By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
California Dreaming with Dad Trip Report
California Dreaming with Dad Overview Delta 757 DCA-LAX Economy Class Review Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel Review Exploring California's Central Coast Exploring Los Angeles Delta 757 LAX-DCA Economy Class Review
Exploring California's Central Coast Overview
Across both of our stays the Renaissance Los Angeles Hotel stood out as a very good airport hotel. The elite recognition was excellent, the club lounge was solid, and the buffet breakfast stood out for a U.S. hotel. Pros- Excellent elite recognition, solid club lounge, stand out breakfast buffet for a U.S. hotel, free airport shuttle with tracking, airport adjacent location, pool and gym, and friendly service Cons- Poor sound proofing, uncomfortable sofa bed, and no in-room microwave
We stayed at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel before our train ride to the Central Coast of California and before our return flights to Washington DCA. For purposes of this review I will included details from both stays. As the name may infer the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel is an airport hotel within a three-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The location is amazing for an off-site airport hotel. About the only way the hotel could be closer is if it was attached to the LAX terminal.
Arrival and Check In
Arriving at LAX was a hot mess with construction happening everywhere in the terminal. Our bags were delivered within five minutes by Delta and we were on our way to find the hotel shuttle. 
Hotel Shuttle
One of the best amenities of the hotel is that it offers a free shuttle. Moreover, the hotel offers the ability to track the location of shuttles via a map on the Marriott app. This was a standout feature that I hadn't seen at any other hotel. When we used the shuttle, it seemed to never take more than 5 minutes to arrive but it could take up to 10 minutes to get to the hotel because of the traffic and poor design of LAX.
Hotel Shuttle Tracker
At check-in we were greeted by a very friendly check-in agent. She recognized Christina's elite status and offered her the choice of a $10 dining credit or 1000 points. We were only going to have the chance to have breakfast at the hotel so we chose the points. In addition, on the weekend, when the lounge isn't open, the hotel offers elites vouchers for complimentary breakfast. During our first stay the agent apologized that there were no upgrades available. However, during our second stay we were upgraded to a One Bedroom Executive Suite and allowed to check-in early at 10 am. During both stays I thought the hotel had excellent elite recognition.
Check-In Counter
Something I appreciated about this hotel was that it had some character including interesting artwork throughout the lobby. Another example of this was a live performance by a signer at the lobby bar during check-in on our first day. Both of these are things you typically don't see at an airport hotel.
Lobby Artwork
Club Queen Room and One Bedroom Executive Suite
During our first stay, we stayed in a Queen Room with access to the hotel's club lounge. The room had two queen beds, a tv, desk, and tub in the bathroom. The beds were soft and comfortable. However, the standout feature of the room were the views of the LAX runways. We ended up having clear views of takeoffs and landings at the airport which I found fun. The standout feature though had a big draw. Throughout the night we could hear the noise from the planes taking off and landing because the room had poor sound proofing. This is result of poor planning since you would think an airport hotel would have good sound proofing. 
Queen Beds
During our second stay, we stayed in an upgraded one bedroom executive suite. The suite had one king bed and a sofa bed. Just like the first room it also features great runway views.
King Bed
The sofa bed was not comfortable and I would have preferred to keep the two queen beds instead of the suite upgrade.
Sofa Bed
The suite also had a desk, tv, tub, and a mini-fridge. One odd aspect of the suite was that it had no microwave. I was disappointed that the suites in the hotel didn't have a microwave and we were informed that there was just one shared microwave for hotel guests.
Amenities
The hotel offered an outdoor pool and a gym which we did not use but stopped by to check out during our stay. The pool was small and shallow but I was impressed that they offered one at all at an airport hotel. The gym was large and well equipped.
Dining
During our first stay, we had a chance to check out the breakfast buffet before our morning train ride to Santa Barbara. The breakfast buffet was impressive and the best breakfast buffet I had seen at a hotel within the United States.
The buffet offered a wide variety of cold food options including fruit (melons, strawberries, bananas), yogurt, cold cuts, lox with cream cheese, bagels, and muffins. It also included hot food options including scrambled eggs, french toast, sausages, potatoes, and bacon. The stand out option though was the fresh omelet station. The omelet options included mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, and ham.
Cold Food Options
The buffet also offers a variety of drinks including orange juice, hot chocolate, coffee, and smoothies. I liked the orange juice, was disappointed with the hot chocolate, which was too milky and didn't include enough chocolate. Christina really liked the coffee and enjoyed the guava and mango smoothie.
Omlet Station
During our second stay, the club lounge was open so we had breakfast and dinner at the club lounge. The breakfast offerings were average and included powered scrambled eggs, potatoes, sauce, bagels, and a variety of fruit. I tried the eggs which I thought were okay and some fruit which I thought was good. Christina also enjoyed the fruit along with the sausage. Overall, this was a let down from the very good breakfast buffet but was better than other complimentary breakfasts I had within the U.S.
The area where the lounge excelled was with the evening hors d'oeuvres which were substantial enough to substitute for dinner. The first night featured chicken and gravy while second night featured penne pasta with turkey meatballs. I thought the penne pasta and turkey meatballs dish was so good that I got seconds.
Evening d'oeuvres
The lounge also featured great plane spotting which we enjoyed during every visit. Overall, I thought the lounge experience especially in the evening was solid.
Service
The service at this hotel was solid. I liked the staff and thought all of the staff were helpful and friendly. During our first day I appreciated that the staff recognized Christina's status, explained all of the elite benefit options and seemed genuinely disappointed to not be able to upgrade us. The biggest area of improvement for service would be to improve the speed responding to requests. During our second stay, two of us had to sleep on the sofa bed, but there weren't extra sheets or pillows in the room. We called and asked for pillows and blankets. While the staff did bring them the delivery took a long time. It would have been good for the staff to respond faster or proactively bring extra pillow and blankets since there were four people on the reservation.
Take Away
My expectations for an airport hotel are typically low. However, the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel really stood out. The hotel offered many things which are not typical of an airport hotel including an excellent breakfast buffet, interesting artwork, and a pool. This all came in addition to the great elite recognition, very close airport location, free airport shuttle, solid club lounge, and friendly staff. While there were areas for improvement including better sound proofing and quicker service this was a very good airport hotel. If you find yourself in need of a hotel near LAX I would definitely recommend the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
California Dreaming with Dad Trip Report
California Dreaming with Dad Overview Delta 757 DCA-LAX Economy Class Review Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel Review Exploring California's Central Coast Exploring Los Angeles Delta 757 LAX-DCA Economy Class Review 
Dad in California
Introduction
In February 2020, I had the pleasure of taking my Dad on a trip to California for his 70th birthday. This was the first time he had traveled to the West Coast of the United States. The planning of the trip began months before when I let my Dad know that for his 70th birthday I would take him anywhere in the world. He narrowed it down to two places he was interested in visiting California, and England. After a lot of discussion, we decided to take a trip to the Central Coast of California to see my wife's family and to check out the sites in the Los Angeles area. For this trip Christina and my Mom also decided to come along and it was the first time all four of us had traveled together. I was happy to have three traveling companions along for the trip. This trip was truly eye opening my for Dad. He really loved the kindness of the people in the Central Coast of California, was surprised by the traffic in Los Angeles, and thought the beauty of the California Coast line was stunning. However, the most memorable line from our trip was him telling me he was shocked by size of California and couldn't believe it was all just one state! It also still amazes me that despite all of my trips just how much more relaxed the vibe is in California versus the East Coast.
Booking Flights
For our flights we decided to book all of the flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) because it allowed my parent's to only have one stop flight from The Bahamas. My parent's booked flights from Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) to LAX with a connection in Charlotte on American Airlines. This was the flight that had the best timing and ended up costing $426 per ticket. We had previously broken up with American Airlines and decided to match our American Airlines Gold status to Delta Silver in 2019. Since only American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta offered non-stop flights from Washington Reagan National (DCA) to LAX it made our selection easy. One added benefit of flying Delta on this route is that it is a premium route so we would be served a meal even in economy and have the chance (an extremely small chance) to have a same day upgrade to Delta One lie flat seats. 
Delta 757 DCA
Since we had few Delta miles and the mileage cost on this premium route was expensive, we decided to book with cash. Also, Christina had a work meeting back in Washington D.C. so we booked separate tickets. Her roundtrip DCA-LAX ticket was $413 and she earned 2,506 Delta miles which I value at $31. My roundtrip DCA- LAX ticket cost $473 and earned me 2,982 miles which I value at $36.
Booking Train
On our trip we needed to get to and from Los Angeles and Christina and I really don't like driving especially in the Los Angeles traffic. So, we decided to take the Amtrak Surfliner from Los Angeles Union Station to Santa Barbara and back. The cost was ~$30 for each of the three tickets and we redeemed Amtrak Guest Reward Points for one ticket. 
Amtrak Surfliner Train
Booking Hotels
We stayed with Christina's parents in the Central Coast and in hotels during our four nights in Los Angeles. Because my parents' flights arrived at about 11 pm and departed at 5 am we decided to stay in an airport hotel for all four nights in Los Angeles. Because of Christina's Marriott Platinum elite status we chose a Marriott brand hotel the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel. The cost was $167 for the first night and $474 for the second three-night stay. I thought both of these were quite reasonable for a California hotel and after our stay I would say this hotel offers very good value. 
Renaissance LAX
Summary
It was such an honor to take my Dad to California and even now I look back on the trip and it warms my heart. I also feel it was amazing timing since the following month the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most travel and we would have cancelled the entire trip. I look forward to sharing my reviews especially of some of the beauty of California and some interesting attractions in the Central Coast and metropolitan areas around Los Angeles. By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
During our short stay the hotel's amenities, dining, butler, and concierge services exceeded our expectations and showed us why this is a luxury hotel. Pros- Two Private Pools, Private Beach, Amazing Butler Service, Great Sea Views, Helpful Concierge, Great Honeymoon Recognition, Unique Breakfast Options Cons- Poor Check-In, Limited Elite Recognition, Insufficient USB Plugs, Uncomfortable Bed First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Location
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi has a prime location on The Corniche, which is a strip of beach front property with restaurants, walking, and biking paths located in the heart of Abu Dhabi. The hotel is very large occupying two towers, with approximately 50 floors, and a presidential suite which connects the two towers. 
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Location
Arrival and Check In
Our stay at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi was short. We only stayed two nights arrived in late afternoon on the first day of our stay and left in the early morning on the third day. To get to the hotel we took a private car from Al Maha to the St. Regis Abu Dhabi which was about a two hour uneventful drive. When we pulled up to the hotel, I was impressed by the size of the two skyscrapers which the hotel occupied. The guest rooms of the hotel are located on floors 33-49 while the check-in, dining, and amenities are on or accessible via the ground floor through floor 3. When we walked into the lobby of the hotel we were blown away by the glitz and glam. At the center of the lobby was a marble staircase with multiple chandeliers. Below the staircase was a huge painting which served as the focal point of the room. Later on, our butler let us know that the designers of the hotel intended this to mimic the staircase on the Titanic. The hotel also added a grand piano below the stairs to continue the Titanic theme. This kind of glitz and attempt to emulate historic elements of the world is something we would see a lot of in Abu Dhabi. 
Prior to our arrival, we were upgraded to a Superior Sea View Room even though all of the suite types were still available on the website. Since were weren't upgraded in advance we wondered if we would get a suite upgrade during check-in. At check-in the agent made it seem like a big deal that we got a Superior Sea View Room. Even though as a Marriott Platinum Elite Christina should have received an upgrade to one of the numerous suites still available. We were even more disappointed since this was our honeymoon. The agent said that since it was our first time at St. Regis Abu Dhabi she would only upgrade us to better room not a suite. Also, she never mentioned the Platinum welcome amenity or thanked Christina for her loyalty as a Platinum elite. It was also a strange check-in process since she spent the entire time talking about the Philippines and did not walk us through any of the hotel’s amenities. At check-out we asked about the elite welcome amenity. The agent did not apologize for not offering a choice at check-in and said the options were points or breakfast. We were really disappointed by the poor check-in process and elite recognition at this hotel.
Superior Sea View Room
When the check-in process was done our bags were whisked away and showed up at our room minutes later. Upon entering the room, we were greeted by a dove towel, real flower petals, chocolate treats, and a bottle of red wine which was a nice touch by the butler team in celebration of our honeymoon. 
Honeymoon Welcome Amenities
The room was a larger than the standard size room with a TV, couch, desk and closet. The room also had a king size bed. The bed was not very comfortable and the pillows were way too flat.
