St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort [Master Thread]
#2896
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 20,878
We're going later this year and I was curious if anyone had been with a Verizon cell phone. An earlier report noted that the wifi was great and plenty fast for wifi calling, etc. but we're traveling without the kids so I wanted to know if the cell service was good enough to make and receive calls in an emergency if needed.
#2897
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: MR-Amb, Hyatt-Globalist, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,744
Thanks and they do have a roaming agreement so I should be good. Of course, Maldives is not included in their international package so the rates are absurd, but it's nice to know it's there if I need it.
#2898
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,463
https://ss7.vzw.com/is/content/Veriz...l-services.pdf
#2899
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Penang, Malaysia
Programs: OZ *G, HHonors Gold, Aclub Plat
Posts: 1,025
So far so good. Paid for upgrade from GV to BV and was upgraded to a 2 story family villa! Will post more later...
any other FTers around?
#2900
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Penang, Malaysia
Programs: OZ *G, HHonors Gold, Aclub Plat
Posts: 1,025
Yikes, $2.99/min... I wish they were on Travel Pass!!
https://ss7.vzw.com/is/content/Veriz...l-services.pdf
https://ss7.vzw.com/is/content/Veriz...l-services.pdf
#2901
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,463
1st trip to Hawaii was in 2007-back in the days when hotels largely charged for WIFI but had it free in the lobby. Anyway, same...jet lag. Up at 3 and no chance of sleep. Decided to head to the lobby and met all of the other east coasters suffering jet lag and surfing the net.
#2902
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 889
We're going later this year and I was curious if anyone had been with a Verizon cell phone. An earlier report noted that the wifi was great and plenty fast for wifi calling, etc. but we're traveling without the kids so I wanted to know if the cell service was good enough to make and receive calls in an emergency if needed.
I have AT&T and unfortunately no coverage in the Maldives so the WiFi calling has been a life saver - this way I can make and receive calls (free too!).
We are here right now, checking out Saturday.
#2903
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 83
Enable Wi-Fi calling on your phone and since the island has blanket Wi-Fi coverage if anyone calls your number it will ring you and you wont be charged the crazy roaming rate.
I have AT&T and unfortunately no coverage in the Maldives so the WiFi calling has been a life saver - this way I can make and receive calls (free too!).
We are here right now, checking out Saturday.
#2904
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 889
Also ate at Orientale for dinner, food was good, a la carte. Did not do Jungle Cinema ($500++ per couple not worth it).
Would recommend everything although they are pricy. Make sure you ask for refills if you do Decanter.
++ means add 10% Service Charge, 12% Sales tax (22% total). All prices are per person unless otherwise noted.
Crust pizza prices are ~$27-$29 per pizza. Very good. Bring water from your room so you dont pay $14++ per bottle at the restaurant.
Finally, make sure you attend the champagne bottle sabering every night at 6pm in the Whale Bar, if only for the free glass of champagne.
#2905
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: Bonvoy Plat
Posts: 153
#2906
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 889
https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/ro...untry=Maldives
#2908
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Penang, Malaysia
Programs: OZ *G, HHonors Gold, Aclub Plat
Posts: 1,025
1st major storm (been pouring for the last 3 hours) since we've been here for 7 nights with 3 nights to go so have some time to write my 2 cents now. This is our 6 trip to the Maldives with multiple trips to the Conrad before and first time with our 2 children. I share this background as I keep comparing this stay with our previous trips to the Maldives.
Overall, the hard product is REALLY good. As mentioned earlier, we had paid for an upgrade from a Garden Villa on points to Beach Villa and got upgraded for an entire stay to a 2 storey/2 bedroom family villa with 1 king bed and 2 queen/double beds. The space is amazing where me and one kid slept upstairs and was able to adjust to jetlag without disturbing my wife and younger one who slept longer. It's a perfect space to spend while waiting for this storm to pass.
The service has been really hit and miss. At breakfast drink and food orders can get messed up and sometimes take forever to come. We would have to specifically ask for plastic cups for our kids and there would be sometimes forgotten. At a resort of this caliber, I'd expect to be proactively brought plastic cups vs having to ask and reminding the staff to bring them. Met the new GM Vincent at breakfast and gave him the feedback. Have some minor issues with the butler as well where buggy wasn't waiting when we got back from diving and not proactively being offered buggy for some of our excursions. The food is a case of looks better than it looks. It looks really good and "instagrammable" but to be honest, it wasn't to my liking. Omelletes and eggs would come lukewarm, cold, etc.
We've done the Spa and it is amazing. Totally recommend it.
My 5 year old and I did the sunset reel fishing last night and that was a ton of fun. The crew hooked a snapper and let my son reel it in while I caught a good sized Jack fish. Having that for dinner tonight.
We've also done a bunch of dives and it's a much smaller dive operation compared to the Conrad. at most we had like 4 or 5 on each trip and we've had couple where I was the only one on the dive boat. They tend to go to dive sites 10-20 minutes from the resort. Haven't seen any particularly impressive coral but the fish life has been great - tons of shark, rays, fish, turtle, etc.
I'm happy to have spent points pre-devaluation to try out the St Regis but don't think we are rushing back. We have a ton of Hilton points so probably going to go back to the Conrad to see how it holds up after the last time we were there 4 years ago or try the new WA. If I was paying cash, I would have been disappointed with the resort..
Overall, the hard product is REALLY good. As mentioned earlier, we had paid for an upgrade from a Garden Villa on points to Beach Villa and got upgraded for an entire stay to a 2 storey/2 bedroom family villa with 1 king bed and 2 queen/double beds. The space is amazing where me and one kid slept upstairs and was able to adjust to jetlag without disturbing my wife and younger one who slept longer. It's a perfect space to spend while waiting for this storm to pass.
The service has been really hit and miss. At breakfast drink and food orders can get messed up and sometimes take forever to come. We would have to specifically ask for plastic cups for our kids and there would be sometimes forgotten. At a resort of this caliber, I'd expect to be proactively brought plastic cups vs having to ask and reminding the staff to bring them. Met the new GM Vincent at breakfast and gave him the feedback. Have some minor issues with the butler as well where buggy wasn't waiting when we got back from diving and not proactively being offered buggy for some of our excursions. The food is a case of looks better than it looks. It looks really good and "instagrammable" but to be honest, it wasn't to my liking. Omelletes and eggs would come lukewarm, cold, etc.
We've done the Spa and it is amazing. Totally recommend it.
My 5 year old and I did the sunset reel fishing last night and that was a ton of fun. The crew hooked a snapper and let my son reel it in while I caught a good sized Jack fish. Having that for dinner tonight.
We've also done a bunch of dives and it's a much smaller dive operation compared to the Conrad. at most we had like 4 or 5 on each trip and we've had couple where I was the only one on the dive boat. They tend to go to dive sites 10-20 minutes from the resort. Haven't seen any particularly impressive coral but the fish life has been great - tons of shark, rays, fish, turtle, etc.
I'm happy to have spent points pre-devaluation to try out the St Regis but don't think we are rushing back. We have a ton of Hilton points so probably going to go back to the Conrad to see how it holds up after the last time we were there 4 years ago or try the new WA. If I was paying cash, I would have been disappointed with the resort..
#2910
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,736
What's a better award redemption, the St Regis or the new JW Marriott that has an OWB as their base room? We are looking at going early October. I noticed the rates are nearly double at the St Regis. The JW Marriott was the Viceroy about 3-5 years ago. I've only been able to find a few videos on YouTube of the old Viceroy. We are looking to go for five nights.