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The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort and The W Maldives are part of the Marriott brand, so you can earn and burn Marriott Bonvoy points at both resorts.
1. Location: St Regis Vs. W Maldives
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is on a private island in the Dhaalu Atoll, requiring a scenic 45-minute but expensive seaplane ride from Malé.
W Maldives is located on North Ari Atoll, a shorter seaplane ride from Mahe airport. The flight takes just 25 minutes. A cheaper arrival option is a domestic flight to Maamigili Airport, which takes about 20 minutes, followed by a speedboat transfer, which takes about 45 minutes.
The W Maldives seaplane transfer is around half the price of the transfers to the St. Regis, which is worth budgeting as these transfers are expensive. Around $500 USD Vs. $750 USD when comparing the two resorts.
2. Style & Character
The St. Regis blends contemporary design and traditional Maldivian architecture, marked by sleek, modern lines and luxurious, opulent details. Upon arrival at both resorts, guests are welcomed by a greeting line of senior resort staff at the hotel’s respective seaplane jetties.
W Maldives is currently undergoing major renovations, with a reopening slated for Q4 2024. It should be beautifully finished in 2025 and well worth visiting. The resort has a warm and friendly vibe. When you are greeted at the W, you are handed a lovely welcome cocktail to start the fun. Fun and a great reef are the main selling points of this resort.
3. Beach & Pools
Both resorts boast pristine white-sand beaches. The St. Regis features an impressive infinity pool that seamlessly blends into the ocean horizon and private pools. However, the pool and the beach are in the same area of the resort, so they lack variety. As beaching and pooling are the main things to do on the island, the St. Regis can be a little boring as you only have one place to go.
The main pool at W Maldives is lively but not busy. It has music playing and jacuzzis on one side. Weekly pool parties offer a great way to make new friends if you are looking for this. The W is a friendly, fun resort.
Both islands offer similar activities, but the W is definitely more adult, and there is no babysitting or kids’ club. Kids are welcome but not particularly well catered for. That said, the adults are very well catered for, and there is a neverending calendar of activities to do, so it’s hard to get bored.
Snorkeling is decent at St. Regis. The disadvantage of the reef at the St Regis is getting to it. You must swim quite a distance from your bungalow to get to the edge of the reef, which has a 100-foot drop-off that can feel weird and uncomfortable for beginners and young snorkelers.
The water at the St. Regis can be fairly rough around the villas, so you can’t always step out into the sea to swim or snorkel. If you have children, the roughness may frighten them.
The W Maldives is well known for having one of the best reefs in the Maldives. Expect to see sharks, eagle rays, and a brilliant array of fish. For snorkeling and diving alone, W is the one to pick
5. Rooms
There are 77 private villas at The St. Regis. The rooms are luxurious villas with a contemporary design, high-end amenities, and private pools, providing a sense of grandeur and exclusivity. They offer high-end marble floors and fixtures but lack Maldivian charm.
The base room here is not overwater but on the edge of the beach, and some of the rooms are tired and worn in places. If you book a standard overwater villa at St. Regis, it may also overlook other villas and lack privacy. We suggest requesting a room as far from the Whale Bar as possible to avoid unwanted noise.
The W Maldives rooms are a similar mix of beach and overwater villas, all with thatched roofs. The overwater villas are their base rooms, and the beach villas are a step up. They are more expensive, larger, and semi-detached, so they are attached to the next-door villa.
The beds in the beach villas are comfy but quite low to get in and out of, and there are steps from the bed to the living area of the room that would be a nightmare with small kids. The bathrooms are a highlight in the beach villas at W Maldives as they are partially open-air with greenery drooping in. They are really nice and unusual.
6. Price
W Maldives tends to be slightly cheaper than the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Rooms at the W Maldives usually start at around $1,200 USD per night, while St. Regis usually starts at around $1,500 USD per night.
Book either of these hotels via our luxury travel concierge to get a better deal. We can gift you free breakfast for two, along with priority room upgrades, hotel credit, and more. You also get your usual Marriott Bonvoy points when you book via our agency.
8. Conclusion
While both resorts offer luxurious experiences in stunning locations, the W Maldives is typically the more budget-friendly option. It has a vibrant, energetic vibe and a very friendly relaxed, and welcoming atmosphere.
The St. Regis offers a more refined, opulent, luxurious, and peaceful experience. It’s for those who want to avoid partying and want a more sedate and exclusive experience.
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