For example, I had accidentally spilled tea on Jessys laptop one day, and frantically called Sajja to ask the rather outlandish question of whether I could borrow a tub of dry rice to absorb the moisture. Any info on this? . However, if you needed life jackets, they would be US$10 per person per day. As I mentioned, wed only stay in Villa 133 for the first three nights, because as part of my special surprise, wed upgrade to a higher-category Sunset Duplex Overwater Pool Villa for the remaining two nights. Snorkelling gear is also available on a complimentary basis, and can be brought over to your villa for the duration of your stay. The overwater villas are accessed via a long boardwalk that stretches out from the northern tip of Vagaru Island, and are categorized as either sunset or sunrise depending on which side they face. And it was precisely during sunset that the villa gave us its most memorable moments, as we perched ourselves at the edge of our deck and sipped our wine, watching the magical dimming of the pink Maldivian skies during each of our first three nights at the resort. Of course not. While the infinitys edge cascaded down into a drainage system adorned with small white stones, excessive splashing around the pool would inevitably result in some of the water spilling down into the ocean. We once again hopped into the JW Marriott van along with a few other resort guests, and were driven a short distance over to the airports seaplane docks. We already know how much better of a life you live than the rest of us. Even though Im not a big fan of spa treatments myself, Jessy was tempted by our lavish surroundings to take a look at the spa menu and treat herself to a massage, even though we knew itd be a pricey one. The welcome pavilion, a beautiful structure in the middle of the lagoon, serves as the resorts port of entry and exit. But the prices of these hotels are unbelievable. We just booked our award airfare two days ago too. And I've seen that sometimes they have specials for two people for 1300 total! Proceeding straight across the foyer, then, we arrive at the walk-in closet on the opposite side. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card Review (5 Free Nights). The JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is opening soon the website says that the hotel is opening in August 2019, though as of now the hotel is only accepting reservations as of September 15, 2019. Sajja first took us around to the southern end of the atoll, where numerous pools, activities, and dining facilities are located, before turning back around and heading for the boardwalk at the northern end. (While I was initially disappointed by this, I can fully understand it, as I can certainly imagine guests making some very poor choices if the window were open). #facepalm. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. And my oh my, the Pool 18 is an absolute stunner in every way, and was easily our favourite part of the resort outside of our villas. Enter the villa by way of the oversized, heavy-set door. Lets turn left here and proceed in a clockwise direction on our room tour. One notable omission from the breakfast spread? The friendly Russian staff member working there slotted her in for a one-hour massage at 12pm, priced at a cool US$150++. We did see there was a local fee of $600 per person and still decided it was totally worth it. It has been delayed numerous times. The JW Marriott Maldives is located on Shivayani Atoll (235 km from Mal), so wed get there via a 50-minute seaplane ride on Trans Maldivian Airways. The last person who bought a cottage on a particular lake". The first was that the ocean floor of the lagoon around the overwater villas was quite jagged indeed, and was jam-packed with the natural coral, rocks, and fish life of the Indian Ocean. Can't wait to see pictures of the real thing You have been Bonvoyed. Are there any 7-11s in the Maldives? The crew made us dinner on an unpopulated island one night, and it was an incredible feast. Anyway, the Duplex Villa that would house us for the final two nights was Villa 153, which is situated a lot further down along the boardwalk perhaps an additional three minutes walk compared to Villa 133. At 6pm, it was time for our dinner reservation at the seafood restaurant. Even though we had ordered plenty of food, only a few plates would fit on the floating tray itself, and there was no possible way to eat bacon and hash browns from your swimming pool without getting your pool all oily, getting your bacon and hash browns all chlorinated, or both. She mentions that she was first greeted with a complimentary welcome drink, and was then invited to unwind in the sauna facilities. In the end, I agreed that itd be enough for Sajja to transport us to our new villa onboard the buggy, and for a few resort employees to be stationed along the entrance to the villa while performing the celebratory Maldivian drum song.

