Dec 7, 2018, 8:29 am
Last edit by: razflyer
Post #515 is an EXTENSIVE review w/ pics. Link
Food menus: Kitchen, In-Room Dining, Fire, Fish
Prices may change (sometimes substantially) so not necessarily up to date.
Excursions and activities pricing
Food menus: Kitchen, In-Room Dining, Fire, Fish
Prices may change (sometimes substantially) so not necessarily up to date.
Excursions and activities pricing
W Maldives [Master Thread]
Feb 1, 2008, 3:02 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,561
Food wasn't cheap, but wasn't outrageous either. Breakfast is included every day, our lunches averaged ~$20 a person and dinner at FISH our average entree price was $25, and dinner at FIRE was a fixed $65 all you can eat grill. The rooms also have pretty well stocked mini bars, full wine fridges with ~12 different bottles, and a nice selection of snack food as well. They actually offered to stock our room with whatever type of snack foods we prefer.
Feb 1, 2008, 3:15 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Miami
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 420
is that the redemption rate? 90,000/pts a night? it sounds a little steep.
Feb 1, 2008, 3:23 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
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Rooms during the Monsoon season at W Maldives can be had for as low as 800/night + tax (as low as it gets) + service charge. Yup, they add an additional 10-20% service charge to your tap). That's the lowest category. However, it is 2 stories 
During peak season it can go up to $1500/night + tax
Also, you'll need to take an air taxi to get from MLE to W which will run an additional 300-400 per person.
SPG50 is actually available at W Maldives. However, at a rate of $1,100/ night (rack rate $2,200), it's hardly a deal.
Yup, it starts at 90,000 points per night for the lowest category room. However, the lowest category room is on the beach (not over water) and is bi-level.
During peak season it can go up to $1500/night + taxAlso, you'll need to take an air taxi to get from MLE to W which will run an additional 300-400 per person.
SPG50 is actually available at W Maldives. However, at a rate of $1,100/ night (rack rate $2,200), it's hardly a deal.
Yup, it starts at 90,000 points per night for the lowest category room. However, the lowest category room is on the beach (not over water) and is bi-level.
Feb 2, 2008, 12:32 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
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The currency used is not US dollars. They have their own currency. However, the rates that we mentioned are in US dollars = US$1500 per night.
Feb 2, 2008, 2:16 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
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I havn't been, but I've done a lot of research about the property because I was planning on going there for the summer......actually, I still might. Unfortunately, the thing that's holding me back is that the only *A who goes there via pacific is SQ and they only have once a day service from SIN. It arrives at 9PM local time. Most of the air taxi only runs during daylight, so that will be a problem. Even if I could find an airtaxi, I don't feel good about paying $1000 and arriving there at 10-11PM. If I'm paying $1000 a night, I'm going to be there at 6AM 
If I do end up going, I'll post pics. You do the same
Feb 2, 2008, 2:35 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hyatt DIA, *W/IC Plat, HH Gold, A3 *G, Sixt Plat
Posts: 1,218
Why not take a day trip to Dubai, then fly Emirates to Male from there?
Will earn you UA miles, is a great city, and gets you to Male at 0740.
Here is a sample booking:
Flight Depart / Arrive Time Airport Duration / Stops Class / Aircraft
EK558 Thu07 Feb 08 02:30 Dubai International Airport (DXB) 4hr 10min
0 Stops Economy
Boeing 777-200
Thu07 Feb 08 07:40 Male International Airport (MLE)
A bit out of the way coming from the Pacific, but you could fly from SIN - DXB, tour the city, then leave at 0230 en route to MLE.
Will earn you UA miles, is a great city, and gets you to Male at 0740.
Here is a sample booking:
Flight Depart / Arrive Time Airport Duration / Stops Class / Aircraft
EK558 Thu07 Feb 08 02:30 Dubai International Airport (DXB) 4hr 10min
0 Stops Economy
Boeing 777-200
Thu07 Feb 08 07:40 Male International Airport (MLE)
A bit out of the way coming from the Pacific, but you could fly from SIN - DXB, tour the city, then leave at 0230 en route to MLE.
Feb 3, 2008, 4:05 am
#40
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
Well we got back last week from what was the overall best vacation of our lives. While I have never stayed in any other over water bungalows before, I am confident this room cannot be beat. The indoor and outdoor space seems to exceed what i've seen on some of the bora bora property sites. Only 87 rooms I believe, and they strive to never go above 75% occupancy. While the island and dock isn't huge, because of how few other guests there are, hot and cold, made to order - quite the way to start the day.
W Retreat & Spa offers loads of daily activities and excursions. Diving trips, snorkeling, all varieties of motor and hand powered boating, etc... If you ever didn't want to just relax on your gigantic private deck on the Indian Ocean with your own plunge pool, there are almost too many activities to choose from.
There are 200+ staff on the island. When we arrived there were only ~25 units occupied, so the staff:guest ratio was 4:1!! The staff are top notch, the type of personal custom service that could put Ritz and Four Seasons to shame. Never have I seen a staff so wanting to go above and beyond for their guests. The GM makes a point to greet and meet all of the guests.
