St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort [Master Thread]
Oct 31, 2022, 1:16 am
#6166
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Palm Springs, CA
Programs: AA EXP / Marriott AMB & LT Titanium
Posts: 377
Oct 31, 2022, 4:51 am
#6167
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,470
Departing today after 9 nights in a sunrise OWV, villa 505.
Was a good stay. Service good, butler very responsive. I got the room on a very good corporate rate of $507 a night.
For this rate, the villa is extraordinary. However, it's simply not competitive with the Waldorf Astoria. I don't understand why there's no way to get to the deck along the side of the villa from the front to avoid tracking sand or water in. This complaint is not limited to StR but the villa literally has channels built on the left and right sides where they could have put a pathway and gate to access the deck side.
Pool is not huge, although it's much better than the tiny plunge pool you'll get somewhere like the W, but the pools at the WA are in a completely other league. I know that at normal prices the OWVs here price lower than the typical prices at the WA though.
Decided to do the $300 for $350 of F&B credit deal per day and it was well-worth.
Food was very good. Breakfast in Alba was one of the best I've had. Duck and waffles definitely a favorite. I'm not sure when things like sashimi and ice cream that were reported in the past went away but they're gone, unfortunately.
For dinners we did Cargo 3x, Orientale 3x, Whale Bar 2x, Alba 1x. For lunch we enjoyed the pizza at Crust and Craft. 15% lunch discount for Marriott members was nice. At Orientale we were given complementary sashimi on the second visit. There was subsequently an issue where one of the dishes just never showed up and they were quite apologetic, and on our third visit there they provided an absolutely delicious combo of a spicy fish dish and a dish of cabbage and fried tofu skin.
Went to Alba for lunch once and their Carbonara is shockingly bad. I was expecting good things when I saw it was using all the correct ingredients. Quite a letdown. Ended up only going there for one dinner as a result as I had lost confidence in them.
Whale bar sunsets were nice. Went there for most nights.
Weather was mostly good. Had some brief periods of rain but it never impacted our plans. Today is actually the worst day of the stay for weather.
Also, the WiFi is abysmal. They have serious issues with AP migration if you're going around the island on a buggy or bike, there's dead zones, and the speeds are just not good. Even with a 500mbps Tx rate on 11ac, you get maybe 3Mbps downstream. WA Maldives easily 25-30Mbps downstream speeds. They need to improve this.
Did some diving, snorkeling, etc. I know the reef here is pretty bleached and considered not great, but I found the dropoff area away from the sunset OWVs and near the JJA suite to be very good with lots of sea life. It just takes more time to get out there than a resort like the W where the reef is amazingly accessible.
Dive center was good. They were very kind and helpful with my friend who is not certified and who was doing the discover scuba experience.
Overall though, a really great stay. I don't think I will ever find a rate like this again in Maldives, so I'm glad I booked a sufficiently long stay to experience this resort. I don't know if I'll be back though as I think the hard product doesn't quite justify the regular rates. At the normal StR rates I'd rather get an OWV at Raffles or something of that sort. Perhaps I'll come back on points before Marriott completely devalues the program.
Was a good stay. Service good, butler very responsive. I got the room on a very good corporate rate of $507 a night.
For this rate, the villa is extraordinary. However, it's simply not competitive with the Waldorf Astoria. I don't understand why there's no way to get to the deck along the side of the villa from the front to avoid tracking sand or water in. This complaint is not limited to StR but the villa literally has channels built on the left and right sides where they could have put a pathway and gate to access the deck side.
Pool is not huge, although it's much better than the tiny plunge pool you'll get somewhere like the W, but the pools at the WA are in a completely other league. I know that at normal prices the OWVs here price lower than the typical prices at the WA though.
Decided to do the $300 for $350 of F&B credit deal per day and it was well-worth.
Food was very good. Breakfast in Alba was one of the best I've had. Duck and waffles definitely a favorite. I'm not sure when things like sashimi and ice cream that were reported in the past went away but they're gone, unfortunately.