Diana led a few soothing sessions of sunrise yoga, as well as a few merciless rounds of HIIT but itd all be worthwhile when we retreated to our villa and jumped into the pool right afterwards! Even though I had a decent shot of requesting this upgrade upon arrival as a Titanium Elite member, I didnt want to take any chances, since I wanted the upgrade to be a part of my special occasion. A special mention goes out to the world-class service provided by our butler, Sajja, and especially his assistance in helping me with my proposal I certainly couldnt have pulled it off without him. Ultimately, the second floors features are more limited than I had initially expected, as it mostly consists of a TV room with a large couch that can also serve as a second bedroom. That was combined with a variety of meat and vegetable stir-fry, fried rice, and dim sums. Opposite the king bed were two other key fixtures in the room: a television in one corner, and a spacious sitting area consisting of a chaise longue, an oversized ottoman, a modern coffee table, and an end table. Yes, the menu prices are exorbitant, reflecting the twin realities of the resorts sky-high operating costs and the captive market that guests find themselves in (i.e., quite literally surrounded by an endless ocean on all sides). We knelt on the floor of the ocean and the manta rays literally came within a foot of our heads, it was unbelievable. And my oh my, what a stunning space it was. The king-sized bed proved to be an oasis of comfort, both for sleeping and for spending more than our fair share of time languidly lounging in the bedsheets and staring blankly at the horizon outside, scarcely able to believe our surroundings. Do you really want to be subsisting on snacks and instant noodles every single night, when you could treat yourselves to perhaps the most romantic of candlelit dinners underneath a gorgeous Maldivian sunset? This was certainly a fitting occasion to make good on that promise. Lets take a look around, shall we? Upon greeting us, our JW Marriott hosts took our passports and completed check-in with Trans Maldivian Airways on our behalf. On a different note, there is very little natural stewardship placed upon these resorts. But Ill save this for a little later on in the article. Fortunately, to provide some measure of solace, the JW Marriott Maldives is part of Marriotts Restaurants + Bars benefit in the Asia-Pacific, which gives a 20% discount on food and beverage costs as a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member or above. Id note that this table would also serve as the rooms only practical workspace for using your laptop, but I was certainly intending to slack off on work as much as possible while here, so that wasnt a major worry. They have the right to cancel your reservation if they think the price isnt right and wants to increase it. Jessy and I mustve easily spent three or four hours per day here at Pool 18, lounging by the poolside, going for a dip, and perfecting our tan. Then there was a small spread of light breakfast foods and drinks (with no hot breakfast foods available). Therefore, Jessy and I would slot in our visit to the gym and a yoga session in the early-morning hours between 7am and 9am, and wed only head over to breakfast at around 9:20am, which would give us enough time to fill up our table with at least two, if not three, rounds of food from the buffet before it closed, and slowly make our way through the feast until about 11:30am at the latest. @DC sorry other people want to visit your personal paradise. To sum it up, the service at the JW Marriott Maldives was exceptional in every way. While the gyms aesthetics were very impressive check out those full-length mirrors leaning so casually against the walls, just like in the overwater villas themselves its equipment was perhaps more limited, as there were only a handful of treadmills and exercise benches scattered around the space. I remember unlocking the villas door to reveal an entire floor covered in rose petals, as I guided Jessy past the king bed (where Sajja had prepared some even more intricate flower decorations) and towards the balcony where it was time to get the job done. And between not one, but two stunning overwater villas, a dazzling breakfast spread, an exceedingly luxurious Pool 18 infinity pool, and a comprehensive and visually striking gym and spa complex, there was no shortage of ways to occupy ourselves for five days on the resort, and we wouldve gladly stayed for five days more. Its worth noting that while the JW Marriott Maldives is a newly-opened resort, it isnt newly built. We didnt spend too much time here, but did enjoy popping in for a while after breakfast to enjoy the ambience and flip through a few of the librarys coffee-table books. Instead, we made use of the drinkware cabinet opposite to store the plethora of snacks and cheap dinner alternatives that we had brought with us from Singapore Changi Airport. I had a lot of fun doing this, as an unapologetic child trapped in an adults body when it comes to stuff like this, much to Jessys annoyance. Before we continue to the bathroom, lets pop over to the pantry, which is housed in a small alcove just as you turn left from the foyer. Even though the price was high, Jessy was satisfied with her spa experience and felt that it was sufficiently cleansing and revitalizing.

The transfer from the airport to the yacht (on a nice comfortable boat) cost exactly $0.00. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. Adjacent to the walk-in closet is a set of double doors that leads to the bathroom. Supposedly, these flies were very attracted to the straw thatching on the roof of the villa, and theyd buzz awfully close to us while we relaxed in the pool and on the deck. The Hulhule Island Hotel was by no means luxurious, but decent enough as a place to rest our heads for the evening. When its complete (its my understanding that there will be a cigar room as well), it seems like itll be a fine space for unwinding with some foosball, board games, television, and karaoke, as well as an outdoor wading pool to watch the sunset with some cigars in hand. The Trans Maldivian Airways planes have 15 seats, spread out across five rows in a 1-2 configuration. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. We were billed upfront for the cost of the seaplane transfer an eye-watering US$600 per person for the round-trip flight, for a total of US$1,200. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Typically people prefer to stay in overwater villas in the Maldives (rather than land villas), though at most hotels theres a significant upcharge for that. A swipe of the room key grants you access to the fully air-conditioned gym. Opposite this, theres a second air-conditioned glass facility that acts as the library, which also had a few iMac computers for guests to use.

