Great video friends! It’s good to see you both back again after almost 3 months! I bookmarked this video as we are planning to go to Maldives later this year! This is one of the best videos on the tips to go to Maldives! Welcome back and thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for watching! We know it's long, but we hope you find the information helpful! You are so nice to be supporting us! We are back and posting weekly!!!
Really, really helpful to watch something so informative that digs deep into every aspect and is not just a glossy free advert for the hotels. Thank you!
Hey Sarah! Thank you so much for such an authentic and lovely comment! We have been working hard and figuring out what is the best way to share information of hotels and get the most out of your luxury experience. Your support means the world to us and we appreciate you 10000000%.
Better late than never, finally getting around to watching saved videos I’ve wanted to review. Yours are top notch vids guys and I really appreciate the information you share. I’m looking forward to start my travels in 2023 and sure hope our paths cross.
Wow, this was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY well done you guys! Love the voice over and shots all around. Good job giving credits too, adding the sound effects when transitioning photos. Love it!
Thanks buddy! We took a little while to put this together, but we were asked so many questions and so we wanted to make sure we covered all the topics! Weekly videos coming your way :)
We normally do travel vlogs, but we wanted to change it up because we are SUCH hotel guys and we ALWAYS have videos on where we are staying and featuring hotels. Lately it's been Marriott because we always get upgraded, but Hilton is also lovely! We went through our portfolios and also got status for Hyatt, IHG and Accor :)
Woooooow guys!! Video is next level!! Learnt a lot from your guys video !! Maldives is a dream we want to go!! 🤩 video is so informative! By the way watched all the ads. Hope that generates more mula 😁
Wow guys, what an informative video. So much time and effort must have went into this. We would love to make it to the Maldives someday, but untill then we can watch this video and dream!!
Thanks guys! It actually took us about 4 weeks to put together with research and scripting and compiling all the images! Weekly videos coming your way! Can't wait to catch up on your adventures as well!
Thanks! We really appreciate the support as always! This edit took us about 4 weeks to accomplish as we had to do so much research to put it together as well as answer all the questions we were being asked!
One of the best travel you shared was when you were in Maldives. One of my dream place to visit one day. This is so informative guys and very well explained. Thanks for sharing your helpful tips and tricks.
Thank you so much JIN! We literally had so many questions that we needed to make this video. It was a different style for us and the editing was SOOOO tricky. Working on catching up on so much content that we missed. :)
Wow a very thorough and comprehensive review 👍 I actually might consider going here for my honeymoon with my fiancée/ wife after we get married so I will definitely reference those video again if we end up coming :) shots and editing were amazing , felt like a legit documentary / travel show lol
Thanks Buddy! Really appreciate your support as always! If you need any help with points and miles, let us know! We can get you started early so that by your honeymoon time, it will be EASY!
Congratulations on your anniversary! 🎶🎊 Long time no see. Food looked amazing! Gorgeous resort. Unicorn lounging. 😆🦄 Amazing water. Very thorough job. 👍💪
Wow, you guys really do know your hotels. Boojie. I liked the music in this video, your VO was very relaxing too. especially with some of the beautiful footage you captured. The diving course is quite expensive but looks amazing!
Wow what a really amazing resort. you guys did a great job on your review. The over the water bungalows look amazing. I’m just glad I watched your video and not Chris otherwise I would be planning a very expensive vacation
Thank you so much for your nice comments! IT WOULD be a very expensive vacation, but what if I told you that we only had to pay for our flight RT and our food only. Rooms were booked on points! How awesome is that! That's what we were trying to teach people in the video. Cash-wise, it's quite a lot!
Wow, thank you so much for such an amazing comment! We worked really hard on this video and hope that people find it helpful! We just visited W Maldives and the Le Meridian Maldives so hopefully we can get those videos out soon as well!
You should do it! We hope that our tips are helpful to you! We managed to stay at the whole place on points and only had to pay for additional services and of course food :) Hope you are well! Can't wait to catch up on your videos!
Oh Wow! Thank you so much. We really appreciate your comment! We actually pay for everything on our own and are never sponsored by any company so everything is genuine and authentic. That is why we started a whole series of insider hotel reviews. Are you heading to the Maldives this summer? Consider subscribing and check out our videos! We can help if you have any questions.
Wow, what an ultimate paradise that is! Everything about it is purely amazing!! It seems that Where everybody wants to go there, I'd love to go someday! 😁
Thank you so much Rhonda! We actually made 4 videos to showcase our entire experience. Feel free to check it out and let us know if you have any questions that we can assist you with :).
Thank you so much Bryan! We really appreciate the support! When do you plan on going the the Maldives? We do have videos of our entire trip in vlog form if you ever want to see more of what the experience is arriving in Male and such as well!
Currently trying to decide between a 5 night stay here or at the W... Have 600k points to spend as a Titanium. From what I have read it seems the reef is a lot better at the W but the hard product seems a lot better at the St regis... This video is really good, especially the detail you go in to with the room choices. You deserve a lot more views for the time and effort you put in to making this!
Hey, thanks so much for your feedback, we are glad that you found our video helpful. If you encounter any chance it might benefit anyone else, please help share our video! Now to your question, if you truly value more of your time on outdoorsy experiences and exploring the island, then your answer will be the W. The reef and solid wildlife surrounding the lush island provides more of the Maldivian paradise experience. But if you foresee yourself mostly hanging out inside your private villa (like us), then it will make more sense to go for the St Regis to maximize your time enjoying the luxurious hard product. Another quick tip on Marriott resort in the Maldives, since you have so much points - be sure to check out the newly opened Ritz Carlton and Le Meridien slated to open this August. We made a video on the Meridien, though it's looking to be a slightly lower end product compared to the St Regis or W, but 30/35k per night is going to be a solid redemption opportunity if you have more time to spend in the Maldives. Check out our video -- ua-cam.com/video/G6pYTVgprso/v-deo.html Cheers!
