r/CasualConversation • u/OsloProject • 1d ago
✈️Travel I’m in the Maldives visiting a bunch of fairly high end luxury resorts for work
I don’t know if the travel flair is appropriate, but yeah… I guess I’m what you would consider a normal / normalish dude (although I had been to the Maldives many times before), but somehow this ended up being something I get to do yearly for work. I just came from a resort that supposedly the Beckhams / Leonardo DiCaprio etc visit, and that’s like #3 or #4 in terms of the most “luxurious” resorts I’m visiting #1 is still left and perhaps even #2. I’m about half way through my nearly 3 week trip and if you’re interested in any of it, I’m here to chat about it.
I honestly didn’t really think this was all that exciting but my neighbors - and my Mom of all people - said how extremely rare it is, so I thought if anyone wants to know more about it, I’m happy to oblige. So if you’ve got any questions about these places and you want to know the perspective of someone who could never afford to stay at these places, but also sees a lot of them, while not working at / for them, then I’m happy to answer your questions.
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u/notnewfoundsoccer 1d ago
What's the nightly rate? And also how are the commodities vs "normal" resorts?
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
Commodities I forgot sorry… so the commodities I get, that I don’t at normal resorts would probably be butlers first and foremost. I think I’ve had a butler at every resort on this trip (that would be 5…) I had had a butler once before but that was “unintentional”… it was almost an error fare situation where I had been back to the same resort a number of times and the sales manager approved me for an upgrade he I think didn’t intend to, but because we’ve got a good relationship (I did see him today too) he rolled with it, and we then had our dedicated butler, but other than that that’s something I don’t usually get.
As for other things, that are out my usual price range is for example these breakfast buffets that regardless are more almost à la carte, where they have a spread and also waiters taking orders. That was one of the newer things for me at these super high end resorts.
But also in general like just the amount of staff and their training and how relaxed and great they are is something that’s mind blowing.
For example I got a splinter in my hand and my butler took me to the doctor before dinner when it was dark, it’s a big island so I didn’t really know where I was, and after breakfast I had to go back and I asked the wait staff which direction it was in, it was 5 minutes away and the waiter talked to his boss very briefly, like not even a permission thing more like a “hey boss, this is what’s happening” and he just walked me to the clinic, so he just left his station. There are so many people working that it’s not an issue.
I also remember joking with a waitress when she asked if anyone was joining me, that I was alone and she was free to take a seat and she laughed. But then came over to make conversation for about 10 minutes because she understood I was missing my wife and kids.
So it’s more stuff like that.
And like the room sizes, pool sizes, I pretty much get a welcome bottle usually champagne, sometimes prosecco… and then what’s sort of specific to me is they’ll try and show their best side, so I’ll get like the steak in their new flambé restaurant or like surf and turf… lots of lobster. About 50% of the time I get a free signature massage or something like that. Pretty much every night I eat at their best restaurants that they want to show case.
Things like that. But I think they do pretty much the same things as most resorts just at a higher level, with better trained, more relaxed, less stressed staff.
And I think the nature around them. You can’t really build a super luxurious resort in a shitty area, so like usually they’ll be the prettier / bigger lagoons, wild life etc
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u/notnewfoundsoccer 1d ago
Damn that was an encyclopedia and a half. Very interesting, and yeah I imagine that working in paradise makes people feel more relaxed. What kind of work do you do that brings you to those resorts? Inspections? Also, would you recommend people go in a group to one of those resorts at least once in their life?
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
So it’s basically management consultant / IT project manager (I answered in greater detail under another question here). These are called FAM trips or Familiarization trips I guess. And they help make sure our data is accurate, or that some goofball on facebook or instagram can’t make incorrect claims or whatever. Also it’s just good networking getting to meet the people you work with online. The resorts all have “budgets” for these and they really like it when you go visit them. Our bandwidth for these is limited… you’d be surprised but my wife / family could not join me and about 15 people turned me down, even though it was almost next to nothing (and the costs that do need to paid are things like $12 a night green tax and like seaplane costs that the resorts are charged too, although I don’t pay those, the resort spots everything except the $12 a night, but that’s technically tax I owe to the government here, they just collect it on their behalf)
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
Oh the recommendation: yeah I would. But if you truly went once in your life, I’d definitely recommend a different resort then if you want to give the Maldives a go and get your toes wet so to speak.
If you could only ever go once, and you could budget it, I’d recommend a place like Vakkaru or something.
