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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands [Master Thread]

Old Oct 18, 2021, 1:46 pm
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Last edit by: dgreen12
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June 2023 Item of Potential Interest: Link to thread alleging rape of solo female Chinese tourist at the property.
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Main details
(Dec 2022) The RC Maldives has its entire "Sales Kit" online, incl. pricing for
activities, spa, weddings; and maps/pictures/video/logos/floor plans: https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...Ad23r_g_CovQo_


Some useful maps at these posts:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33274629-post89.html - also lists types of villas available
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33275048-post95.html - map with villa #'s

cmhsieh54's 8-page trip report (Dec 2022), in post #1204


Food & Beverage service
*There is no free breakfast amenity at this property for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum/Titanium/Ambassador.*
(Dec 2022) There is also no 'elite hour' (i.e. Happy Hour) or daily 'afternoon tea'.

(Dec 2022) The extremely comprehensive RC Maldives F&B guest webapp is here at this link, incl. all rest. menus
and room service prices:

https://mi.vserve-protecht.com/welco...JCZmpFZz0/1001
Unfortunately a scary-looking link, but it's legit. See post #1167.



Email address [email protected]


Transfer Prices
Shared Speedboat (45mins) - $901 per adult, $339 per child 3-11, 2 and under free
Private 48' Speedboat - $2800 per person
Yacht transfer no longer offered as a paid option as of February 2022, but there are reports of the
hotel offering it at their discretion

Shared Seaplane (10 mins) - $1,400 per adult, $700 per child 3-11, 2 and under free
Private Seaplane - $9.500

This cost applies to all guests, regardless of cash booking vs. points booking.
All prices are roundtrip, before 23.2% tax. See this website for latest updated
transfer prices: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotel...iew/directions


Miscellaneous
Island time: The resort has the clock set one hour ahead of Mal, so the time is GMT +6 hours. Many resorts in the Maldives do this for sunset viewing purposes.










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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands [Master Thread]

Old Mar 5, 2022, 10:44 pm
  #616  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,296
Originally Posted by newfrequent
Just wrapping up a great stay here, titanium points stay for 6 nights. Got upgraded to a lagoon view, so we've had a hot pool and limited wind. The wind is subject to change so check before arrival.

re the 20% discount this was honoured instantly when we mentioned it to the butler on arrival, I believe this is because we booked in 2021, Staff at all the restaurants required prompting to apply it sometimes but it was never argued about.

Elite hour has free drinks and cocktails for an hour and really makes up for the lack of free breakfast.
Thanks for your post. Wondering if you can answer the following 2 questions.

On which side do you get an unobstructed view or does that not exist on any side?

Is the free drinks hour for elites daily or just once a week?
friedablass is offline  
Old Mar 6, 2022, 5:06 am
  #617  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 48
Originally Posted by friedablass
Thanks for your post. Wondering if you can answer the following 2 questions.

On which side do you get an unobstructed view or does that not exist on any side?

Is the free drinks hour for elites daily or just once a week?
the unobstructed views are from the sunrise side which has a cooler pool and currently much worse winds.

The sunset side (lagoon view cat) have views of the Capella construction, and you see the boats going past quite a lot.

the elite hour is every day expect for Thursday when they have Managment drinks.
friedablass and noeatbutgo like this.
newfrequent is offline  
Old Mar 7, 2022, 7:18 am
  #618  
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 52
St Regis vs. RC

We have a 7 night reservation at the St. Regis for the last week of June. After hearing about a potential / likely partial to full closure of the resort for renovations during our trip dates, I've been reading up on the RC thread. It seems like the RC is a pretty nice backup option, even without much elite recognition.

From posts, reviews and comparisons of the two resort, I guess these are the main pros and cons between the two:

To give additional context, we had secured the St. Regis suite on points, plus a very nominal cash upgrade price of $75 per night.

Pros of St Regis:
1). Larger space - StR Suite is almost 2x the size of RC's regular OWV.
2) More vibrant reefs, wildlife and much better snorkeling
3) Free breakfast for Platinum and above (Titanium status).
4) usually better upgrade potential, but as we already booked the StR Suite, not sure there is much realistic upgrade path left.

Pros of RC:
1). More varied dining options in the resort and neighboring island
2) Free a) mini / honour bar and snacks (excluding alcoholic drinks) b) free afternoon tea c) free still / sparkling water throughout resort d) free happy / drink hour for elites?
3) newer rooms so less wear and tear
4) more free resort activities
5) more flexible transfer options, as the boat isn't daylight / weather dependent like the seaplane. This allows for less time waiting in Male on arrival and a later resort departure (we have a 9pm flight on QR returning home)
6) better beach (less erosion) villas, but I think we prefer to stay overwater, as we aren't coming with our kids.

