St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort [Master Thread]
Nov 1, 2017, 5:20 pm
#677
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: East Hampton, NY
Programs: AA EXP, 12 year ex AA CK, AA LT PLT, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, UA Silver
Posts: 230
Nov 2, 2017, 5:20 am
#678
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Nov 3, 2017, 10:53 am
#679
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 100
Anyone know the prices of the buffet dinners?
http://www.stregismaldives.com/diningofffers
http://www.stregismaldives.com/diningofffers
Nov 6, 2017, 10:31 am
#680
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Programs: AC SE, *Gold, Bonvoy Titanium (Lifetime Platinum), National Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 64
I emailed the resort to inquire about pricing for the new dining offers.
Full Moon Lobster and Champagne. 5 courses. Offered on full moon nights only. At Alba Beach. USD $265++ pp.
Mediterranean Souk Buffet. Tuesday nights starting at 7pm. At Alba. $140++ pp.
Exquisite Asia Buffet. Wednesday nights starting at 7pm. At Orientale. $140++ pp.
Maldivian Fisherman's Night Buffet. Friday nights starting at 7pm (starting Nov 17). At Alba. $140++ pp.
Full Moon Lobster and Champagne. 5 courses. Offered on full moon nights only. At Alba Beach. USD $265++ pp.
Mediterranean Souk Buffet. Tuesday nights starting at 7pm. At Alba. $140++ pp.
Exquisite Asia Buffet. Wednesday nights starting at 7pm. At Orientale. $140++ pp.
Maldivian Fisherman's Night Buffet. Friday nights starting at 7pm (starting Nov 17). At Alba. $140++ pp.
Nov 10, 2017, 6:40 am
#681
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond / SQ Gold / Bonvoy Platinum / Hyatt Globalist / Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,098
I've just finished reading through the entire thread - thanks all of you for the excellent information!
(I'm usually on the Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club form, first time posting here)
I've booked late November for 2 nights. I'm not generally a resort person (much prefer the city) but thought I'll give the SRM a try.
Has anybody stayed there *alone*? Will it be strange/odd/awkward?
I was at the FS Seychelles earlier this year. Booked a room on FS website for 1 person. They emailed me to ask for the name of the second guest/companion. I replied there wasn't one. They emailed me again 5 days later asking for the second guest .... And when I dined at their restaurants, staff would say things like "oh why are you here alone?" ...
(I'm usually on the Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club form, first time posting here)
I've booked late November for 2 nights. I'm not generally a resort person (much prefer the city) but thought I'll give the SRM a try.
Has anybody stayed there *alone*? Will it be strange/odd/awkward?
I was at the FS Seychelles earlier this year. Booked a room on FS website for 1 person. They emailed me to ask for the name of the second guest/companion. I replied there wasn't one. They emailed me again 5 days later asking for the second guest .... And when I dined at their restaurants, staff would say things like "oh why are you here alone?" ...
Nov 10, 2017, 6:42 am
#682
formerly htang333
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Wi-Fi
Programs: Virtuoso, Top Ranked: Four Seasons (Top 25 Advisor), AMAN (Top 50), Rosewood, Hyatt Prive, etc.
Posts: 1,455
I've just finished reading through the entire thread - thanks all of you for the excellent information!
(I'm usually on the Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club form, first time posting here)
I've booked late November for 2 nights. I'm not generally a resort person (much prefer the city) but thought I'll give the SRM a try.
Has anybody stayed there *alone*? Will it be strange/odd/awkward?
I was at the FS Seychelles earlier this year. Booked a room on FS website for 1 person. They emailed me to ask for the name of the second guest/companion. I replied there wasn't one. They emailed me again 5 days later asking for the second guest .... And when I dined at their restaurants, staff would say things like "oh why are you here alone?" ...
(I'm usually on the Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club form, first time posting here)
I've booked late November for 2 nights. I'm not generally a resort person (much prefer the city) but thought I'll give the SRM a try.
Has anybody stayed there *alone*? Will it be strange/odd/awkward?
I was at the FS Seychelles earlier this year. Booked a room on FS website for 1 person. They emailed me to ask for the name of the second guest/companion. I replied there wasn't one. They emailed me again 5 days later asking for the second guest .... And when I dined at their restaurants, staff would say things like "oh why are you here alone?" ...
enjoy! Try to request Adam as your butler if you can...he is one of their tops and he can bring out the telescope at night for some star gazing
Nov 16, 2017, 1:07 pm
#683
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SF
Programs: UA MM, AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTP, HH Dia
Posts: 1,132
cash and points?