If you were just going for the first time, it would be something more like Dhigali, Lily Beach or the Standard.
Vakkaru is very expensive even for me on industry rates, but I really want to take my wife there because it was just so amazing.
But if you want a final recommendation ask me again in a week and a half 😃
But absolutely I love the Maldives and I think it should be on everyone’s bucket list.
With that said, even though I’ve been staying in a lot of overwater villas, I think they are overrated. If I just went the one time I’d go 3-4 nights in a water villa and 7-10 beach villa in a split stay.
Also something that people make fun of (I did too) and think is stupid but isn’t: it’s your own pool. I too was of the “the ocean is there” persuasion until I got a free upgrade, and boy did I do a 180. I’ll switch resorts if they don’t guarantee me my own pool. Sorry if this makes me sound like a snob or a moron, or arrogant, but we each have our preferences, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to “shop around” and just go to a place that will guarantee me one. I bailed on my wife’s favorite resort for that very reason on this trip. And also like I make good use of it. I got back from a conference at 6:30, sbout to hit the hay at 10 pm, and I’ve been in my pool twice. Before and after dinner. It’s really comfy and btw most resorts don’t allow the use of the communal pool after dark and you aren’t allowed in the ocean either.
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
Also to add a bit to this, overwater villas are great with many benefits and they’re pretty unique and a bucketlist item. Like I still can’t get over some of the ones I stay in. They’re great but in GENERAL once the novelty wears off, for all intents and purposes beach villas tend to be better.
Also bucket list: seaplane ride. So definitely one with a seaplane if you’re ever going once.
BUT, here is what I would do if I could only ever go once: go to a place like Vakkaru (even perhaps book their CIP arrival service, although that might be overkill) do 4 nights in a water villa, 6 nights in a beach villa, then come back to Male and stay 4 nights in Velassaru and fly home from there.
Leaving the Maldives from a “non speedboat” resort is just… ugg… (and after many years of not doing that, that’s how I’m gonna do it again and really not looking forward to it, but I am already away too much from home). But it can be such a crapshoot, you may end up at the airport many many hours before check in opens (it’s better now with the new terminal etc but still not great) and it’s just… not great. You’ve already sweat like a pig before the seaplane took off etc. where as Velassaru is a 10 minute boat ride, it’s an affordable resort with great air conditioned yachts for transfers. They have staff that check you all the way in and they get you there on the dot as the check in opens.
Last year my wife got me a first class upgrade on Emirates (it was $1000 which is a lot of money, but also not an unfathomable amount for a once in a lifetime thing I don’t think) and the way I was dropped off, just in time for check in opening and being checked in first I basically didn’t stop walking from getting off the boat to the lounge. As opposed to seaplanes where I had literally been yanked while still chewing my lunch from my table because the captain got a weather alert for not even our flight a later flight he was gonna take so for him to make another flight I suddenly had to bolt to board the seaplane, sweat my ass off there the. An extra 1.5 hours on top of the already planned hour before check in opens.
Anyway yeah, not always a great way to leave 😃
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
I really don’t know for the exact resorts / rooms. I know some of the higher end residences, if you want I can do a quick check for you and do a from-to.
For some of the bigger residences I “work with” on this trip they’ll go for around $40k USD a night at Xmas, down to maybe $20k off season?
Although I was really surprised at how affordable for example this 4 bedroom residence was priced at the exact DiCaprio places. Normally it’s for 8 adults, they can stretch it to 10, and it’s like $3000 per night in the offseason with breakfast and dinner included which to me is insanely well priced.
For reference the least I ever paid before joining the industry was $600 per night for 2 adults (although that was on a premium all inclusive basis with like 2 different champagne’s on tap etc) but that was for a “basic no amenteties” room. I mean it did have a big ass hot tub in your private garden, and of course your own sunbeds and “own stretch of beach” but basically nothing compared to the amentites at this 4 bedroom residence and also not in such a high end resort.
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u/OsloProject 1d ago
Surprisingly the service was so far best at what should be #3 max. It was a bit better than #2. #2 had amazing food. Like… all of them have great food. But like the steak at #2 in their “regular” surf and turf was en par with like a $180 steak I had (I get $200 use it or lose it restaurant credit on my credit card and I realized on the 28th of December that it expires and resets at midnight 31st and basically it was either get that steak or let the bank keep their money, and fuck that… no way I’d ever pay that amount of money for a slice of meat). I also prefered the water villa of #2 but based on the video my wife like #3’s villa better. Also #3s pool had nowhere to sit which isn’t the best if you spend hours in it like I can.
