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I first stayed at the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa shortly after it opened on September 7, 2021. It was the first Maldives resort I'd ever visited, and I was understandably blown away. Since then, I've stayed at eight other Maldives resorts — three Hilton resorts, three IHG resorts, and two Hyatt resorts.
This September, I returned to the Le Meridien Maldives for a six-night stay to see how the resort — and my impression of it — had evolved after my experiences elsewhere. I redeemed Marriott Bonvoy points and free night awards for my stay both times. Unlike many Maldives resorts, the Le Meridien Maldives continues to be a resort that doesn't break the points bank.
Here's what award travelers should know about the Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa.
Page Contents
- Le Meridien Maldives Actually Likes Award Travelers
- Award Rates at the Le Meridien Maldives
- Marriott Elite Benefits at the Le Meridien Maldives
- Return Guest Treatment at the Le Meridien Maldives
- All-Inclusive Packages on Award Stays
- Le Meridien Maldives House Reef
- Is the Le Meridien Maldives Worth It?
- Our Take
Le Meridien Maldives Actually Likes Award Travelers
The Le Meridien Maldives is welcoming to award travelers using Marriott Bonvoy points for their stays. Based on discussions I had with management during a weekly Marriott Bonvoy elite cocktail at the resort, the Le Meridien Maldives likes having Marriott Bonvoy members stay on points.
Sadly, this isn't true at all hotels and resorts. I've experienced resort stays where staff are downright hostile to points travelers, treating guests on award stays worse than those on paid stays. But, at the Le Meridien Maldives, we only experienced and heard positive experiences from other guests — including those who said they'd redeemed points — during our stay.
One Marriott Ambassador member we spoke with told us he worked with his personal Ambassador to choose the Le Meridien Maldives for his vacation. He utilized Marriott's stay for five, pay for four benefit, and seemed particularly pleased with how the resort treated him.
And it seems Marriott's Ambassadors have gotten the message. During high season, staff said the resort usually has about five Marriott Ambassador members staying each night.
A sign the property wants award bookings is its opt-in participation in Marriott PointSavers for stays during this low season. Keep an eye out to see if the resort offers PointSavers rates for stays again next summer.
Beware that you'll sometimes face torrential rain and turbulent seas — which can lead to seaplane cancellations — when visiting during the low season. However, we lucked into having just one rainy afternoon for our entire early-September stay.
Related: The 15 Best-Value Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions for Luxury Stays
Award Rates at the Le Meridien Maldives
Marriott Bonvoy uses dynamic award pricing, so award rates at the Le Meridien Maldives vary depending on when you book, when you visit, and the room type you book. For our six-night stay this September, we redeemed 152,000 points and one 40,000-point Marriott free night award.
As of writing, standard redemption on upcoming dates rates ranged from 37,000 to 70,000 points per night. Standard redemptions will get you a sunrise overwater villa or a beach villa.
If you want an overwater villa, the sunrise ones you can book at standard redemption rates are great since you get a shaded deck in the afternoon. But, you can redeem more points or pay a cash upgrade if securing a sunset overwater villa or an overwater villa with a pool is important to you.
On top of your points, you'll need to pay $565 per adult 12 years or older and $283 per child 2 to 11 years old for round-trip seaplane transfer.
Interestingly, Le Meridien Maldives staff told us about 55% of guests book through Marriott Bonvoy — which is drastically higher than the mid-teens rates we'd heard from other Maldives resorts. While the resort didn't specify what percentage of guests redeem points, many other guests we chatted with during our stay had redeemed points.
Top off your Marriott Bonvoy points balance
If you need to earn more Marriott points to book a stay here or at the over 9,000 properties in Marriott's portfolio, here are the transferrable point programs that transfer to Marriott:
You can also buy Marriott points or ask a friend to transfer Marriott points to your account. But if you don't need points urgently, consider signing up for a Marriott credit card to earn points for a future booking. Here are a few of my favorite Marriott credit cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Related: 11 Ways To Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points Without Staying at a Hotel
Marriott Elite Benefits at the Le Meridien Maldives
Members can expect their standard Marriott elite status benefits such as bonus points and space-available room upgrades at the Le Meridien Maldives.
