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Hotel Guide: Conrad Maldives
This island getaway has it all, but paradise doesn't come cheap. Even so, there are ways to save.
Josh is a former freelance travel writer who is passionate about remote work and finding amazing travel deals. He has visited over 60 countries and tries to work from a different location each month.
Chris Burkhardt is a former freelance editor for NerdWallet, helping with travel and credit card related content. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Chris has been a writer, editor, videographer and more in his 10 years as a journalist. Prior to joining the NerdWallet team in 2021, Chris was a digital media producer for NBC Sports — where his numerous trips around the country covering major sporting events helped his understanding of the travel world.
When not editing articles for NerdWallet, Chris can be heard hosting sports talk radio on iHeart Radio’s Rip City Radio 620 or running the digital content for the Oregon School Activities Association.
Chris is based in Portland, Oregon.
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The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is a Hilton resort that offers a luxurious and picture-perfect experience to guests who are lucky enough to visit. Although the Conrad Maldives price can be more than $1,600 per night for cash bookings, you can also use Hilton Honors points to cover the cost of your stay.
If you’re considering staying at the resort or are just curious about what this luxury property is like, we have a good chunk of the answers in this Conrad Maldives review.
The Conrad Maldives consists of 2 private islands, Rangali-Finolhu Island and the adults-only Rangali Island. You can use Hilton Honors points to book a stay at the Conrad Maldives, with a standard room costing 120,000 points per night.
Although 120,000 points per night certainly isn’t cheap, a benefit of using your Hilton points for a stay at the Conrad Maldives is that the hotel considers its Water Villa, an overwater villa with sweeping view of the Indian Ocean, to be a standard room.
Where is Conrad Maldives Rangali Island? The luxury resort is located in the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The hotel is roughly a 30-minute seaplane ride away from Malé, the capital of the Maldives and where the country’s main international airport is located.
The resort is designed so that you can enjoy views of the stunning crystal-clear blue water that surrounds the resort nearly everywhere you go, and you get your first taste of this in the welcome lounge you’re brought to after you arrive at the hotel.
Guests are escorted to the welcome area pictured above when they first arrive at the Conrad Maldives, giving them an opportunity to take in the views and enjoy a welcome drink before being escorted to their room. (Photo courtesy of Josh Garber)
A unique aspect of the design at the Conrad Maldives is that the entire resort, even the restaurants, were designed to be shoe-optional, meaning you can walk around barefoot the entire trip if you’d like.
The hotel offers more than 10 different restaurants and bars for you to enjoy during your stay, including:
Koko Grill (offering ten-course Japanese dining).
Vilu Restaurant & Bar (offering Mediterranean-inspired cuisine).
The Wine Cellar (the Maldives first underground wine cellar).
Before you book your stay, be sure to keep in mind that food at the resort isn’t cheap – dinner at the Koko Grill, for example, will set you back at least $230 per person. That said, Hilton Gold and Diamond members get free breakfast at the resort, which can help to lower the cost you’ll spend on food during your stay.
The Conrad Maldives offers luxurious accommodations where guests can choose to stay on land, in overwater villas or even under the water.
If you desire an overwater villa experience, the Conrad Maldives has a number of options and you can even opt for a villa that has a private pool or hot tub.
View of the hotel spa from a private hot tub in a Superior Water Villa at the Conrad Maldives. (Photo courtesy of Josh Garber)
If you’d rather be on land, there are beach villas and beach suites to book, all with direct beach access and some with private pools. The basic beach villa is over 1,600 square feet, giving you plenty of room to relax in after a long day soaking up the sun.
The most unique accommodation at the Conrad Maldives is called The Muraka, which is the world’s first underwater hotel villa. The Muraka comes with three bedrooms (two above the water and one below), 24-hour butler services and an outdoor deck with a private infinity pool. The price tag isn’t for the faint of heart, though — a stay in The Muraka can cost more than $10,000 per night.
How to get to the Conrad Maldives
If you’re based in the U.S., prepare for a long journey. There are no direct flights from the U.S., and a one-way trip can take upwards of 24 hours. Given the flight time, we’d recommend flying in a premium class if you can so that you can arrive well rested.
🤓Nerdy Tip
One way you can affordably fly in style to the Maldives is to take advantage of the American Airlines award chart, where you can book a one-way trip in Qatar Airways’ Qsuites for 70,000 American Airlines miles each way.
Once you arrive at the international airport in Malé, you have two options for how to get to the Conrad Maldives:
Taking a seaplane directly to the resort.
Taking a domestic flight to a nearby island, and then taking a boat from the domestic airport to the hotel.
As both options cost the same, $500 round-trip per adult, we’d recommend taking the direct seaplane if your flight schedule allows for it.
The Conrad Maldives is a gorgeous property located in the Indian Ocean and is a fantastic use of Hilton Honors points if you’re able to find availability for a standard room. Even if you’re able to book the hotel for free using points, be cognizant of the cost to fly (both to the Maldives and within) plus the premium food costs that are hard to escape in such a rural location.
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