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.
Flight Overview
The comfortable seats, solid amenities, and variety of onboard food and drinks were not enough to make up for the ancient IFE and horrible arrival experience in Abu Dhabi. Pros- Comfortable Seats, Variety of Onboard Food and Drinks, Very Friendly Service , Restaurant Dining Experience Cons- Bad Airport Lounge Experience, Poor Boarding Experience, Non-Functional Wi-Fi, Ancient IFE, Poor Quality Headphones Horrible Arrival Experience 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
Leeli Lounge
Once we got to the airport we headed straight for the airport's only lounge called the Leeli Lounge. This is the premium lounge of business and first class passenger departing Male airport (MLE). The lounge had a large seating area with view of the runway which I enjoyed. The lounge was fairly empty but uncomfortably warm. The lounge had its own bathrooms but no showers. 
Leeli Lounge
The lounge had a wide variety of food options including snacks, fruit, rice, vegetables, and pasta. It also had a variety of deserts including chocolate biscuit pudding, cookies, and cakes.
Leeli Lounge Seating
Generally, the food looked and tasted unimpressive. We tried the egg salad sandwich and rice and found them to be dry. All of the food and drinks in the fridges were room temperature. We tried the cookie which was tough and the brownie which was the soft. The brownie ended up being the only good food item we tried in the lounge. We decided to skip most of the food and decided to wait to have a full meal until we were on the plane. The lounge wasn't impressive and I wouldn't arrive early to take advantage of this lounge.
Leeli Lounge Food
Boarding
Boarding took place exactly one hour before the departure time. The process was annoying since it involved boarding, waiting in a bus, then taking the bus to a plane parked on the tarmac. 
Male Airport Gate 4
We ended up waiting on the bus for about 30 minutes. When the bus arrived, we were the first passengers off and the first to board the plane.
Boarding Bus
The one cool thing about boarding via a bus is that we were able to get a view of the plane from the tarmac.
Etihad A320
Plane and Seats
There were 16 business class seats on this plane arraigned in a 2-2 format. The legroom on the seats were incredible. I was able to cross my legs and not touch the seats in front. Each seat also had a reading light, headrest, footrest, and substantial padding. The seats also had universal charging at each seat and a screen in the armrest. This seat was a very comfortable way to fly for this approximately 3 hour flight and put U.S. domestic first class seats to shame. 
Etihad A320 Business Class Cabin
When boarding was done there were a total of four business class passengers and economy was completely full. We were also informed by a flight attendant that one of the business class passengers was the Etihad CEO Tony Douglas' wife. She was very friendly and excited to greet us when she found out that we were Americans and spoke English. She gave us recommendations on site to see in Abu Dhabi which we appreciated. This is the first time that I have ever flown with a spouse of an airline CEO. Though I felt the flight attendants delivered consistent servicer in the business class cabin. We ended up departing at 6:30 pm 15 minutes early.
Etihad A320 Business Class Seat
Dining
Shortly after sitting down we were offered a pre-departure beverage. Christina asked for champagne but was informed because the champagne was left onboard the aircraft overnight it was not yet chilled. Instead I had orange juice and Christina had red wine. I liked the orange juice while Christina found the red wine to have a sharp ending. The flight attendant also came around with a hot towel. Because of the warm weather it would have been nice if the towel were colder. 
Hot Towel
Once we leveled off the formal meal service started with mixed nuts. I did not like the that nuts weren't warm and thought they lacked flavor.
Mixed Nuts
The three course meal service included choices between two starters, three mains, and three deserts. For the starter Christina and I both chose the Arabic Mezze. For the main I chose the Spinach Fettuccine while Christina chose the Spiced Tuna. For desert I had the pineapple tart while the flight attendant created a special desert for Christina with Amaretto and vanilla ice cream.
Menu
We both liked all of the Arabic Mezze with the exception of the bread. We found it to be quite fresh and flavorful. Christina summed it up well, simple but well executed.
Arabic Mezze
I liked my main dish the Spinach Fettuccine and I found it to be very creamy, fresh, and healthy.
Spinach Fettuccine
Christina thought the Spicy Tuna was too spicy and dry.
Spicy Tuna
I found my tart to be too sweet while Christina loved her dessert. She thought that the Amaretto and vanilla ice cream tasted like an adult ice cream float. Also, with desert we both had the chilled champagne and really liked it.
