St Regis Maldives and Male Airport VIP Experience

Posted By Jon Nickel-D'Andrea on Sep 30, 2019 | 2 comments

Mention the Maldives and images of pristine turquoise blue waters come to mind. Overwater bungalows with direct jump-in access to the water and romantic sunsets are commonplace in this island paradise.

While it’s on almost everyone’s wish list, getting there can be a challenge. Flights are often ridiculously expensive and once you DO get to the islands, a barrage of expensive hotels with overpriced meals await. Never mind the flight distance involved, those expensive factors are enough to turn some people off and have them looking for cheaper destinations.

Lonely Palm Tree

Getting to paradise and back doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We booked a ridiculous, normally unattainable luxury vacation valued at almost $46,000 for a grand total of $1,818… for two people!

Considering that’s usually the price of a regular coach class ticket to the Maldives, that’s one heck of a steal.

In the series of posts to follow, we’re going to walk you through all the experiences that we enjoyed on this trip. While most people would consider this once-in-a-lifetime, with just a little legwork and dedication you can have a luxury getaway to make Instagram followers drool with envy.

Our $46,000 vacation to the Maldives for only $1,818

• Part 1 – Introduction and Planning
• Part 2 – Flights to London and Hamilton
• Part 3 – Refined Luxury London’s St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
• Part 4a – The House Lounge, London Heathrow
• Part 4b – Etihad First Class Apartment LHR-AUH
• Part 4c – Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi
• Part 4d – A340 Etihad to Male, Flight Review
• Part 5 – A day in the life of Male, Capital City
• Part 6 – St Regis Airport Lounge
• Part 7 – The St Regis Hotel Arrival Experience
• Part 8 – Overwater Villa, $3000/night for FREE
• Part 9 – Things to do at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 10 – Free Breakfast at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 11 – How to not go broke eating in the Maldives
• Part 12 – Snorkeling at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 13 – Male Airport VIP experience
• Part 14 – Emirates First Class Male to Dubai
• Part 15 – Dubai Transit Hotel – Amazing Value
• Part 16 – Emirates First Class Dubai to Los Angeles
• Part 17 – Conclusion and Giveaway

When the dreaded time comes to leave paradise and head for your flight home, what better way to do it than with the flair of the St Regis luxury experience.

The TMA seaplane came for us and we almost had to be dragged onboard. After such an amazing experience, who really goes quietly?

The seaplane ride stopped at one other resort on the way to Male, but a quick 35 minutes of gorgeous low-altitude views and we were back at the airport.

We walked back from the seaplane to the relative quiet and relaxation of the St Regis Great Room.

Since we didn’t pay for lunch the last day on the island, we decided to have the free options once again (read here about all the other ways to eat for free during your stay). Ben ordered the burger and I went with some pastries and spicy tuna cakes.

Here’s a peek at the lunchtime menu

I joking made a bit of a jab at the fact that we were being delivered to the great room in a minivan, and it didn’t seem very luxurious. I also mentioned how awesome if would be if we could ride the Bentley back to the terminal. Happy to oblige, since we asked for it, in a matter of minutes the Bentley was summoned and waiting for us.

Wow. Just wow.

Mind you, this is the only Bentley on the island, and the man driving it was one of only two people authorized to be behind the wheel. The only Bentley in the entire country and we were in it!

Just look at the look of joy on this man’s face. He’s arguabely got the best job in the country.

Once we arrived to the airport, the butler once again was there, but refused to let us handle our bags. He went with us to the Emirates check in counter, assisted with lifting and moving all the luggage, and even went so far as to walk us to security.

From the moment we arrived in the Maldives to the moment we left the airport, the St Regis Butler team was there to make sure that every second of our stay was as relaxed and care free as possible.

Saying goodbye at the security check in (they can’t pass through) he wished us an enjoyable ride home and hoped to see us again soon.

Oh don’t worry… we’ll be back!