King Bed
The room was decked out in marble and at the center of the room was a crystal chandelier. The chandelier had a very nice design and the same level of glitz found throughout the hotel.
Chandelier
A big downside of the room was that it had only one USB plug and no universal plugs which meant we needed to use our converters.
Sea View
The highlights of the room were the sea view and the bathroom. From the room you could see one of the pools, The Corniche Beach, and the Persian Gulf.
Tub
The bathroom was large for a non-suite room. It featured two vanities and sinks along with a shower a separate toilet, and a tub. A unique feature of the bathroom was the TV built into the mirror. This was the first time I had ever seen this and added to the luxurious feeling of the hotel.
Double Vanity with TV
Amenities
One of the amazing things about this hotel was the availability of resort amenities in the middle of a major city. The hotel had two pools one below the towers and another across the street next to the resort's private beach and accessible through an underground passageway. The hotel also had a direct connection to the mall. 
Private Pool and Beach
In the private beach area, there were three restaurants two of which were owned by the hotel and one Cuban restaurant that was under renovation. This area also had a kids club, a gym, and a swim up bar accessible via the pool.
One thing we did notice on our walk over to the private beach area was a bar and nightclub that was closed due to Ramadan. I appreciated that the hotel let us you know about the Ramadan rules with a guide of do's and don'ts including no dancing or singing in public. 
Hotel Ramadan Guide
Our butler invited us to sabering in the St Regis Bar which was offered by invitation only, unlike at the St. Regis Maldives, and was behind a curtain for Ramadan. Our butler let us know that normally the sabering would take place in the lobby with the grand piano playing Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go on. The sabering at this hotel was done by a woman which was nice to see. She asked us if we had ever seen sabering and when we said we saw it at the St. Regis Maldives she said, "I bet it wasn't done by a woman". She then walked us through the history of the sabering tradition this time focusing on Mrs. Astor and her desire to have a party for 400 people and sabering to welcome the guests. Once the sabering was done we were offered champagne and provided light snacks.
St. Regis Bar
Dining
Because of our short stay and early flight the morning of our checkout we only got to have one meal at the hotel which was breakfast on our second day. The breakfast at the hotel was primarily buffet with a small made to order menu with items such as an Eggs Benedict. One of the great things about this breakfast buffet was the unique breakfast items. For example, there was a poached pear with hint of cinnamon and apple sauce. Also, there was veal bacon which was salty and not good.
Another unique item was the green apple juice. It wasn't as sweet as red apple juice and I think I prefer red apple juice.
Breakfast Buffett Juices
This was a really good breakfast with a wide selection and unique items.
Service
Prior to our arrival, we reached out to the concierge staff for suggestions of activities in Abu Dhabi and the cost of transportation. The concierge staff provided us with numerous suggestions for Abu Dhabi including the prices and offered the hotel’s vehicles for transportation. We decided to go with the transportation to hotel arraigned by Al Maha and take the Uber to the airport because of the high-prices offered by the concierge staff at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. When we got to the hotel, we took full advantage of the concierge staff again to map out our only full day in Abu Dhabi and the person who helped us was amazing. He knew all of the sights of Abu Dhabi and was able to quickly get us a reservation at the Mosque and at afternoon tea at Emirates Palace. He also saw us when we returned to the hotel for the night and remembered that he had helped us and our itinerary for the day which was quite impressive. Our butler service was just as impressive. He and his colleagues made us really feel welcome with the honeymoon welcome amenities and decorations. Shortly after our arrival he came by to and welcome us to the hotel. He gave us a rundown of his services including complimentary coffee/tea and free pressing of two items per day then set us up with the sabering reservation. Later on, he saw us in the elevator and we let him know we were walking around the hotel and he said he would show us around. He spent 20 minutes showing us all the amenities of the hotel including going outside in the heat to the private beach in his multi-piece suit. Finally, he left us a parting gift of food. In general I am still not sold on the benefit of having butler service but I liked the service much better at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi then at the St. Regis Maldives. I think this was driven by the fact that we had other options outside of the hotel and didn't have to rely on the butler for all of our planning and meal reservations.
Take Away
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi did so much to make this stay feel luxurious. This included the extensive marble and chandeliers, wide array of amenities for an urban hotel, and the outstanding service by the concierge and butler staff. While the check-in and limited elite recognition were frustrating, I would still consider staying at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi on a future stay in Abu Dhabi when I would hopefully have more time to explore the amenities and dining. By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
This resort offered five-star activities, seclusion, and Michelin star quality food all in an all-inclusive setting. Pros- All-Inclusive, Wide Variety of Activities, Secluded Setting, Large Private Suite, Large and Comfortable Bed, Amazing Desert Views, Private Plunge Pool, Good Honeymoon Recognition, Michelin Restaurant Quality Food and Drinks Cons- Aging Property, Insufficient Plugs, Smelly Bathroom Amenities, Slow Service First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review
Location
One thing I should make clear at the start is the seclusion of Al Maha resort. While no seaplane ride was required, unlike The St. Regis Maldives, this resort was about an hour from the city of Dubai and about two hours from the city of Abu Dhabi. The resort is located is in the emirate of Dubai located within the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Because of this location when you are staying at the resort you are more likely to see a gazelle than a vehicle and it is far different than the glitz of the city of Dubai. During our stay our guide informed us that the resort was originally a getaway for the Emirati royal family and friends and is located in this area because Al Maha has access to fresh water. 
Al Maha Location
Arrival and Check In
We emailed the resort in advance to request transportation from the Abu Dhabi airport to the resort. After reviewing the prices and confirming that we wanted to book the ride five days passed and we never heard back. We ended up calling and we were asked to send a new request. Eventually the resort confirmed our reservation for a driver prior to our departure for our honeymoon. 
Private Car to the Resort
Upon arrival at the airport in Abu Dhabi we were greeted by a driver who took us on the drive in a very comfortable Infiniti sedan. Once we left the emirate of Abu Dhabi we took a right heading on a highway to the desert. It was very eerie driving through the desert at night and all we could see were a few gazelle on the horizon. Once we made it to the desert we drove on a dirt road for about 10 minutes before reaching the sign for the Al Maha Reserve. Then we saw another sign for the Al Maha Research Center and passing that sign we arrived at the resort.
Al Maha Entrance
Once we arrived at the resort we went into the beautiful lobby and were greeted by the front desk attendant. She acknowledged Christina’s elite status, though called it Titanium instead of Platinum, and acknowledged it was our honeymoon. She then greeted us with a very yummy welcome drink and gave us the keys to our room.
Bedouin Suite
Al Maha is an all-suite property with each suite located in its own private villa. We stayed in Suite #14 which was a one bedroom suite but the resort has one, two, and three bedroom suites available. The suites are stunning architecturally meant to mimic a Bedouin style tent in the middle of the desert. While the property was very spread out our suite had a great location not too far from the lobby but still private. 
Suite #14
When we entered the suite there was a fruit welcome amenity and a bottle of sparkling champagne from Australia which contained no note but I assumed was in recognition of our honeymoon.
Welcome Amenity
This suite was huge and we suspect it was even bigger than our beachfront villa in The Maldives. At the entrance was a hallway containing multiple complimentary bottles of water and a Kureig coffee machine. The bottles of water were very useful since the super dry desert air constantly made us thirsty. In the hallway was also a mini-fridge containing beverages for sale. We didn't consume any since all of the beverages at the restaurant and through room service were complimentary.
At the center of the suite was a huge bed which I think was a California King size. The bed was very soft but pillows could have bee n thicker and comfier. In front of the bed were two chaise chairs and we loved relaxing and reading on these chairs. The ceiling of the suite was draped in a tent which really executed on the theme. The furniture was also on theme but really could use an update.
Suite Bedroom
On the opposite end of the bedroom from the bed was a desk which looked out onto the beautiful desert views. The sunrise views in particular from our suite were amazing. On the desk were a pair of binoculars to help spot the wildlife from the suite though most of the time the wildlife could be spotted with the naked eye.
Suite Desk
There was also an easel with paint for our use, the first time I have seen one in a hotel room, though ended up not painting during our stay.
Easel
One negative thing we noticed about the resort throughout our stay was just how much of the property was aging and needed a refresh. For example, our key was not an electronic key but a manual key. Also, the room had nowhere near enough plugs for our electronics.
 Suite #14 Key
The bathroom was huge and had a soaking bathtub and shower. I was shocked how great the water pressure was in the bathroom given that we were in the middle of the desert.
Suite Bathroom
The biggest downside of the bathroom were the bath amenities including the body wash from Chemin. We really didn't like the smell of the body wash but I did like the lotion.
Suite Shower
The highlight of the suite was the private plunge pool overlooking the desert. When we were in our suite during the daytime we spent the majority of our time in or near the pool. It was amazing sitting by the pool listening to our music and watching the wildlife. The pool was cold in the mornings and evenings but refreshing mid-day. One of the great things about the design of the pool is that the resort did a great job keeping it cool with the tent and the shrubs which provided some shade. Next to the pool was a pool deck which had two lounging chairs. As we sat on the balcony it was fun but then we started getting attacked by wasps and headed inside. The frustrating thing about the pool was that their were a lot of bugs and because of the wind we often smelled the poop from the wildlife in the Reserve. One area of improvement for the resort would be more frequent cleanings of the pool which often got debris from the desert or bugs.
View from Villa Pool
The suite was very private and when we were inside the villa or in the villa pool we couldn't see anyone else. Our most frequent companions were the wildlife including gazelles and oryx that roamed the Reserve. I was surprised by how close the wildlife got to us. There were a ton of birds that regularly came to our villa’s pool to drink.
Gazelle
Activities and Amenities
Al Maha only had a limited number of amenities but offered an extensive array of activities most of which were included in the cost of the room. In term of amenities Al Maha offered a spa, fitness center, and pool all located in the same area of the resort. We ended up not using the fitness center and opted not to get a massage at the spa because of the expensive prices. However, we did try out the outdoor pool which was right next to the spa. This was a really nice pool that was really well taken care of. The pool had the perfect temperature, many chairs and umbrellas, cold drinking water, and pool towels. It was also very private and we saw no other guests in the pool during our stay. I assume this is because each villa comes with a private plunge pool so many guests didn't feel the need to use the pool. We used it several times during the stay though because it was bigger, had a better temperature, and was cleaner than our plunge pool. I would strongly recommend checking out this pool during your stay. 
Resort Pool
During our stay the resort offered nine activities seven of which were in the cost of the resort stay. The activities included: 1) Falconry, 2) Nature Walk, 3) Ghaf Tree Walk, 4) Wild Life Drive, 5) Camel Trek, 6) Sundowner, 7) Archery, 8) Horse Riding, and 9) Desert Drive. We decided to participate in the falconry, wild life drive, camel trek, and archery all of which were complimentary.
Al Maha Activities
The falconry was a cool activity involving well trained falcons. During the session the falcon trainers gave us the history of the use of the falcons by the Bedouins that roamed the deserts of the UAE. In the past the Bedouins used the falcons to help hunt. The falcons are trained to eat via the glove and come back because of the lure which contains food as a reward. They are very helpful for hunting because of their amazing vision but they have a very poor sense of smell. At the end of the group session, we all got the chance to hold the falcon. Overall, it was a fun experience learning about the history of the falconry and getting to interact with the falcons.
Christina with Falcon
The camel trek was also a fun activity. I had never ridden a camel before and did not realize how temperamental they could be. On several occasions it took effort by our guides to keep them moving or in line. I am a much bigger fan of riding horses than camels.
Camel Trek
At the end of the ride, we stopped in the middle of the desert for a champagne toast and got a chance to mingle with some of the other guests. It turns out two of the guests staying at Al Maha had been at the St. Regis Maldives during our stay.
Camel Trek Toast
We also participated in the nature drive which was the most boring activity we participated in. While our guide did a good job engaging us with facts about the resort and the Reserve there wasn't much nature in the desert that we couldn't see near our suite. One new animal we did find and Christina got to hold was a lizard.
 Nature Drive
Of all of the activities we participated in we found archery to be the most enjoyable so much so that we did it twice during our stay. Neither of us had ever done archery before so we didn't realize how physically exhausting it is. We really liked archery and hope to do it again in the future. One interesting thing about the Archery course is that the resort kept track of the top archers. At the top of the board was professional golfer Nick Faldo and our guide told us that he previously met John Travolta at the resort. It was both strange and exciting to be staying at a five-star resort that hosted professional athletes and celebrities.