@@exploreaswego Thanks for the response, from the things you had said I really want to go with the W BUT the St regis rooms look so good and so does the breakfast! As for the RC, I dont think the marine life surrounding it would be that great at the moment and I dont think there are any status benefits, I am pretty sure you cannot even get free breakfast through them. I will watch some more videos today!
Yea definitely can't say no the bottomless Champagne breakfast at the StR! Why not do another 5 nights at the W after the StR? Maybe you can reach out to the concierge at the StR, so they can coordinate your transfer directly to the W, so you don't need to fly back to Male then to the W again. Thanks for your support! Yea, but from what I heard from our butler, the RC is a man made island, so there are already established reefs in certain parts that are completely unharmed by the construction of the resort. You'll be surprised though, some RC overseas gives free Bfast and suite upgrades to Titanium elites. Especially if you see base rate rooms provides bfast in cash, you can expect free breakfast when you book with points.
Thank you so much! We are so happy you think so. We put in a lot of time and effort putting together the video! If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to let us know!
This footage is amazing! Maldives is gorgeous! Love how informative you are. Really smart to reach out and let them know about your anniversary. When you visited in November how busy was it?
Thanks so much! When we visited it wasn't that busy at all which is why we were able to get the nice upgrades. Also the island was quite empty and we probably saw about max 8 couples. Have you guys considered going there?
Yes! We made this back in the summer and they keep on adding more and more rules. Now if you want to go to either island, you must show Negative on PCR no matter what. it costs about $150. So prepare for that. If you want to jump to another island, you will have to do it again as well! Enjoy your trip. It will be so much fun! How many days will you bet there for?
Great informative video! Thank you so much! A couple of things I was curious about now that I’ve seen your other videos documenting your stay at the Le Meridian. What would you say are the biggest considerations for someone debating between a stay at Le Meridian and the St Regis? Le Meridian looks fantastic as well, but the value of your Bonvoy points being used at the St Regis are a much better value it appears. Do you happen to have a comparison video between the two, or other Marriott resorts in the Maldives I cannot find? I was also curious if the St Regis allows you to bring outside alcohol? It looks as if they clearly have no issues with outside food for any snacks you would like to bring. Thanks again for such an informative and well done video! Take care.
Some further research revealed to me that alcohol importation into the Maldives is strictly prohibited, and it's unavailable for purchase anywhere in Male. Apologies for not doing a bit more research before asking. Still curious on your thoughts around comparing the St Regis, Le Meridian, and any other Marriott owned properties for that matter. Thanks again for the informative video!
Hey! Thanks for stopping by! They are all great questions. First of, we haven't been to the Le Meriden Maldives yet, they just opened last October, but we will be heading there soon this May. Maybe we can make a comparison video after our stay, will keep you updated. Based of reading reviews, there is no other property that can you give any better value for your points than the LM Maldives. Against the St Regis Maldives, it won't be a good comparison though. The OW villas are much larger, and more exclusive since there are lesser rooms in an island compared to the LM. As for the other Maldives properties, the Ritz Carlton is new, but you don't get free breakfast with your Bonvoy status. The JW used to be a Viceroy that reflagged as the JW, but has a reputation for rough tides. The Westin I haven't really looked much into yet. Ideally, the W or the StR are the top of the list for luxury. Yes, you are right on the alcohol restriction, if you bring in a few small bottles of duty free, you will likely be ok. But if you have crates of wine and liquor, likely you will be stopped by customs, as Maldives is still a really strict Muslim country. Overall, if you consumer or buy alcohol in the resort islands, officials will close one eye, as they are considered private property. As for food, we actually bought the snacks from local markets when we were staying in Male a few days before we arrive at the resort. So we didn't go through any international customs check or baggage issues. Do note that the seaplanes has a limit on the amount of luggage you can bring, else they will over charge, so good rule of thumb is don't go overboard with the personal snacks. Lastly, if you have Bonvoy points, I highly recommend to start booking before March, when the program is going to remove category charts, and you'll likely see these Maldivian resorts go up 4-10 folds in points cost, especially the Le Merdien. 35k/night in the Maldives WILL NOT LAST.
@exploreaswego Thanks so much for your thoughtful and prompt response! I've seen so many videos at this point I'm sure I mixed up yours with another YT channel in regards to a LM stay. I've seen much speculation that the current rates/redemptions for LM are more a "promotional" type phase while the resort is brand new, building a reputation, and resolving any issues that any new resort will experience. The Ritz was also kind of off my list considering there isn't much elite status recognition. I didn't know about the JW being a rebranded hotel, but that is great to know. The luggage weighing is certainly a consideration for the seaplane transfer. I am planning to book this week for a stay next winter. I have quite a pile of Bonvoy points I'm sitting on at the moment that I would prefer to have booked into vacations that can be cancelled easily in advance if needed, as opposed to hoping for the best out of Bonvoy doing away with award charts. As a follow up question, if the cost is not an issue, would you say there is a duration where staying at a secluded island resort has gone too long? Due to the long travel time from the US, I'm planning on staying at least 15 nights to take advantage of the 5th night free you receive on Bonvoy points redemptions. I assume this answer will vary greatly from person to person, but was curious about your thoughts. Thanks again for such an informative and well done video. Cheers!
