With two bucket-list flights with Qatar Airways (A350-1000 in QSuites and 777-300ER in Business Class) under our belts, my wife and I finally touch down in Male, Maldives. After over 25 hours of travel, we are ready to embark on our long-awaited stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives. Truth be told, this trip is years in the making and was planned entirely around experiencing this incredible property.

When I first started with points and miles, about ten years ago, the Park Hyatt Maldives quickly topped my wish list for a dream points redemption. Although I have had some incredible stays since then, I knew that, one day, I would plan an all-out trip to the Maldives. This is that trip – and I can not wait to share every detail.

… and what makes this trip extra special is that I get to celebrate five amazing years with my wife.

Where Is The Park Hyatt Maldives Located

The Park Hyatt Maldives sits on its own private island in the Huvadhoo Atoll, one of the largest and most remote atolls in the world. To help you get your bearings, I have included an interactive Google Map below — though you will need to zoom out a bit to get a full sense of the scale and remoteness of the Maldives.

Once I arrive in Malé, reaching the resort involves an extra journey, which is part of the experience. First, I will take a domestic flight on Maldivian Airlines, lasting about an hour, followed by a scenic 30-minute to 60-minute speedboat ride organized by the resort. I will dive into the details of this transfer process later.

One thing to keep in mind: the resort island operates one hour ahead of Malé time. When I connect to the Wi-Fi, my phone and laptop do not update automatically, so I need to manually adjust my devices. Fortunately, each room at the Park Hyatt Maldives has a master clock set to the time of the island to help me keep track.

What Is The Base Cost Of The Park Hyatt Maldives

Let me be upfront: the Park Hyatt Maldives is not a budget-friendly stay, whether you are booking with points or cash.

As of 2024, the Park Hyatt Maldives is a Category 7 property in the World of Hyatt program. This means a stay on points costs between 25,000 (off-peak) and 35,000 (peak) points per night. Even though the points costs is high, I use points for this stay. My wife and I stay for six nights, which costs 210,000 points. This averages out to 35,000 points per night, as our stay falls in the “peak” tourist season for the Maldives. As a reference point, the base price for our room is over $1,000 per night.

Note: My wife and I operate in “2-Player Mode,” which means we are able to earn points across a variety of cards including: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, and World of Hyatt Credit Card.

Related: The Best Ways To Earn World Of Hyatt Points

Related: Chase Ultimate Rewards: A Complete Guide To Transfer Partners

Additional Costs To Consider

Unfortunately, my costs are not limited to the hotel itself. As with many tropical island destinations, there is an unavoidable “getting there” cost. At the time of our stay, the round trip sea-plane transfer fee is $599 per person. Thankfully, the resort arranges everything and contacts me shortly after the booking. The process is seamless.

Since I book the stay with points, I am given the option to upgrade from the base room for an additional nightly fee. Here are the upgrade costs at the time of my booking:

• Beach Pool Villa: $319.00 per night
• Overwater Villa (No Pool): $701.80 per night
• Overwater Sunset Pool Villa: $1,020.80 per night
• Deluxe Beach Pool Villa: $1,212.20 per night
• Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa: $1,786.40 per night

Note: Globalists may receive a complimentary upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability. 

My wife and I are fortunate, as we receive a complimentary upgrade to the Beach Pool Villa for the first three nights shortly after booking. As this is our 5-year anniversary trip, we splurge on an Overwater Sunset Pool Villa for the last three nights. The pool is not the only additional benefit… but more on this later.

Related: How To Get A Hotel Upgrade Without Status

Outside of the hotel and transportation costs, there is a mandatory 16% local tax and 10% service charge for all purchases while on the island. I will cover this in more depth when discussing the Food, Activities, and Experiences. The only “positive,” is I will earn valuable World of Hyatt points on all hotel spend – outside alcohol – including the sea-plane transfer.

In total, we commit to spend over $4,000 before ever setting foot on the island. Now, it is completely possible to stay on points alone, and there are even some tricks to reduce the food cost, but my wife and I splurge for this once in a lifetime trip. YOLO!

The Domestic Flight With Maldivian Airlines

Getting to the Park Hyatt Maldives is not as simple as landing in Malé — there is a scenic domestic flight and a quick boat ride still to go. Here are all the details of my experience. I hope it helps!

Landing In Male And Managing Immigration

After my wife and I land in Male, we quickly make our way though immigration. There is a separate immigration and security line for First and Business Class passengers. Thankfully, the security line is almost always short. Once through immigration, I pick up our checked bags. This part is a bit chaotic, but that is part of the local charm. With that said, I look forward to the expansion of the Male International Airport (MLE) in 2025; if for nothing else than an improved baggage experience.

Note: Three days before arrival, the Park Hyatt Maldives sends my domestic flight details, scheduling flights with enough buffer time in case of any delays. Maldivian Airlines flies to three or four airports near the resort, so guests might land at different spots depending on flight availability.

Meeting The Park Hyatt Representative And Domestic Check-In

Once my wife and I have our luggage, we head outside to the arrivals hall and meet a massive crowd of hotel representatives holding signs and waiving at almost every passenger. We quickly, and easily, find the Park Hyatt Maldives representative. This is where the “next-level” service of the Park Hyatt Maldives already shows. The representative (can not remember the name), tags the bags with a Park Hyatt Maldives label and handles the domestic check-in on Maldivian Airlines.