Archery
Dining
Overall, the dining was a highlight of our stay. I had low expectations since it is an all-inclusive resort but was blown away by the Michelin restaurant quality dishes. Al Maha had only one restaurant just off of the lobby which served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because the resort is secluded like the St. Regis Maldives the stakes were already high for food at the resort, however, there was added pressure since this was the resort's only restaurant. One aspect of the restaurant's service I appreciated was a cold towel provided with every meal which I thought was a nice touch. 
Al Maha Breakfast Omlet
The restaurant had a wide selection which generally was spectacular. I felt that the meals were alive with flavor. One of the days I had the Al Maha Omelet which had salmon with just the right hint of salt and was fantastic.
Christina at Breafkfast
One of the breakfast highlights for Christina was foul medames which she had never heard of before. The dish came in a seared pan with two pieces of toast and two poached eggs with light garnish of sea salt and baby spinach. The sides came with a seasoned bean dip, a local cheese, yogurt dip, and hummus. After mixing everything together the flavors were so unreal and everything was fresh. The flavors were bold separately, but together it worked in a harmonious sensation. Christina wondered if the dish was only good because of our experience getting sick likely from the food in The Maldives. The weakest area of breakfast was the drinks. I had mango juice which I only thought was okay since it was less sweet than Caribbean mangoes. I also tried the chocolate milk which was made of camel milk and had a different flavor that I again I thought was not sweet enough.
We typically ordered lunch through room service during our stay. However, when we did try the restaurant we realized that the lunch menu in the restaurant was the same as the room service menu. I ordered the beef burger with bacon which was delicious. Christina ordered the butter chicken which was fantastic.
Butter Chicken
For dinner the restaurant served on the patio and it was great sitting outside amongst nature. We could clearly see the moon and the setting was quite romantic. The dinner was full service with an amuse bouche, pallet cleanser, appetizer, main, and desert which was quite impressive for an all-inclusive dinner service. One of the highlights was an appetizer of caviar which I really liked. My main was lamb which I thought was really good even though it was too fatty. The weakest part of our dinner were the desserts. I ordered the bread pudding which I didn't like.
Lamb Dinner
One of favorite things about the dining experience at Al Maha was that the room service was included in the all-inclusive rate at no additional charge and we generally had access to the same menu as the restaurant. We took advantage of this on several occasions. Some of the highlights from our room service orders were the grilled lamb kofta and the turkey mozzarella sandwich. The resort also had turndown service and I liked that the turndown service included chocolate but the chocolate itself was only okay.
Room Service Meal
Service
One of the weakest aspects of our stay was the service which was often very slow. First on a positive note our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and we really appreciated his good service. However, our experience with the rest of the staff wasn't up to the luxury resort standards. As I stated earlier this started with the slow email response before we even got to the property. Once we got to the property the meal service was often slow. For example, one night at dinner we waited 20 minutes for our desert. At another resort this may have been okay but at this luxury resort the slow service was disappointing.
Take Away
Al Maha offered a secluded resort, with private plunge pools and amazing food. Despite the slow service we really enjoyed our stay at Al Maha. I would strongly recommend it as a honeymoon destination for a couple looking for a secluded and luxurious stay. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
The beauty of The Maldives exceeded my expectations, this hotel was thoughtful in recognizing our Honeymoon and Christina's Marriott Platinum Status, and this was the best hotel room I have ever stayed in. Despite this I would never return to this resort since it had exorbitant fees, tasteless and extremely overpriced food that left us very ill during our Honeymoon stay. Pros- Beautiful Beaches, Private Plunge Pool, World-Class Snorkeling, Secluded Resort, Attentive Service, Amazing Elite Recognition, Honeymoon Recognition, Spectacular Room Design, Relaxing Massages, and On-site Doctor Cons- Overbearing Butler Service, Exorbitant Fees, Extremely Overpriced Food, Tasteless Food, and Food-borne Illness First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review
Location The Maldives itself is a secluded archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean with only about 600,000 people in 2020 and the journey to The Maldives from the United States takes more than a day. The seclusion is a selling point for visitors to the island nation which particularly attracts visitors looking for a luxurious tourist experience. The seclusion, beauty of the islands, and luxury is what attracted us to this island destination for our Honeymoon.  Location of The Maldives
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli is located on a secluded private island of Vommuli in the Dhaalu Atoll, an island surrounded by a coral reef, in The Maldives archipelago. While The Maldives is secluded already this atoll is located about an hour seaplane ride from The Maldives capital Male and is by far the most secluded place I have ever visited. This seclusion really overwhelmed me when we first landed. I realized that we were almost as far as we could be from Washington D.C., in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and an hour seaplane ride from any city. For someone who is used to walking a few blocks to get to a pharmacy this really overwhelmed me. 
Trans-Maldivan Resort Service 2019
St. Regis Arrival Experience and Airport Lounge
Upon arrival in Male we were greeted by a very friendly hotel representative who quickly took our bags and walked us over to the Trans Maldivian counter to check us in for our seaplane ride to the resort. Because of the seclusion of the resort, the only options for guests to access the atoll is via seaplane or the resort's private yacht. I was impressed by the service from the hotel which took care of everything including our check-in and baggage. The hotel representative told us that we were the last guests to arrive that day and that our seaplane flight would last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once our check-in was complete we were whisked away in the St. Regis' SUV to its private airport lounge. 
St. Regis Maldive Vommuli SUV
On our way to the lounge we saw a lot of airport development and dredging. The Maldives is extremely low-lying and many of the islands are sinking in part due to climate change. Male is small and already densely populated. A lot of the expansion of the capital is fueled by dredging additional land. The hotel representative told us that The Maldives main industry is tourism followed by fishing and that the tourism started taking off about 18 years prior to our trip in 2019. The SUV was impressive with cold towels, bottled water, and even Wi-Fi. On the ride over we were played a video greeting on an IPAD from our Butler Ahmed, who goes by Tom at the resort.
Butler Video Greeting
After our video greeting the hotel representative told us that the hotel's marketing staff was based in Dubai and that it was the only resort at the time in The Maldvies that primarily catered to Americans. One thing that was impressive about the St. Regis Vommuli is that the service began from the first moment you interacted with staff. The staff asked us how we would like to be addressed and then took a picture of us in front of the St. Regis sign which I believe was used to help staff memorize our faces and our names. I was shocked that the vast majority of the staff at the resort addressed us by name. This was all a part of the five-star luxury feeling and extended to the airport lounge.
St. Regis Aiport Lounge Check-In
The lounge was well designed and private. It had air conditioning, a view of the water, and even a shower. In the bathroom there were amenities including a comb and toothpaste. We completed check-in at the lounge and were informed that because of Christina's Marriott Platinum Status and our Honeymoon we were upgraded from the base level Garden Villa to a Beach Villa (312). I was blown away by their recognition of Honeymoon and the elite recognition since at the time this Villa typically cost $1,600 per night and we were staying for five nights on points. We stayed at the resort in May which is rainy season and the staff member told us the resort was only at 50% occupancy. I am sure this made it easier to give us an upgrade. Honestly this was nice for us on our honeymoon since we wanted a relaxing environment. While we waited to be taken to our seaplane we were offered a variety of complimentary drinks and snacks. We both ordered ice tea which was quite refreshing. Everything about our welcome from the St. Regis felt luxurious.
Ice Tea
Trans Maldivan Airways Seaplane Ride
When it was time for our seaplane flight there wasn't a driver available so the St. Regis staff called a bus to take us to the sea plane terminal. The seaplane waiting area was hot and crowded. After a short wait it was a time for our seaplane flight. The St. Regis representative stayed with us until he saw that we safely boarded our sea plane. Our seaplane flight was on Trans Maldivan Airways which at the time was the largest operator of seaplanes in the world. I had never taken a seaplane before and I was super excited. As we were planning our three-week long Honeymoon the inclusion of a seaplane ride made our packing more difficult, because there was a weight limit per passenger was 30 kg (~66 pounds). Our seaplane had 15 seats and was full. They loaded luggage into the back of the plane and took weight measurements on an IPAD. 
Trans Maldvian Airways Seaplane
We taxied for about five minutes then had a surprisingly smooth take off. As we departed Male I was shocked by how densely populated the city was and there seemed no room left to develop.
Male, The Maldives
As we got further away from Male the views were breathtaking. The water was aqua blue and there were atolls surrounded by coral reefs dotting the country. I had seen many pictures of The Maldives before and beauty exceeded my expectations.
The Maldives
The seaplane at first was hot but when we got into the air it cooled down. There was a pilot and co-pilot who wore only sandals on their feet while flying. The plane was loud during takeoff and landing but quieter during flight. The in-flight magazine featured all of the Maldives resorts. The first stop was 40 minutes into the flight at a jetty. We dropped off some passengers who were then picked up by a boat. Landing on water is a weird feeling and much harder than takeoff. Then we took off again before making a second stop. On the second stop we picked up additional passengers who I assumed were headed back to Male. Finally, on the third stop it was time for us to land at The St. Regis Maldives. Unlike some other resorts the St. Regis had its own seaplane jetty allowing us to stop directly at the resort. As the resort came into focus I felt the awe of being in The Maldives and it felt surreal.
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Beach Villa
Upon arrival we were greeted by multiple staff members including our butler Tom who waved hi from the seaplane pier. We were also provided complimentary cocktails in a coconut. 
Welcome Area
Our beach villa #312 was located three villas from the resort's main restaurant Alba which we found really convenient and allowed us to walk around the resort. Most guests took the buggies or bikes to get around but Christina and I saw no need and instead enjoyed walking around the atoll.
Beach Villa 312
I was quite impressed by the style of the villa it had everything you could ask for in a hotel room. The villa had an amazing design and was the nicest hotel room I had ever stayed in. There was a beautiful high ceiling a large king bed at the center of the villa. Behind the bed was a desk which included all of the information for our stay.
Beach Villa 312
In front of the bed was an ottoman for changing shoes and a large table in front of the ottoman. Near the entrance was a comfortable day bed also included in the villa.
Day Bed
On the right of the bed was a mini-bar which included expensive items for purchase including snacks, juices, wine, and champagne along with complimentary bottles of water. There were also USB plugs on both sides of the bed which allowed for easy charging of our electronics. Charging for electronics is something that is usually shortchanged in hotel rooms so I appreciated the wide availability here.
Minibar and Wine Fridge
There was a TV on the wall which was very clear and extended out of the wall for easy viewing when turned on. The TV and all of the lights in the room were controlled by an impressive electronic display built into an IPAD. One of the nice features was that the blackout and sheer curtains opened with a button. There were options to have just one curtain or all of the curtains open. When they were all open it provided a great ocean view. The IPAD also controlled the lights in the room and had several pre-set controls for every single light in the villa. The entertainment options were also extensive including live TV and Netflix. It also had the ability for you to connect your own device to stream music or movies and the sound quality was amazing. We used the sounds system to stream our music on several occasions.
Beach Villa IPAD
Behind the bed was a pair of sliding doors which opened to an amazing bathroom. I thought the sliding doors were another great design choice. On the right and left were closets with tons of space hangers, drawers, and places to store luggage.
Closet
Next to the closets were two vanities which had large mirrors and even zoom in makeup mirrors. These spaces were clearly set up for couples so each person could have a side of the bathroom and I was again very impressed by the design.
Vanity
Below the vanities were a ton of amenities including nail clippers, toothbrush with toothpaste, shavers, hairdryer, lotion, and sunscreen. The hotel thought of everything in terms of amenities and I appreciated that they did not try to nickel and dime you on amenities such as sunscreen. It was also impressive how everything was branded St. Regis Maldives which must be very expensive. The room even included flip flops though they were too small for me and uncomfortable. As we explored the room I kept discovering new amenities included a charging cable with multiple prongs to charge different devices, and even bug spray, a first for me in a hotel room. I felt I could have brought no bathroom amenities and been fine. In the middle of the bathroom was a very nice sunken bathtub on the right was a glass TV so you could watch from the tub.
Sunken Bathtub
While the villa had an indoor shower. One of my favorite features of the villa was the outdoor shower right off of the bathroom. The shower had two spouts which allowed us to shower at the same time. It was the coolest experience to be able to shower outside in complete privacy. This was due to good planning which included high walls in the back of the villa and spraying to control the bugs.