@@jakebrown222 The hardware at the LM definitely cannot be compared to the luxury villas of the StR or Ritz. But like many bloggers have covered, 35k-40k points for a OWV is definitely a very sweet deal for a promotional rate. I like your strategy, definitely lock in those rates now for dates where you have celebratory occasions for your trip in advance. The worse is you could just cancel is plans don't fall through. Just watch out for the cancellation periods. These Maldivian resorts tend to block up to 30-60 days before your check in date, so you don't find yourself locked in at a large cancellation fee. If cost is no issue, I personally think 7-10 nights is sufficient. Given your first day or night when you arrive depending on your flight, you will probably be fighting off the jet lag in bed. If you are concerned about activities, these resorts have tonnes of excursions, boat trips, yoga and cooking lessons that will keep you occupied. Like the StR, we like to start early, work out, have a long breakfast past the closing time. Enjoy the beach/pool/reef, then rush to Sunset for Champagne Sabering every evening. You'll be surprised how time flies, and when it's dark, you pretty much stuck in your villa or the restaurant. Also if you plan to stay 15 nights, consider the limited options of dining. I think once you stayed past a week, you will probably try everything on the menu of the 2-3 restaurants, and you are pretty much stuck in an island without options to eat or explore elsewhere. If you want to stretch the points, maybe do the W for a week, and the LM or another bonvoy resort for another week. That way you get a change of environment and experience being at a different resort in another island. But do beware, you have to fork out for those nasty airplane transfer fees, which will fly you to Male and to the other resort. There is currently no direct transfer options between resorts to resorts. Stay tuned and hopefully subscribe and share our videos, we are planning more maldives videos when we do the LM and possibly the Six Senses this summer. We'll share more about covid processes and if these changes will affect any luxury amenities. Keep us updated on your trips too. Cheers!
@@exploreaswego I will stay tuned for your updates. I booked a stay at LM next January that I'm really looking forward to! Thanks for all the info in helping me make a decision. Cheers!
We are heading to the St. Regis for 10 nights in early April 2022 after having cancelled our May 2020 trip due to the pandemic. Thank you for the useful tips. Question - Since our current flight arrives late in the evening the night before we check-in at the St. Regis, and with Male off limits, assuming in a worst case it stays that way, where is it possible to stay between flight arrival and until the next morning when the seaplanes can fly? Thanks in advance.
Hey! I'm not sure how the current covid situation will evolve in 2022 for vaccinated tourists, but as of now, the main island of MALE is still closed off for visitors, which means there aren't much option left to do a short layover night stay at a local hotel. Usually for MALE island, I'd recommend staying at the Jen Hotel, it's part of Shangri-la. However, if MALE is still closed, I'd suggest staying at the Sheraton for 1 or 2 nights, they offer free transfer boat transfers directly from the airport, and it's only 10mins. So that way you can check out early in the morning, to transfer to the St Regis, so you can enjoy more out of your stay. Keep us updated you get there!
Wow, thanks for the useful info! Regarding the covid testing before leaving maldives, is that scheduled and tested inside the st Regis, or in male? If that's tested in male, is it possible to book a less expensive hotel for 14 days quarantine purpose?
As of now, so many laws are changing in regards to when and where you do quarantine. If you were to fly to St. Regis, I believe the most recent information that you get tested when you arrive in Male. You get covid test. Once confirmed you fly to your destination. However, anytime you are jumping between islands, you must get tested again. I would reach out to St. Regis to confirm just in case. If you are not going to St. Regis, and just staying in Male, you'd still have to test. Either way check the most up to date travel information. Let us know if you find out anything!
Are you asking about the overwater villas or the beach villas? Personally, the overwater villas are not technically overwater as they are connected to the main island. In addition, they are off to the side of the Whale Bar and has okay views. One bedroom is on the upper level and one on the main level. Depending on what you are looking for the overwater experience for us is the best in the one bedroom suites. Feel free to write to us on Instagram and we can reply ASAP with any additional questions you may have
Hey Nicole! Thank you so much for your comment and we are so sorry for the delay! We hope you enjoyed your time there. Unfortunately they didn't allow us to purchase the food credit but we still enjoyed our experience. How was your time!?!?
I am a titanium member at Marriott and wanted to know, apart from the free breakfast and potential upgrades, what do we get? for example, do we get free drinks at a bar daily? Any free snack?
Unfortunately, while we were there, there wasn't any special items that we get. Besides the usual welcome amenity of a fruit basket as well as nightly sabering (champagne & nut mix), there wasn't many free of anything. We highly recommend if you are a snacker to perhaps bring your own.
We are going after Thanksgiving. So excited. Butler service told me Decanter is $790.00 per person now...plus the 22%. Too rich for my blood. To go on a whale shark expedition, it will set you back $14,600 on the private yacht for 6 hours. Guess I'm gonna be hanging by my pool.
Thanks for your nice comment Carol! We were doing some final research to make sure we had all of the information and it's very possible that it might have changed! Honestly though, hanging by the pool was SO FUN! You can also borrow some of their equipment while you are there! When you go, it will be a great time because that was the exact same time we went! Enjoy and please let us know about your experience!
