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This week we recorded Frequent Miler on the Air in the air on the way home from the Passing the GUC adventure. As we flew away from the Maldives, whether or not we would return and how was at the top of mind, so this week’s show tackles that topic. Read on for recaps of this week’s trip, details about how we booked the parts and pieces, and what we may do differently in the future.
Frequent Miler on the Air
This week’s Frequent Miler on the Air is once again a bit different in the sense that we were in the air – this week’s show was recorded from KLM business class on our final leg of the Passing the GUC trip. Back to normal recordings next week!
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This week at Frequent Miler
Latest News from Passing the GUC: From the dog house to the delft house – Nick WINS Passing the GUC!
The GUC stops here: Our incredible adventure
The two posts above — Carrie’s final “latest news” roundup post and Greg’s complete review of the Passing the GUC trip that took us from Washington DC to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Maldives — close out many of the key details of our recent trip. My original plan was to use the Global Upgrade Certificates to fly to the Maldives since Air France flies there during normal times. However, with service to the Maldives temporarily cut, I settled on the United Arab Emirates as a place to get us “close enough” to still experience Le Meridien Maldives while having a lot of options to leverage things like outsized hotel point value (with the Prince Suite at the Grand Hyatt), activities booked with points (with the hot air balloon ride, F1 race track experience, and food tour), and a little extra adventure. I’d say things worked out for the best. We had a great time and it seemed like those following on Instagram did, too. Here’s to the next adventure!
Le Meridien Maldives first impressions: Wow!
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression and Le Meridien Maldives sure knows how to nail that first impression. Greg wrote this post well before we had a chance to sit down to breakfast with the general manager the day before departure, but things all made a lot more sense when we learned that the manager had built his career at Ritz-Carlton properties. He certainly seemed committed to bringing that level of service to the guest experience at Le Meridien and it shows in the staff. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the property is gorgeous and the snorkeling is excellent. After a few more days, I’ll say that I would like to see some more activities added, but I think they are working on that. A full-length review is coming soon with more details, but Greg’s first impression post accurately captures how we felt within a day of arrival (and that mostly lasted throughout our stay).
Le Meridien Maldives Villa Selection: Which is Best?
Greg definitely got the incognito upgrade at Le Meridien by not getting upgraded. While the layout of my sunset villa was identical (well, actually the mirror image but functionally identical), I would have gladly traded for the sunrise side of the west jetty. Greg noted that the surf on my side was rough; it was so rough that the one time I climbed down my ladder to get in the water and take video of a stingray nearby, I had to brace myself against the ladder and wrap my arm around it and the water still felt like it was pounding me into the ladder (in fact, the stingray seemed to get “stuck” in the current also). There was a public ladder to the water near Greg’s room on the sunrise side, so it was no problem to walk over and get in the water on that side, but I’d definitely go with sunrise side on the west jetty if I returned. I know that some say that the allure of an overwater villa fades once you’ve done it, but that’s not my experience – I can’t wait to do it again.
Luxurious ways to fly to the Maldives using miles
If you’ve watched this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air, you know that Greg and I determined that we would only recommend the Maldives if the journey is part of the luxury. That is to say that if you will be excited to board the plane, it is worth the 20 or 30 or 40 hours it will take to get there. From the US it will likely be a minimum of 3 flights (at least one connection on the way to the Maldives plus the sea plane flight) or it may require even more. Add in layovers and it gets really long (from boarding the sea plane at Le Meridien to my home airport was about 48 hours on the way back). However, if that is time spent in the lap of luxury, you may consider the flights to be an integral part of your vacation. This post covers the most luxurious ways to get there using your miles.
How Nick booked activities – and why he’d hesitate to use Viator again
I stacked some solid deals with shopping portal cash back and Viator, but after learning that Viator will let a tour operator cancel a booking and re-price the tour (higher) just days before an activity (they allow for it in their terms and conditions), I would be hesitant to count on them again. They simply don’t offer the expected buffer to protect against something like the last-minute cancellation I experienced, so there is no sense in paying the premium to book through them without the value-add of some type of protection for your booking.