Outside of the food itself I was impressed by the dining experience. For example, the service included white table cloths, printed menu, Etihad branded glasses, and Etihad branded condiments. This felt like restaurant dining and really drove the sense that Etihad was going for a luxurious experience.
Amenities and IFE
When we boarded the plane waiting at our seats were a pillow and blanket. The pillow was well designed and decked out in the Etihad colors while the blanket was soft and comfortable. The blanket and seat were comfortable enough for Christina to take a 30 minute nap. 
Etihad A320 Busines Class Seat and Amenities
In business class we also had access to a limited amount of complimentary Wi-Fi. However, even when we got into the areas where it should have been able to connect there was not Wi-Fi service.
Etihad 2019 Wi-Fi Coverage Map
The in-flight entertainment (IFE) system onboard this plan was call E-Box and was very old. The screen had bad resolution and the touchscreen was not very responsive so we used the remote. However, the remote was located next to my right hip which was frustrating since I constantly hit the remote while sitting. Despite having a decent selection of movies, the selection of TV shows was very limited with no full seasons. Additionally, the headphones provided by Etihad were really bad and at one-point Christina heard a hissing so we ended up using our own headphones.
E-Box IFE
Service
We received a very warm greeting from the primary flight attendant serving our cabin. She asked where we from, recognized that we were American Airlines elites, and thanked us for flying with Etihad. She was from Ireland and was very friendly. When she saw that Christina and I we were playing with the seats she explained how the seats worked. She informed us that the seat power only worked after takeoff and that the screen came out of the armrest. Service was very friendly but slow given that there were only four people in business class cabin. Outside of meal service she spent most of the flight talking. She offered to give us recommendations on what to do in Abu Dhabi but forgot. However, she did send us on our way with a big bottle of water. Overall, I found the service very friendly but not as polished as Singapore Airlines. Arrival We arrived at a remote stand 15 minutes early. I was surprised that even at Etihad's hub we did not arrive at a gate. We were reminded upon landing that it was Ramadan and that we could not eat, drink, or smoke in public during the daylight. We knew by this warning that our experience in Abu Dhabi was going to be different. Before we left the plane, we were handed Fast Track certificates for immigration. One improvement over the departure was that on arrival we had a business class-only bus. 
Etihad Abu Dhabi Fast Track
Once we got to the terminal we had the strangest immigration experience I have ever had. While the standard immigration line was short we still stood in the Fast Track line but the immigration officers refused to serve us. Instead they made us get into the regular line and wait. Almost all of the immigration booths were staffed and we were the only people in line but they still refused to serve us. Instead during our wait of about 10 minutes they high-fived and chatted with their co-workers. When we were finally served the officer was unfriendly and dismissive. Our terrible arrival experience did not end there but continued as we passed through customs. As we passed through customs an officer tried to separate Christina and I. He stopped me and started to pepper me with question. When Christina stopped to intervene he told her to keep walking assuming that we weren't together. The questions finally stopped when he saw my American passport and let me go. After this experience I couldn't help but wonder if my skin color led to this prejudice and treatment. One thing I know for sure is that this arrival experience didn't make us feel welcomed in Abu Dhabi.
Take Away
This flight felt very disjointed with a bad ground experience in Male and and Abu Dhabi contrasted with very friendly service onboard. While some of these are not directly in Etihad's control the airline does have direct control over the Wi-Fi, IFE, and boarding all areas where the airline needs to improve its A320 experience. Next time I find myself needing a short or medium haul flight in the Middle East I would probably try one of the other major Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar or Emirates.
1 Comment
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.
Flight Overview
The lounge experience for business class passengers at Changi Terminal 3 was disappointing, the plane was old and in need of a refresh but the selection of amenities and onboard food blew U.S. domestic First Class out of the water. Pros- Delicious Onboard Food, Wide Array of Amenities, Business Class Privacy, Attentive Service Cons- Strict Enforcement of Rules, Disappointing Business Class Airport Lounge, Old Plane, Weak In-Flight Entertainment , Mediocre Drink Selection
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
Check-In
Changi Terminal 2
Our flight to Male, Maldives on Singapore Airline's regional affiliate Silk Air took off from Changi Terminal 2 which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was the home for the vast majority of Singapore Airline's regional flights. During the pandemic all Singapore Airlines flights have been consolidated in Changi Terminal 3 which allowed for the closure of Terminal 2 for 18 months. This move was done in response to very-low passenger volume and allowed Changi to shave approximately one year off of the time for the renovation of Terminal 2. I found this work was sorely needed. Since our flight in May 2019, Silk Air has ceased operations and had its planes completely folded into Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines is still operating these 737-800 planes on regional flights I am going to share our experience since I think it could be helpful for those looking to fly on Singapore Airlines.