How did you request upgrade from garden villa to overwater st Regis suite? What dates did you guys go? I booked directly into Overwater St Regis Suite but am considering booking the garden Villa and asking for a free upgrade. Also Titanium here
We reached out to the team directly via email (reservations.vommuli@stregis.com) to request for an upgrade because we were celebrating our anniversary during our stay. The team counter offered cash upgrades for about $260/night to an OWV. We decided not to pay for it, and arrived surprised that they upgraded us to the OWV Suite. We traveled in late Nov 2019. The resort was close to 60% occupancy during our stay. Judging that the resort only has 7 OWV suites, chances of upgrades on a peak season will be very low. I rather you hold to your reservation if you really wanted the suite villa experience. Maybe you can reach out to the team asking about upgrades to even higher categories, I've heard they upgraded elites to the premium 2 BR OWV family villas before.
WOW. but damn it sounds expensive!!!! beautiful but you need money and a lot of it.....even if your "normal". Great that you guys are able to do this, as we would love to, but money for that will always play a part. well done guys and keep it going. ONE LOVE
Thank you guys so much for your nice comment! In actuality all we paid for was the flights and food. Our accommodation was booked on points so practically free! If you ever need any tips, please let us know! We'd love to help out!
We haven't had the opportunity to go back to the Maldives even though we had plans to. We hope you enjoyed this video! Have you been to the Maldives before? How did you find our video? :) Would love to connect!
I'm going to Maldives tomorrow from Los Angeles with layover in Dubai. Do you know if I need to complete the Maldives online form 24 hours prior to my original location (LA) or within 24 hours of my flight from my layover (Dubai) to Maldives?
Hey Rhanz, will you be staying at the St Regis? If you reach out to the reservations team, they should have taken care of all the necessary paper work for you, including the health declarations forms. So you should expect a seamless check from arrival to your resort. Anyhow, if you want to take care of this yourself, you can register any time as long as you have it 24 hours before you arrived at the airport immigration, you should be fine. Just go through the steps from the Immigration website here - imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ethd Else, you can always do it when you arrive in the airport, the airport agents should direct you accordingly. Here is quoted guidelines taken from the official Maldivian Immigration website. "Traveller Health Declaration (THD) must be filled in and submitted by all travelers travelling to and from Maldives, within 24 hours prior to their travel. You may submit the form electronically via imuga.immigration.gov.mv " Good luck, and let us know how it goes after you arrive .
@@exploreaswego yes I'll be staying at St Regis. There is an online form I need to complete though 24 hours before and it's not very clear. I'll email St Regis. Thanks!
No worries!!! There are people who are wanting and able to pay for a very exclusive experience! We didn't pay that much and are wanting to share with everyone how to get luxury without paying the prices! Stay tuned for deal as we will always share and thank you for checking us out!
Such a beautiful place and great tips. Can't wait to see the Maldives!
We just got back from the Maldives and cannot wait to share with you all the amazing footage we captured! Hope you are well
Great video friends! It’s good to see you both back again after almost 3 months! I bookmarked this video as we are planning to go to Maldives later this year! This is one of the best videos on the tips to go to Maldives! Welcome back and thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for watching! We know it's long, but we hope you find the information helpful! You are so nice to be supporting us! We are back and posting weekly!!!
This video was very dope!! We definitely have a lot to think about when actually get around to planning a trip there!
YES! If you need tips on going to the Maldives, this video is definitely for you!
Really, really helpful to watch something so informative that digs deep into every aspect and is not just a glossy free advert for the hotels. Thank you!
Hey Sarah! Thank you so much for such an authentic and lovely comment! We have been working hard and figuring out what is the best way to share information of hotels and get the most out of your luxury experience. Your support means the world to us and we appreciate you 10000000%.
Better late than never, finally getting around to watching saved videos I’ve wanted to review. Yours are top notch vids guys and I really appreciate the information you share. I’m looking forward to start my travels in 2023 and sure hope our paths cross.
Thank you Gary! We can't wait to catch up with you! More videos coming out this week!
Wow, this was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY well done you guys! Love the voice over and shots all around. Good job giving credits too, adding the sound effects when transitioning photos. Love it!
Thanks buddy! We took a little while to put this together, but we were asked so many questions and so we wanted to make sure we covered all the topics! Weekly videos coming your way :)
Yes, Maldive is heaven. I love this video, guys, reminded me of better times...
Thank you for such a nice comment! We just wanted to share how we were able to do this! It helps a lot of people save money in the future!
We love you editing style and how informational this video is! You guys are quickly becoming one of our favorite new channels!!!
We normally do travel vlogs, but we wanted to change it up because we are SUCH hotel guys and we ALWAYS have videos on where we are staying and featuring hotels. Lately it's been Marriott because we always get upgraded, but Hilton is also lovely! We went through our portfolios and also got status for Hyatt, IHG and Accor :)
Woooooow guys!! Video is next level!! Learnt a lot from your guys video !! Maldives is a dream we want to go!! 🤩 video is so informative! By the way watched all the ads. Hope that generates more mula 😁
HAHA y'all too sweet! Always supporting us from Day 1 You guys are the best! Also, WHEN ARE WE MEETING!?
Wow guys, what an informative video. So much time and effort must have went into this. We would love to make it to the Maldives someday, but untill then we can watch this video and dream!!
Thanks guys! It actually took us about 4 weeks to put together with research and scripting and compiling all the images! Weekly videos coming your way! Can't wait to catch up on your adventures as well!
Aww I missed you guys so much! I’m so happy to see you guys again🐣(and to be able to see amazing resort!)
HEY GIRL! We are back now and posting weekly videos! We are so happy and excited to check out all of the content we have missed. Hope you are well!!