For dinners we did Cargo 3x, Orientale 3x, Whale Bar 2x, Alba 1x. For lunch we enjoyed the pizza at Crust and Craft. 15% lunch discount for Marriott members was nice. At Orientale we were given complementary sashimi on the second visit. There was subsequently an issue where one of the dishes just never showed up and they were quite apologetic, and on our third visit there they provided an absolutely delicious combo of a spicy fish dish and a dish of cabbage and fried tofu skin.
Went to Alba for lunch once and their Carbonara is shockingly bad. I was expecting good things when I saw it was using all the correct ingredients. Quite a letdown. Ended up only going there for one dinner as a result as I had lost confidence in them.
Whale bar sunsets were nice. Went there for most nights.
Weather was mostly good. Had some brief periods of rain but it never impacted our plans. Today is actually the worst day of the stay for weather.
Also, the WiFi is abysmal. They have serious issues with AP migration if you're going around the island on a buggy or bike, there's dead zones, and the speeds are just not good. Even with a 500mbps Tx rate on 11ac, you get maybe 3Mbps downstream. WA Maldives easily 25-30Mbps downstream speeds. They need to improve this.
Did some diving, snorkeling, etc. I know the reef here is pretty bleached and considered not great, but I found the dropoff area away from the sunset OWVs and near the JJA suite to be very good with lots of sea life. It just takes more time to get out there than a resort like the W where the reef is amazingly accessible.
Dive center was good. They were very kind and helpful with my friend who is not certified and who was doing the discover scuba experience.
Overall though, a really great stay. I don't think I will ever find a rate like this again in Maldives, so I'm glad I booked a sufficiently long stay to experience this resort. I don't know if I'll be back though as I think the hard product doesn't quite justify the regular rates. At the normal StR rates I'd rather get an OWV at Raffles or something of that sort. Perhaps I'll come back on points before Marriott completely devalues the program.
Oct 31, 2022, 8:17 pm
#6168
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Programs: AC SE, *Gold, Bonvoy Titanium (Lifetime Platinum), National Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 64
That photo blew me away. I can’t believe how much sand they pumped in to create the beach that is there now. Thanks for sharing.
Nov 1, 2022, 12:55 pm
#6169
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: SFO / SJC
Programs: Marriott Platinum
Posts: 23
Yes last time I was there we saw someone who was by themselves. My advice is to keep yourself busy with lots of activities during the day. Night time whale bar for sunset and after dinner drinks is a good spot to interact with others.
Nov 1, 2022, 1:52 pm
#6172
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 655
I haven't heard that name Vincent at all throughout my stay and I actually told my butler that the management really needs to improve their direct communication with the guests but nothing changed.
Yes we liked Pop a lot but she would seek another journey in her life within this year.
Personally I liked Janif at the Alba and Muaan at the airport.
Yes we liked Pop a lot but she would seek another journey in her life within this year.
Personally I liked Janif at the Alba and Muaan at the airport.
Nov 1, 2022, 11:21 pm
#6173
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 2
Departing today after 9 nights in a sunrise OWV, villa 505.
Was a good stay. Service good, butler very responsive. I got the room on a very good corporate rate of $507 a night.
For this rate, the villa is extraordinary. However, it's simply not competitive with the Waldorf Astoria. I don't understand why there's no way to get to the deck along the side of the villa from the front to avoid tracking sand or water in. This complaint is not limited to StR but the villa literally has channels built on the left and right sides where they could have put a pathway and gate to access the deck side.
Pool is not huge, although it's much better than the tiny plunge pool you'll get somewhere like the W, but the pools at the WA are in a completely other league. I know that at normal prices the OWVs here price lower than the typical prices at the WA though.
Decided to do the $300 for $350 of F&B credit deal per day and it was well-worth.
Food was very good. Breakfast in Alba was one of the best I've had. Duck and waffles definitely a favorite. I'm not sure when things like sashimi and ice cream that were reported in the past went away but they're gone, unfortunately.
For dinners we did Cargo 3x, Orientale 3x, Whale Bar 2x, Alba 1x. For lunch we enjoyed the pizza at Crust and Craft. 15% lunch discount for Marriott members was nice. At Orientale we were given complementary sashimi on the second visit. There was subsequently an issue where one of the dishes just never showed up and they were quite apologetic, and on our third visit there they provided an absolutely delicious combo of a spicy fish dish and a dish of cabbage and fried tofu skin.