Marriott Platinum Elite and higher members can select one of the following at check-in as an elite welcome gift:
- 1,000 points per stay
- An amenity per stay (a sarong was mentioned during our check-in)
- Breakfast at Turquoise per night of stay for the member and one guest
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card offers automatic Platinum Elite status as a card member perk. So, even if you haven't accrued enough Marriott elite night credits to earn the status, you have a quick and easy way to earn Platinum Elite status before your stay.
The resort provided a bottle of Montcadi Brut Cava (on ice), a selection of canapes, and a lovely handwritten note in our villa as a welcome gift. I assumed this was because we were returning elite guests. But in speaking with other elite members of various tiers, it seems the resort generally provides some combination of a bottle of wine, a fruit basket, and canapes in your room on your arrival day.
Finally, the resort seems to host a weekly Marriott Bonvoy elite cocktail for Marriott elite members. At this cocktail hour, we chatted with management — from department directors to the general manager himself — while enjoying light snacks, drinks, and a live DJ set. Plus, we met several other Marriott elite members with whom we chatted throughout the rest of our stay.
Related: How To Get Free Breakfast at Marriott Hotels
Return Guest Treatment at the Le Meridien Maldives
The Le Meridien Maldives shows appreciation to its returning guests. The first words we heard from the Le Meridien airport representative in Male were “Welcome back!” We were greeted with many “Welcome Back” messages on our first day, including from other staff at the resort, a handwritten letter in our room, and artwork on our bed.
Being return guests also meant a nice surprise at check-in. Once we chose our elite welcome gift, the staff member checking us in mentioned we'd get an additional choice of the following as return guests:
- 30-minute spa treatment for two
- Sushi masterclass for two
- Mixology class for two
We chose the 30-minute spa treatment for two. We later learned the sushi masterclass and mixology class are one-hour classes held once a week that typically cost $55 plus 26% tax and service per person.
Reception advised us to contact the spa directly to book our treatment. When we stopped by the spa to book, we learned we could each get a complimentary 30-minute massage. But we could pay $80 (plus a combined 26% tax and service) per person to get a one-hour full-body relaxing, traditional Thai, deep tissue, or Balinese massage (typically $150++). Alternatively, we could pay $150++ per person for 90 minutes (typically $180++).
We opted to pay $80++ per person to each enjoy a 60-minute massage. The treatment rooms at the Le Meridien Maldives spa are overwater and have glass windows under the tables so you can watch the ocean (and fish) during your massage.
Related: 12 Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions For The Budget-Savvy Traveler
All-Inclusive Packages on Award Stays
You can add a food and beverage package to your award booking during check-in. The check-in agent presented the following three packages:
- Half board: Breakfast and dinner (doesn't include any drinks besides house water) for $130 per person per night (ages 12+)
- Full board plus: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (includes select drinks during meals) for $175 per person per night (ages 12+)
- All-inclusive: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (includes select drinks throughout the day) for $235 per person per night (ages 12+)
If you're a Platinum Elite member (or higher) and opt for breakfast as your welcome amenity, you'll save $40 per person per night off the above prices. Note that these prices and options may change, so you'll need to contact the resort or wait until check-in to learn the per-person prices and specific inclusions.
Check the current menus for each restaurant using the QR codes below so you can make an informed decision regarding whether to pay a la carte for food and drink or purchase a package.
Based on what we observed during our stay, many guests seemed to be on a food and beverage package. However, we opted to skip the packages and pay a la carte as we went. This worked out well for us, as we usually only eat at most two meals a day and didn't plan to drink much alcohol during this stay.
We stretched our beverage budget by enjoying the “buy two, get one free” happy hour on select cocktails at Riveria Bar from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. During this happy hour, three drinks cost us around $43 total (including tax and service).
Related: The Top Hotels for Using Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Free Nights
Le Meridien Maldives House Reef
Le Meridien Maldives has a house reef you can reach from the beach or overwater villas jetty extending from Riveria. Just note that it can be a long swim, and the currents around the resort can be strong.
During our first four-night visit in 2021, we didn't swim out to the house reef due to strong currents and turbulent seas. But this time, we found a blog that spelled out where to go. So, we were set on snorkeling the Le Meridien Maldives house reef this visit.
Dive center staff didn't offer any useful advice about the house reef, and other resort staff we spoke to gave differing descriptions of how to access it. You'll find the following snorkeling map in the Marine Conservation hub, but the map is unfortunately not accurate nor to scale.
Here's our recommendation: To reach the Le Meridien Maldives house reef, go to the public ladder at the end of the jetty near villa 248, swim straight out until you reach the reef shelf (where the water gets much deeper), and then turn right to swim parallel to the beach.