@@exploreaswego Wow I'll get you guys' good vibes every week?! Can't wait💕
This was awesome guys! You gave so much helpful information! We missed y’all!
Thanks! We really appreciate the support as always! This edit took us about 4 weeks to accomplish as we had to do so much research to put it together as well as answer all the questions we were being asked!
One of the best travel you shared was when you were in Maldives. One of my dream place to visit one day. This is so informative guys and very well explained. Thanks for sharing your helpful tips and tricks.
Thank you so much JIN! We literally had so many questions that we needed to make this video. It was a different style for us and the editing was SOOOO tricky. Working on catching up on so much content that we missed. :)
Wow a very thorough and comprehensive review 👍 I actually might consider going here for my honeymoon with my fiancée/ wife after we get married so I will definitely reference those video again if we end up coming :) shots and editing were amazing , felt like a legit documentary / travel show lol
Thanks Buddy! Really appreciate your support as always! If you need any help with points and miles, let us know! We can get you started early so that by your honeymoon time, it will be EASY!
Wow. So nice to see you guys back. Fantastic compilation of information to travel to this paradise islands. 👌
Thanks buddy! It took us a while to put everything together, but we're so happy with the end product! Checking out your videos now!
Wow! Maldives is Very beautiful, last evening we looked for offers to go to Maldives 😁
Thank you so much for your support and watching our video! We post every week so hope you can watch and subscribe!
Congratulations on your anniversary! 🎶🎊 Long time no see. Food looked amazing! Gorgeous resort. Unicorn lounging. 😆🦄 Amazing water. Very thorough job. 👍💪
Thanks for the nice support! You guys are so sweet! We are back to posting weekly videos and hope that you stay tuned :)
Wow, you guys really do know your hotels. Boojie. I liked the music in this video, your VO was very relaxing too. especially with some of the beautiful footage you captured. The diving course is quite expensive but looks amazing!
There is so much to do there even though you are remote, but like you said, it is all really really expensive!
Good to see you guys back on YT!
Hey Kevin! Hope all is well! Yes we are back in action and planning to post weekly videos again!
Thanks for all the info! We definitely want to visit the Maldives one day! 😊 The resort is beautiful 😍
Thanks guys! We enjoyed making it because we received so many questions. If you ever need tips on miles or points, let us know! We'd love to help out!
Wow what a really amazing resort. you guys did a great job on your review. The over the water bungalows look amazing. I’m just glad I watched your video and not Chris otherwise I would be planning a very expensive vacation
Thank you so much for your nice comments! IT WOULD be a very expensive vacation, but what if I told you that we only had to pay for our flight RT and our food only. Rooms were booked on points! How awesome is that! That's what we were trying to teach people in the video. Cash-wise, it's quite a lot!
We are heading there for 10 nights in September. This is easily the most helpful and detailed video we’ve seen yet. Well done, keep it up
Wow, thank you so much for such an amazing comment! We worked really hard on this video and hope that people find it helpful! We just visited W Maldives and the Le Meridian Maldives so hopefully we can get those videos out soon as well!
Staying here one day is definitely on my dream list!
You should do it! We hope that our tips are helpful to you! We managed to stay at the whole place on points and only had to pay for additional services and of course food :) Hope you are well! Can't wait to catch up on your videos!
wow ! amazing place ! amazing tour ~ this place is really like heaven ! 😍
It is like heaven! You are so right! But eating all the food in Taiwan like you is heaven too :)
Very informative! Thanks for this video.
Thank you for your nice comment! Are you planning to go to the Maldives? If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let us know!
Awesome vlog!! Would love to go there one day!
Thanks Buddy! We appreciate the comment about our video! We hope you find it helpful! We are supporting your channel too!
this video is very well detailed, explained and well done
Thank you so much! Do you think it is helpful if we make this for more hotels that we go to?
Very well summarized and super helpful tips. Other youtubers just post to brag or purely advertise . Job well done
Oh Wow! Thank you so much. We really appreciate your comment! We actually pay for everything on our own and are never sponsored by any company so everything is genuine and authentic. That is why we started a whole series of insider hotel reviews. Are you heading to the Maldives this summer? Consider subscribing and check out our videos! We can help if you have any questions.
Wonderful video my friends!
Thank you so much!!! We just posted a new video so check it out!
Wow, what an ultimate paradise that is! Everything about it is purely amazing!! It seems that Where everybody wants to go there, I'd love to go someday! 😁
You should check it out!!! It is really amazing and definitely a life change experience! We hope that the information is helpful!
Wow .. Superb , never visited, but after watching you video I am willing to visit
Thanks for your support and comment as always! We have so many videos so please be sure to keep checking out!
It’s been a long time since I watched your video, it’s still very exciting
Thank you so much! We are back to posting at least weekly videos and it will be a fun adventure again!
Excellent Video! Trying to decide between the W and St Regis so this is a bonus.
Thank you so much Rhonda! We actually made 4 videos to showcase our entire experience. Feel free to check it out and let us know if you have any questions that we can assist you with :).
@@exploreaswego Great! Thank you so much.
absolutely fantastic, wonderful review!!
Thank you so much for the kind words! We hope that you found our information helpful! Please consider following us on our journey around the world!
Great information thank you!
You're back! I haven't seen you upload in a while😄
YEAH!!! We are back! We are going through and catching up on videos that we missed! HOW ARE YOU DOING!!?!?!
@@exploreaswego i'm a dad now but I'm trying to be consistent here on yt. Haha
Love this video. Really great tips!
