Our Conrad Maldives Family Vacation

During our Maldives family vacation, we stayed one week at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island for nearly free with points! This was our third trip to the Maldives, but our first time bringing our kids. We split our stay with one week at Park Hyatt Maldives and one week at the Conrad Maldives.  We had some Hilton free night certificates and points from our Hilton credit cards and where better to redeem them than at one of the most aspirational Hilton properties in the world. Read our Conrad Maldives review to help you decide where to stay in the Maldives with kids.

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Booking Conrad Maldives with Hilton points & award nights

We booked our stay at the Conrad Maldives with a combination of Hilton points and Hilton award nights that we earned from our Hilton credit cards (learn about our favorite travel credit cards here). Conrad Maldives Rangali Island requires 95K Hilton points/night for a standard award redemption, which books a Beach Villa. We also took advantage of the 5th night free promo for Hilton elite members on consecutive award stays. So for 5 nights booked on points we paid 380K Hilton points total.

We each redeemed a free night certificate valid at any Hilton resort for a standard redemption. I (Alexis) redeemed one from the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Bertaut from his Amex Hilton Surpass® Card by meeting a spending threshold. So in total we had 7 nights that would have cost $9,570.40 for the Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool (we received an upgrade as Diamond members). Instead we paid $84 in taxes (which would have been $0 if we had double occupancy) + 380K Hilton points + 2 free night certificates. We saved over $9,400 not including savings on breakfast for 4 people (We also applied a $250 credit from our Hilton Aspire credit card towards dining). Taxes and fees are waived on award stays, but for occupancy above 2 guests there is a $6/night eco tax for each extra person. The price for the Deluxe Beach Villa can be over $3,000 per night in high season, so we were extremely happy with our redemption.

Getting to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

We flew to Male, the capital of the Maldives with Qatar Airways in Qsuites Business Class by redeeming American Airline miles.  In Male, hotel staff greeted us after we collected our luggage and transported us to the Conrad Maldives lounge. From there we waited just a few minutes for our transfer to the resort.

The Conrad Maldives transfer fee is $560 per adult and $280 per child under 12 after the 12% T-GST (taxes). This transfer fee covered a 30-minute sea plane ride to the resort, or a domestic flight to a nearby island followed by a speedboat transfer to the resort. We opted for the sea plane transfer since we’d never flown in a sea plane.

We barely walked into the lounge and it was time to leave for our sea plane flight. They offer complimentary food and drinks in the lounge during the day, but we missed out on that since we were only there for about 2 minutes. We were hoping for time to enjoy some food, but were eager to get to the resort and were happy to not have a long wait in Male after such a long journey.

The sea plane transfer offered beautiful views of the turquoise atolls. However, it was hot and cramped inside especially for Bertaut who is 6’6. If you’re big or claustrophobic, you may want to opt for the domestic flight transfer instead.

Conrad Maldives Welcome

Upon arrival to the Conrad Maldives, staff welcomed us with fresh coconut drinks in an arrival lounge on the bridge between the islands. Our host helped with our luggage and walked with us to the reception area where we checked in to our villa.

The resort is comprised of 3 islands- the main large island called Rangalifinolhu where most of the restaurants and villas are located, a smaller adults-only island called Rangali, and a third island where the staff live.

We were informed that the adults-only island was closed for renovations during our stay. We expressed our disappointment since we had heard it offered the most beautiful views and wanted to take advantage of the adults-only pool for our 15th anniversary. Our personal host took note and passed along our concern to management, who had good news for us later.

It’s worth noting that the hotel charges your credit card at check-in for in the amount of $4,000, which they said is the typical expenses for a stay. They said they could refund any portion that was not spent, but we asked them to reduce the amount and they agreed to charge $2,500 instead. That was much closer to our actual costs for food and transfer fees to/from the resort so we just had to pay the difference at the end of our stay.

Welcome gifts of a bottle of sparking wine, a bowl of fruit, and chocolates were waiting for us in our villa, which we presume is gifted to all Hilton members with elite status.

Conrad Maldives Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool

As Hilton Diamond members, we were eligible for a room upgrade based on availability at check-in. We read in the fine print that this property does not participate in room upgrades for elite members and charges a fee for a confirmed upgrade. However, we spoke with several other Diamond guests who did receive a complimentary upgrade and it was confirmed in advance. They booked lengthy stays of a few weeks and had large families so that may have made the difference, plus we visited during monsoon season when demand was low.  If you’re the gambling type you could wait for a free upgrade upon arrival. You may have luck emailing the hotel in advance asking for a confirmed complimentary upgrade if you have a large family and will be staying awhile.

We received a complimentary upgrade to a Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool. We didn’t see any of the standard Beach Villas for comparison but our villa was absolutely gorgeous! The Deluxe Beach Villas measure 300 sq.m./3,229 sq.ft. and  accommodate 3 adults or 2 adults plus 2 children. They have been recently renovated, which shows because everything looked brand new and luxurious. We loved how the villas are so bright and filled with natural light thanks to floor to ceiling windows and skylights.

