Review: The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Rohit

07/10/2022

The St. Regis Maldives is on the bucket-list of many a points and miles collectors and for good reasons. It is easily amongst Marriott Bonvoy’s most expensive property, think thousands (not hundreds) of dollars (US$) per night. That makes it an excellent candidate for redeeming points.

I have just finished a 5-night stay at The St. Regis Maldives and had an amazing time. Here is everything you need to know about the property.

Location

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is located on Dhaalu atoll, about a 45 minute sea-plane ride from the Maldivian capital of Male. Oxford dictionary describes the word atoll as a ring-shaped reef, island or chain of islands.

If you are interested in reading about my sea-plane experience and how I made my way to the property, you can do that over here.

Route Map of Trans Maldivian Airways

Booking

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has 77 villas in total, this includes the entry level Garden villa, various Overwater villa’s, Premium 2 bedroom villa’s and 1 each of Caroline Astor Estate and John Jacob Astor Estate Villa’s.

The standard award at The St. Regis Maldives books into the Garden Villa, you could then choose to redeem additional points for an upgrade into the Overwater Villa, subject to availability.

I redeemed 295,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for my 5-night stay into the Garden villa, I then topped it off with another 25,000 points (total 320,000 points) which got me into a 1 Bedroom Sunset Overwater Villa.

The St. Regis Maldives Sunset Overwater Villa

As is the case with all Marriott redemptions, when redeeming points for a 5-night stay, you only pay for 4 nights and the 5th night is free. Cash rates at the time of my stay were ridiculously high, about US$ 3,600 per night meaning I got insanely good value for my points.

Arrival & Check-in

As the sea-plane landed and drifted towards the dock where guests alight, I saw about a dozen staff standing on the edge of the platform waving and enthusiastically welcoming the incoming guests.

The St. Regis Maldives Staff Welcome Party

Once on dry land, I was warmly received by my butler Aida who introduced herself and offered me the traditional Maldivian island drink of coconut water, it was refreshing.

The St. Regis Maldives Signature Coconut Water

After spending a few minutes sipping the drink & exchanging pleasantries with Aida and another staff, I hopped on the buggy which would take me to my overwater villa. Aida took care of the luggage and made sure it was waiting for me when I entered the villa.

Along the way Aida took me on a quick orientation tour of the property which helped me familiarise with the various resort facilities. I will get to that later in the review. She also advised that she will be doing an in-villa check in, a first for me.

The check-in process entailed Aida presenting me with a Welcome letter explaining my Titanium elite benefits, a second letter with information about The St. Regis Maldives Signature Butler Service and a special discount offer that I could put towards any spa treatments at Iridium Spa.

Letter detailing Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Benefits

Letter detailing The St. Regis Maldives Signature Butler Services

She then proceeded to give me a tour of the villa.

The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

As you enter, there is a drinks trolley loaded with all kinds of drinks in the entry way.

Drinks Trolley, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

To the right, there was a long office style writing desk and chair. There were universal power outlet and multiple USB ports on the wall.

Writing Desk, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

I can’t imagine too many people coming to The St. Regis Maldives for work or business, so I suspect it’s only really put to use by travel bloggers 😉

The Villa’s mini-bar setup was directly behind the desk. There was a tray in the centre with several bottles containing sweet and savoury snacks and complimentary water in glass bottles.

Mini bar, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

There was a cabinet underneath which was empty. Then there was another long cabinet to the left, inside you had a coffee machine, more bottled water and an electric kettle.

Mini bar, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The chest of drawers below were stocked with creamer, capsules for the coffee machine, provisions for making tea and coffee and some crockeries.

Mini bar, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

A third cabinet on the other side had a bar-fridge with premium water, fizzy and energy drinks, beer and some chocolate bars. There was a temperature controlled wine chiller with several bottles of wine.

Mini bar, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

There was a day bed, a rocking chair with ottoman, in-room welcome amenity, a bottle of champagne and a large TV in front of the writing desk.

Living Area, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

Complimentary Champagne, The St. Regis Overwater Villa

I thought the day bed was large and comfortable enough to be utilised as a proper night bed.

Day Bed, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The other half of the villa was occupied by a King bed. It was soft and amongst the most comfortable I have experienced at a Marriott property. It was adorned with premium quality bedsheets and king sized duvet. The pillows were fluffy and ranged from super soft to slightly firm.

The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

King Bed, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The bed-head was pushed against a wall made up of beads of spinning tops, it was beautiful. There were bedside tables on either end, one of which contained a tablet. Everything in the villa, from TV to lighting, curtains to the aircon was controlled through the tablet.