Thank you so much Bryan! We really appreciate the support! When do you plan on going the the Maldives? We do have videos of our entire trip in vlog form if you ever want to see more of what the experience is arriving in Male and such as well!
Currently trying to decide between a 5 night stay here or at the W... Have 600k points to spend as a Titanium. From what I have read it seems the reef is a lot better at the W but the hard product seems a lot better at the St regis... This video is really good, especially the detail you go in to with the room choices. You deserve a lot more views for the time and effort you put in to making this!
Hey, thanks so much for your feedback, we are glad that you found our video helpful. If you encounter any chance it might benefit anyone else, please help share our video!
Now to your question, if you truly value more of your time on outdoorsy experiences and exploring the island, then your answer will be the W. The reef and solid wildlife surrounding the lush island provides more of the Maldivian paradise experience. But if you foresee yourself mostly hanging out inside your private villa (like us), then it will make more sense to go for the St Regis to maximize your time enjoying the luxurious hard product.
Another quick tip on Marriott resort in the Maldives, since you have so much points - be sure to check out the newly opened Ritz Carlton and Le Meridien slated to open this August. We made a video on the Meridien, though it's looking to be a slightly lower end product compared to the St Regis or W, but 30/35k per night is going to be a solid redemption opportunity if you have more time to spend in the Maldives. Check out our video -- ua-cam.com/video/G6pYTVgprso/v-deo.html
Cheers!
@@exploreaswego Thanks for the response, from the things you had said I really want to go with the W BUT the St regis rooms look so good and so does the breakfast!
As for the RC, I dont think the marine life surrounding it would be that great at the moment and I dont think there are any status benefits, I am pretty sure you cannot even get free breakfast through them. I will watch some more videos today!
Yea definitely can't say no the bottomless Champagne breakfast at the StR! Why not do another 5 nights at the W after the StR? Maybe you can reach out to the concierge at the StR, so they can coordinate your transfer directly to the W, so you don't need to fly back to Male then to the W again.
Thanks for your support! Yea, but from what I heard from our butler, the RC is a man made island, so there are already established reefs in certain parts that are completely unharmed by the construction of the resort. You'll be surprised though, some RC overseas gives free Bfast and suite upgrades to Titanium elites. Especially if you see base rate rooms provides bfast in cash, you can expect free breakfast when you book with points.
Heys guys, great info...would love to go there someday🐸
You guys are so sweet! We really appreciate the support as always!
So helpful! Thanks
Thank you so much! We are so happy you think so. We put in a lot of time and effort putting together the video! If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to let us know!
LK 3. Thanks for sharing this nice video.
Great.
Thank you so much! What was your favorite part of our video! Please make sure to follow us on our journey around the world!
This footage is amazing! Maldives is gorgeous! Love how informative you are. Really smart to reach out and let them know about your anniversary. When you visited in November how busy was it?
Thanks so much! When we visited it wasn't that busy at all which is why we were able to get the nice upgrades. Also the island was quite empty and we probably saw about max 8 couples. Have you guys considered going there?
@@exploreaswego we considered it but just don't know if we can afford it. At least not for a while.
its been a long time friend, very nice video. absolutely a wonderful place. very helpful video. have a nice day
Thank you so much! We hope you have a nice day as well! Weekly videos are coming your way :)
I'm going in Jan, this was so helpful!!! Also you need a negative PCR even if you recently recovered
Yes! We made this back in the summer and they keep on adding more and more rules. Now if you want to go to either island, you must show Negative on PCR no matter what. it costs about $150. So prepare for that. If you want to jump to another island, you will have to do it again as well! Enjoy your trip. It will be so much fun! How many days will you bet there for?
@@exploreaswego 5 nights in the 2 bedroom overwater sunset. Found such a great deal with points!
Awwwweee this is amazing
Thank you so much for the support! Don't forget to check out more of our videos!
Very useful tips! Haha, if I ever get my arse off to the Maldives it'll be useful
YES YES YES! If you ever need any recommendations or other tips, let us know! We would gladly help you anyway we can!
@@exploreaswego I'll definitely reach out then :D
Great informative video! Thank you so much! A couple of things I was curious about now that I’ve seen your other videos documenting your stay at the Le Meridian.
What would you say are the biggest considerations for someone debating between a stay at Le Meridian and the St Regis? Le Meridian looks fantastic as well, but the value of your Bonvoy points being used at the St Regis are a much better value it appears. Do you happen to have a comparison video between the two, or other Marriott resorts in the Maldives I cannot find?
I was also curious if the St Regis allows you to bring outside alcohol? It looks as if they clearly have no issues with outside food for any snacks you would like to bring.
Thanks again for such an informative and well done video!
Take care.
Some further research revealed to me that alcohol importation into the Maldives is strictly prohibited, and it's unavailable for purchase anywhere in Male. Apologies for not doing a bit more research before asking.
Still curious on your thoughts around comparing the St Regis, Le Meridian, and any other Marriott owned properties for that matter.
Thanks again for the informative video!
Hey! Thanks for stopping by! They are all great questions.
First of, we haven't been to the Le Meriden Maldives yet, they just opened last October, but we will be heading there soon this May. Maybe we can make a comparison video after our stay, will keep you updated. Based of reading reviews, there is no other property that can you give any better value for your points than the LM Maldives. Against the St Regis Maldives, it won't be a good comparison though. The OW villas are much larger, and more exclusive since there are lesser rooms in an island compared to the LM. As for the other Maldives properties, the Ritz Carlton is new, but you don't get free breakfast with your Bonvoy status. The JW used to be a Viceroy that reflagged as the JW, but has a reputation for rough tides. The Westin I haven't really looked much into yet. Ideally, the W or the StR are the top of the list for luxury.
