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Possible routings to MLE and costs:

JFK-AUH-MLE (EY) -- 45/67.5/90 AA
JFK-DOH-MLE (QR) -- 45/67.5/90 AA
JFK-FRA-SIN-MLE (SQ) -- East Coast: (Including 15% off booking online) 46,750/91,375/116,875; West Coast: 89,250/144,500/229,500
JFK-DXB-MLE (EK) -- 42.5/82.5/150 AS
JFK-IST-MLE (TK) -- 42.5/70/90 UA (United routing allows a stopover in TLV)
JFK-VIE-MLE (OS) -- 42.5/80 UA
JFK-LGW-MLE (BA) -- 45/90/135 BA
JFK-ICN-CMB-MLE (KE) -- 60/107.5/137.5 KE
JFK-HKG-MLE (CX) -- 57.5/85/112.5 AA
JFK-HKG-MLE (CX) -- 50/70 AS
TLV-IST-MLE (TK)-- 20/35 UA
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It's pretty simple, y'all. No pork, no porn, and no alcohol. Those are the rules. -AJK
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Blah blah blah. -AJK
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Park Hyatt MLE + Diamond Suite Upgrade gets you nothing as all are considered suites. -AJK



Conrad Upgrades:

Upgrade from King Beach Villa to King Water Villa US$ 200 + 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night.
Upgrade from King Beach Villa to King Deluxe Beach Villa US$ 210+ 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night.
Upgrade from King Beach Villa to King Superior Water  Villa US$ 250 + 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night.
Upgrade from King Beach Villa to King Retreat Water Villa US$ 400 + 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night.
Upgrade from King Beach Villa to King Deluxe Water Villa US$ 480 + 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night.
Upgrade from King Beach Villa to Family Water Villa US$ 720 + 10% service charge + 12% T GST per night. ( 2 bedrooms)

Airport transfer fee: $560 including tax

PH Upgrades:

Upgrade from Park Villa to Park Pool Villa $USD 252.56++ per villa per night
Upgrade from Park Villa to Park Water Villa $USD 405++ per villa per night ( Villa Number 38-44)
Upgrade from Park Villa to Park Water Sunset Villa $USD 610++ per villa per night ( Villa number 45-51)

Airport transfer fee: $520 RT per person

SR:
Airport transfer fee: $745 RT per person

Author Topic: Maldives Master Thread  (Read 1111659 times)

Offline mochjas

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5440 on: December 28, 2020, 02:20:43 PM »
The Sheraton Full Moon seems like a steal at 50k pts/night for a basic room and no seaplane charge. Thoughts/experiences? Also, what are the chances of getting a free upgrade to a nicer room? Thanks in advance!
My thoughts are: You dont fly half way around the world to stay in a Sheraton... Go BIG or stay home

Offline MDU

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5441 on: December 28, 2020, 02:27:11 PM »
My thoughts are: You dont fly half way around the world to stay in a Sheraton... Go BIG or stay home

LOL. This is the kind of advice I'm looking for. What is deficient about the Sheraton? Th service? The views? The beach? The ambiance?

Offline moisheyb

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5442 on: December 28, 2020, 02:38:01 PM »
LOL. This is the kind of advice I'm looking for. What is deficient about the Sheraton? Th service? The views? The beach? The ambiance?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepointsguy.com/reviews/reasons-to-skip-sheraton-maldives/amp/

Offline yelped

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5443 on: December 28, 2020, 02:45:57 PM »
My thoughts are: You dont fly half way around the world to stay in a Sheraton... Go BIG or stay home
My thoughts are why do the big bucks resorts nickel and dime you (more like thousand dollar bill you) for storing and heating up food, etc. if every Residence Inn will do it for free?

Offline MDU

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5444 on: December 28, 2020, 02:52:31 PM »
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepointsguy.com/reviews/reasons-to-skip-sheraton-maldives/amp/

Ahh. I see. Any DDFers with personal experiences at the Sheraton?

Also, is there any way to book a Seaplane hotel ferry (to the other hotels) with Chase points?

Offline Danlover111

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5445 on: December 28, 2020, 04:17:47 PM »
Effective from 15th November until further notice, you are required to present a PCR test result as a part of your departure requirements; our resort can facilitate this process. We have partnered with private hospitals in Male City to provide this service at US$ 80 per person per test. An advance notice of 72 hours before the departure date is required.

 

Testing will be done in the privacy of your villa, and samples will be sent immediately to the laboratory for analysis. The test results will be provided within 48 hours.

 

A changes has been made to the general entry requirements to Maldives due to Coronavirus (Covid-19), effective from 16 JULY 2020.

 

In accordance to health requirements all guests travelling to Maldives are required to submit an online self-declarative health declaration via https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/  within 24 hours prior their departure TO and FROM Maldives.

Offline mochjas

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5446 on: December 28, 2020, 04:41:24 PM »
My thoughts are why do the big bucks resorts nickel and dime you (more like thousand dollar bill you) for storing and heating up food, etc. if every Residence Inn will do it for free?
You get what you pay for. If you want to stay in a residence inn no one is stopping you. They lose a lot of $ on Kosher guests as part of the way they make $ is through F & B so they need to make it up someway

Offline Wizmanison

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5447 on: December 28, 2020, 04:44:46 PM »
So... for two people for dinner, spend $50 on POM meals then $125 more on "meal prep." $175 a day for dinner.

Doesn't look like WA is in our future.
Always best to bring a roll of foil on these trips. When you want to heat up meals ask them to bring out the cooler. Wrap how ever many meals you want to heat up (usually 2-3) into one big “meal” and have them heat that up for one charge.

Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5448 on: December 28, 2020, 04:51:56 PM »
Always best to bring a roll of foil on these trips. When you want to heat up meals ask them to bring out the cooler. Wrap how ever many meals you want to heat up (usually 2-3) into one big “meal” and have them heat that up for one charge.
A yiddishe kop... ;D

Offline yelped

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5449 on: December 28, 2020, 04:54:31 PM »
You get what you pay for. If you want to stay in a residence inn no one is stopping you. They lose a lot of $ on Kosher guests as part of the way they make $ is through F & B so they need to make it up someway
I really feel bad for them. Somehow they can't make money on $1,000 a night rooms so they have to charge $100 to warm up a meal, while the $70/night Residence Inn seems to be able to make money without bogus fees.

Offline mochjas

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5450 on: December 28, 2020, 04:58:45 PM »
I really feel bad for them. Somehow they can't make money on $1,000 a night rooms so they have to charge $100 to warm up a meal, while the $70/night Residence Inn seems to be able to make money without bogus fees.
Again I really do not understand how you are comparing a residence inn to a St. Regis but if that is your cup of tea, no one is stopping you

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5451 on: December 28, 2020, 05:43:35 PM »
Ahh. I see. Any DDFers with personal experiences at the Sheraton?

Also, is there any way to book a Seaplane hotel ferry (to the other hotels) with Chase points?

I doubt anyone here has personally gone to Sheraton Maldives as it's honestly a waste of time to travel all the way there and not have a true Maldives experience. Any travel forum that you will read that has lay people posting will tell you to stay away from there. You can read flyertalk for starters.

Again I really do not understand how you are comparing a residence inn to a St. Regis but if that is your cup of tea, no one is stopping you

That'll be the day when a Residence Inn opens in the Maldives 😁.

But these resorts did used to warm up kosher meals at no charge. Its only the past 2 years or so that they've started charging and a hefty fee at that. If they feel they must charge it should be more reasonable IMO.

Always best to bring a roll of foil on these trips. When you want to heat up meals ask them to bring out the cooler. Wrap how ever many meals you want to heat up (usually 2-3) into one big “meal” and have them heat that up for one charge.

Wouldn't work at STR. I had one night where I requested just 1 meal to be heated up because my better half wasn't in the mood of eating. At checkout I saw they charged anyway for heating up meal for 2. They said it was per person charge, not per meal. I had to tell them it was only for 1 of us that night and they took it off.

So unless you plan to sort of lie and tell them that each night you only heated up for 1 person it wouldn't really work there. Can't speak for WA. Plan to bring along toaster on my next round wherever that might be.

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5452 on: December 28, 2020, 06:11:08 PM »
Regarding the seaplane or yacht charge to the resorts, here are some ways for offsetting those fees, you can use multiple payments at the resorts so feel free to combine:

  • At WA you can use Aspire credits that you have from your own card and/or credits you can buy here at a discount.
  • For Marriott properties you can use the $300 Brilliant card credit
  • Use $300 Sapphire reserve travel credit
  • Use Bank of America travel card or Capital One travel card that has points currency that can be used to off set any travel related charge.

Feel free to chime in with other ideas.

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5453 on: December 28, 2020, 06:29:48 PM »
Again I really do not understand how you are comparing a residence inn to a St. Regis but if that is your cup of tea, no one is stopping you
That wasn't my point. My point is we shouldn't be ok with these type of bogus fees, especially when the reason they charge such expensive room rates is primarily because of five star service.

Offline mochjas

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5454 on: December 28, 2020, 06:34:46 PM »
That wasn't my point. My point is we shouldn't be ok with these type of bogus fees, especially when the reason they charge such expensive room rates is primarily because of five star service.
yes well all the other guests are not getting meals heated up
And are buying their food from the hotel so it’s not really bogus

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5455 on: December 28, 2020, 06:40:50 PM »
That wasn't my point. My point is we shouldn't be ok with these type of bogus fees, especially when the reason they charge such expensive room rates is primarily because of five star service.

I agree that the fee is inflated. Wouldn't call it bogus though.

But there's really not much you can do about it whether you agree with it or not, other than schlepping along a toaster.

Perhaps they realized all their kosher customers were booked on points and were walking away with paying just for the seaplane transfer? And the $ amount they get for points isn't comparable to the cash rate? Who knows why they decided to charge, but they did and you just gotta deal with it.

Offline yelped

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5456 on: December 28, 2020, 06:45:53 PM »
yes well all the other guests are not getting meals heated up
And are buying their food from the hotel so it’s not really bogus
Ok, so it really makes sense to charge $75 to put the tray in the microwave.  ::) Don't see why people think it's acceptable. Five star hotels should bend over backwards to serve their guests, not rip them off when doing a simple favor.

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5457 on: December 28, 2020, 06:48:34 PM »
Ok, so it really makes sense to charge $75 to put the tray in the microwave.  ::) Don't see why people think it's acceptable. Five star hotels should bend over backwards to serve their guests, not rip them off when doing a simple favor.

Its not acceptable. Nor is it acceptable to charge $100 for a $15 bottle of wine. But you know all this going in and if you think its something that's out of the question for you then its your choice not to stay there. Just my 2 cents.

Offline moisheyb

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5458 on: December 28, 2020, 07:39:37 PM »
Ahh. I see. Any DDFers with personal experiences at the Sheraton?

Also, is there any way to book a Seaplane hotel ferry (to the other hotels) with Chase points?
Never been

Offline yelped

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Re: Maldives Master Thread
« Reply #5459 on: December 28, 2020, 09:55:11 PM »
Its not acceptable. Nor is it acceptable to charge $100 for a $15 bottle of wine. But you know all this going in and if you think its something that's out of the question for you then its your choice not to stay there. Just my 2 cents.
My question is why is it not out of the question for everyone? :)