It is not easy to get to the Maldives from the US (we had to fly through Germany and Dubai), so most of the guests were coming from Europe and Asia. It was well worth the near 2 days of travel to get there.
Bottom line: the level of service at this property, the facilities and the location are unbeatable if you can finesse the transportation to the Male.
W Retreat & Spa offers loads of daily activities and excursions. Diving trips, snorkeling, all varieties of motor and hand powered boating, etc... If you ever didn't want to just relax on your gigantic private deck on the Indian Ocean with your own plunge pool, there are almost too many activities to choose from.
There are 200+ staff on the island. When we arrived there were only ~25 units occupied, so the staff:guest ratio was 4:1!! The staff are top notch, the type of personal custom service that could put Ritz and Four Seasons to shame. Never have I seen a staff so wanting to go above and beyond for their guests. The GM makes a point to greet and meet all of the guests.
It is not easy to get to the Maldives from the US (we had to fly through Germany and Dubai), so most of the guests were coming from Europe and Asia. It was well worth the near 2 days of travel to get there.
Bottom line: the level of service at this property, the facilities and the location are unbeatable if you can finesse the transportation to the Male.
Basically, the hotel is dying on its feet because:
1) It offers an idiosyncratic experience which only appeals to Americans, and its location ensures that hardly any Americans go.
2) Room occupancy is negligible, with the hotel charging even higher rates than planned to compensate, and extras like breakfast thrown in.
3) Unlike Bora Bora, there is no spectacular mountainous island to visit: there is the hotel and its lagoon and nothing else.
So for those 28-35 year-old fashionable Americans lucky enough to visit before Starwood pull the plug, it's well worthwhile. For those of us from closer markets, whether English-speaking or not, the experience is ruined by the pretentious and vacuous "FIRE/FISH/POOP/WHATEVER" nonsense.
I live in Australia, so getting to the Maldives is easy and our culture is strongly American-influenced, but I'd go instead to Bora Bora or the Le Meridien Isle of Pines instead every time, and even if I was going to the Maldives the use of W-speak (like WHATEVER) jars so badly with those of us with British cultural influences that I'd stay at the Four Seasons instead.
Feb 3, 2008, 7:49 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: CO Plat, Starwood Plat, Hyatt Plat, Hilton Diamond, CO Pres. Plus, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 1,213
Unfortunately, you won't be able to find photos in my album I havn't been, but I've done a lot of research about the property because I was planning on going there for the summer......actually, I still might. Unfortunately, the thing that's holding me back is that the only *A who goes there via pacific is SQ and they only have once a day service from SIN. It arrives at 9PM local time. Most of the air taxi only runs during daylight, so that will be a problem. Even if I could find an airtaxi, I don't feel good about paying $1000 and arriving there at 10-11PM. If I'm paying $1000 a night, I'm going to be there at 6AM
If I do end up going, I'll post pics. You do the same
I havn't been, but I've done a lot of research about the property because I was planning on going there for the summer......actually, I still might. Unfortunately, the thing that's holding me back is that the only *A who goes there via pacific is SQ and they only have once a day service from SIN. It arrives at 9PM local time. Most of the air taxi only runs during daylight, so that will be a problem. Even if I could find an airtaxi, I don't feel good about paying $1000 and arriving there at 10-11PM. If I'm paying $1000 a night, I'm going to be there at 6AM If I do end up going, I'll post pics. You do the same
Apr 3, 2008, 5:14 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: QC, QF, Avis Preferred, BW Crown Club, Priority Club
Posts: 1,451
Jul 12, 2008, 2:47 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: LH*G, FB*G, IC *free minibar*, SLH, RC 5C-Club, LHW, and a lot of others
Posts: 536
W Retreat Maledives
Did any platinum member ever get an upgrade at the W Retreat Maledives? If yes, what room have you booked and what room did you get?
regards
flo
regards
flo
Jul 13, 2008, 12:46 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: 40° 41' 45" N - 74° 10' 18" W
Programs: UALCO Holdings General Member
Posts: 18,784
I was considering checking out the W , since I will be in the Maldives in about a week , but they require a 3 night minumum 
and the rountrip air taxi runs about $400 USD
FYI : The Currency in the Maldives is the Rufiyaa.
I have been there many times and really only used the currency in Male itself and at the airport to buy a water or something like that.
I have only used 2 atm machines to withdraw money .
1 at the airport before exiting the secure baggage area and the HSBC
Bank ATM in Male .
Also if you look at the website for the W Maldives, it says it has limited participation in the SPG program , so I don't know if you get all the benefits as plat.
and the rountrip air taxi runs about $400 USD FYI : The Currency in the Maldives is the Rufiyaa.
I have been there many times and really only used the currency in Male itself and at the airport to buy a water or something like that.
I have only used 2 atm machines to withdraw money .
1 at the airport before exiting the secure baggage area and the HSBC
Bank ATM in Male .
Also if you look at the website for the W Maldives, it says it has limited participation in the SPG program , so I don't know if you get all the benefits as plat.
Jul 14, 2008, 2:55 am
#45
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Singapore
Programs: SPG
Posts: 4,002
W Retreat and Spa Maldives is a property with villas only, hope that explains why it has limited participation in the program.
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