Yes, you are right on the alcohol restriction, if you bring in a few small bottles of duty free, you will likely be ok. But if you have crates of wine and liquor, likely you will be stopped by customs, as Maldives is still a really strict Muslim country. Overall, if you consumer or buy alcohol in the resort islands, officials will close one eye, as they are considered private property.
As for food, we actually bought the snacks from local markets when we were staying in Male a few days before we arrive at the resort. So we didn't go through any international customs check or baggage issues. Do note that the seaplanes has a limit on the amount of luggage you can bring, else they will over charge, so good rule of thumb is don't go overboard with the personal snacks.
Lastly, if you have Bonvoy points, I highly recommend to start booking before March, when the program is going to remove category charts, and you'll likely see these Maldivian resorts go up 4-10 folds in points cost, especially the Le Merdien. 35k/night in the Maldives WILL NOT LAST.
@exploreaswego Thanks so much for your thoughtful and prompt response!
I've seen so many videos at this point I'm sure I mixed up yours with another YT channel in regards to a LM stay. I've seen much speculation that the current rates/redemptions for LM are more a "promotional" type phase while the resort is brand new, building a reputation, and resolving any issues that any new resort will experience. The Ritz was also kind of off my list considering there isn't much elite status recognition. I didn't know about the JW being a rebranded hotel, but that is great to know. The luggage weighing is certainly a consideration for the seaplane transfer. I am planning to book this week for a stay next winter. I have quite a pile of Bonvoy points I'm sitting on at the moment that I would prefer to have booked into vacations that can be cancelled easily in advance if needed, as opposed to hoping for the best out of Bonvoy doing away with award charts.
As a follow up question, if the cost is not an issue, would you say there is a duration where staying at a secluded island resort has gone too long? Due to the long travel time from the US, I'm planning on staying at least 15 nights to take advantage of the 5th night free you receive on Bonvoy points redemptions. I assume this answer will vary greatly from person to person, but was curious about your thoughts.
Thanks again for such an informative and well done video.
Cheers!
@@jakebrown222 The hardware at the LM definitely cannot be compared to the luxury villas of the StR or Ritz. But like many bloggers have covered, 35k-40k points for a OWV is definitely a very sweet deal for a promotional rate. I like your strategy, definitely lock in those rates now for dates where you have celebratory occasions for your trip in advance. The worse is you could just cancel is plans don't fall through. Just watch out for the cancellation periods. These Maldivian resorts tend to block up to 30-60 days before your check in date, so you don't find yourself locked in at a large cancellation fee.
If cost is no issue, I personally think 7-10 nights is sufficient. Given your first day or night when you arrive depending on your flight, you will probably be fighting off the jet lag in bed. If you are concerned about activities, these resorts have tonnes of excursions, boat trips, yoga and cooking lessons that will keep you occupied. Like the StR, we like to start early, work out, have a long breakfast past the closing time. Enjoy the beach/pool/reef, then rush to Sunset for Champagne Sabering every evening. You'll be surprised how time flies, and when it's dark, you pretty much stuck in your villa or the restaurant. Also if you plan to stay 15 nights, consider the limited options of dining. I think once you stayed past a week, you will probably try everything on the menu of the 2-3 restaurants, and you are pretty much stuck in an island without options to eat or explore elsewhere. If you want to stretch the points, maybe do the W for a week, and the LM or another bonvoy resort for another week. That way you get a change of environment and experience being at a different resort in another island. But do beware, you have to fork out for those nasty airplane transfer fees, which will fly you to Male and to the other resort. There is currently no direct transfer options between resorts to resorts.
Stay tuned and hopefully subscribe and share our videos, we are planning more maldives videos when we do the LM and possibly the Six Senses this summer. We'll share more about covid processes and if these changes will affect any luxury amenities. Keep us updated on your trips too. Cheers!
@@exploreaswego I will stay tuned for your updates. I booked a stay at LM next January that I'm really looking forward to! Thanks for all the info in helping me make a decision.
Cheers!
✌️✌️✌️ Nice VLOG! Thank you for sharing!Hi from Travelly 👍
You are so sweet! What was your favorite part? Please continue and follow our journey!
We are heading to the St. Regis for 10 nights in early April 2022 after having cancelled our May 2020 trip due to the pandemic. Thank you for the useful tips. Question - Since our current flight arrives late in the evening the night before we check-in at the St. Regis, and with Male off limits, assuming in a worst case it stays that way, where is it possible to stay between flight arrival and until the next morning when the seaplanes can fly? Thanks in advance.
Hey! I'm not sure how the current covid situation will evolve in 2022 for vaccinated tourists, but as of now, the main island of MALE is still closed off for visitors, which means there aren't much option left to do a short layover night stay at a local hotel. Usually for MALE island, I'd recommend staying at the Jen Hotel, it's part of Shangri-la.
However, if MALE is still closed, I'd suggest staying at the Sheraton for 1 or 2 nights, they offer free transfer boat transfers directly from the airport, and it's only 10mins. So that way you can check out early in the morning, to transfer to the St Regis, so you can enjoy more out of your stay.
Keep us updated you get there!
Wow, thanks for the useful info! Regarding the covid testing before leaving maldives, is that scheduled and tested inside the st Regis, or in male? If that's tested in male, is it possible to book a less expensive hotel for 14 days quarantine purpose?