I registered for Nexus and got my conditional approval way more than 730 days ago. Gold members get exclusive content, ad-free browsing, and entry-level discounts and early access to events and products. I have been watching it for months and they keep moving back the opening date. A variety of paid activities are also available (such as a big-fishing boat ride or renting a jet ski), but we didnt feel the need to try them out. Yikes! Jessy and I would inevitably spend several hours every day simply indulging in every part of the outdoor deck experience: dipping in the pool, lounging on the chairs, napping in the shade, dipping in the ocean, going for a snorkel, showering and lying in bed, and then heading back out to the deck to do it all over again. Lets go over the individual features of the deck. The Maldives is a bucket list vacation destination for many, though historically there have been a limited number of options for redeeming points. Well, I must say that it was underwhelming in the extreme. Redemptions cost 85,000 points per night, and you get a fifth night free. On the other hand, if youre a frugal traveller whos scraped together enough hotel rewards points to redeem for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a place like this, but simply cannot justify dropping such fat stacks of cash on lunch and dinner every day, then itd certainly be wise to pick up a few packs of instant noodles at your final port of call prior to arriving in Mal. We were super excited! For almost all the Maldives resorts, once youve made a reservation, the resort takes care of all the pre-arrival logistics so that you dont have to worry about anything. Jessy and I couldnt finish everything, so we asked for half of the plate to be packaged and delivered to our villa later on, and our server was more than happy to oblige. Ill share some thoughts as to the overall cost of planning a Maldives trip, as well as whether or not I think its worth it, in a separate post. After a few futile attempts to fight them off ourselves on the first morning, we called Sajja about it, and he showed up with a team of exterminators who sprayed the straw fixtures with some scentless bug spray, and also brought a styrofoam board coated with sticky liquid to catch a few of the flies themselves. Many of these sessions, such as the morning yoga or the HIIT training, would take place at the Yoga Pavilion, situated immediately next to the gym. Dinner would begin with a spearing of the house champagne, performed by the lone server whod be taking care of us tonight. Here are the room types, arranged from entry level to most premium: So the entry level room here is an overwater villa with a pool, and the renderings make it look really nice. Rooms here seem to start at just over $800 per night (though vary significantly depending on when youre traveling).

@Dan Nainan Stop bragging Dan. Even if youve accepted these exorbitant costs, it still might not feel great signing off on the bill at the end. Breakfast is hosted in the Aailaa restaurant, the resorts all-day casual dining establishment situated right next to the welcome pavilion. However, the presence of frolicking children also makes it hard to properly relax by this pool, which is why Jessy and I mostly ventured over to the adults-only pool instead. . The lounge didnt offer a bathroom; instead, guests had to depart the lounge to use the public facilities instead. My wife and I will be there in September. Pretty bummed, doesn't seem like a deal or even worth it anymore. Out of this world. It was only when the JW Marriott Maldives opened as the newest member of the Marriott portfolio in the archipelago that I was finally tempted into securing a five-night booking for 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, with the fifth night free, for 340,000 Bonvoy points in total. Mal International Airport Trans Maldivian Airways VIP Lounge, Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane Views en route to JW Marriott Maldives, JW Marriott Maldives Overwater Pool Villa closet, JW Marriott Maldives Asian breakfast buffet, JW Marriott Maldives Western breakfast buffet, JW Marriott Maldives Indian & Maldivian breakfast buffet, JW Marriott Maldives Cold breakfast spread, Review: JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square, Review: JW Marriott Marquis Doha City Center, Review: JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District. There is also a smaller second bathroom up on the second floor, with a single sink, toilet, and shower, all decorated in the same mould as the master bathroom below. No worries, he said, and not only did he arrive with a bag of rice in hand, but he and his staff member proactively wrapped the laptop and rice in several layers of cling-wrap. Sajja, our designated butler for the duration of our stay, was our main point of contact. Even then, it has taken me many years of effort to rack up enough points to feasibly redeem for one of the Maldives luxury resorts. I've made a speculative booking so I can decide on this property (in the overwater villa) versus the W Maldives for our trip next year. Anyone plan to redeem points at the JW Marriott Maldives? The pantry is housed within a single cabinet, whereas the space that would otherwise contain the pantry is instead used for a narrow, winding staircase. As I mentioned, Ill follow-up this review with a future post on whether I think a trip to the Maldives using your hotel rewards points is worth it. As is the norm in the Maldives, even if youre redeeming points youre still going to be out of pocket quite a bit. This made for some excellent snorkelling, no doubt, but