Went to Alba for lunch once and their Carbonara is shockingly bad. I was expecting good things when I saw it was using all the correct ingredients. Quite a letdown. Ended up only going there for one dinner as a result as I had lost confidence in them.
Whale bar sunsets were nice. Went there for most nights.
Weather was mostly good. Had some brief periods of rain but it never impacted our plans. Today is actually the worst day of the stay for weather.
Also, the WiFi is abysmal. They have serious issues with AP migration if you're going around the island on a buggy or bike, there's dead zones, and the speeds are just not good. Even with a 500mbps Tx rate on 11ac, you get maybe 3Mbps downstream. WA Maldives easily 25-30Mbps downstream speeds. They need to improve this.
Did some diving, snorkeling, etc. I know the reef here is pretty bleached and considered not great, but I found the dropoff area away from the sunset OWVs and near the JJA suite to be very good with lots of sea life. It just takes more time to get out there than a resort like the W where the reef is amazingly accessible.
Dive center was good. They were very kind and helpful with my friend who is not certified and who was doing the discover scuba experience.
Overall though, a really great stay. I don't think I will ever find a rate like this again in Maldives, so I'm glad I booked a sufficiently long stay to experience this resort. I don't know if I'll be back though as I think the hard product doesn't quite justify the regular rates. At the normal StR rates I'd rather get an OWV at Raffles or something of that sort. Perhaps I'll come back on points before Marriott completely devalues the program.
Was a good stay. Service good, butler very responsive. I got the room on a very good corporate rate of $507 a night.
For this rate, the villa is extraordinary. However, it's simply not competitive with the Waldorf Astoria. I don't understand why there's no way to get to the deck along the side of the villa from the front to avoid tracking sand or water in. This complaint is not limited to StR but the villa literally has channels built on the left and right sides where they could have put a pathway and gate to access the deck side.
Pool is not huge, although it's much better than the tiny plunge pool you'll get somewhere like the W, but the pools at the WA are in a completely other league. I know that at normal prices the OWVs here price lower than the typical prices at the WA though.
Decided to do the $300 for $350 of F&B credit deal per day and it was well-worth.
Food was very good. Breakfast in Alba was one of the best I've had. Duck and waffles definitely a favorite. I'm not sure when things like sashimi and ice cream that were reported in the past went away but they're gone, unfortunately.
For dinners we did Cargo 3x, Orientale 3x, Whale Bar 2x, Alba 1x. For lunch we enjoyed the pizza at Crust and Craft. 15% lunch discount for Marriott members was nice. At Orientale we were given complementary sashimi on the second visit. There was subsequently an issue where one of the dishes just never showed up and they were quite apologetic, and on our third visit there they provided an absolutely delicious combo of a spicy fish dish and a dish of cabbage and fried tofu skin.
Went to Alba for lunch once and their Carbonara is shockingly bad. I was expecting good things when I saw it was using all the correct ingredients. Quite a letdown. Ended up only going there for one dinner as a result as I had lost confidence in them.
Whale bar sunsets were nice. Went there for most nights.
Weather was mostly good. Had some brief periods of rain but it never impacted our plans. Today is actually the worst day of the stay for weather.
Also, the WiFi is abysmal. They have serious issues with AP migration if you're going around the island on a buggy or bike, there's dead zones, and the speeds are just not good. Even with a 500mbps Tx rate on 11ac, you get maybe 3Mbps downstream. WA Maldives easily 25-30Mbps downstream speeds. They need to improve this.
Did some diving, snorkeling, etc. I know the reef here is pretty bleached and considered not great, but I found the dropoff area away from the sunset OWVs and near the JJA suite to be very good with lots of sea life. It just takes more time to get out there than a resort like the W where the reef is amazingly accessible.
Dive center was good. They were very kind and helpful with my friend who is not certified and who was doing the discover scuba experience.