Outdoor Shower
Another great feature of the villa and the resort was that the Wi-Fi was so good that we streamed Netflix as if we were home. We were able to get a signal at the Whale Bar which was overwater. I was surprised that the Wi-Fi was so good at a remote resort. It was very humid so Christina and I drank a lot of bottles of water and I appreciated that the staff constantly refreshed these and even added more bottles when they saw how many we drank. Generally, the housekeeping staff was very friendly and refreshed the room twice a day. On the pool deck was another set of chairs where you could sit and eat and a large chair for lounging which I loved! It was maybe the coolest lounging chair ever with a ton of comfy pillows and I was so impressed by the comfort that I want to buy it for our house.
Lounge Chair
The pool itself was a 4 feet deep plunge pool. This was my first time having a room with a plunge pool and it was amazing. There is nothing like having your own private plunge pool with a view of the ocean it was so peaceful and we used it ever day that we were not sick. The pool was kept at a great temperature and really clean. The water in the pool tasted very lightly chlorinated and more like fresh water. The biggest issue I had with the pool was the lack of privacy. On a regular basis as we were in the pool we saw families walking up to it on the beach. Some of the beach villas have more covering by mangroves to make them secluded but this also blocks the ocean view so definitely a trade-off.
Plunge Pool
Another thoughtful touch was the jug full of fresh water to the beach which the resort kept to clear off your sandals and legs of beach sand. The beach itself was beautiful and full of white sand along with two beach chairs for relaxing and a beach umbrella. Because of the rainy season the umbrellas were closed for a portion of our stay to make sure they did not blow away.
Beach Villa 312
While we would have loved to try the overwater villa for a night, I thought the beach villas were the best type of room because not only do you get a plunge pool but you get direct beach access. We met a Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador elite member who was upgraded to a Sunset Overwater Villa but actually said she would have preferred a beach villa and we saw several couples with overwater villas come to play on our beach.
Amenities
The best amenity of having the direct beach access was the ability to snorkel out of our front door each day and we loved it! The snorkeling equipment was complimentary and our butler dropped it off before we even got to the resort. The St. Regis Vomulli also offered snorkeling classes but we were perfectly fine without taking the snorkeling classes. The resort's house reef was very cool as it allowed us to snorkel and see an array of sea life steps from our villa. One of the very sad things about our time snorkeling in The Maldives was seeing so many bleached reefs and the impact of pollution and climate change. 
Snorkeling
The resort also offered kayaking but we were told that the ocean was too rough during our stay for kayaking which I assumed was due to it being rainy season. Because we travelled to The Maldives during rainy season we didn't know what to expect, however, it didn't really put much of a damper on our stay. It certainly rained, sometimes very hard with strong winds, but it only lasted a few hours and was usually followed by strong sunshine. During these times it was nice to read from the comfort of our villa.
Infinity Pool
Next to Alba restaurant was an infinity pool. The resort also had Alba Beach, with beach chairs and umbrellas. However, we rarely used these since we had a private infinity plunge pool and direct beach access from our villa. During our stay we rarely saw anyone else at the pool or Alba Beach.
Alba Beach
Also, next to Alba restaurant was a library with books which could be borrowed and a desktop computer. We never used this space, but I was impressed by the selection of books. I could see it being a good place to hang out for someone who wants to be comfortable somewhere outside the villa.
Library
The resort also had a Boutique which sold a variety of items including hats, sunscreen, beach bags, and books. On the third floor was the Observatory Tower which had good views of the atoll.
Botique
The vast majority of the indoors activities at the resort were housed at Vommuli House and Socialite. Vommuli House was the bigger building and had additional books which could be borrowed along with a Children's Club, and a gym. There was also a tennis court behind the building with a resident tennis pro who we met while exploring the building. When we walked around the building was nearly empty and we never used any of these amenities during our stay.
Vommuli House
One space we did use was Socialite. This space had a table tennis on the ground floor in a covered area. Upstairs inside the AC had air hockey, pool, and video games. It was a fun space and really nice on rainy days.
Socialite
During our stay we took advantage of an offer for a discounted Maldvian massage ($125 each) which had to be used within 48 hours or arrival. The spa is located overwater next to the arrival jetty and has six separate massage rooms and a blue hole therapy pool.
Iridium Spa
This type pool is supposed be restorative. We were not impressed by the blue hole therapy pool which had nice views but was basically a shared salt water pool.
Saltwater Pool
However, our couples massage was great. We started out with a scented cold towel and cold drinks in the waiting area both of which were refreshing. There were also holes to see the wildlife below which would have been a nice touch inside the massage rooms.
Waiting Area Viewing Holes
The massage room bathrooms were very nice with all the amenities you could want including a shower. What we appreciated was how they were tailored for couples with the ability for us to change together and wait together unlike the separate rooms in the JW Marriott Singapore Spa. The massage itself was great and unique. It started off with the masseuses singing in the Maldvian language and ended with them pouring hot coconut oil on our heads. I would recommend this massage to other couples.
Massage Room Bathroom
Butler Service
One unique experience of staying at a St. Regis, among the Marriott brands, is the butler service. This was the first time I stayed at a St. Regis and the first time I experienced butler service at any hotel. As we arrived at the resort we were greeted by our butler Tom who took us to our room in a golf cart. He said that at the time he was the butler for four rooms. The butler service was a very strange for me and made even weirder by the fact that we were at a secluded resort. We were required to rely on the butler for everything including dinner reservations, spa appointments, and the butler seemed to always be present which I didn’t like. For example, he showed up at breakfast every morning. Prior to our arrival Tom had already made dinner reservations for us at Oriéntale twice, Cargo, and Alba for a buffet dinner. I really like having more control over making reservations and appointments so was annoyed that we had to go through the butler and that he made reservations in advance without consulting us. 
St. Regis Butler Greeting
One thing I did appreciate about the service was they ability to get two free items pressed a day along with a free shoe shine. We also used the laundry serviced during our stay and they did an excellent job at a decent price, for a luxury hotel, and pressed the clothes for free. Christina also liked the coffee /tea service which we took advantage of twice. The butlers also offered to bring us around in a golf cart which I thought was silly given how small the island was.
Coffee/Tea Service
One interesting thing I learned from our butler was because of the 24/7 nature of the job the staff lives on the island in staff residences without their family and in high season can sometimes go as much as 3 months without a break. During our time in The Maldives it was Ramadan and The Maldives is a majority Muslim county. During our stay our butler was fasting for Ramadan though we didn't notice any difference in service. Tom told us that the resort hired five new butlers which will provide staff more time off and our butler Tom took his vacation a day before our departure and very nicely transitioned us to another butler who handled our check-out. Another interesting thing about the resort was that the staff wore different shirt colors depending on their roles. For example, the head of the Butler Service and Rooms wore Blue shirts while butlers wore white shirts with cool beach hats it was clear that there was a ranking in place.
Unlike the JW Singapore South Beach, which did not even acknowledge that it was our honeymoon the St Regis really did a great job acknowledging us. The biggest acknowledgement was the upgrade which we may have nonetheless received due to Christina's Marriott Platinum status. However, I am sure our upgrade was made more likely because of our honeymoon and we really appreciated. Upon arrival we also had several Marriott Platinum welcome amenities in our room including the candy/snack display with amazing chocolates and a fruit plate. 
Marriott Platinum Welcome Amenity
We also had a bottle of champagne which was exclusive to the St. Regis Maldives and was fantastic!
Champagne
Also, during our stay our butler sent over a honeymoon cake which was a very nice touch and set up a rose petal bath. I thought the rose petal bath was another strange part of the butler service and made me uncomfortable. Finally, the resort threw in a complimentary blue hole therapy treatment which we used.
Honeymoon Cake
We passed on the unpacking service but took the butlers up on the packing service when it was time to leave because I was sick. Christina loved the packing service. Two butlers took about 45 minutes to pack and wrapped all of our items individually before putting them into our suitcases. I was not that impressed with the packing service and would probably skip it next time since I found it too invasive. The butler also checked us out in the room and allowed us to wait in the villa until the seaplane arrival. Christina really liked our butler and loved the butler service. While I thought our butler did a good job I did not like the idea of the butler service. Despite the elite recognition the butler service would make me think twice about staying at a St. Regis resort.
Dining
Alba The main restaurant at the resort which was Alba open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests mostly ate only breakfast and dinner because of the ridiculous prices at the resort. We never tried lunch at Alba and only had one dinner. We ate here on the first night at the Soqu buffet which cost $175 per person and was a complete waste of money. 
Alba
It was supposed to be a buffet of Italian food but all of the food was completely tasteless and some of the worse Italian food I have ever had. The setting on the beach with a roasting pig was nice but generally the food was really bad and the best thing I had was the ice cream.
Soqu Buffet
Breakfast at Alba was better and gave options to order off of the menu in addition to the buffet which was complimentary because of Christina's Platinum Status. I tried several of the Buffett options including Dim Sum and Indian food and was left unimpressed especially compared to Singapore. Ordering off the of menu was better and included a wider selection. In particular I thought they did a better job with the seafood which makes sense in an island nation.
Crust
The only other restaurant open for lunch was Crust which was located under the huts at the beach to the right of Alba. This restaurant offered the most reasonable pricing and decent tasting pizzas though later the pizza got us sick. 
Crust Food
Cargo
Cargo offered a pre-fix menu at a price of $250 for two people. When we first looked at the menu we thought it was a choice between mains and appetizers etc. but it turned out we were served all of the items on the menu. This was absurd, wasteful, and wayyy too much food. Despite being one of only two tables the service was really slow and multiple times I refilled my own water glass. The food here was okay though I did like the lamb. Once again, the meal got us both sick. 
Cargo Food
Orientale
The one good meal we had was at Orientale. This made some sense since we were in Asia and it is their Asian Fusion restaurant. I liked that we started off by washing our hands and offering cold towels at dinner. Then they offered lemon grass water which was nice and refreshing. The food at this restaurant was a la carte and decent. 
Orientale
Whale Bar
This bar was located on a jetty off of Alba Beach. The bar prices were very high with the cheapest cocktail $20 and most $25+. We came here to eat dinner one night and most of the snacks were small and unimpressive. This was a spectacular setting with amazing sunset views. They had the same comfy chairs we had in the room at the end of the pier and it was very relaxing. I think this was my favorite restaurant and bar in the whole resort not because of the food or drink but instead because of the view and relaxing atmosphere. The bar was also the location of the champagne sabering. This is St. Regis tradition and done at St. Regis locations around the world. During this event the staff at Whale Bar explained to us the history and sabering and the technique and it was a really cool display. I would recommend doing this if you stay here. 
Whale Bar
In-Room Dining
The St. Regis offered In-Room Dining which we took full advantage of during our stay since we did not really like most of the food in the restaurants and were ill during a substantial portion of our stay. The in-room dining was available through the IPAD and contained pictures and absurd food prices. One example, of the ridiculous pricing was a $15 toast during breakfast which is even more ridiculous since we could get it free at the breakfast buffet. 
In-Room Dining Pricing
We ordered pizza from the app which tasted decent but ended up making me sick again. Another area where they could improve is the drink selection which was very limited on the in-room dining and the one thing we ordered was very watered down.
Pizza
One weird part of the experience is that the service calls to confirm each order but I guess they want to make sure you are not making an order by mistake. The selection mostly deferred from the restaurants with the exceptions of the pizzas. The one good thing was that items which overlapped between the restaurant and in-room dining had the same price though the resort added the local tax (12%) and gratuity (10%).
Food-borne Illness The worse part about our entire stay was the constant food-borne illness. This illness started on the second day of our stay and I know it was from the resort since we only ate at the resort. We received medicine from the resort doctor who was very friendly and skilled but I got sick again after eating more of the food. It seemed every time we felt better we ate something and felt sicker. The illness was so bad on our next to last day the doctor prescribed antibiotics. I got sicker than Christina and spent the majority of the last two days in bed. I appreciate that the resort has an on-site doctor, however, I didn’t like that the resort did not take responsibility. No one apologized to us for getting us sick nor did they comp any of our meals once they realized they were getting us sick.
Dining Takeaway
We were also shocked by the pricing for water at the restaurants which was $14 a bottle. I considered this pricing absurd and sometimes we brought our own free bottles from the villa to the restaurant to not pay the ridiculous prices . Another annoying thing about dining at the resort is that the IPAD in the room listed all of the restaurants but it did not list the times for the restaurants and did not include the menus despite the fact that all of the drink menus are on IPADs. Even if the restaurants opening times changed, which they did one time during our stay, then the resort could update the times on the IPAD. 
