Yes, the left side is the lagoon view category, which is more expensive. The reef side is a bit rough and windy.

I looked at google maps.
​​​​​​​How do you feel about the space between villas?
For example, JW's have more space between villas.
If I can see our neighbors , it is disappointing.

Does anyone know if this is still true today. When I made the booking they sent me a link to pay for the seaplane transfer a month prior to arrival. No mention this could simply be added to the bill.

“As the transfer arrangements are made through a third party company, we would require prepayment for the transfers to be made in order to have the transfers secured for arrival and departure. You can use the below payment link to process the payment for the transfers.”

im booked in for April, hoping the resort is open by then barring any delays and staying in the newly reno'd resort is appealing. saving about 180k of points vs staying in STR, im hoping i dont regret since it will be my first time to the maldives

Are there any News about possible delays? I am thinking about booking for late March.

no

Hello all,

I booked an overwater villa with a pool package at the Pullman Maldives through Luxury Escapes for 5 nights at around $5,200, which included flights for two and an all-inclusive experience. The $5,200 went toward fulfilling a credit card sign-up bonus. I'm curious to know, on average, how much cash people are spending when using 5 Free Night Awards (FNAs) across two players or 4 FNAs with points and a 5th night free. This would include costs like food and flights.

I estimate you might use around 500,000 points for 4 nights, valued at about $2,500, along with another $1,500 for the domestic island flight for two people and about $1,000 on food and drinks. Alternatively, you need 2 players to get you 5 FNA, paying 5 Aspire Annual Fees. So, would the out-of-pocket cash expense, excluding the major international flights, typically be over or under $2,500? Perhaps the property is nicer but how much nicer?
Thank you!

The amount people spend at resorts varies based on how much and what type of food you eat and drink (i.e. expensive mains and alcohol vs not), activities you do, as well as if you do spa treatments. $1000 on F&B for 2 over 5 nights is on the low end (that's just $100 pp per day, but may be doable if breakfast is free due to status and you keep dinner inexpensive).

500k Marriott points is definitely worth more than $2500 to most people. Also, you mentioned paying AFs on the Aspire card but that's for Hilton properties, unless you meant the Brilliant card that gives you FNAs for Marriott.

It's a personal choice wether you should go with the Pullman which sounds like a good deal or rather book with points and end up spending the same after transfer, F&B, activities, spa costs.

ETA: I see that you cross posted posted this on the WA Maldives thread and were probably referring to the value of Hilton points and the FNAs earned from the Aspire..

I was using this as an exercise to determine whether I should use the Hilton/Marriott-Ritz strategy. Marriott seems like its even more maintenance than the Hilton 2-3 card strategy.

As posted there, 1) I believe after doing this research, what I have is probably not bad at least. 2) Hilton redemption are better elsewhere like in Bora Bora, where F&B and transfers are less 3) Hyatt is king bc it deliver great value and doesn't involve jumping through getting multiple CC, SUB, upgrades, all the baggage with HIlton, etc to get myself 4 FNAs. You can replace all of that with a couple of Chase Ink cards, find a friend with globalist status and you'd be at the same place.

I was thinking of eventually having 4 Hilton Aspires between me and another friend. Though I am still thinking about doing it, it does seem like a whole lot of work including spending these stupid quarterly credits and Hyatt that much better, agree?

Hyatt is a great program and they have 2 great properties in the Maldives but I'd probably still prefer one of the Marriott or Hilton properties. The Park Hyatt just takes too much effort to get to (although most do say that it's worth the effort once there) and there's nothing about Alila that pulls me to go there over similar properties from other groups. But if I only had Hyatt points I'd go to one of these no problem.

4 Hilton Aspires is quite a lot of maintenance. I do know those who do 2 Aspire and 2 Surpass and spend $15k on each Surpass for an FNA, so lower AF and less maintenance for the same 4 FNAs.

I saw on a forum where people are buying/selling their FNA for 350-400 USD. I haven't verified it but if it's real, I think that's better than paying that Surpass annual fee than also pay the 15K and the 300+ fee on taxes, no brainer. I'd probably get the basic Hilton (I had another Surpass in 2018), get the SUB, upgrade and get the Surpass bonus and upgrade to Aspire for just one year, and cancel assuming there are good upgrade offers, apply and keep another Aspire long term for status.

Isn't it much easier to obtain Chase Ink SUBs? I don't know why you say only if you had Hyatt points...seems much easier to get than the Hilton products.

Looks like March now :td:. Horrible. Nothing from them 'yet' on my late January stay. This better be a joke - but probably just some massive incompetence on their part. Lovely :mad:

I am wondering what the reason for the new delay is. Did you contact the hotel directly? What is happening with the whole reservations for January and February?

January and February are all full and cannot be reserved.
Perhaps the reopening will be in March or later.
I have a reservation for early February and still have not been contacted.
Perhaps my reservation will be changed to another Marriott hotel.
Should I rebook myself to another Marriott myself?
I am concerned about which hotel it will be and what the rate will be.

Hotel is responsible to rebook everyone that holds a reservation at an acceptable alternative resort at no extra charge for the room/villa. I would decide now which other resort(s) would be acceptable and would specifically request that from the W when they reach out or you can proactively reach out to them.