Changi Self-Check Baggage
Our check-in experience for Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) was awkward since it was completely automated including the baggage check. In the United States typically passengers with bags to check have to see the gate agent, however, at Changi the entire process was automated including weighing and scanning baggage. While I found this to be impressive it was also somewhat frustrating since it took us a while to figure out how to work the machine.
Changi Terminal 2
As we headed to the SilverKris lounge, which was used for business class and first class Singapore Airlines passengers leaving out of Terminal 2, we noticed that this terminal was much more dated than Terminal 3, where we arrived on our flight from Frankfurt. However, we really appreciated the lovely flower displays throughout the terminal and it showed us that Singapore takes seriously its nickname the Garden City.
Signs to Terminal 2 Lounges
It took us a while to find the SilverKris lounge since the signage in the terminal was not clear.
SilverKris Lounge Entrance
However, we finally realized that the lounge was on the second level and we headed left to the business class portion of the lounge. The lounge had an array of seating with a small business area, an array of black seats around the television, and seating in the dining room. The lounge was large but nearly completely empty. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, conversations happened only at a whisper, and it felt more like a library than an airport lounge.
The food was set up near the entrance to the lounge and included a special station for Laska which is a spicy Singaporean soup. During our time in the lounge I tried the majority of the hot food and it was a huge disappointment. The Dim Sum lacked in both presentation and taste, the Laska was average, while the apple juice was cheap and not good. The food in the lounge paled in comparison to the culinary adventure we had during the rest of our stay in Singapore.
To add to the disappointing experience at this lounge the business class bathrooms were out of order so I needed to go to the first class lounge to use the bathroom. I found the first class bathrooms to be in good shape, the service in first class lounge to be more attentive, and the first class lounge overall to be much nicer. For example, the bathroom had two bathroom attendants along with complimentary toothbrushes and shaving kits. It is clear that Singapore Airlines needs to renovate the business class lounge and that that they put significantly more resources into the first class ground experience.
Gate Area
Boarding
We headed to the gate about five minutes before boarding. As we approached the gate area I remembered that security checks are performed at the gate area and I got nervous that we would miss the initial boarding call. The gate area was packed and it was clear this was a full flight. We got through the gate quickly and boarding started five minutes late so we ended up being the first people on board. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Plane and Seats
As we entered the plane I was impressed by the color palette of pale yellow and brown along with the light blues and reds on the flight attendants' uniforms. The business class had 12 seats arraigned in a 2-2 configuration with 38 inches of pitch and 22 inches of width. The seats had substantial recline which meant that when the passengers in front of us reclined it was difficult getting in and out of our seats. The seat also had a foot rest which is very rare in US domestic first class. 
737-800 Business Class Seats
Another positive feature of this plane is that it had a hard bulkhead and a thick curtain which really made the business class cabin feel private. One big downside of the plane was its age which showed in the seats. The seats were very difficult to recline because the levers to recline the seat were old and manual. At one point Christina's seat was completely stuck in recline and she had to yank at the lever to move it up or down.
Business Class Curtain
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
Waiting at each business class seat was a pillow and a blanket. I found the pillow to be comfortable and much more substantial than the pillows offered on U.S. domestic first class. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendant came by with slippers, various newspapers and magazines, and an iPad pre-loaded with in-flight entertainment (IFE) since there were no seat back screens. I selected the local newspaper and a Time magazine to read. I really appreciated having a pillow, slippers, and footrest on this four-and half-hour flight.
The IFE on the iPad was weak. While the iPads had a ton of content most of it was very old. Initially, the iPad was very annoying to watch because I had to hold it up to see any of the movies. However, I noticed that another passenger had an iPad stand so I asked and received one from the flight attendant. It was frustrating that these were not proactively offered the iPad stand since it would be very annoying to watch the iPad on this long of a flight without one. Another problem about receiving this array of amenities is that the seats did not have sufficient storage space to hold them all when they weren't in use. For example, when we were eating we had to find somewhere to put away the iPad and this is another downside to not having seat back IFE. There were also several additional amenities offered on the flight in the bathroom but these were not at all impressive. The amenities included lotion, mouthwash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. However, these were not at all at the caliber of our Singapore Airlines Suites experience. I utilized the toothpaste and it looked like whiteout and tasted disgusting.