Dining IPAD Display
Another problem with the resort dining was that the portion sizes were ridiculously sized which meant that we were constantly unable to finish the meal at dinner and left food on the table. The restaurants could easily reduce the portion sizes and lower the prices. This seemed like a real waste and the prices seemed to be a way for the resort to make a major profit margin. This pricing also extended to the alcohol. For example, a bottle of Vevue Cliquot cost $150 dollars for a bottle that would normally cost around $50 in the United States. Another problem with the drinks was that there were few options for blended drinks that would normally be widely available at tropical resorts. The only thing that did impress me about the dining was that we were always addressed by name at every meal. It seemed that the staff studied our pictures and really remembered us. When you are paying five star dining prices you would expect better food and food handling. However, this resort failed on both accounts.
Take Away
Our beach villa at the St. Regis Maldives Volummi was by far the best room I ever stayed in. We got to stay in this villa thanks to the resort's fantastic elite and honeymoon recognition. The resort also had world-class snorkeling out our front door. However, this was not enough to make up for the negatives. The resort had exorbitant fees especially for the seaplane and the dining was by far the worst part of the resort. Not only was it absurdly priced but the food at best tasted above average and at worse was horrible. Even worse we got food-borne illness and every time we ate a meal it made us sicker. When you are stuck on the island you realize that food is key part of the secluded resort experience since you have no alternatives. The dining experience was so horrible that I could never envision returning. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
My first stay at a JW Marriott left me with a positive impression of the brand. JW Marriott South Beach was a nice city hotel with a great location, good elite recognition, stellar views, and spectacular food including my favorite buffet ever. Pros- Spectacular Food, Cool Decor, Nice Art Work, Stellar Views, Large Basic Room, Huge Suites, Great Location, Great Executive Lounge and Spectacular Restaurant Breakfast Buffet, Fantastic Spa, and Solid Gym Cons- Bad Staff Communication, Poor Property Maintenance , Ice Cold 18th Floor Pool, and Weak Bathroom Amenities First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review Location The JW Marriott South Beach is located in downtown Singapore, about a 15 minute drive from Changi Airport, which is an unbeatable location especially for first-time visitors to Singapore. The hotel is located in the South Beach development, which has a mix of commercial and residential buildings. The hotel is also located right above the Esplande subway station which allowed easy access via subway to the majority of Singapore. The hotel is also walking distance away from many tourist and cultural attractions including the National Museum of Singapore, the Singapore Flyer, Fort Canning Park, Little India, Kampong Glam, and about a ten-minute car ride from Gardens by the Bay. This made it easy to navigate the city and made us happy with our hotel selection.
Check-In
As we pulled up to the hotel we were immediately impressed by the size and design of the hotel. The hotel took up 24 floors of the east tower in the South Beach development while the hotel's spa, nail salon, and Sky Deck Pool occupied two floors in the west tower. 
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
As we got out of the taxi a porter grabbed our bags and whisked them away without us asking. We would eventually see our bags reappear after check-in. The lobby had a large digital art display, art all around the lobby, and had a cool modern vibe. The hotel offered an art, tour though we never had a chance to go on the tour during our stay.
Hotel Lobby Art
Christina checked us in and the check-in agent asked us for our passports, something I am now used to happening when we travel internationally. Once the agent saw that Christina was a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite he handed us off to a VIP Check-in agent who handles Marriott elites. The VIP agent was very friendly, thanked Christina for her loyalty, and apologized that she could not upgrade us because there was a large business group at the hotel. She also asked us if we wanted 1000 points or the welcome amenity and we chose the points. She said that was a good choice since all of the amenities are available in the room anyways. I liked the fact that the hotel did not make elites choose between points and breakfast. I heard that not forcing elites to choose is more common in high-end Marriott Asian hotels. I also asked the agent about the additional 5000 points which were part of reservation. She said she would look into it and get back to us later.
One thing that was strange about the hotel was that throughout our stay there were items that we found not well maintained. For example, the second day during our stay the second lobby door was broken and remained unusable throughout duration of our stay. I was surprised about the condition of the property given the hotel only opened in 2016. 
Check-In Desks
Deluxe King
As we entered the elevator to our room on the seventh floor we continued to be impressed by the cool vibe of the hotel. In the elevator there was a video playing which made it seem like the walls of the elevator were an underwater glass display. The elevator itself was a smooth and very fast ride. As we excited the elevator hotel the artistic touch continued with the impressive grey pattern on the walls. 
Hotel Elevator Digital Art
Our room was a Deluxe King room the smallest category of rooms in the hotel with king beds. I was impressed by the size of the room given that it is one of the most basic rooms at the hotel. The room had curtains which we raised to see the nice city view including a view of the adjacent historic Raffles hotel. Unfortunately, the curtains were partially broken when we first entered the room, while they were fixed after we notified the hotel, it was strange that no one noticed this when cleaning the room. Another annoying part about the curtains was that they had to be either fully open or fully closed. The room also had numerous mirrors and white drawers all around. These drawers were not only for clothes but also contained the mini-bar and safe. One of the downfalls of the room was that it did not have enough drawer space for us put way all of our clothes. This would have been nice since we were spending nearly a week at the hotel. The closet had hangers, two sets of slippers, two robes, a shoe horn, shoe polish, and a shoe brush along with a light. Christina and I found the robes and slippers to be very comfortable.
Deluxe King Closet
The room also had a white desk next to the window which had a lamp, the spa menu, and a remote for the television, along with a paper outlining the great Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefits at the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach Platinum Elite Benefits
Later on, we found a welcome amenity of fruit sitting on the desk with no note. We were unsure why we got the welcome amenity since it could have been because of Christina's Platinum elite status, the lack of an upgrade, or because of our honeymoon. The welcome amenity was a nice touch but poorly executed. Next to the desk was the King bed which we really liked.
Welcome Amenity
The television was built into a panel behind the desk and had several features. It included not just television channels but also music channels.
Desk and Television
The bathroom was large for a non-suite room and also was covered in mirrors. The bathroom had a sink with a drawer, various amenities, and a shelf below for towels. The amenities were provided by Aromatherapy and Associates and I really didn't like them. In particular I found that the body wash had a horrible scent. This was my first time staying at a JW Marriott and first time trying these amenities and I hope they are not the brand standard for JW Marriott. The bathroom had a separate door for the shower and the toilet room. I loved that the shower had strong water pressure and both a rainforest and handheld shower head.
Shower
The most interesting aspect of the bathroom was the Japanese Toto toilet. The toilet came with a remote and had a self-clean and bidet function. This was the first time I had ever seen one and I was very impressed. The biggest issue we had with the toilet was when we first entered the room it did not function. It turned out that the hotel turns off all of the toilets to save energy which is fine but when a guest checks in it would make sense to turn them back on automatically.
Japanese Toto Toilet
Deluxe Suite
On the second day after we hadn't heard back about the availability of a suite upgrade we went downstairs to talk to the check-in agent. The agent checked in and said that a suite was now available. We went back to our room to pack up all of our stuff which was annoying but turned about to be very worthwhile! We ended up getting upgraded to Deluxe Suite on the 14th floor. As we exited the elevator there was a very strange smell in the hallway which thankfully didn't reach the room. As we walked into the room I was blown away by the size! It was the largest room Christina or I had ever stayed in. The funny thing was that the hotel considered this a junior suite and it was the smallest suite in the hotel. It was crazy to think that the junior suite was bigger than our first joint apartment. I can only imagine the size of the other suites in the hotel! One awkward feature of the room is that it had no manual lock and only contained a digital lock. I think that the hotel room must have sensors to show when a guest was in the room because whenever we were in the room the hotel employees would ring twice. On the left side of the hallway as we walked in was a half bathroom which was also equipped with a Japanese Toto toilet. 
1/2 Bathroom
Next was the living room area of the suite which had a desk with several lamps, a couch, table, television, and artwork. I found several of the design choices to be questionable. For example, the artwork in the living room was creepy and the television obstructed the view of the city out of the living room window. However, I appreciated the large number of plugs on the desk including two USB plugs and two international plugs.
Living Room
The room also had a small kitchenette which had a coffee machine, sink, cabinets, and a mini-fridge. The mini-fridge and the cabinets contained very expensive items for sale. Also, Christina could not get the coffee machine to work and it was another example of something broken in the hotel.
Kitchenette
The suite also had two closets with one in the entrance hallway and the other in the hallway heading to the bedroom. I really appreciated that the closets had ample space for us to store all of our clothing and that the entire room contained soft close drawers. Also, inside the bathroom hallway closet were laundry bags which included absurdly high laundry prices. A few things I did appreciate about the closets were that they included a steamer and an umbrella which are both uncommon items in a hotel room.
Closet
The bathroom was amazing! It was very spacious and contained a shower, toilet room, and two sinks on opposite sides of the bathroom. However, the show stopper in the bathroom was the free-standing soaking tub with stunning views of Singapore. The bathroom also had both larger sizes and a wider variety of amenities than those in the Deluxe King Room. The additional amenities included a shaving kit and a nail filer.
Soaking Tub with Spectacular Singapore Views
The bedroom had a chaise lounge, a king bed, and a desk. The desk was positioned awkwardly on a carpet cutout which made it difficult to use. The room also had similar creepy artwork as the living room. The best part of the bedroom was the view. Since the room was a corner room on the 14th floor it had great views of downtown Singapore in both directions.
Deluxe Suite Bedroom
Dining
The JW Singapore South Beach had a plethora of dining options which was unsurprising in an amazing foodie city as Singapore. The hotel had eight dining and drinking options across the South Beach complex. This including Akira Back, run by a Michelin Star chef, Beach Road Kitchen, Court Martial Bar, and Tonic which were all accessible directly from the hotel. Additionally, Cool Cats, Fish Pool, Madame Fan, and Stag's Room were located inside the NCO Club in the South Beach complex. Also, specifically for those with Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status or above and a room with executive lounge access had access to dining in the executive lounge. 
Map of JW Singapore South Beach Dining, Amenities, and Meeting Rooms
While we were at the hotel we had the opportunity to try only two of the dining options, Beach Road Kitchen and the executive lounge. We attempted to try Akira Back, however, it was completely full for Mother's Day dinner. We didn't attempt to try the other dining options because Singapore had such amazing dining that we wanted to explore the city. However, I can tell you that the breakfast buffet at Beach Road Kitchen along with the food and drinks in the executive lounge were spectacular!
Aikra Back
Beach Road Kitchen is located in the South Beach complex across from the main tower (east tower) of the hotel. The restaurant served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, however, we only tried the breakfast buffet during our stay. Breakfast was served from 6:30am-10:30 am during the week and 6:30 am-11:00 am on the weekends. The breakfast buffet included an extensive selection of food reflecting the diversity of Singapore. It was by far the best buffet I have ever tried. We had access to the buffet every day as an amazing Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite benefit, normally a cost of $45 Singapore dollars per adult and $23 per child, and it allowed us to skip lunch every day resulting in a substantial savings on dining.
Beach Road Kitchen
The breakfast buffet took up multiple rooms of the restaurant and included Indian food (e.g. curry and roti) Chinese food (e.g. dim sum and mode to order noodles), Western food (e.g. pancakes, eggs, and waffles).
My favorites were the Chinese and Indian dishes including the multiple types of dim sum, and the Beef Curry. The restaurant rotated several of the hot dishes every day which meant we were able to try different dishes every day we ate at Beach Road Kitchen.
Breakfast
I also really enjoyed eating the fresh honey and various jams with bread. If all of the food offered at the buffet was not enough the restaurant also came around with additional food samplers during breakfast.
Fresh Honey
I also tried several unique tropical fruits I had never heard of before including snake fruit. I was not a big fan of snake fruit.
Breakfast Buffet Fruit
The buffet also included a large variety of fresh fruit juice. In particular I loved the fresh orange juice. The only compliant at all about the buffet was that the desserts were mediocre. Overall, the buffet was spectacular and I would strongly recommend purchasing access at least one day even if you can't access it on a complimentary basis as a Marriott Bonvoy elite.
Breakfast Buffett Drinks and Fruit
As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite Christina also had access to breakfast (6:30-10:30 am), afternoon tea (2:30-5:00 pm), Hor d'overes (5:30-7:30 pm), and evening cocktails (5:30-9:30 pm) in the executive lounge.
Bridge Access to Executive Lounge
One morning we had breakfast in the executive lounge. The offerings were very similar to the Beach Road Kitchen breakfast buffet. Some differences included that the lounge offered different types of dim sum, fresh cooked eggs, and the lounge did not have table tea and coffee service like the restaurant. The best part of the lounge breakfast was how quiet it was in comparison to the restaurant.