Our villa had a foyer, a sunlit vanity area, desk area, mini bar area, a King bed and twin daybed, indoor and outdoor rain shower, double vanity, separate toilet area, an outdoor open-air resting pavilion, and private plunge pool. They brought a rollaway bed at no extra charge, which was appreciated.

The mini bar was stocked with complimentary water, tea, coffee and milk, which was great for the kids.

The beach was steps away through a lush tropical path (check it out on video here) past our private pool. The kids splashed around in the pool whenever we wanted some down time in the villa. Chaise lounges and umbrellas on the beach provided a place to relax while the kids played in the sand and searched for hermit crabs. Having a private pool is a huge perk when traveling with kids!

Conrad Maldives Pools

Besides our private pool, the Conrad Maldives has two pools in public areas as well as a small baby pool. The main infinity pool is on the large island next to Rangali Bar, offering beautiful ocean views. There are plenty of lounge chairs, some of which are sitting in a shallow area of the pool. Staff offered complimentary water and refreshments like fruit skewers and icy hand towels throughout the day.

 

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The adults-only pool is on the smaller adults-only island. When we expressed disappointment that we would not be able to visit for our anniversary, management opened up the adults-only pool and bar. We appreciated their responsiveness to our feedback.  We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing quietly with a bottle of sparking wine on the beach. This pool has The Quiet Zone Bar nearby which serves drinks and lunch fare. Here’s a video from the adults-only pool.

Activities

There were plenty of activities to keep us occupied at the Conrad Maldives besides just relaxing on the beach and playing in the pool. The kids loved playing tennis in the morning. There are several complimentary watersports including free use of snorkeling gear, kayaks, paddle boats, stand-up paddle boards, windsurfing, and catamaran sailing for guests who can sail it themselves. There are other water activities available for a fee, including guided catamaran sailing, jet skiing, glass bottom boat rides, water skiing, jetblading, inflatable rides, and more. We tried snorkeling but since we visited during monsoon season in August, the water was so choppy that we couldn’t see much.

Complimentary Breakfast & Happy Hour for Gold & Diamond members

As Hilton Diamond members, we received complimentary breakfast for our family of four. If you don’t have Hilton elite status, it’s worth obtaining before a trip to this resort for the generous perks. You can get automatic Hilton Gold status with The Platinum Card® from American Express (learn more about it here), which earns transferable points that you could use to fly to the Maldives.

The breakfast buffet was served at Ufaa on the beach since the restaurant where breakfast is normally served was under renovation. The location was convenient since it is right next to the kids club. The kids would run off to the kids club to play with their new friends while we lingered over breakfast just steps away.

The breakfast buffet was extensive and offered plenty of variety to satisfy everyone in our family. There were hot dishes like eggs, bacon, waffles, fried rice or noodles, dim sum, oatmeal, and omelette station. The buffet also had a selection of fresh fruit, cereal, pastries, bread, and yogurt.

We heard after our stay that you could also order off a menu, but no one ever showed us a menu so we didn’t know that was available. We befriended a family who recommended we try a Maldivian omelette and Maldivian fish curry. He asked the chef to prepare it for us and we had it the next day, which was flavorful and spicy. So if there’s something you want, ask the chef if he can prepare it for you, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Hilton Diamond and Gold members are also invited to a daily happy hour from 4-5pm at Ufaa in the same beach area where breakfast is served. It used to be offered at Vilu on the adults-only island, but since that island was closed during our stay they moved it to Ufaa. During happy hour we enjoyed endless glasses of champagne, wine, beer, the cocktail of the day, or soda. They also brought bite-sized canapés for us to share.

The service during happy hour was extremely good. The servers kept our glasses full and were engaging and friendly. Considering the absorbitant price of alcoholic drinks in the Maldives, the happy hour was a huge perk for Hilton elite members. The kids also loved getting a soda at happy hour every day.

Conrad Maldives Restaurants

The hotel has many options for dining and overall the food was very good. We tried many of the restaurants during our weeklong stay. However, since occupancy was low due to the pandemic and monsoon season, not all restaurants were open every day. We had trouble getting dinner reservations early enough for the kids. We also were jet lagged and fell asleep early every night, so needed early dinner reservations.

Make sure to secure dinner reservations for your entire stay on the first day of your trip, which your host can arrange for you. We didn’t realize the importance of securing reservations early and therefore did not get to try every restaurant since some were completely booked by the time we tried to make a reservation a few days into our stay.

Conrad Maldives food prices are very high but this is the norm for Maldives luxury resorts. Almost everything has to be imported to this private island, except for local seafood which is typically priced the lowest on the menu. Expect to spend at least $35 for a fish or chicken curry, and $70 for Maldivian lobster. Kids meals are about $20 and soft drinks are $9 each. You also have to pay for water at meals, which was about $12 per bottle.

Kids under age 12 eat free off the kids menu at most restaurants when dining with a parent, which saved us considerably. We learned this from a FlyerTalk forum and had to confirm this with our host, since our server was not aware and had charged us for the kids meals originally. Make sure to check your bill to verify that you were not charged for kids meals at the participating restaurants.