Just checking back--- anybody besides griffingrowl able to find a night (or nights) bookable as cash and points? I'm thinking it may have been a lucky, one-off occurrence.
Nov 17, 2017, 3:40 am
#684
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Nov 19, 2017, 6:51 pm
#685
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: East Hampton, NY
Programs: AA EXP, 12 year ex AA CK, AA LT PLT, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, UA Silver
Posts: 230
I have also been calling every few days to check if I can switch my whole reservation to C&P. Sadly no luck. Glad I got that one night.
Nov 20, 2017, 12:42 am
#686
Join Date: May 2009
Location: California
Programs: AS 75K Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LT Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, National EE
Posts: 236
N00b question.
There's great info in this thread on which villas have the best sunset, but can anyone comment on villas that are good for the sunrise and decent daily sun exposure? Presumably, would it be be 501-516? How's the sunrise view from in 522-528? Or does it not really matter at all?
TIA
There's great info in this thread on which villas have the best sunset, but can anyone comment on villas that are good for the sunrise and decent daily sun exposure? Presumably, would it be be 501-516? How's the sunrise view from in 522-528? Or does it not really matter at all?
TIA
Another amazing spot is Blue Hole @ Iridium Spa.
Sunrise from Villa 508
Nov 20, 2017, 3:23 pm
#687
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 35
Chiming in as a 100+ Night Plat!
Hey gang! I just stayed here and didn't have an awesome experience. Context: 100+ Night Plat; have been to ~20 St. Regis properties worldwide. Went there to get away from the world for a bit. 8-night stay. (Cut it short and left after 5).
The TL;DR here is that they got most of the little things wrong. (And for some of us, those little things are actually big.)
I'm gluten-free (celiac), which is noted on my profile and was told to my butler upon check-in. They proceeded to serve me gluten three times in my first two days. Twice with my tea service, and once at breakfast.
No Platinum upgrade, but wasn't expecting one here. (And not discounting any stars for that.) What was unfortunate was: I asked for paid upgrade options, and was surprised that they offered options that were higher in price than what was listed on the website. (And called this a special 'platinum upgrade price.') This was the opposite of the two St. Regis's I staid at beforehand and the one I stayed at afterward. I booked an OWB, and they offered me the two bedroom one for $2500++ per night. Didn't feel like a deal.
Thematically consistent with the above was that the place felt a little nickel-and-dimey. They can't be blamed for the alcohol import taxes of the Maldives, but the margins on top just sting. We're talking about wine pours (for a single glass) that start out at ~5 times what the bottle costs. (I paid $310 for a glass of decent Bordeaux. Just decent.)
The F&B options leave something to be desired, especially given the price points. The decanter dinner with wine pairing was relatively well executed, but at high price-point per person, that's expected. (The price is what I've paid on average for 2-star Michelin restaurants ($525 per-person with tip). And, no, the food is not *that* good.
Also, weirdly, they seem to have limited availability at many restaurants on the island. I asked if there was availability for this 'wine pairing' dinner and they said that it was full. I said I'd be interested if a spot opened up. The day of the dinner, they let me know that they were able to 'secure a seat' at the dinner, without confirming that this is what I wanted. At that time, they let me know that it was non-refundable and if I changed my mind, they would charge me anyway.
I asked for Calvados at dinner my first night. They said they didn't have any. I was kind of surprised by this and asked the server to double-check. He came with a hard no. The next morning, I casually mentioned it to the manager. He proceeded to come back and show off a nice bottle of Calvados, with a big smile on his face.
I wasn't smiling. I wanted it the night before at dinner. It would have gone perfectly with my meal. This might sound like a little thing: but no one ever apologized. No offer for a free pour or even a taste. He just showed off the bottle and walked away.
The internet went out in my Bungalow 3 different times. One time was raining hard, so I'll assume that it couldn't be helped on a remote Island. But the other times, it was only sort of handled. I tried to create reproducible steps for them and everything, but they didn't seem to care.
The gym leaves quite a lot to be desired. On a remote island, we aren't left with other fitness options. One staff member commented to me that their staff gym is better than the actual customer gym.
In summary, the property is gorgeous, but the experience just felt cheap to me. It didn't feel like true luxury. And given the staff-to-customer ratio, I expected the attention-to-detail to be higher than it was.
Hope that helps someone else!
@Psychiatrist @BESVISOR -- I went solo, and it was fine. Although, I hope that didn't contribute to my not-awesome service.
The TL;DR here is that they got most of the little things wrong. (And for some of us, those little things are actually big.)
