This is not a question - it's definitely way better at the W than the Ritz which is too new to have a good house reef.

I haven't been to either one of these yet but have been following both threads and read reviews extensively on both. If you care a lot about the sea life then W is better. For everything else Ritz wins.

Seconded. Arrived today for a 7-night stay on points. Platinum status recognized immediately at the airport lounge with an upgrade to a Fabulous OV. We’ve been pretty blown away for the reasons you stated above and others. In particular, after arriving at the airport on the red eye, in lieu of having to wait around several hours for the first seaplane to the W, the the team got us on an earlier seaplane to a nearby island and arranged for the W speedboat to pick us up from there.

Would be interested in this too if anyone has any recent experience.

I inquired with them and provided link to all their F&B menus here.
http://marriott.vserve-protecht.com/...1NBYVY2TT0/1/1

Do you mean that members will not get the 10/15/20 % OFF they were offering in past?

That program is completely done now, not just in Maldives but in all other parts of Asia where it was still offered until this month.

Thanks. I also just got the confirmation from Hotel that indeed it is done and done.

Traveling is starting to be depressing. :-(

I had trip planned for March 2020 and covid hit. Took me 2 months of planning but finally had the perfect cheap (all points) schedule with 2 First Class on Emirates all the way to Male and 2 First Class back on Etihad. Paid very little fees and points using Alaska, etc.
Fast forward and got points stuck in Alaska and no way to redeem on Emirates anymore, Etihad changed their whole schedule and redeem values, Marriott changed theirs, etc.
What was supposed to be a dream bucket list type of vacation that I could never ever afford without points, has now turned into a very disappointing experience, seeing that prices increased at the W and not one discount to offset some of it.

Any recent experience there as titanium? Per their email, they don't provide upgrades :confused:

All-suite properties aren’t required to upgrade further since you can’t book anything less than a standard suite, which is the highest category you’re officially entitled to. That said, there have been many reports of one-category upgrades for elites.

Anyone tried the afternoon/dinner on the private island? $950 for 2, is it worth it?

quick review:
- the staff is super friendly, but less formal than the StR or Ritz
- the food in the "Kitchen" is overpriced and not great. $45 for a small bowl of tom yon soup with 2 shrimps and 3 mushrooms.- activities such as SUP are limited to 1h, which feels like a really cheap service for a hotel
- the rooms are definitely dated. The whole resort is pretty old, and due for an upgrade (coming next year)
- we tried the lunch on the private island, that was a fun experience. This is a proposal place we saw how they prepare for it, they will definitely make it a special day
- the absolute best thing is the snorkeling. you don't need to swim far to be surrounded by hundreds of colorful fish, with the occasional shark and turtle.

Initially ranked in the same category as the StR or Ritz, this is definitely a step down. However, with dynamic awards, it's now where it should be compared to the others. Let's wait until the renovation is complete to see if that will change.

Has anyone been diving with the W? What was your experience like? Were the dive sites worth it?

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Anyone else find the rooms dated? I don't care about a little wear and tear here and there but I'm trying to avoid the moist/mildew/mold smell that occurs sometimes in tropical locations. We're planning our honeymoon and burning some points to stay here. The house reef is what's drawing me to it but I'd save about 100k+ if we booked at the Westin, Sheraton, or Meridien instead. We're Titanium members, don't really care much about great service, just want to be left alone mostly and have plenty of free bottled water!

I have not stayed at the W, but one thing is for sure that you should not go to the Sheraton. The Westin and Le Meridien are both great alternatives; I'm sure you know that they both have comprehensive threads here where you can do your research and decide if you'd like to switch to one of them.