to dive in Honduras for pennies on the dollar vs. here but this thread isn’t about Honduras.

noeatbutgo

Can't agree more with above two evaluations especially on the poor attitude of the management. Even I sent over a long email with various compliment and feedback to multiple email addresses of the property but no reply thus far.