As of now, so many laws are changing in regards to when and where you do quarantine. If you were to fly to St. Regis, I believe the most recent information that you get tested when you arrive in Male. You get covid test. Once confirmed you fly to your destination. However, anytime you are jumping between islands, you must get tested again. I would reach out to St. Regis to confirm just in case. If you are not going to St. Regis, and just staying in Male, you'd still have to test. Either way check the most up to date travel information. Let us know if you find out anything!
What are your thoughts on the 2 bedroom options at the St Regis? Thx!
Are you asking about the overwater villas or the beach villas? Personally, the overwater villas are not technically overwater as they are connected to the main island. In addition, they are off to the side of the Whale Bar and has okay views. One bedroom is on the upper level and one on the main level. Depending on what you are looking for the overwater experience for us is the best in the one bedroom suites. Feel free to write to us on Instagram and we can reply ASAP with any additional questions you may have
Hey! At the seaplane lounge now. Can you help me quickly. Did they let you purchase the $300 food credit AND provide 20% off meals?
Hey Nicole! Thank you so much for your comment and we are so sorry for the delay! We hope you enjoyed your time there. Unfortunately they didn't allow us to purchase the food credit but we still enjoyed our experience. How was your time!?!?
I am a titanium member at Marriott and wanted to know, apart from the free breakfast and potential upgrades, what do we get? for example, do we get free drinks at a bar daily? Any free snack?
Thanks for the love! We really had a great time there and hope to visit again soon!
Unfortunately, while we were there, there wasn't any special items that we get. Besides the usual welcome amenity of a fruit basket as well as nightly sabering (champagne & nut mix), there wasn't many free of anything. We highly recommend if you are a snacker to perhaps bring your own.
@@exploreaswego Thanks for the reply. if they are giving champagne and nuts every evening then I i’m more than happy with that! I love champagne!
We are going after Thanksgiving. So excited. Butler service told me Decanter is $790.00 per person now...plus the 22%. Too rich for my blood. To go on a whale shark expedition, it will set you back $14,600 on the private yacht for 6 hours. Guess I'm gonna be hanging by my pool.
Thanks for your nice comment Carol! We were doing some final research to make sure we had all of the information and it's very possible that it might have changed! Honestly though, hanging by the pool was SO FUN! You can also borrow some of their equipment while you are there! When you go, it will be a great time because that was the exact same time we went! Enjoy and please let us know about your experience!
How did you request upgrade from garden villa to overwater st Regis suite? What dates did you guys go? I booked directly into Overwater St Regis Suite but am considering booking the garden Villa and asking for a free upgrade. Also Titanium here
We reached out to the team directly via email (reservations.vommuli@stregis.com) to request for an upgrade because we were celebrating our anniversary during our stay. The team counter offered cash upgrades for about $260/night to an OWV. We decided not to pay for it, and arrived surprised that they upgraded us to the OWV Suite.
We traveled in late Nov 2019. The resort was close to 60% occupancy during our stay.
Judging that the resort only has 7 OWV suites, chances of upgrades on a peak season will be very low. I rather you hold to your reservation if you really wanted the suite villa experience. Maybe you can reach out to the team asking about upgrades to even higher categories, I've heard they upgraded elites to the premium 2 BR OWV family villas before.
WOW. but damn it sounds expensive!!!! beautiful but you need money and a lot of it.....even if your "normal". Great that you guys are able to do this, as we would love to, but money for that will always play a part. well done guys and keep it going. ONE LOVE
Thank you guys so much for your nice comment! In actuality all we paid for was the flights and food. Our accommodation was booked on points so practically free! If you ever need any tips, please let us know! We'd love to help out!
Would you be visiting and reviewing W Maldives ?
We haven't had the opportunity to go back to the Maldives even though we had plans to. We hope you enjoyed this video! Have you been to the Maldives before? How did you find our video? :) Would love to connect!
I'm going to Maldives tomorrow from Los Angeles with layover in Dubai. Do you know if I need to complete the Maldives online form 24 hours prior to my original location (LA) or within 24 hours of my flight from my layover (Dubai) to Maldives?
Hey Rhanz, will you be staying at the St Regis? If you reach out to the reservations team, they should have taken care of all the necessary paper work for you, including the health declarations forms. So you should expect a seamless check from arrival to your resort.
Anyhow, if you want to take care of this yourself, you can register any time as long as you have it 24 hours before you arrived at the airport immigration, you should be fine. Just go through the steps from the Immigration website here - imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ethd
Else, you can always do it when you arrive in the airport, the airport agents should direct you accordingly.
Here is quoted guidelines taken from the official Maldivian Immigration website.
"Traveller Health Declaration (THD) must be filled in and submitted by all travelers travelling to and from Maldives, within 24 hours prior to their travel. You may submit the form electronically via imuga.immigration.gov.mv "
Good luck, and let us know how it goes after you arrive .
@@exploreaswego yes I'll be staying at St Regis. There is an online form I need to complete though 24 hours before and it's not very clear. I'll email St Regis. Thanks!
Number #8 yes !! Not to go broke hahaha
HAHAHAH YES.
Nice
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! We hope you enjoyed our video and will considering checking out more of our videos!
20,000 a week to stay there ummm NO WAY lm paying that
No worries!!! There are people who are wanting and able to pay for a very exclusive experience! We didn't pay that much and are wanting to share with everyone how to get luxury without paying the prices! Stay tuned for deal as we will always share and thank you for checking us out!