Aug 10, 2008 11:49 PM
22022 Views
My husband is a Platinum member of the Hilton Honours Programme. We decided to cash in his free nights and stay at the Conrad in the Maldives. Come May 25th, we were all packed and ready to go!
Even though the hotel had been very explicit in telling us that there would be someone to meet us at the airport, after our, what can only be described as horrendous flight by Air India to Male, we were very rattled and were expecting more unprofessionalism as we were on - after all - an island!
I can safely say that we were in for the experience of a lifetime. From the smiling and efficient staff waiting for us in their khakhi capris and beige shirts(the hotel uniform - irrespective of hierarchy) to the drive in the perfectly chilled minivan that took us to the Hilton Lounge while we waited for our sea plane - one felt like if there was one place you'd like to be - this was it - and I hadn't even reached the island!
The Hilton Lounge was just a teaser of what was to come! The lounge was impeccably kept and they offer a free 10 minute back and shoulder massage while you wait for the seaplane to transport you to the island. They offer you a nice selection of snacks and drinks while you wait as well - all complimentary of course.
After the horrid Air India flight we had been on, we were not looking forward to the seaplane ride which takes approximately 1 hour(depending on how many stops it has to make) It is quite expensive at USD 300 per head but it is absolutely worth it! The views one gets of the islands is exquisite!It looks like a huge polka dotted fabric of varying shades of blue has been meticulously draped under you. The seaplane is tiny but seats about 10 - 12 people comfortably. The people at the lounge gave us a little bag each which contained a bottle of water, a set of ear plugs and a face tissue - this was a welcome change from the AIr India flight we had been on. If you're wondering why I am so critical of the flight - I wonder how you would feel.if the airhostess tells you to hold on to the seat in the front for take off and landing because my seat had no seat belt! I was just shocked that the plane had passes inspection(by the way, I assume planes are inspected before take off right?!) They served us some horrid congealed dal, boiled chicken with a raw-ish masala on it and rice that was so over cooked that it had dried after being heated before service!
When we touched down at Rangali Island, the real Conrad exprerience began.
We were assigned a vacation manager who was responsible for arranging everything from dinner reservations to excursions for us. She was just super! That is one thing I MUST say! The professionalism of the staff is beyond compare! I am allergic to certain foods and within the first five minutes of being on the island, every restaurant knew what I was allergic to and the chefs would come out personally to help me make the right food choices.
The resort has beach villas, deluxe beach villas and water villas. We were there for four nights so we stayed two nights each in the deluxe beach villas and the spa water villas. The experience was unbelievable!
The deluxe beach villas have outdoor showers and baths as well as a plunge pool where as the spa villa has a room dedicated to getting massages!
From exquisitely furnished rooms to restaurants that served food that could only be described as heavenly, to serving staff that make you feel like you're a local - the Hilton touch was everywhere.
They have several dining options but the restaurant called the sunset bar is just divine and the Atoll Market which is basically the coffee shop is also fantastic!
The resort offers you a half board as well as a bed and breakfast option. Half board means that you will get breakfast as well as dinner at Atoll Market or any of the other restaurants depending on the accommodation you choose. It's a bit complicated in the beginning but it falls into place in a matter of minutes once you're there.
The resort also offers a fabulous spa option as well as excursions for snorkeling and dolphin spotting. We did all of them and I must say that the snorkeling trip was just beyond compare. The guides took us to some stunning reefs and I can swear I saw the entire cast of "Finding Nemo" while sorkeling. We even saw a couple of turtles and a shark!
The dolphin trip was very disappointing though. The crew on the boat were very disinterested and no one really knew what was happening. To add to that it started raining while we were there so we had to turn back. Again - only because it's a Conrad - when we informed the hotel staff that we were disappointed with the dolphin tour, they gave us a 50% discount just to make up for it.
We left the Conrad with heavy hearts but with the surety of returning. And we also realised that when you stay at the Conrad - you get better than the best.
A special mention must be given to the Manager of the Atoll Market - a fascinating guy with humorous stories and a very pleasing personality. It would be unkind ad unfair to not mention our vacation manager(I wish I could name her) and also the operations manager who made sure everything was just so.
Kudos to the Hotel and it's staff. They made this vacation the best vacation of our lives! Before we left we were asked if there was any comment or suggestion we would like to leave ad I couldn't help but wonder - how can they improve on perfection?