Executive Lounge Breakfast
The evening hor d'oevers were also a great benefit. The options included a variety of cold cuts and a few hot snacks which all together were enough to make a meal. The lounge offered several types of wine and beer along with water in the evening. However, the stand out were the variety of complimentary evening cocktails which included a tequila sunrise, mimosa, and old fashion. This was another great benefit of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status given the high alcohol prices in Singapore.
Amenities
One of the nice features of the hotel was that Wi-Fi was complimentary and available throughout the hotel without a need to login. This made it easy to access the internet throughout the hotel. The JW Marriott South Beach also featured two pools one on the 18th floor of the main East Tower and another called the SkyDeck located on the 6th floor of the West Tower. We checked out the 18th floor on our first day. The 18th floor had a wraparound balcony with amazing views of Singapore. On one side was comfortable lounging furniture facing the Marina including the Marina Bay Sands hotel. We really enjoyed relaxing on these chairs to have a bite to eat or read. 
Lounge Chairs
On the second side was a view of other South Beach Development buildings and games including pool and foosball. We had a lot of fun playing a few rounds of pool and foosball in this area.
Foosball Table
On the third side was the pool bar Flow 18 along with tables and chairs to eat, and the gym.
Flow 18
On the fourth side was the pool which had stunning views of downtown Singapore. When we walked towards the pool we were greeted by friendly staff who gave us towels and room temperature water, though we would have appreciated cold water given the hot temperature. The upper level the pool was shallow with three semi-submerged chairs and another chair with a table overlooking the Singapore's World War 2 Memorial. The upper level of the pool seemed to be set up to be photographed and looked more like a piece of art than a pool. The lower-level pool was much deeper and afforded the opportunity to swim. However, the water was ice cold! In the super humid tropical climate of Singapore a cold pool may sound good but this pool was freezing so cold in fact that we only lasted 10 minutes swimming. I was very surprised that the hotel did not do a better job to regulate the temperature of the pool and it seemed like they were pumping in ice cold water. If the pool had a more comfortable temperature I am sure it would be a social scene, however, almost every time we went up to the 18th floor the pool was empty which I assumed was due to the ice cold water.
18th Floor Pool
After the ice cold 18th floor pool we checked out the second pool on the 6th floor Sky Deck. This pool was located on the 6th floor of the west tower. In order to access the pool we needed to go down to the 2nd floor, across to the spa entrance then take an elevator up to the sixth floor. The set-up of this pool was awkward since it seemed to be set up for a bar and lounge atmosphere but there was no bar. There was a menu for Flow 18 at the pool but I never saw anyone taking orders. In fact, after multiple visits we only interacted with staff at the pool once when a staff member handed us a towel and asked for our room number.
Sky Garden Pool
We really enjoyed the Sky Garden pool since the water was room temperature, there was usually no one around and it also had stunning views of downtown Singapore.
View from Sky Garden Pool
Later in our stay we also checked out the gym on the 18th floor which we used once during our stay and it wasn't busy. The gym had a good mix of cardio machines and weights.
Gym
The gym provided cold towels, which were refreshing, cold bottles of water, wipes, and copies of the NYTimes and the Straits Times. Overall, it was a solid gym.
Water, Towels, Newspaper, Wipes
On our first day were really jet lagged so made a reservation at the onsite Spa by JW. We decided to have the jet lag couples massage which cost $150 Singaporean Dollars (SD) for 50 minutes. Before the massage we spent time in the separate men's and women's spa facilities. These included a jacuzzi and steam rooms. I found the steam room to be too hot but I loved the jacuzzi. The jacuzzi ended up being exactly what I needed after a long flight and after using it I realized just how sore my muscles were. After using the jacuzzi I went to relax in the spa lounge which was quiet and had cold water, magazines, and great massage chairs. I was very relaxed in this room until another client started working on his computer and fully opened the blinds. While in the spa lounge we were called into the massage room. I thought that the massage was really well done. My biggest complaint was that the masseuse was too hard on my sore muscles. Overall, I thought the couples massage was very good and worth the $150 SD.
Spa by JW
Service
Service at the JW Marriott South Beach could best be described as inconsistent. Prior to our arrival we reached out to the concierge about transportation options from the airport. The concierge offered us several options including the hotel's limo or private car options which were prohibitively expensive. When we let him know those options were too expensive he let us know about the less expensive airport shuttle. However, once we were on-site the concierge service was much less impressive. We tried to get a reservation to a Michelin star restaurant Lei Garden for lunch and after going to their website there were no openings. So we asked the concierge for help and he assured us that he would call us by 11:30 am to let us know if he secured any reservations. However, at 1 pm we hadn't received a call back so we called the hotel and left a message for the concierge. The concierge let us know that he made us a reservation for 1:45 pm. This meant we had to scramble to get back change and make it to the restaurant and this could have been avoided if the concierge had actually called us back earlier. The same dichotomy existed when dealing with the reservation agents. Christina received a welcome email for being a Platinum elite and when we checked in we were sent to the VIP check-in agent. However, we never received any communications about our upgrade or the extra points despite the agent's promise to follow. Moreover, our reservation was showing up in the Marriott app with a $750 extra person fee which we were not quoted in advance. When we went downstairs to speak with a check-in agent about these three questions his response ranged from uninterested to dismissive. He indicated that the app was just a glitch and refused to even look and let us know that the extra points would post after we insisted he look up the reservation. While he ultimately upgraded us he made it feel like he was doing us a big favor despite the promise at check-in. Christina suggested that the poor communications and disinterest we saw some of the time may be driven by the fact that the hotel seems to cater to business travelers and big groups which may make them lazy sometimes with other guests. Take Away We ended up enjoying our stay at the JW Marriott South Beach. It was a nice property with a great location in the heart of Singapore. The drawbacks of the property including poor communication, freezing cold 18th floor pool, and weak bathroom amenities were overcome by the positives. These positives included the cool decor, nice art work, stunning views, fantastic spa, and great rooms even at both the basic and suite levels. Ultimately the standouts of the property were the amazing location and the spectacular breakfast buffet. I would recommend staying at the JW Marriott South Beach in particular if it is your first stay in Singapore or if you are an elite with access to the executive lounge and breakfast buffet. Introduction During our First Class Honeymoon in 2019 we found that Christina's Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status gave us access to amazing benefits including upgrades, free breakfast, and additional Marriott points. Her Platinum status ended up giving us access to experiences we could not have afforded without it. In this post I will discuss how to earn Marriott Platinum elite status, discuss the benefits, and provide tips on ways to maximize the status. How do you earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Status? Normally, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status is earned by staying at least 50 nights in one calendar year. However, due to COVID-19 Marriott both extended 2019 elites status through February 1, 2022 and provided 50% elite night credits, 25 nights for current Platinum elites, allowing current elites to fast track to the next status level. Also, Platinum status can be earned by spending $75,000 in a calendar year on your Marriott Bonvoy Brillant American Express Card.  Marriott Bonvoy Member Sign Al Maha Dubai UAE What counts toward the elite night credits requirement? One great part of hotel elite programs in general and Marriott's program in particular is that a wide variety of activities help meet the elite nights requirement. Generally, there are four ways to earn elite nights credits. First, any individually billed nights at a participating hotel count towards status, this excludes nights paid for through central billing such as for a convention. Second, unlike airline awards all award nights paid for with Marriott Bonvoy points count toward elite status. Third, holding a Marriott Bonvoy credit card provides an automatic 15 nights towards elite status regardless of spending on the credit card. This can reduce the 50 night requirement by 30 percent. Fourth, having an event at a Marriott brand hotel can earn 1 elite night for every 20 rooms booked. This was significantly devalued at the start of 2020 but may still be helpful if you are having a large group event.  Marriott Bonvoy Elite Room Key What are the Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status? Complimentary Enhanced In-Room Internet Access- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to complimentary in-room internet. However, Platinum members receive access to enhanced in-room internet which provides faster speeds. Member Rates- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to discounted member rates. Mobile Check-In/Services- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott can utilize mobile check in where available. Dedicated Elite Support Line- When Platinum members call Marriott Bonvoy customer service members receive access to dedicated elite support. Unlimited Reservation Guarantee- If the hotel is unable to honor the reservation then it will provide the Platinum member with compensation ranging from $100 and 90,000 points to $200 and 140,000 points depending on the brand. You can find the complete details here. Points Bonus- Platinum members receive a 50 % bonus on hotel stays and money spent during stays. This means that Platinum members receive 15 points per dollar spent at the vast majority of brands. Late Check-Out- Platinum members receive a guaranteed 4 pm late check-out at non-convention and non-resort hotels. Guaranteed Room Type- If a Platinum elite member room type request is not met then the member receives compensation ranging from $25 to $100. In-Hotel Welcome Gift- At check-in Platinum members receive a welcome gift ranging from a choice of 500 points per stay and a Food & Beverage item to 1,000 per stay or breakfast in the restaurant. These benefits vary based upon the brand and you can find the full list here. Enhanced Room Upgrade- At participating brands Platinum elites receive an upgrade to the best available room including select suites subject to availability. Lounge Access- At JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, and Renaissance Hotels Platinum members have lounge access. Annual Choice Benefits- After 50 elite qualifying nights Platinum members receive annual choice benefit with the choice between 5 Suite Night Awards, 5 elite night credits, a gift of silver elite status to another member, 40% off a mattress, or a $100 charity donation.  Marriott Elite Benefits Marriott Platinum Status Tips
1. Book Direct- Elite benefits only apply to stays booked directly with Marriott. In order to utilize platinum elite benefits it is essential to book direct. 2. Benefits Vary by Brand- To maximize Platinum elite status it is critical to be selective about the brand you book since benefits vary significantly between brands. For example, the In-Hotel Welcome Gift for the Element brand is 500 points or an amenity compared to the option for the The Luxury Collection of 1,000 points, and amenity, or breakfast in the restaurant. The differences are also not limited to value vs. luxury brands. For example, Platinum members don't receive upgrades to suites at Ritz Carltons while they do at St. Regis brand hotels. 3. Promotions- Periodically, Marriott offers promotions which can provide a shortcut to Platinum elite status. This is how Christina achieved Platinum elite status in 2018 with less than half the required elite night credits. Periodically, review your Marriott elite account for promotions. 4. Elite Benefits Guarantee- Marriott is unique among the major hotel brands in offering cash guarantees if elite members are not provided guaranteed elite benefits. We have had success getting a hotel to provide $100 in cash for not honoring one of the guarantees. Make sure to ask the hotel to honor the guarantee before check-out if the benefits are not honored. 5. Lounge Access- One of the most undervalued benefits of Platinum elite status is lounge access and is something which I would recommend maximizing. While the benefit is only available at a limited number of brands depending on the hotel it can be very valuable. For example, in the past we have been able to substitute a pasta dish for dinner and have been offered complimentary happy hours in Marriott hotel lounges. Take Away If you have the ability to earn Marriott Platinum elite status is can be very valuable and make a substantial difference during your Marriott stay. If you follow the tips above you can get access to benefits including complementary restaurant breakfast, lounge access, and suite upgrades. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
First Class Honeymoon Trip Report
First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
Ramon and Christina in Dubai
Introduction
After a lot of planning and saving our miles and points Christina and I embarked on our amazing First Class honeymoon to Asia in May 2019. During our honeymoon we went to Singapore, the Maldives, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates(UAE). The goal of this trip was to get to the Maldives, an island nation in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I first heard about the Maldives in the documentary film The Island President in 2012. After being blown away by the beauty of the islands, I committed to one day visiting the Maldives. It wasn't difficult to convince Christina that this beautiful remote island destination should be the place for our honeymoon, that we should fly international First or Business Class, and that we should stopover in Asia since neither one of us had ever been to Asia. The changing political climate in the Maldives which moved closer towards dictatorship as our planning was underway almost led us to go to another destination such as Thailand or the Seychelles. In the end the Maldives held new elections in 2018 and we ended sticking with our original plan to go to the Maldives. The Maldives was even more gorgeous than I had imagined. It was a great place for the seclusion we desired during our Honeymoon. However, some of the places we envisioned just being stopovers also left significant impressions on us. In the case of Singapore it was a very positive impression and it ended up being our favorite city we have every visited together. In the case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the impression was negative and we are unlikely to visit again. Booking Flights For our honeymoon we set out well in advance saving all our our miles and points to ensure that we would fly the long haul segments to the Maldives in First Class and all of the shorter segments in Business Class. We also wanted to try out two of the best First Class products in the world for traveling companions; the Singapore Suites and the Etihad Apartments. Both of these products allow traveling companions to connect suites, sleep side by side on beds, and dine together. While I will leave the full details for the reviews I can tell you we were very impressed and neither product disappointed. 