Note: Maldivian Airlines allows each passenger 30kg (approx. 66 pounds) of free checked luggage. This includes any carry-on luggage, as there are limited overhead bins on the plane. Excess baggage fees are $3 per kg. Thank goodness my wife and I are lite packers!

After check-in and handing us our tickets, the representative directs my wife and I to the domestic lounge and answers any and all of our questions. The hotel understandably tries to “batch” hotel guests together, but do not force excessive wait times.

Male International Airport Domestic Lounge

While not the best lounge, the domestic lounge has everything I need: free Wi-Fi, a small continental breakfast, and most importantly, a coffee machine. I opt for a slice of toast, a cappuccino, and a Maldivian Coke (the first of many). Nothing like caffeine on top of caffeine after a long flight. My wife and I quickly find a comfortable spot in one of the oversized chairs with ottomans.

Be warned. If you decide to take a nap in the lounge, I recommend setting an alarm. If not, there is a high likelihood you sleep right through your flight!

Note: If you are traveling light and have some extra time between flights, consider a quick “taxi-tour” of Male. Even with a short drive, you still see more of the city then most tourists who only pass through the capital. 

Boarding The Domestic Flight On Maldivian Airlines

The security line for the domestic flights in Male opens 30 minute before departure. There is no need to rush, as seats are assigned and there is little to no overhead bin space. Security is simple and straightforward. I do not even need to remove my shoes! However, if you are a smoker, lighters are not allowed in carry-on baggage.

Once through security, my wife and I find the small waiting room. Maldivian Airlines boards one flight at a time, in order to avoid hiccups.

Unlike in other airports, where there may be a bus, passengers walk out directly onto the tarmac for boarding. The plane itself is a turboprop plane. These can provide a fun experience, but just know boarding and disembarking requires the use of stairs attached to the plane. Something to consider if you have mobility challenges.

Maldivian Airlines Flight Experience

This is my first time on a Dash-8 300 aircraft. It is a colossal difference when compared to the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350-1000. The seat lay-out is 2-2 and includes the usual overhead bins and under seat storage. The one aspect of the configuration I find interesting is in the first row, the passengers face each other. My wife and I are two of those passengers.

The seat is similar to a domestic US-based airline. In my specific seat, the safety literature is on the side and the air conditioning and reading lights are above. With that said, due to the outside temperature, small plane size, and short flight duration, the air conditioning has limited effectiveness.

Due to the fact that our seats are facing another set of seats, we have no tray table. However, if we were in normal seats, we would have tray tables. Understandably, there is no in-flight entertainment or Wi-Fi on these flights.

As my wife and I settle into out seats, the flight attendant offers us a moist towelette.

Once airborne, the flight attendants serve a small snack of nuts, dried fruit, a piece of chocolate, and a choice of mango juice or water. I choose the mango juice, which is delicious.

The flight lasts about an hour and comes with complimentary, stunning view of the atolls (pictures do not do it justice). I highly recommend a window seat.

Note: As these planes are smaller, any turbulence may appear stronger / worse than on bigger planes, but you are safe. 

Arriving At Kaadedhdhoo Island

The plane lands at Kaadedhdhoo Island (I still have trouble pronouncing this name), where the runway doubles as a taxiway. Welcome to small airports.

My wife and I are some of the first passengers off the plane. Once outside the plane, a Park Hyatt Maldives representative (different from the one at the airport) meets us, collects our bags, and escorts us via golf cart to the dock for the final leg of the journey: the boat ride.

An interesting cultural note: I notice some local Maldivian passengers disembarking with boxes of food and supplies instead of luggage. Almost no one outside Male has a car, so most travel is either via plane or boat. It is truly interesting to see how life looks from the perspective of a local in an island nation.

The Boat Transfer To The Park Hyatt Maldives

The final stretch of the journey to the Park Hyatt Maldives is a scenic boat ride that sets the tone for an unforgettable stay.

The Boat Transfer

After a quick five-minute ride in the golf cart, my wife and I arrive at the dock, where a third representative from the Park Hyatt Maldives waits for us. The boat and hotel staff help us onboard, load our luggage, and hand us the required life jackets. Hot tip from the boat staff: the smoothest ride is in the back of the boat. Confirmed!

With everything in place, we begin our journey to the island resort.

Shortly after the boat leaves the dock, one of the hotel staff members brings my wife and me a refreshing lemongrass-scented towel, a glass of juice, and a few delicious cookies – an indulgent start to our stay to say the least! The boat ride lasts roughly an hour. While we do pass a few islands, it is not many; and the views are nowhere near as impressive as from above.

Arrival At The Park Hyatt Maldives

I have arrived. It hits me as we approach the island. The view is simply stunning. Any residual travel fatigue instantly disappears as I relax and fully immerse my senses in the beauty of the moment. When the boat docks, my wife and I are warmly greeted by a guest relations representative. He not only welcomes us by name, but opens a bottle of sparkling wine in celebration of our arrival. A glimpse of what is to come over the next six days…

Final Thoughts

My journey to the Park Hyatt Maldives was certainly an adventure, filled with Business Class flights, scenic transfers, and a warm Maldivian welcome. After finally arriving on this secluded island, it is clear why this resort has long been a top destination for points enthusiasts — it truly feels like paradise.

… but this is just the start!

Stay tuned as I explore everything the Park Hyatt Maldives has to offer and why it might be the perfect way to use your points for a bucket-list getaway.