IPAD Inflight Entertainment
Dining
The in-flight dining experience began before takeoff when the flight attendant came by to confirm our food orders, take our in-flight drink order, and offer us pre-departure drinks. The pre-departure drink choices were apple juice or orange juice. I took the apple juice while Christina took the orange juice. The apple juice was bad so I sent it back and instead asked for orange juice which was good. 
Pre-Departure Drinks
Once we were in air the flight attendant brought our drink order of champagne which was really bad. I don't know if the champagne was really that bad or we were spoiled from drinking so much Krug on our Singapore Airlines Suites flight. We were also given hot towel service which included a steaming towel. I wish that airlines would adjust from a hot to a cold towel in climates that are already warm. It was strange that the towel was steaming hot because the cabin was already warm. After this I was served mixed nuts as a starter while Christina had the snack mix both of which were good. Next, we were served a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken which also good. After we were served the salad we were offered bread and I chose the garlic bread and Christina chose a cracker. My garlic bread was good and Christina liked her cracker and said it had Indian flavors.
For our main courses we pre-ordered from the expanded All Time Favorites Menu which offered meals beyond those listed in the onboard menu. The All Time Favorites Menu offered a massive selection for relatively short flight. I choose the beef brisket noodles and Christina chose the Nasi Goreng. My meal came out piping hot and was delicious. The beef was very tender and the noodles were cooked excellently. The broth was also flavored very well but was really messy so I ended up having to use napkins as a bib. Christina's meal had a chicken satay (kabob) with rice, pickles, and zucchini. While Christina thought the chicken was on the sweet side and the rice was somewhat spicy overall she thought the meal was great though still not at the Singapore Airlines Suites level.
Once the main course was done we were offered a choice between Merlot or Chardonnay wine. I chose the Merlo while Christina selected the Chardonnay. I liked the Merlot while Christina thought the Chardonnay was too sweet.
Maldives Airports Fast Track Passes
At the end of the meal service the flight attendant came by with Maldives Airports Fast Track passes for the business class passengers to clear immigration on an expedited basis. However, they ended up not being necessary as there was no line when we landed in Male.
Pre-Arrival Dessert
As we got closer to the end of the flight the flight attendants brought by a pre-arrival dessert of Double Chocolate ice cream which was really good. Christina had hers with coffee which she said was surprisingly very good for airline coffee. Overall, I found the onboard drink selection, with the exception fo the coffee, to be mediocre on par with American Airlines. This was surprising for a Singapore Airlines affiliate. Finally, as we entered our final decent we got our first glimpse of the beautiful Maldivan water which we had traveled half way around the world to experience.
View of The Maldives
Service
I would say that the service on this flight was a mixed bag. The flight attendants were clearly well trained by Singapore Airlines. They executed on the service very well and they were very attentive constantly looking to see if we needed refills and quickly clearing plates. For example, they were able to complete extensive multi-course meal service in about one hour. However, they were far too strict at enforcing rules. Our flight had a long taxi of about 30 minutes and while we were taxing several people tried to get up to get something from the overhead bins or to use the bathroom and the flight attendants on several occasions got up to reprimand tell these passengers off. While I thought their tone may have been too harsh I didn't think too much of this since this is something that is usually enforced in the U.S. as well. Once we took off and were climbing I tried to use the bathroom and the flight attendant gave me a nasty look and shook her head no. Once again I had an incident relating to flight attendants enforcing the rules about using the bathroom and I felt like this was now a trend after the incidents on our CLT-LHR and LGW-BCN flights. This wasn't the only rule which the flight attendants vigorously enforced. While we were landing the flight attendants came around and asked Christina and I to remove our headphones for landing which is the first time I had ever heard of this rule on any airline. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Take Away
Our experience flying on Singapore Airlines' 737-800 with its regional affiliate Silk Air was a mixed bag. We really enjoyed the privacy of the business class cabin, the wide-array of amenities, and attentive service. Moreover, the onboard food was significantly better than U.S. domestic airlines. However, the plane and seats were old, the flight attendants vigorously enforced the rules, the IFE was weak, and the KrisFlyer business class lounge was very disappointing. I hope that the full integration into Singapore Airlines and renovations at Changi Terminal 2 improves on these weakness and leads to a more consistently positive experience. 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! |
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