it did mean that walking around the ocean floor would require either donning a set of flip-flops, or tiptoeing gingerly and hoping you didnt catch your foot on a sharp piece of rock. If I had actually paid the US$500 per night upgrade fee, I may even have felt slightly disappointed. How's your requalification for Globalist status looking? After the crew provided a brief safety demonstration and passed out a set of earplugs (in case we found the noise of the seaplane bothersome), the pilots taxied out into the open waters and put on the afterburners and we were airborne! When we had encountered a minor issue with our villa, such as the persistent black flies buzzing around our deck on the first day, Sajja promptly showed up with his team to address the problem and apologize for the inconvenience. Does the luxurious bathroom conclude our tour? On the whole, whether it was seafood or steak, Japanese or Italian, I dont think any of the restaurants at the JW Marriott Maldives wouldve served up a meal that I couldnt find elsewhere in the world at more reasonable prices, so I didnt feel too enthusiastic about paying these particularly ruthless dinner prices. Better get there before the Netflix series turns it into another Maldives. Absolutely not we havent even gotten to the best part yet! $900 a night, and $600-$900 just for a transfer from the airport? If youve read my other hotel reviews, youll know that Im a real sucker for an oversized rain shower with marble accents, and this one absolutely ranked up there as one of my all-time favourites. For now, enjoy an in-depth review of our five-night stay at the JW Marriott Maldives, one of the unparalleled highlights across all of my travels thus far. Just looked back at my reservation and I noticed a $5,000+ local fee in addition to our 400,000 points for the reservation?!?! At both the noodle and egg stations, the chefs were more than happy to take your order and then ask one of their associates to deliver it to your seat later, allowing you to pick freely from the buffet in the meantime. The following morning, our seaplane was confirmed for a 7:15am departure, so we walked back to the airport terminal for check-in at around 6:30am. You mightve noticed that I mentioned we came to Aailaa for breakfast on four mornings, rather than five. Unreal. I only took a few bites of the food before deciding to retreat to our poolside deck chairs and eating from there instead. I cant find any dates available neither cash nor points booking until next year Jun! See more about our ethics policies here. The conventional wisdom, if youre visiting a resort like this while hoping to remain cost-conscious, is to maximize the free breakfast benefit of your elite status to the fullest extent possible, indulging in a gargantuan feast for brunch every morning that will tide you over until dinner. I hate to call these caveats or downsides or anything like that, given the excessive degree of luxury all around us, but they were at least worth taking note of. The amount of pollution in the bays and islands have increased significantly with the arrival of the resorts - guarded from the On a different note, there is very little natural stewardship placed upon these resorts. which leads upwards to a second-floor landing. Did they suspend the expiry while it was impossible to get an interview? The Duplex Villa offers essentially the same bathroom layout, while the walk-in closet is even more spacious and has all five wardrobes along the same wall. The layout is unlike any bathroom I had seen before. As you enter the suite, you first encounter a two-person dining table, where a complimentary glass of wine and some daily refreshments have been left for us (as well as a welcome note written in Mandarin, for some reason). If there were some free-flowing bubbly here, that wouldve been the icing on the cake. "What do you call an environmentalist? Meanwhile, the Maldivian spread was similar in taste, even if I found them a little less appetizing, most likely due to my unfamiliarity with these dishes. Continuing through, we arrive at the centre of the space, where the main bedroom opens up in all directions including upwards, thanks to the gorgeous lofted ceilings of these villas. Like clockwork, he and his team would then show up very promptly to whatever it was. After being greeted upon arrival, most guests would link up with their butler and complete check-in within the comfort of their villa; however, there is an actual front desk as well, housed in an air-conditioned glass room near the resorts main building, should you need to take care of any formalities throughout your stay.

(Along the way, the driver let us know that there was complimentary wifi onboard the short car service. Jessy sat in 1C beside me, and since the plane wasnt fully occupied, she had the row all to herself. Once the initial excitement of having an overwater villa to ourselves wore off a bit, there were a few minor annoyances that are worth mentioning here. The 50-minute seaplane ride passed mostly with Jessy and I repeatedly exchanging excited glances, as it was far too loud to make any conversation. To be fair, weve never shelled out for spa treatments when staying at hotels, so if any resort spa would be a fitting first-time candidate, this was it. The Maldives is one of the most beautiful places I have visited in the world. . Is this a new thing?? Every guest was handed a tropical welcome drink, and we saw the other guests pairing up with their respective butlers as well as we all walked down the welcome pavilion and into the resort grounds.

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