First Class Honeymoon Flight Routing
Singapore Airline's Suites are only on their flagship A380 aircraft. In the United States the airline only use this aircraft to serve New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) via Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). This meant to start off our trip we had to fly from Washington D.C. to New York JFK. For this flight we booked a Delta First Class tickets for 12,000 SkyMiles and $5.60 taxes and fees. You should know that SkyMiles fluctuate in price generally based on the actual cost of the ticket. These tickets were selling for $161.20 each meaning we got a value of 1.03 cents per mile which was a mediocre value for SkyMiles. However, at the time we didn't plan to fly Delta for a while and the overall SkyMiles cost was low so we went ahead and used our SkyMiles.
Delta CRJ 900
For the next leg of the trip in the Singapore Suites the only redemption option was utilizing Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer miles. We booked the tickets from JFK-FRA-Singapore Changi (SIN) for 120,000 Kris Flyer miles and $65.80 SDG (~$49.22 USD) each. These tickets were selling for $8,415.78 USD each meaning we got an amazing value of ~7 cents per mile! For the complete details on how we booked these tickets you can read my post on the booking process here. Since the time we booked these tickets the cost on this route has increased to 132,000 miles per ticket which I believe is still a great value.
 Singapore Airlines A380
To get to the Maldives from Singapore we flew in Business Class on Singapore Airlines affiliate Silk Air since there were no First Class flights available on this route and the timing of the Silk Air flight worked better than the mainline Singapore Airlines flight. For this flight we booked the tickets using 39,000 Kris Flyer miles and $49.80 SDG (~36.88$ USD) in taxes and fees each. These tickets were selling for $1,416 USD each so we got a great value of 3.54 cents per mile.
Silk Air (Singapore Airlines) A320
For our flight from the Maldives to the UAE we chose to flying Etihad from Male Veleana International Airport (MLE) to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). Even though we were heading to the Dubai desert for this leg of the trip, we decided to fly into Abu Dhabi because Etihad had a non-stop flight from MLE and we could use our AAdvantage miles. We booked this flight for 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and $51.40 in taxes and fees. These tickets were $1,480 per person meaning we got a great value of 4.76 cents per mile.
Etihad Airways A320
Etihad's Apartments are only on their flagship A380 aircraft and JFK is their only U.S. A380 destination. For this flight we booked the Apartments using 115,000 AAdvantage miles and paid $49.31 in taxes and fees. The tickets were selling for $8,535 meaning we got an amazing value ~7.38 cents per mile. For the complete details on how we booked these tickets you can read my post on the booking process here.
Etihad A380
For the final flight to Washington Regan National (DCA) from JFK we bought two First Class tickets on Delta. We chose Delta because the timing of the flights gave us a buffer in case our Etihad flight was late, the Delta terminals at JFK are near the Etihad's terminal 4, and we could access the SkyClub during our wait. We booked these two First Class tickets for $197.30 each. We each earned 855 SkyMiles, 750 Medallion Qualifying Miles, and 171 Medallion Qualifying Dollars.
Booking Hotels
For our Honeymoon we chose to stay only at Marriott luxury hotels since Christina has Marriott Platinum Status. In Singapore there are numerous Marriott hotels bookable with points including The St. Regis Singapore and the W Senosta Cove. However, for our trip we decided to book the JW Marriott Singapore because of its central location. We booked the JW Marriott Deluxe Room for $436 SDG (~$322 USD) per night. Christina earned 50,082 total Marriott points. 
Delta 717
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach
Marriott has multiple luxury properties in the Maldives including the W Maldives and the JW Marriott Maldives. However, for our stay in the Maldives we chose to stay at The St. Regis Maldives Volmmuli which is considered one of the best points hotel in the world and one of the best hotels overall in the Maldives. This hotel is located on a secluded atol about a one hour seaplane ride from Male, Maldives. We booked the Garden Villa for five nights at 60,000 points per night with the fifth night free, for total of 240,000 points, along with $1,450 in taxes and fees including the cost of the roundtrip seaplane ride. The cost of the Garden Villa was $1,473 excluding taxes and fees meaning we got a fantastic value of 3.7 cents per Marriott point. Please note that in the intervening time Marriott has implemented category 8 and peak and off-peak pricing. This means that the price of an award redemption at The St. Regis Maldives can range from 70,000-100,000 points. We also booked this reservation as a part of Marriott Points Advance which allowed us to lock in the price of the room before it increased. However, in the intervening time Marriott has Points Advance to only allow the member to hold a room and not lock in the price.
The St. Regis Maldives
Marriott has a large number of luxury hotels in Dubai including the Ritz Carlton Dubai and the W Dubai-The Palm. However, we decided to stay at Al Maha located in the desert about an hour outside Dubai because we wanted the seclusion of the desert experience and looked forward to enjoying the all inclusive food and activities. We booked a one bedroom Bedouin Suite for 60,000 Marriott points per night, for a total of 180,000 points, plus 60 AED (~17 USD) in taxes and fees for the whole stay. The cost of the garden villa was $870 per night excluding taxes and fees meaning we got a great value of ~1.5 cents per Marriott point.
Al Maha Dubai
Finally, for our stay in Abu Dhabi there were a number of Marriott luxury hotels available including The Edition Abu Dhabi and The St. Regis Sadiyaat Island Resort. However, we decided to stay at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi so we would have an opportunity to easily explore the city. We booked the Superior Room for $590 AED per night (~$142.33 USD). Christina earned 6,773 Marriott points.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Summary
We had an amazing time on our First Class Honeymoon! We can't wait to share the photos, videos, stories from Singapore, the Maldives, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi! We felt very blessed to have had this experience and hope sharing some of our adventures will inspire you to travel when it safe to do so again or just bring a light hearted story for you to enjoy during your day. Let the First Class Honeymoon trip report begin! By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Hotel Overview Pros-Great Location, Good Value, Picture Perfect Pool, Beach Access, Good Food, Modern Rooms, Cool Atmosphere Cons-Inconsistent Service San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review Location All of our meetings in San Juan were in the Condado neighborhood so Christina and I decided to stay at one of the Marriott properties along Condado Beach. This turned out to be a great decision since we were able to walk up and down all of the Condado Beach strip to check out all of the hotels, restaurants, and bars. As Marriott loyalists we appreciated that this area featured three Marriott hotels but since La Concha and the San Juan Marriott were sold out we decided to stay at the AC Hotel San Juan Condado and this turned out to be a great decision.  AC Hotel San Juan Condado Check In Uber and Lyft are not allowed to operate at the San Juan airport so we took a taxi from the airport to our hotel which priced at a flat rate of $17 and was about 10 minutes away. As we pulled up to the AC Hotel it had a cool South Beach vibe with AC spelled out in lights on top of the driveway.  AC Hotel Entrance We arrived at the hotel around noon and were greeted warmly by staff members as we exited the car. We entered the lobby and there was a line of people waiting to check-in and no Marriott elite check-in line. After a long wait we were finally served by a surly check-in agent. She did not greet Christina as a Marriott Gold (now Marriott Platinum) and said our room was not ready. We were disappointed but this was understandable since it was about 12:30 pm and the check-in time was 3 pm. However, the agent handed us wrist bands to the San Juan Art Museum which came with the package we booked. Unfortunately, we did not get an opportunity to visit the museum during our stay. When I asked about the two drink vouchers included in our rate she clearly grew annoyed and rudely told me that they would be provided once we completed check-in. I thought this was a very strange check-in process and wondered why she wouldn't provide everything to us at once. We then asked the agent where she would recommend eating and she gave us directions to a restaurant, we later found out the directions were incorrect. Thankfully this was not our experience with most of the other staff members during our stay.  AC Hotel Lobby Before we left for lunch we walked around the rest of the lobby which was decorated with art. The lobby also had several couches and two Mac computers. Overall the look of the lobby was very modern something we would notice throughout our stay.  AC Hotel Lobby When we returned from lunch our room was still not ready so we headed to our first meeting and a few hours after originally attempting to check-in we returned to the hotel and our room was finally ready, even through we got no alert on the Marriott app, right around the normal check-in time of 3 pm. At this time we were handed the rest of our check-in items including our two drink vouchers for a cocktail at the bar and $30 vouchers for the casino at the San Juan Marriott. The agent explained to us that the hotels has a partnership with their Marriott sister property which allows guests as a part of the resort fee (18% per day or $25 per day for award redemptions) to use the beach and pool facilities at the San Juan Marriott and guests are provided vouchers for free play at the San Juan Marriott's casino. The resort fee also included complimentary access to wireless internet at the hotel. One Bedroom Suite As we headed to our room (609) for the first time we had no idea what to expect. This was the third AC hotel we stayed in and after our horrible stay the AC Hotel Irla in Barcelona we were nervous. However, as entered the room we were very pleasantly surprised as it turned out we were upgraded to a one bedroom suite with a balcony!!! We were very happy since this Christina's first upgrade as a Marriott elite and also surprised since the check-in agent made no mention of a upgrade. This room was about $100 more a night than the standard one bedroom king room we booked so over our four night stay we got about $400 value. This showed us great potential value of hotel elite status.  AC Suite Living Room The AC Hotel Condado opened in April, 2017 and was only about 1 year old when we stayed and this was obvious in the room which looked brand new. This was our third stay at an AC Hotel and in general they all have the same basic grey tones which are sleek and modern.  AC Hotel Suite Living Room The room was large (427 square feet) and the living room had a couch, desk, 32 inch TV, and a table. The living room also featured the same awkward ottoman we had at the AC Hotel New Orleans which sits underneath the TV obstructing the view for anyone watching the TV.  AC Hotel Bedroom
The bedroom also had a coffee machine with complimentary coffee, a safe, two drawers, and a smart mini-fridge which only turned on when it detected an item inside. While I appreciated having the mini-fridge it did give off a bright blue light when there were items inside which can be very annoying when sleeping.  AC Hotel Bathroom The bathroom was generally standard AC Hotel with the one exception that it was much larger than our previous bathrooms. The bathroom had a sliding door and a cart with towels and bath amenities below the sink. The amenities were the standard AC brand which are fairly basic. Now on our third stay at an AC Hotel Christina noticed that none of the AC hotels have provided lotion as an amenity which she found odd.  AC Hotel Balcony Our favorite part of the suite was the balcony which had two chairs and a table along with a partial ocean view. Most of our waking hours in our hotel room were spent out on the balcony enjoying the beautiful weather and the view. Dining During our stay we had a chance to check out the AC Kitchen, AC Lounge, and the bakery attached to the AC hotel Saboa. Every AC hotel we stayed at has had a AC Kitchen but this was our first time trying the AC Kitchen. The AC Kitchen was up on the 9th Floor Penthouse.  AC Kitchen We had breakfast there on our second day at the hotel and liked it so much that we went back on our third day. The breakfast was served buffet style and featured a traditional Iberian breakfast. This included cold cuts such Iberian ham, cheese along with bacon, torta (egg dish), fresh fruit, and ham. The breakfast buffet also included drinks including, orange juice, guava juice, iced coffee, and regular coffee. Guests could eat breakfast inside at the tables or outside with a view of the ocean. The food all tasted good and I was quite impressed that this was a hotel breakfast. Even more impressive was the price only $15 which I thought was a steal. I would definitely recommend trying the breakfast at least one day at the hotel.  AC Kitchen Buffet Breakfast The AC Kitchen also featured a bar but it was closed most of our stay because of a special event at the hotel.  However, on our last night at the hotel we were able to check out the AC Lounge. It was located on the ground floor of the hotel just off of the lobby. It was a beautiful space which featured both indoor and outdoor area.  The indoor space had a bar, a variety of seating, and a cool glass TV which was usually showing sports. One of the coolest features was the ceiling which had a nice wood pattern piece of artwork. I was really impressed by how well the AC Hotel used its spaces including the penthouse, lobby, AC Kitchen, and bar. The layout is very good and featured a beautiful design.  AC Lounge Ceiling The AC Lounge had seats outside which are right off of the street. We enjoyed our welcome punch along with the hip music outside and relaxing atmosphere outside we really enjoyed it. The AC Lounge offered sliders and appetizers which we tried and were decent. One of the coolest parts about sitting outside was that were able to enjoy a musical performance happening next door at Sobao. This was a really nice space which allowed us to feel the energy of San Juan right at the hotel.  AC Lounge On our final day at the hotel we went to the Soboa for breakfast which was attached to the hotel and could be accessed through the AC Lounge. Soboa is a bakery which featured a traditional American breakfast with a Puerto Rican twist including offering Puerto Rican desserts.  Sobao Sign For breakfast Christina ordered ham with a side of the mallorca (sweet bread) and it was very sweet and topped with powdered sugar but very good. I ordered a ham an cheese sandwich which had the cheese melted over the ham along with powdered sugar and was amazing! We really loved our breakfast and I would strongly recommend trying the breakfast here.  Ham and Cheese Sandwich Amenities When we checked in were told that the hotel offers access to a variety of amenities at its sister property the Marriott San Juan as a part of its resort fee. This included access to the beach and pools and vouchers for free play at the Marriott's casino. Christina and I took advantage of the beach access and casino vouchers during our stay.  Condado Beach The San Juan Marriott has access to Condado Beach which is about two blocks from the AC hotel. Condado Beach is a nice stretch of beach shared among a host of hotels and restaurants. We never formally asked for beach towels or explored the San Juan Marriott's pools but having easy access to the beach was a great AC hotel amenity. The casino at the San Juan Marriott was fairly basic and included the standard table games such as Black Jack and slot machines. I would say that if you are not into gambling play your free 30 dollars and leave.  AC Hotel Gym The amenities within the AC hotel are primarily located on the Penthouse level. This is where hotel's gym and pool are located. We did not use the gym during our stay but were able to check it out and it looked impressive for a medium sized hotel. The gym featured the modern AC Hotel look with ambient lighting. The gym had free weights, treadmills, and ellipticals. I also really appreciated that it had free bottles of water and a Brita machine to refill reusable water bottles.  AC Rooftop Pool While the gym was nice the most impressive amenity of the hotel was the rooftop pool. Wow what an amazing pool! The pool was split into two sections a regular pool for swimming and a second section with a wading pool for lounging. The most impressive feature of the pool was the lounging chairs which allowed you to be half in and half out of the pool. Christina and I spent most of our time at the pool lounging in these chairs. We also found it convenient that the wading section of pool had tables to rest your drink. The pool really was picture perfect.  Lounging at the AC Rooftop Pool The rest of the Penthouse featured a wraparound balcony with complimentary cabanas and a few sections of tables and chairs to relax and take in the ocean views. All in all I was impressed by the hotel's amenities and wish I had even more time to spend in the pool and relaxing on the Penthouse level. Service  AC Penthouse Overall service at the AC Hotel San Juan Condado was inconsistent and definitely the weakest part of our stay. When we exited our vehicle we were greeted warmly by the hotel staff but at check-in we encountered a long line, slow processing of check-in, and a surly agent. It really left us wondering what service we should expect from one day to the next.