Tablet, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

Whether you were curling up in the bed, watching TV or working on the laptop, the floor to ceiling doors and windows offer constant views of the gorgeous outdoor area and the turquoise blue waters of Indian Ocean forming the most incredible backdrop.

Views, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

A large sliding door separates the bedroom from the full bathroom, which once again was gorgeous and amongst the most spacious I have experienced.

Bathroom, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The vanity was positioned in the centre, it had faux-marble counter top and dual sinks. There were neatly folded hand towels, mouth wash, soap bars and bottled water.

Bathroom, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The vanity drawer contained a hairdryer and even more items of dental and personal hygiene. There was an illuminated make-up mirror fitted to the wall.

Bathroom, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

A glistening, deep-soaking tub was positioned by wall. It featured chrome fittings, including a hand held shower. There was a mirror by the wall and bath amenities on the table alongside.

Bathroom, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

There was abundant supply of towels, a lone bathrobe hung on the wall.

Toilet & Shower were side by side on the other end of the bathroom and were quite spacious. The shower had dual shower-heads, with bath products supplied in ceramic bottles.

Bathroom, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

There was a massive walk-in-robe adjacent to the bathroom. It had enough space to fit an elephant.

Walk-in-robe, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

There was a long table and chair which I am not quite sure why it was there.

Walk-in-robe, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The outdoor pool and deck area was accessible from the bedroom and the bathroom both. It was huge, with the freshwater pool being the central feature.

Pool & Deck, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

Pool, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

At just 4 feet deep, the pool is safe enough for everyone bar very small children. You couldn’t swim laps in it, but it was much better than a plunge pool.

The deck had some pretty standard outdoor furniture in the form of loungers and day beds. The weather remained pleasant throughout my stay, but there is an umbrella you could use should the sun get a little too harsh.

Pool Furniture, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The vistas looking out towards the Ocean were out of this world, I loved sitting out and gazing into the clear blue skies and shimmering waters of the Indian Ocean just as much on Day 5 as I did on the day I got there. The damn thing never got old.

Indian Ocean Views, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

On one end, there were steps leading down to the ocean. As much as I loved being in the pool, jumping into the ocean is almost mandatory. Surprisingly enough, the ocean temperature was warmer than the water in the pool.

Steps, The St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa

The St. Regis Maldives Dining & Drinking

One of the downside of being at a far-flung resort is that you can’t really venture out seeking local drinking and dining experiences. To some extent, that is compensated by the resorts 5 bars and restaurants each striving to offer a unique experience to the guests.

First up you have the resorts main restaurant Alba. It is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served between 7am – 10:30 am.

Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

I had breakfast at Alba each morning, I also had dinner on 2 nights. As you can imagine, the breakfast was extensive. There were some Western dishes, but the main focus was on Asian & Indian cuisine. As always, I will let the pictures do the talking.

Breakfast at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

In addition to the buffet, there was another very extensive a-la-carte menu which included dishes such as Eggs benedict, Japanese bento boxes , pancakes, waffles plus several Indian dishes such as Masala Dosa, Idli, Uttapam etc.

For my breakfast, I tried to mix things up as much as I could. That said, I barely scratched the surface, you really need a 2-week stay to have any chance of trying out everything that is on offer.

My Indian Breakfast at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

My Western Breakfast at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

My Maldivian Breakfast at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

There were hot and cold beverages that you could order with the staff and it was delivered to your table. I had cappuccino, mango juice, watermelon juice and all kinds of green, leafy drinks that I cannot even remember the names for.

My Cappuccino at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

My Breakfast Juice at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

I also had lunch and dinner at Alba on various days.

My Lunch at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

My Dinner at Alba, The St. Regis Maldives

Given that Alba was the only venue open daily from dawn to dark, it was well patronised and even got busy on certain nights.

The only other venue I could experience in my time was Crust & Craft. Set on Maldivian sand and designed as a beach shack, it is open daily for lunch between 12pm – 5pm. I had a pizza lunch here one afternoon, it was alright.

Crust & Craft, The St. Regis Maldives

Lunch at Crust & Craft, The St. Regis Maldives

Whale Bar is the resorts high-end drinking establishment. The design of the bar closely resembles the shape of a whale, hence the name Whale Bar.

Whale Bar, The St. Regis Maldives

I dropped-in at the Whale bar on one evening, mainly with the intention of witnessing the legendary St. Regis Champagne Sabering but also ended up having a drink.

Drinks at Whale Bar, The St. Regis Maldives

Champagne Sabering at Whale Bar, The St. Regis Maldives

Besides drinks, Whale Bar also boasts an elaborate selection of sea-food on its menu.