Overwater villas in the Maldives, bookable with Marriott points
We’ve had a lot to say about Le Meridien Maldives over the past week, but it’s not the only show in town. There are a number of other Marriott properties with overwater villas that can be booked with points. This post includes the full list and details for each. Personally, I’d love to try out the JW Marriott or the W — but Greg made a great point in conversations we had in asking whether they could possibly add double or triple the enjoyment over Le Meridien? That is to say that while I’m sure other properties add some luxury in finishings or furniture, do they add enough to justify the price difference? When Le Meridien inevitably jumps up in category, I think the other options will once again be worth considering (particularly in cases where the villas may offer a bit more privacy), but as long as it is sometimes possible to book 5 nights at Le Meridien for the cost of 1.5 nights at the other overwater options, I’d easily choose Le Meridien again.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.
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I’ve been to the Maldives twice. The first time I went I stayed that the Conrad and had a not so great experience (also diving was not great). There was definitely a wow factor but the price (even with points/miles) and distance, along with the hotel experience, made me decide never to bother again. A few years later AA was doing a big devaluation of their miles. I decide to burn them by taking some family members on a trip in first. The time of year and options were limited but we decided on Sri Lanka. If you’re in Sri Lanka then Maldives is an easy decision. This time we stayed at the Park Hyatt. The difference was night and day compared to the Conrad. I went from never wanting to go back to the Maldives to constantly thinking about returning (saving up my UR points).
I’ve been to a few other island destinations including Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Seychelles. Nothing quite compares to the Maldives in my opinion. Still it’s a hard sell. For me, it really only makes sense to head to the Maldives if I can add it on top something else (Sri Lanka, SE Asia, etc). Right now French Polynesia would be my alternative but it definitely scratches a different itch (stayed at Conrad Bora Bora and it definitely had a “refreshed” 1970s Hawaiian hotel feel).
Thanks for sharing. We have a tripped booked at the new Tahiti Hilton and the Conrad Bora Bora in late February. I will have to lower my expectations for the Conrad Bora Boar after staying here at the Park Hyatt Maldives.
I would say just be aware of my opinion on it but don’t let it go in expecting it to be bad. Each person is different and lots of people absolutely love the hotel. The PH Maldives just had a lot more aspects that appealed to me. Similar to what Greg and Nick said in the video about flying business class I’ve had a chance to stay at a range of hotels in various places. Sometimes that skews my opinion on places.
Sounds like this week Nick got the Business Class microphone and Greg the Basic Economy mic!
Would you mind please posting the brand (or link to buy) of the underwater phone case you used? Thank you.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086PQQVN3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is the link to the one I purchased. I used it for an iPhone 7 Plus and and Iphone 12 pro max. It kept the water away from the phone, but did not work as intended. I could not use the button on the case to take still photos or to start/stop the video. I had to start the video before putting it into the case (before getting in the water) then stop the video once I got out of the water. That was inconvenient, since I have to edit out lots of unwanted stuff. You might want to buy something from Amazon and try it out well in advance of your trip. If its not what you want, return it and try another. This one is pretty big and somewhat of a pain, so I often went snorkeling without it.
I’m at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa as I write this. Yesterday, on my way back from snorkeling a couple on the beach asked me “how was it?” I said, “Incredible, It’s like swimming in an aquarium.” This morning I listened to your podcast and smiled when I heard Nick say the exact same thing. I think it is worth coming here if you enjoy snorkeling and diving. If not, there isn’t much to do but relax. The snorkeling at the Park Hyatt is amazing. This morning I swam with sharks as they swam through schools of bait fish. That’s an experience I will never forget.
It’s funny, but if Greg and Nick were at the Le Meridien a week earlier, I probably would have gone there too. I originally booked Le Meridien but then decided against going there because of a lack of information (reviews) about the property. Instead, I chose to go to the Park Hyatt where I was pretty sure I would have a great experience. This place is cool. There are 28 guests and 142 staff on the island. The service is phenomenal. The breakfast they give you as a globalist is excellent.
I agree with Greg and Nick. It would be hard to justify the long journey if I had to fly economy. My wife and I are (and will be) flying in Qsuites. It is amazing how good the service can be on an airplane. Nothing like I have ever experienced before.
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