Unfortunately, this inconsistent service continued throughout our stay. Another example was the bartender in the AC Lounge. When we went to turn in our vouchers for free drinks he was unfriendly and seemed annoyed that we were bothering him. However, when we went to the AC Lounge to enjoy tapas on another evening the wait staff were very friendly and attentive. For example, we asked the waitress if they had flan and she said unfortunately they did not. After sharing with her that we have been waiting our whole trip to get flan but had been unsuccessful, unprompted she went next door to Saboa to see if they had any left. She came back and said they in fact had one last slice left and were holding it for us and even offered to bring it over if we gave her the cash. It is clear that the staff at this hotel have the ability to provide excellent service but the hotel management should work on making sure this service is consistently provided. Take Away This was our third stay at an AC Hotel and certainly our best. This hotel offers an amazing location in Condado, with great amenities, beach access, and a hip pool which creates a cool atmosphere. When you add in the good food and modern rooms the AC Hotel gives good value for money in San Juan. The one area of improvement for this hotel is the inconsistent service which I believe the hotel can improve with additional training. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at this hotel again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a beach stay in San Juan. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Hotel Overview Mentioned in my review of the The AC Hotel New Orleans: The AC brand is native to Spain and I was excited to check out the brand in its homeland, however, our stay was terrible and AC Hotel Irla in Barcelona was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. Pros- Affordable price Cons-The hotel was old, rooms had no air conditioning or room temperature control, the service was terrible, the room service food was overpriced and horrible, and beds were uncomfortable Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Location AC Hotel Irla is located in the Northwestern portion of Barcelona near Avinguda Diagonal, a major road in the city. We took a taxi from the Barcelona El Prat Airport which is about 20 minutes away and cost $12. One thing to note is that at the time we were in Barcelona in February 2018 Uber was effectively banned but resumed to the city in March 2018. The hotel is about two miles away from major Barcelona sights such as La Sagrada Familia. If you are up to walking Barcelona is a very walkable city and the hotel's location is convenient to many shops and restaurants. However, if you are not up for walking and would like to stay close to the tourist sights or the beach, this hotel would not be an ideal location.  AC Hotel Irla Check In After stepping out of our taxi I was surprised how busy the streets around the hotel were and this would prove to be a problem throughout our stay. The exterior of the hotel looked very similar to the AC Hotel New Orleans but that is where the similarities ended as the interior was very dated.  Street Outside of AC Hotel Irla We walked up to the check-in desk and began the check-in process first in Spanish and then switched to English when the conversation grew too advanced. The front desk attendant spoke both Spanish and English but was not very friendly. The check-in process was very slow even though there were no other guests waiting to check in. While Christina continued the check in process I looked at the assorted travel sized items such as deodorant or toothpaste which were on a stand next to the front desk. I found the items to be overpriced and I would recommend walking to any of the nearby stores to purchase these instead.  Items for Sale at the Front Desk The rest of the lobby was dark, (a trend that would continue throughout our stay), and unimpressive with a number of chairs scattered around four round tables. Overall the lobby was uninviting. The front desk attendant proceeded to ask us a series of questions and tried to up sell us on breakfast which we declined. She also scanned our passports (a first for us) it made me very uncomfortable having to turn over this personal information to the hotel. Later on I read that it is common in the European Union because of a requirement that hotel's identify their guests.  AC Hotel Irla Lobby Rooms Once we completed the check-in process we proceeded to our room using the elevator. The elevator was old and very small with the ability to hold at most four guests with suitcases. As we walked to the room we noticed that the hallways were very dark and gloomy.  AC Hotel Irla Hallway Upon entering the room we could not turn on any lights and realized that in order to turn on the lights you were required to keep your key card inserted into a slot at the entrance to the room. This was very inconvenient and could lead to guests getting locked out of there rooms after forgetting to remove the key. My first impression of the room was that it was tiny. It is easily the smallest hotel room I had ever stayed in. Worse yet, as Christina pointed out, the hotel did not use the small space very well. The room had a queen size bed and desk in the corner of the room near the window. Also, on the desk were two complimentary bottles of water, which I appreciated, and a room service menu. The closet in the room was so small that our suitcases could not fit and we just left them on the floor.  Complimentary Bottles of Water The interior of the room was very old and it included almost none of the modern amenities of a hotel room despite the hotel and the AC brand advertising themselves as modern. One of the biggest missing items was the lack of international outlets or USB plugs. This forced us to go out on the first night to buy a international adapter.  Spanish Plug The bathroom had a shower and numerous AC branded amenities including a comb, lotion, body wash, and a very small bottle of toothpaste. I appreciated that the hotel provided all of these amenities. The bathroom also had the same glass sink you will find in all AC brand hotels and AC branded towels.  AC Branded Amenities However, the problems with this room continued in bathroom. After taking a shower I came out to a completely soaked floor. After inspecting the shower I realized that that the door to the shower was not closing correctly and had flooded our bathroom floor. I was really annoyed but we used our towels to mop it up and continued to try and get some rest.  Room #1 Bathroom The room was hot so we turned the nob on what we thought was the central heating and cooling system to adjust the temperature since it had no electronic display. However, the room seemed to only get hotter so we opened the window to allow some cool air to come in but this also brought in the significant noise from the busy street below. The room grew so hot and noisy that we could not get much sleep. Furthermore, the bed was very hard and had no sheet only a quilt. Because the room had no air conditioning this meant sleeping without any blankets or overheating under the quilt. After not one but two problems we were so frustrated that we asked to switch rooms the next morning.  Room #1 Bed To the hotel's credit after asking they switched us to a room across the hall. This room was marginally bigger since it was a corner room and the shower doors closed correctly further preventing flooding. However, it suffered from all of the other problems of the previous room in that it had no USB plugs, was hot, and had no air conditioning forcing us to sleep with the window open exposed to the street noise. We found out later that the entire hotel had no individual room temperature control and during the winter, spring, and fall had NO AIR CONDITIONING! So in fact we were turning on the heat the first night. This was truly shocking to us and it is the first hotel I have ever stayed in that had no air conditioning offered during a stay. Between the hard bed, lack of sufficient bedding options, street noise, and heat Christina and I slept terribly throughout our stay at this hotel even after we switched rooms.  Room #2 Bathroom Room Service and Gym Christina and I did not try out the breakfast during our stay but one night when we were so exhausted from walking around Barcelona that we decided to try the room service which was offered 24 hours a day. The room service menu offered various dishes including starters, "bits and bobs", desserts, wine, and spirits.
Given our poor experience with the hotel thus far we decided to play it safe and only order dishes with ham since that is a Spanish speciality and we thought there was no way they could mess that up. We were wrong. The process started off badly as we ordered a bottle of water along with our food and the food showed up without the bottle of water. The silverware used for the room service seemed legitimate but as soon as I opened the top and saw the food that positive impression went way. The ham and cheese sandwich I ordered cost 11.20 euros ($13) and the ham tasted like Lunchables ham and the cheese tasted like slices of Kraft singles. The chips that came with the sandwich were literally plated Pringles and the salad included no cheese and was completely flavorless. My sandwich was so bad that I ended up leaving most of it on the plate save the Pringles. Christina ordered the Iberian ham with breadsticks which cost 15.30 euros (~$18) was not much better. For this price she got a plate of what was certainly the worse Iberian ham we had the whole trip and hard breadsticks. I must say that this was the worse meal I have ever had at any hotel and if this is the best that the hotel could offer for room service they just shouldn't offer it.
The hotel did not have many amenities and did not even have an AC Lounge, which is the bar featured in many other AC hotels. However, it did have a gym. We did not use the gym during our stay but I did check it out before we left and it was small but appropriate for a hotel of this size. The gym had three cardio machines, one of which was broken during our stay. On the positive side it did offer free bottles of water, a sauna, and a shower.
Service and Hotel Response The service at this hotel was just terrible. As I stated we had numerous problems throughout our stay and honestly I got the impression that the hotel simply did not care. First, when we complained about the water flooding onto our floor and the hot temperature in our room no one ever followed up to see if the second room was better or to apologize for the leak. Second, when the room service showed up without the water we ordered we called down to the front desk and they said that we could come down and get the bottle. We declined and just made sure it wasn't charged to our room. Third, one day we showed up to hotel and our key cards were all deactivated. This has happened to me in the past but never to multiple key cards from the same room. We went downstairs to get them reactivated and they asked to reconfirm how long we were staying. This implied to me that the key cards were activated for the wrong length of time at check-in. Finally, after numerous issues at check-out were were never asked how our stay went. The impression I got was that the hotel did not care. We had such a bad experience that for our first time ever we wrote to Marriott customer service to complain about our stay. Very disappointedly Marriott customer service simply forwarded our complaint to the hotel. The hotel responded back saying the following which I have paraphrased from their response. First, the hotel said that some of their rooms have international plugs and USBs but one must have not been available when we checked in. However, they sell international adapters at the front desk. Second, that hotel only offers heat during the winter and air conditioning during the summer and that guests have no individual control of temperature in their rooms. Third, some rooms in the hotel had been undergoing a renovation so the shower issue is common when they renovate rooms. Fourth, the key cards likely deactivated when put next to an electronic device so the hotel staff always asks to confirm the departure date when guests get new cards. Finally, the hotel asked for more details about the issues with the room service meal and said they would forward the feedback on the room service to the proper department. I must say I was extremely disappointed by this response from the hotel. After numerous problems over five nights at the hotel we were offered no compensation at all. Instead what we got were very weak responses and excuses. Honestly, if this hotel doesn't even have individual temperature control how can it advertise as having "modern rooms"? Take Away The AC Hotel Irla was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in and if I ever find myself in Barcelona again I would never even consider staying at this hotel again no matter the price. This hotel was only built in 2003 yet it looks like it hasn't been updated since the 1990's. After a decent stay at the AC Hotel in New Orleans the stay at the AC Hotel Irla really hurt my impression of the AC brand. Thankfully, as you will see in a future trip report about our visit to Puerto Rico, my faith in the brand was restored after a great stay at AC Hotel San Juan Condado! |
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