The St. Regis Maldives is also home to Cargo, a Middle-Eastern themed restaurant open 5 nights for dinner. I had plans to dine at Cargo one night but it ended up being closed and I only realised it quite late so didn’t get an opportunity to go again.

Lastly, there is Orientale an Asian restaurant primarily serving Japanese & Chinese food. I didn’t get around to checking it out. Truth be told, I ran out of time. A 5-night stay might sound like a long time but for practical reasons it just wasn’t enough to peruse every venue at the property. Next time hopefully 😉

Other Amenities

With every Villa at the property supplied with it’s own pool, it was not unusual to see the resort pool barely attracting a soul. Located directly outside Alba, the reef-shaped pool is an option if you wanted to have a proper swim. There are day beds and loungers should you want to catch a bit of Maldivian sun.

Pool, The St. Regis Maldives

About 50 metres from Alba, there is a building called Vommuli House. Inside, there is a reasonably well equipped gym with 2 resident personal trainers, children’s play area and a Yoga & Meditation Room. Opposite to the Vommuli House, you have a Tennis Court.

Vommuli House, The St. Regis Maldives

Vommuli House Reception, The St. Regis Maldives

Gym, The St. Regis Maldives

Indoor Play Area for Children, The St. Regis Maldives

Outdoor Play Area for Children, The St. Regis Maldives

yoga Room, The St. Regis Maldives

Tennis Court, The St. Regis Maldives

There is another building adjacent to the Tennis Court, here you will find indoor games that children and adults alike can enjoy. On the Ground level, you have the ping pong table. Take the stairs up and you will find yourself in a hall filled up with all kinds of table & board games.

Ping Pong Table, The St. Regis Maldives

Table & Board Games, The St. Regis Maldives

If you ever wanted to take a break from swimming, snorkelling or other outdoor activities, head to the resorts library and spend some quiet time checking out its well stocked shelves. There wasn’t another person in sight when I visited it.

Library, The St. Regis Maldives

Other than this, the property is home to Iridium Spa which offers numerous treatments. Then there are outdoor water activities such as snorkelling, Jetski, paragliding etc.

Service

Service at The St. Regis Maldives is highly personalised. You will be assigned a Butler on Day 1 and he or she will be your sole point of contact for the duration of your stay. From making spa reservations to arranging a romantic beachside dinner, your Butler is your go-to-person for everything.

To communicate, you can either call your Butler or send them a message on Whatsapp which I personally preferred. Each day, the day started with Aida sending me my daily schedule on WhatsApp like you see below.

WhatsApp Message from my Butler Aida

And ended with another message such as the one below.

WhatsApp Message from my Butler Aida

On the last day at Breakfast about half a dozen restaurant staff came together to bid me adieu, it was a touching moment. It is impossible not to feel sad leaving a place like that.

I received a touching farewell from the staff on my last morning

Other Costs

Lets face it, even a points stay in Maldives will dig a hole in your pocket. That is because there are expenses that cannot be covered by points.

First up there is the sea-plane ride. The price varies depending on the distance to the resort. If you are staying at The St. Regis, a return trip between Male & the resort is priced at US$ 750 for an adult and US$ 495 for children under 12. That is US$ 1,500 for a couple or nearly US$ 2,500 for a family of 4.

You will be ferried between Male Airpot and the Sea-plane terminal in The St. Regis Limousine

Next is food, due to the setting and remoteness of the property majority of the food and drinks are shipped-in from Male City. That makes eating and drinking at the resort extremely expensive.

If you have Platinum or higher status in the Marriott Bonvoy program be sure to choose Daily Breakfast as your Welcome Gift which is otherwise priced at US$ 85 per person per day. For a couple, that is a saving of US$ 850 over 5 days. That aside, be prepared to pay for everything else.

A couple’s meal of 2 Mains and a Drink each can easily set you back US$ 150. Add in a 2nd meal and you are looking at US$ 300 per day for 2 people in dining costs, ouch 😲

Expect to pay US$ 150 for a meal for 2 people

Snorkelling gear is offered free, but if you want to experience any motorised water sports they are not cheap. The property also has a small clinic with a resident doctor and nurse should you require any medical assistance. Any costs you incur have to be paid directly to the resort, although these may be recovered through Travel Insurance.

In Conclusion

The St. Regis Maldives is a magical place, there is no other way to describe it. Everything you have seen, read or heard about this place pales into insignificance with what you actually experience when you come here.

If you have a good balance of Marriott Bonvoy points, there are few places better than the St. Regis Maldives to burn them. It is remote, isolated and expensive, but so worth it. Given an opportunity, I will return to the property in a heartbeat.