We recommend bringing some snacks like granola bars and mixed nuts to tide you over between breakfast and dinner, which is what most families do there to keep food costs down. They do not allow you to take any leftovers away from the breakfast buffet, which I found out when I asked for a box for some muffins.

Rangali Bar

We ended up eating at Rangali Bar most nights since it’s the only restaurant that doesn’t require a reservation. It’s also the most casual restaurant and is ideal for families with outdoor seating on the beach or indoor seating with TV’s in case of rain. The Rangali Bar features live music most nights and has movie night with a kids movie followed by an adult movie. The servers even brought free popcorn for the kids while they watched the movie on bean bags with their friends, which was a huge hit!

Sunset Grill

We dined at Sunset Grill, an overwater restaurant, on our 15th anniversary. We sat outdoors and enjoyed gorgeous sunset views. We had the Maldivian lobster which was delicious and the kids ordered off the kids menu. We spotted reef sharks swimming just below our table at dusk. The kids found that entertaining as we finished our bottle of wine which was an anniversary gift from the resort. They delivered the wine to our room but allowed us to enjoy it with dinner.

Ufaa

Ufaa, which means “happiness”, is a casual Chinese restaurant and teahouse that was offering dining under a tent on the beach during our stay. We dined there one night and while the food was tasty, we preferred the ambience at Rangali Bar. Ufaa serves handmade noodles, hot pots, and dim sum.

Ufaa was also where the daily happy hour for Hilton Gold and Diamond members, the Manager’s Reception, and breakfast were served daily during our visit.

Mandhoo Spa Restaurant

Mandhoo is another overwater restaurant in the Spa Retreat.  The Conrad Maldives spa restaurant serves healthy organic dishes inspired by the five basic elements- air, earth, fire, water and plants. Mandhoo has both indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful ocean views. We sadly didn’t have the opportunity to eat at Mandhoo because it was fully booked, but heard from other guests that it was very good. We met honeymooners who enjoyed a complimentary dinner there, which is a gift from the hotel for honeymooners who bring proof of their recent marriage.

Ithaa Underwater Restaurant

Ithaa is the world’s first underwater restaurant- you may have seen it featured on various travel channels and on social media. It’s quite famous and is something to add to your bucket list.

If you are traveling with kids, your only option to visit Ithaa will be for the set menu for lunch or the late morning visit with champagne which gives you an hour inside to enjoy the experience. Ithaa does not allow children for dinner, but you could hire a babysitter for $20/hour per child if you are set on eating there for dinner.

We did not dine there but got to see it in the morning and it was a really cool experience. At the very least we recommend going for the champagne hour at 11am for $85 plus tax and tip per person, which includes one glass of champagne and 2 canapés. The four-course set menu for lunch costs $220 and the seven-course dinner menu is $330 per person plus tax and tip and beverages.

 

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Conrad Maldives Kids Club

What made this resort so exciting for our kids was the Majaa Explorers Kids Club. The Conrad Maldives Kids Club is free, although certain activities cost extra but your child does not have to participate in those activities if you don’t want. The kids club is open from 9am-6pm for children ages 3-12 years old. Kids under 3 can spend time there with a parent or a hired babysitter for $20/hour per child. It has an outdoor fenced in play area and an indoor area with games, arts and crafts, and toys.

The kids loved playing outside in the splash pad area and playground, which is on sand. They also enjoyed fun activities like painting coconuts, searching for sea shells on the beach and then using them to make crafts, and weaving palm leaves. They made friends and couldn’t wait to play with them every day at the kids club. We actually had to bribe them to leave the kids club because we wanted to spend time together as a family! 😂

The Muraka

We were able to take a tour of The Muraka, the world’s first underwater hotel in Maldives. The Muraka cannot be booked with Hilton points and ranges from $10K-$50K per night depending on the season. This incredible 3 bedroom villa has a master bedroom and bathroom 16 feet under the Indian Ocean. The overwater level has 2 bedrooms, a huge living room and dining area, bar, 3 decks, an infinity pool, and private gym with access to a personal trainer. This famous underwater Maldives hotel villa also comes with 24 hour personal butler service, jet ski and speedboat use, access to a personal trainer and private chef. Check out our full tour of this insanely luxurious Maldives underwater hotel.

 

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Last thoughts on Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is well known as one of the best Maldives resorts. It is popular among award travelers and is ideal for families with its free kids club, villas spacious enough for families, and free kids meals. We appreciated the adults-only pool and island when we wanted some adult time to celebrate our anniversary without the kids. They made friends at the kids club and we made friends at the daily Hilton happy hours. This resort offers great value for Hilton members with spacious beach villas requiring 95K Hilton points/night and upgrades for elite members at check-in. We experienced great service for the most part, but felt that our host was not as proactive as some of the other hosts, especially when it came to securing dining reservations in advance. We would certainly return to Conrad Maldives and think it is a valuable use of Hilton free night certificates and points.

*Editorial Disclosure-The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.