As to service, it seems to be mixed opinions as to which is more attentive and personable.

I used to be an avid diver and still enjoy snorkeling, but my wife just wants a week away from the kids to do nothing but relax, eat well and stare at endless clear blue waters. So the new construction, resulting in little marine life and not much of a local reef, probably isn't a big deal to us.

It seems from a cost savings perspective, the two resorts might be a wash in terms of "freebies", as the free breakfast from StR probably is countered by the other fee amenities that RC provides.

It also seems the best unobstructed views of the ocean differs between the two resorts. At the StR, it is usually the sunset side with unobstructed views of the ocean. While at the RC, it is usually the sunrise side with unobstructed views of the ocean. I think most folks, including us, would prefer a sunset unobstructed views, but not sure there are too many options at the RC for that.

I think I would prefer the extra space from the St Regis Suite. But I will cancel my reservations there if I don't get clarity on their renovations / closure situation within the next week or so. I want enough time to rebook our reservations to the RC before the dynamic award pricing / devaluation at the end of the month. I would hate to be scrambling for reservations at a new resort a month or two before departure time (our flights are pretty much set in stone, as I was able to get some rare availability on Singapore Suites and QR F and QSuites.)

Is there anything I might be missing in my analysis?
friedablass likes this.
raylee123 is offline  
Old Mar 7, 2022, 7:28 am
  #619  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,728
Originally Posted by raylee123
We have a 7 night reservation at the St. Regis for the last week of June. After hearing about a potential / likely partial to full closure of the resort for renovations during our trip dates, I've been reading up on the RC thread. It seems like the RC is a pretty nice backup option, even without much elite recognition.

From posts, reviews and comparisons of the two resort, I guess these are the main pros and cons between the two:

To give additional context, we had secured the St. Regis suite on points, plus a very nominal cash upgrade price of $75 per night.

Pros of St Regis:
1). Larger space - StR Suite is almost 2x the size of RC's regular OWV.
2) More vibrant reefs, wildlife and much better snorkeling
3) Free breakfast for Platinum and above (Titanium status).
4) usually better upgrade potential, but as we already booked the StR Suite, not sure there is much realistic upgrade path left.

Pros of RC:
1). More varied dining options in the resort and neighboring island
2) Free a) mini / honour bar and snacks (excluding alcoholic drinks) b) free afternoon tea c) free still / sparkling water throughout resort d) free happy / drink hour for elites?
3) newer rooms so less wear and tear
4) more free resort activities
5) more flexible transfer options, as the boat isn't daylight / weather dependent like the seaplane. This allows for less time waiting in Male on arrival and a later resort departure (we have a 9pm flight on QR returning home)
6) better beach (less erosion) villas, but I think we prefer to stay overwater, as we aren't coming with our kids.

As to service, it seems to be mixed opinions as to which is more attentive and personable.

I used to be an avid diver and still enjoy snorkeling, but my wife just wants a week away from the kids to do nothing but relax, eat well and stare at endless clear blue waters. So the new construction, resulting in little marine life and not much of a local reef, probably isn't a big deal to us.

It seems from a cost savings perspective, the two resorts might be a wash in terms of "freebies", as the free breakfast from StR probably is countered by the other fee amenities that RC provides.

It also seems the best unobstructed views of the ocean differs between the two resorts. At the StR, it is usually the sunset side with unobstructed views of the ocean. While at the RC, it is usually the sunrise side with unobstructed views of the ocean. I think most folks, including us, would prefer a sunset unobstructed views, but not sure there are too many options at the RC for that.

I think I would prefer the extra space from the St Regis Suite. But I will cancel my reservations there if I don't get clarity on their renovations / closure situation within the next week or so. I want enough time to rebook our reservations to the RC before the dynamic award pricing / devaluation at the end of the month. I would hate to be scrambling for reservations at a new resort a month or two before departure time (our flights are pretty much set in stone, as I was able to get some rare availability on Singapore Suites and QR F and QSuites.)

Is there anything I might be missing in my analysis?
I've stayed last year in the St. Regis Suite (535) for 15 nights for the same price mentioned above. I think now that is considered a steal. I also stayed at the Ritz during the same trip but checked out early due to lack of service. However, I'm returning to the Ritz in 2 months as I see potential in the place so fingers crossed.