I'm gluten-free (celiac), which is noted on my profile and was told to my butler upon check-in. They proceeded to serve me gluten three times in my first two days. Twice with my tea service, and once at breakfast.
No Platinum upgrade, but wasn't expecting one here. (And not discounting any stars for that.) What was unfortunate was: I asked for paid upgrade options, and was surprised that they offered options that were higher in price than what was listed on the website. (And called this a special 'platinum upgrade price.') This was the opposite of the two St. Regis's I staid at beforehand and the one I stayed at afterward. I booked an OWB, and they offered me the two bedroom one for $2500++ per night. Didn't feel like a deal.
Thematically consistent with the above was that the place felt a little nickel-and-dimey. They can't be blamed for the alcohol import taxes of the Maldives, but the margins on top just sting. We're talking about wine pours (for a single glass) that start out at ~5 times what the bottle costs. (I paid $310 for a glass of decent Bordeaux. Just decent.)
The F&B options leave something to be desired, especially given the price points. The decanter dinner with wine pairing was relatively well executed, but at high price-point per person, that's expected. (The price is what I've paid on average for 2-star Michelin restaurants ($525 per-person with tip). And, no, the food is not *that* good.
Also, weirdly, they seem to have limited availability at many restaurants on the island. I asked if there was availability for this 'wine pairing' dinner and they said that it was full. I said I'd be interested if a spot opened up. The day of the dinner, they let me know that they were able to 'secure a seat' at the dinner, without confirming that this is what I wanted. At that time, they let me know that it was non-refundable and if I changed my mind, they would charge me anyway.
I asked for Calvados at dinner my first night. They said they didn't have any. I was kind of surprised by this and asked the server to double-check. He came with a hard no. The next morning, I casually mentioned it to the manager. He proceeded to come back and show off a nice bottle of Calvados, with a big smile on his face.
I wasn't smiling. I wanted it the night before at dinner. It would have gone perfectly with my meal. This might sound like a little thing: but no one ever apologized. No offer for a free pour or even a taste. He just showed off the bottle and walked away.
The internet went out in my Bungalow 3 different times. One time was raining hard, so I'll assume that it couldn't be helped on a remote Island. But the other times, it was only sort of handled. I tried to create reproducible steps for them and everything, but they didn't seem to care.
The gym leaves quite a lot to be desired. On a remote island, we aren't left with other fitness options. One staff member commented to me that their staff gym is better than the actual customer gym.
In summary, the property is gorgeous, but the experience just felt cheap to me. It didn't feel like true luxury. And given the staff-to-customer ratio, I expected the attention-to-detail to be higher than it was.
Hope that helps someone else!
@Psychiatrist @BESVISOR -- I went solo, and it was fine. Although, I hope that didn't contribute to my not-awesome service.
Last edited by nauce; Nov 20, 2017 at 4:01 pm Reason: clarifying price
Nov 20, 2017, 3:28 pm
#688
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 2,028
You just saved me a lot of money, @nauce - thanks for posting. It seems like a stay at O&O, CB, Soneva, or any of the other luxe Maldives properties would be a better fit. I hate being nickel-and-dimed, and while it is somewhat inevitable in the Maldives, I still don't like it.
Nov 20, 2017, 4:01 pm
#689
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 35
@callmedtop -- I'm happy to have helped. The reason I posted it here is because I know that bar of an average FTer is higher than say, a TripAdvisor user. That's why me and the wife always check here first.
I wasted a lot on that trip, and was kind of misled by the average of 4.9 stars on the SPG site. (Didn't realize the sample size was so small compared to, say, StR Bora Bora.)
If you have a top favorite spot in the Maldives, I'd love to hear about it (here or in PM). I've only ever been to the StR.
I wasted a lot on that trip, and was kind of misled by the average of 4.9 stars on the SPG site. (Didn't realize the sample size was so small compared to, say, StR Bora Bora.)
If you have a top favorite spot in the Maldives, I'd love to hear about it (here or in PM). I've only ever been to the StR.
Nov 20, 2017, 4:22 pm
#690
formerly htang333
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Wi-Fi
Programs: Virtuoso, Top Ranked: Four Seasons (Top 25 Advisor), AMAN (Top 50), Rosewood, Hyatt Prive, etc.
Posts: 1,455
You just saved me a lot of money, @nauce - thanks for posting. It seems like a stay at O&O, CB, Soneva, or any of the other luxe Maldives properties would be a better fit. I hate being nickel-and-dimed, and while it is somewhat inevitable in the Maldives, I still don't like it.