Once you reach an area where the reef turns inward toward the resort, continue parallel to the beach across a sandy area until you reach seagrasses. Listen for chomping sounds to locate the numerous sea turtles in this area. When you're ready to head back, swim toward the water sports area — enjoying the coral and seagrasses along the way.
The house reef can feel alarmingly far from the resort, so it's only suitable if you're comfortable in the water and confident in your swimming abilities. However, it's worth it for those up for the trek. We saw black-tip reef sharks, massive rays, sea turtles, eels, endless beautiful fish, and healthy coral.
Check the tides and currents before snorkeling (ask the lifeguards or water sports staff if you aren't sure). We found the water smoother and the currents weaker in the morning during our stay. The current pushed outward from the overwater villas and from the overwater villas toward the dive center in the afternoons.
Related: Which Marriott Hotel Brands Earn the Most Points?
Is the Le Meridien Maldives Worth It?
There isn't an easy answer to whether staying at Le Meridien Maldives is worth it. After staying at nine different Maldives resorts since 2021, I know each resort appeals to a different type of guest.
While I believe the Le Meridien Maldives provides the best value when redeeming Marriott points for a stay in the Maldives, it's not right for everyone. Here's what I think sets the resort apart from others, and some ways I think it could improve.
What sets the Le Meridien Maldives apart?
When I asked what sets the Le Meridien Maldives apart from other Maldives resorts, the general manager highlighted the resort's food and beverage offerings and diverse staff from over 25 countries.
I'd add the following things that we enjoyed about the Le Meridien Maldives compared to other Maldives resorts:
- Well-designed overwater villas: The bathtub is comfortable and provides great ocean views during the day. The bed faces outward to the ocean, and the villa offers ample storage space. The lounge chairs on the porch dry quickly. The handheld shower installed right by the ladder into the water was super convenient for rinsing off after swimming.
- Overwater villas are bookable as a standard points redemption: It is wonderful to confirm an overwater villa using a modest amount of points
- Ample turtles and other marine life on the house reef: Although going on a house reef snorkel is a journey, you're almost guaranteed to find turtles when you look in the seagrass area. For reference, we saw more turtles on each house reef snorkel at the Le Meridien Maldives than on a paid turtle excursion to a nearby reef we went on while staying at the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.
- A general WhatsApp contact instead of a specific person: Many Maldives resorts give you a single point of contact, but I found I got much quicker responses through the central WhatsApp contact for the resort. This system also resulted in a more efficient cart system, especially since the resort will carry guests who don't know each other in the same cart.
How can the Le Meridien Maldives improve?
The Le Meridien Maldives does an excellent job overall. But. after staying at nine different Maldives resorts, I have plenty to compare this resort to. Here are some nitpicky improvements I'd like to see.
- Complimentary reef-safe sunscreen: Like most Maldives resorts, the Le Meridien doesn't offer complimentary sunscreen in the room or at its pools. Thankfully we brought plenty along with us. However, it would be nice to have reef-safe sunscreen in a refillable bottle next to the hand soap and lotion in bathrooms.
- Complimentary bike rentals: We've stayed at several Maldives resorts that provide complimentary bikes to all guests. So, we were excited to see bike stands during our arrival tour. At the Le Meridien, bike rentals are a (fairly reasonable) $10 per day. But we would love to see the resort provide complimentary bike rentals on request for guests that prefer that to requesting a buggy to get around.
- Advance notice of food/drink packages: We were happy to learn about the half- and full-board packages on arrival, but other guests may prefer to get this information in advance to budget for their stay.
Likewise, you might prefer a different resort if you expect a pristine marine environment. We noticed trash in the water multiple times, ranging from floating plastic bottles and a chip bag to a sunken soda can on the house reef. This trash likely isn't the resort's fault, but it did negatively affect our experience.
Our Take
It's wonderful to redeem a modest amount of Marriott points to confirm an overwater villa in the Maldives. The overwater villas are well-designed and offer a scenic ocean view from most parts of the villa, including the bed and bathtub.
We loved seeing wildlife around the resort, including fruit bats, baby sharks, schools of fish, and sea turtles. But, another resort will be better if you want to snorkel the house reef but aren't a confident enough swimmer to venture so far from the beach.
Have you stayed at the Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa? Let us know your thoughts and any tips for future guests below.
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