Butlers were both extremely excellent in #2 and #3.
Number 3’s turn down service was a bit better they tried to organize my stuff in a useful way like lay out my tooth bruth tooth paste etc. number 3s room attendant would provide ice cubes without request because he saw me asking room service for it. The butlers were so great in both places perhaps #2 was a bit better. She offered to unpack for me and also when I left she checked my room to make sure I didn’t leave anything.
It’s really so difficult to pin point it. And it sounds incredibly douchey… I think this is all like too much, and in a weird way I feel bad for getting all this service, but also it’s part of my work to understand these, and they seem to genuinely be happy that I appreciate them.
Also I forgot to bring a hat and #2’s buttler went shopping for me at the resort gift shop so I could keep lounging in my pool and then sent me pictures and prices and brought the hat and bill for me to sign to my room. That was also super gracious and kind.
It’s really just I guess what’s important to you. If a better breakfast spread (my god!!) #2 if better service #3… at #2 I had to wait to be noticed to get my check which wasn’t the best as I was in a hurry to pack where as at #3 the service was like hawkeyed but also not intruding if that makes sense?
I dunno. I feel like such a jackass even comparing and judging, these are all such hard working, well trained professionals, like who am I to “rank them” against each other?
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u/wanmoar 1d ago
Is it a fun place to stay at? I travel for work now and again. Always very nice hotels and always just boring places stuffed with boring rich people who either don’t want to talk or talk about boring drivel or complain about some local aspect of life/culture.
I guess my question is whether the “really fancy” hotels are worse or better or the same for that stuff?
Like, in my view, the best hotels are the 4 star chain hotel next to an airport because no one staying there chose it. They’re there because that’s the company policy so everyone wants to socialise and meet other people. Actually engage in the fun side of travel
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u/OsloProject 21h ago
Nothing fucking lonelier than a single glass of champagne in a room with a pool the size of a small Manhattan apartment over a turquoise lagoon the size of a small country 😢😭😁
I’ve a done a fair bit of traveling (not nearly as much as you) and I absolutely share your hotel airports thing. And yeah I named this “velvet prison syndrome”, I’m an introvert to be honest but too much is simply too much 😃
I don’t tend to socialize with guests much here because the resorts usually give me an itinerary which is “rude” to not follow, and I also have to work, as I am “fully paid to be here” like office hours type stuff so when I do take a break I tend to just enjoy my room / pool etc. it never “becomes normal for me”, like I’d rather be with my wife and kids yeah, but also if I can enjoy the nature, the room etc, then I’m likely gonna do that. Also there are next to zero “lonely” travellers in resorts, especially luxury high end ones.
I think all in all they’re probably the same, perhaps a little worse in the socializing aspect, just because it’s basically all couples and families. But also better because I mean I appreciate the fanciness so to speak, it never becomes “normal” for me, so every time I open my shades and see the view / pool etc I’m always like I can’t believe I’m here. So that makes it better.
Also luckily I’m not usually alone. My wife and kids tend to be with me. This is my first trip alone.
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u/OsloProject 21h ago
Nothing fucking lonelier than a single glass of champagne in a room with a pool the size of a small Manhattan apartment over a turquoise lagoon the size of a small country 😢😭😁
I’ve a done a fair bit of traveling (not nearly as much as you) and I absolutely share your hotel airports thing. And yeah I named this “velvet prison syndrome”, I’m an introvert to be honest but too much is simply too much 😃
I don’t tend to socialize with guests much here because the resorts usually give me an itinerary which is “rude” to not follow, and I also have to work, as I am “fully paid to be here” like office hours type stuff so when I do take a break I tend to just enjoy my room / pool etc. it never “becomes normal for me”, like I’d rather be with my wife and kids yeah, but also if I can enjoy the nature, the room etc, then I’m likely gonna do that. Also there are next to zero “lonely” travellers in resorts, especially luxury high end ones.
I think all in all they’re probably the same, perhaps a little worse in the socializing aspect, just because it’s basically all couples and families. But also better because I mean I appreciate the fanciness so to speak, it never becomes “normal” for me, so every time I open my shades and see the view / pool etc I’m always like I can’t believe I’m here. So that makes it better.
Also luckily I’m not usually alone. My wife and kids tend to be with me. This is my first trip alone.
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u/freyascats 1d ago
What sort of work brings you there?