I think the only option would be the Ritz for you given the closure of the St. Regis.
LovetoTravel83 is offline  
Old Mar 7, 2022, 10:49 pm
  #620  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Maui, HI
Posts: 132
Curious, has anyone done an internet speed test while on site? Wondering what kind of bandwidth I can expect to have on the wifi. Any anyone know if there's a network jack in the over water villas or wifi only?

Mahalo
LiquidHonesty is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 12:25 am
  #621  
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Delta Platinum
Posts: 24
Well after 3 stops and 22 hours of flying we finally made it. Arrived at the resort around 10:30am local resort time. Our OWV villa got upgraded to sunset side right next to the two bedroom OWV. Got an excellent tour and was taken directly to our room. They even had a picture of us in a frame in our villa for our anniversary. I thought that was very nice. Exhausted from all the travel but we can sleep tonight.
savannahcat is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 12:25 am
  #622  
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Delta Platinum
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by LiquidHonesty
Curious, has anyone done an internet speed test while on site? Wondering what kind of bandwidth I can expect to have on the wifi. Any anyone know if there's a network jack in the over water villas or wifi only?

Mahalo
at Eau bar having lunch. 24 up / 24 down.
savannahcat is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 6:23 am
  #623  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: UA GS, AA PLAT, DL PLAT, EK SILVER
Posts: 250
Originally Posted by savannahcat
Well after 3 stops and 22 hours of flying we finally made it. Arrived at the resort around 10:30am local resort time. Our OWV villa got upgraded to sunset side right next to the two bedroom OWV. Got an excellent tour and was taken directly to our room. They even had a picture of us in a frame in our villa for our anniversary. I thought that was very nice. Exhausted from all the travel but we can sleep tonight.
Nice! We come next week for our 10th anniversary. What was your itinerary to fly there? Did you purchase the breakfast package? Is that any discount to just ordering a la carte?
SvenB1414 is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 9:38 am
  #624  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 26
Funny-when we were there in January, we were in Villa 311.

Enjoy the reef off of the dock by the two-room overwater villa on your side. If you haven't already, ask your Aris Meha to bring you flippers, mask and snorkle.
waspypants is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 4:47 pm
  #625  
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 61
Originally Posted by newfrequent
the elite hour is every day expect for Thursday when they have Managment drinks.
what time is the daily elite hour and what does it consist of? And this is on top of the daily high tea?
jcave114 is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 10:18 pm
  #626  
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Delta Platinum
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by SvenB1414
Nice! We come next week for our 10th anniversary. What was your itinerary to fly there? Did you purchase the breakfast package? Is that any discount to just ordering a la carte?
lax > JFK > Paris > Maldives. Im a delta sky miles member so this was the cleanest route to use delta miles and then Air France to the Maldives. We are staying in Paris for 5 nights on the way back.

we did not get the breakfast package.

we were able to get the 20% discount off lunch at Eau however for dinner at arabesque they didnt see it in our reservation so they couldnt apply.
savannahcat is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 10:19 pm
  #627  
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Delta Platinum
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by waspypants
Funny-when we were there in January, we were in Villa 311.

Enjoy the reef off of the dock by the two-room overwater villa on your side. If you haven't already, ask your Aris Meha to bring you flippers, mask and snorkle.

thanks he just brought them over. We had a giant turtle come to our villa yesterday 20 seconds after I got out of the water. So amazing.
waspypants and Blake22222 like this.
savannahcat is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2022, 10:39 pm
  #628  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Maui, HI
Posts: 132
Originally Posted by savannahcat
at Eau bar having lunch. 24 up / 24 down.
Mahalo
LiquidHonesty is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2022, 7:25 am
  #629  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: UA GS, AA PLAT, DL PLAT, EK SILVER
Posts: 250
Originally Posted by savannahcat
lax > JFK > Paris > Maldives. Im a delta sky miles member so this was the cleanest route to use delta miles and then Air France to the Maldives. We are staying in Paris for 5 nights on the way back.

we did not get the breakfast package.

we were able to get the 20% discount off lunch at Eau however for dinner at arabesque they didnt see it in our reservation so they couldnt apply.
Awesome, makes sense. Thanks for letting me know and enjoy your trip.
SvenB1414 is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2022, 10:03 am
  #630  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 2
Hi I had a question as I have an upcoming trip in 3 weeks!

I am trying to pay for the sea-transfer costs and I was wondering if this purchase codes as Marriott purchase? Ie) 6x multiplier on AMEX Bonvoy credit card.
Also, is it a good idea to bring my own snorkels to the resort? I heard the marine life isnt that great since the property is new but, still dont want to miss out on the experience.

Thank you
hakmissile is offline  

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