Overall though, a really great stay. I don't think I will ever find a rate like this again in Maldives, so I'm glad I booked a sufficiently long stay to experience this resort. I don't know if I'll be back though as I think the hard product doesn't quite justify the regular rates. At the normal StR rates I'd rather get an OWV at Raffles or something of that sort. Perhaps I'll come back on points before Marriott completely devalues the program.
Nov 2, 2022, 5:44 am
#6175
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
Also, the WiFi is abysmal. They have serious issues with AP migration if you're going around the island on a buggy or bike, there's dead zones, and the speeds are just not good. Even with a 500mbps Tx rate on 11ac, you get maybe 3Mbps downstream. WA Maldives easily 25-30Mbps downstream speeds. They need to improve this.
Nov 2, 2022, 5:48 am
#6176
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,470
I just came back from WA Maldives and the WiFi there was really not good in my experience so St. Regis must be pretty terrible! Pretty slow in my 300s Reef Villa for five days and certainly nowhere near 25-30 mbps (moved there from Naladhu where it was lightening fast). Was then moved to a 600s Beach Villa on the last day and there is no WiFi at all on the beach by these villas, which is pretty shocking!
Nov 2, 2022, 5:51 am
#6177
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
Sometimes at WA your MAC address gets put in the throttled device set which is used for authenticating to WiFi after arrival with an access code instead of a villa number. Had this happen and I noticed 0.2Mbps speeds on my phone while 30Mbps on my laptop. Had to ask their tech team to forget my MAC address to resolve. You may have been hit by this.
Nov 2, 2022, 8:22 am
#6178
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 655
WiFi wasn’t great at the STR on my recent stay but it wasn’t terrible. Occasionally pictures on the internet would take awhile to load but from my villa I could still FaceTime fine. It was worse than I remembered it being from the previous few years for whatever reason though.
Nov 3, 2022, 1:21 pm
#6179
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 5
How long are you gonna be there and what kind of charger? I get in 11/6. I have to buy a battery for my luggage scale tomorrow. I could see if they have one I could pick up for you. (I have one but sadly I left my camera back home)
Nov 3, 2022, 1:27 pm
#6180
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 5
St Regis magic worth it?
I’ll be there for my honeymoon. Apparently vommuli magic has been replaced with St Regis Magic and is now 650++ per person. Menu appears to be the same ish? What attracted me was something private and nice with a dope meal.
Looking for an honest opinion here. Do you all think it’s worth the 1600/1700 price tag? Drinks aren’t included.Selection of Canapés:
Assorted Selection of Bread Rolls
Salads:
ØTabbouleh:
Parsley, tomato, onion, couscous
ØBuffalo Mozzarella, cherry Tomatoes, Rocket & Walnut Pesto Salad:
Mozzarella, cherry tomato, rocket, walnut pesto
ØAsian Calamari Salad:
Calamari, cucumber, tomato, spring onion, onion, celery
From The Grill:
Marinated Maldivian Lobster, Jumbo King Prawns, Wagyu Beef Tenderloin Lamb Chop, Baked Potato, balsamic flavor Grilled Vegetable Grilled Lemon
ØSauce: Peppercorn Sauce, Truffle Jus, Garlic Butter, Lemon Beurre Blanc,
Dessert:
Mango cheese cake with fresh berries and raspberry sauce
Looking for an honest opinion here. Do you all think it’s worth the 1600/1700 price tag? Drinks aren’t included.Selection of Canapés:
Assorted Selection of Bread Rolls
Salads:
ØTabbouleh:
Parsley, tomato, onion, couscous
ØBuffalo Mozzarella, cherry Tomatoes, Rocket & Walnut Pesto Salad:
Mozzarella, cherry tomato, rocket, walnut pesto
ØAsian Calamari Salad:
Calamari, cucumber, tomato, spring onion, onion, celery
From The Grill:
Marinated Maldivian Lobster, Jumbo King Prawns, Wagyu Beef Tenderloin Lamb Chop, Baked Potato, balsamic flavor Grilled Vegetable Grilled Lemon
ØSauce: Peppercorn Sauce, Truffle Jus, Garlic Butter, Lemon Beurre Blanc,
Dessert:
Mango cheese cake with fresh berries and raspberry sauce