Maldives Master Thread

[Dan]

I agree. I don't think the SR can be called "sub par." Some on FT who have been to multiple resorts in MLE call the SR the best of the bunch, with fantastic service, gorgeous rooms, and excellent food. The one downside is the coral, which will hopefully return to its glory (not to mention they will take you to a house reef). The privacy "issue" (if you can call it that) can be worked around.

Dollar for dollar, I'd venture that among MLE hotels, SR MLE cannot be beat.

Service might be amazing, but for me, the top things are the reef and the privacy.
And it seems the SR is sorely lacking in both

[Yuey]

Sounds like paradise!

[AJK]

I'll be the contrarian here.

BOB:
-Stunning views
-Premium cabins are awful
-Even though they are awful, they're also ridiculously hard to find
-The OWBs don't have private pools
-The snorkeling/diving isn't as good as MLE

Hard to be taken seriously as a contrarian without actually having experienced both things you purport to judge.

As far as I know, only damax and I have been to both, and he justifiably prefers BOB. And, while I can't say BOB is objectively better, the barometer I use is "which I'd like to return to more" and now that is BOB.

[Luvtotravel]

I'm not plat. My service was great, not sure if they do more for plats.

I know you're on vaca and all, but I sure wouldn't mind some pics...

[CZ60]

(though it depends on which butler you get).

Maybe theres more info on FT but my butler was Naseeb and he was extraordinary. The only complaint I have about him is that I asked for my coffee at 9:00 AM and it came 9:10 one of the days... Otherwise he took care of A-Z. And he is pretty good photographer, getting the right backgrounds, focus, etc. (at least dw says so...)

[AJK]

Service might be amazing, but for me, the top things are the reef and the privacy.
And it seems the SR is sorely lacking in both

To each his own, feel free to spend $1100 again to guarantee a reef that doesn't require a short boat trip.

I'll save the $600, pay for breakfast and diving (where reef outside room is irrelevant), get a room at SR that has privacy, and still come out ahead.

[CZ60]

I know you're on vaca and all, but I sure wouldn't mind some pics...

Just got back last night. TR coming over the weekend (we wrote 75% of it on the 14 hour DXB-JFK flight  ). dw has all the pics on her phone and our camera. I uploaded 2 pictures upthread as a tease.

[Dan]

Hard to be taken seriously as a contrarian without actually having experienced both things you purport to judge.

As far as I know, only damax and I have been to both, and he justifiably prefers BOB. And, while I can't say BOB is objectively better, the barometer I use is "which I'd like to return to more" and now that is BOB.

If you want to argue points I missed that's fine. But I don't see how the views alone can make up for the 4 negatives.

[Dan]

To each his own, feel free to spend $1100 again to guarantee a reef that doesn't require a short boat trip.

I'll save the $600, pay for breakfast and diving (where reef outside room is irrelevant), get a room at SR that has privacy, and still come out ahead.

There's a reason I only stayed 2 nights in the W. And I don't feel the need to run back there and the main reason to go now is the glitch obviously.

But from the reports above it sounds like you need to choose between sun and privacy. That sounds like a massive design flaw to me and I'm not sure it's worth going there even with the glitch if I need to pick between privacy and sun.

[CZ60]

There's a reason I only stayed 2 nights in the W. And I don't feel the need to run back there and the main reason to go now is the glitch obviously.

But from the reports above it sounds like you need to choose between sun and privacy. That sounds like a massive design flaw to me and I'm not sure it's worth going there even with the glitch if I need to pick between privacy and sun.

Or get a sunset villa. Those have both.

Or get villa 519 if available. Its sunrise with privacy.

Or get a beach villa - we took a tour of one of them - they are sooper private and get a ton of son.

You're Dan, you could pull it off.

[Dan]

Or get a sunset villa. Those have both.

Or get villa 519 if available. Its sunrise with privacy.

Or get a beach villa - we took a tour of one of them - they are sooper private and get a ton of son.

You're Dan, you could pull it off.

Are you sure the sunsets have sun on the deck?

[CZ60]

Are you sure the sunsets have sun on the deck?

They are exactly opposite of the sunrise so I would say from mid-day on they have. But the sunrise are shaped in a "C" so thats why there is no privacy. The sunsets are on a curve as well but the curve is not as rounded as the sunrise curve so they are private (no one from the other villas can see you)

Sunrise: "C"

Sunsets "("

[Emkay]

Hard to be taken seriously as a contrarian without actually having experienced both things you purport to judge.

or as he himself said 

. 

You lose all credibility when you overrate something you didn't try.

     

[Dan]

or as he himself said       

Completely different.
I'm not calling BOB overrated, I'm sure it's incredible and don't doubt that everyone who goes there loves it.

But it simply doesn't offer amenities (Private OWB pool, good snorkeling reef, good airplane products, good award availability) that I value highly that MLE does offer.

Mind you, if I lived in LA the equation would be different.

[AJK]

And yet... The two people who have been *to both* would sooner return to BOB.

[CZ60]

Better if there is a picture to demonstrate:

http://www.travelagewest.com/uploadedImages/All_Gateways/ASPAC/Asia/StRegisMaldives_HERO.jpg

The villas that make up the "C" are the sunrise. You can see where the privacy issues are.

Opposite are the sunsets, and you can see that privacy is not an issue.

Then there are the north villas which are private but have no sun.

[Dan]

And yet... The two people who have been *to both* would sooner return to BOB.

Clearly we have different priorities or I'm missing something that I'm still waiting to hear from you, that's fine.

A couple differences make sense.
-You dive, my beard and stash means I'll have a leaky mask making it challenging to dive.
-You live in NYC and can get a decent premium cabin to LA.
-I would need to book 3 tickets to get from CLE to BOB with 3 stops or would need 4 stops to get it on 2 tickets.

But for me, I can't seem to figure out the major added value in BOB over MLE.

I'll be the contrarian here.

BOB:
-Stunning views
-Premium cabins are awful
-Even though they are awful, they're also ridiculously hard to find
-The OWBs don't have private pools
-The snorkeling/diving isn't as good as MLE

[AJK]

You're missing the X factor.  Something you cannot authoritatively discount if you have not experienced it.

[Dan]

You're missing the X factor.  Something you'll only be to authoritatively discount if you experience it.

And I will, one day.

[AJK]

Bottom line, you're arguing in theory, and we're speaking from experience.  There's a difference.

And, to be clear, I'm the one who outlined all the benefits in favor of MLE in previous posts/threads.  I am well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each, and there's a strong argument for MLE, depending on one's origin, one's emphasis on premium cabins, and one's importance of OWB with pool.  (Though in your list, you failed to point out that some people may not feel comfortable traveling through and/or going to a Muslim destination on vacation.)

SR MLE's privacy problem is a non-issue.  It's coral reef could use revitalization, and it will get some, but not before you're forced to dish out $2200/night.  However, they'll take you to a house reef, and for divers, again a non-issue. Service is, by all accounts, spectacular; rooms are objectively gorgeous; and you're paying $450.

BOB v. MLE can be debated once you've experienced both, not until then.