As I explained in the last installment, I spent the first two nights in a “base” room, which is the Park Villa. I thought it was gorgeous, and it definitely exceeded my expectations.
The next category up is a Park Pool Villa. As a Diamond member there were two ways I could be upgraded to this:
- I could receive a space available upgrade on day of arrival
- I could pay a supplement of $250.10 ($205 plus 22% tax/service charge) per night to confirm an upgrade at the time of booking
I chanced it, and while they didn’t have a Park Pool Villa available for my first two nights, they did have one available for the rest of my stay. This hotel is great about working with you to upgrade you during your stay if rooms become available, which I really appreciate. And they make the move really easy as well, as you just pack your bags and they’ll move them between villas when they become available.
My Park Pool Villa was Villa 37, which is the very first one when you leave the restaurant/pool area. It’s just past the jetty which takes you to the Park Water Villas (there are 14 of them). So it is very convenient to be so close to the action, and it’s not like there’s much foot traffic in a resort with just 50 villas.
Park Hyatt Maldives resort layout
Park Hyatt Maldives walkway to villa
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37
The entrance to the Park Pool Villa looked virtually identical to the one at the Park Villa. I quickly connected the dots and realized that’s because the villas are identical on the inside.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 entrance
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 entrance
Literally identical, from the bed to the desk to the daybed to the chair with the ottoman.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 bedroom area
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 bedroom area
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 bathroom area
The bathrooms were identical as well, including with the outdoor shower.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 bathroom area
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 bathroom area
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa 37 outdoor shower
The only difference is the patio area, which is substantially larger in a Park Pool Villa.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa plunge pool
As expected, there’s a plunge pool with an infinity edge.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa plunge pool
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa plunge pool
To the right of the pool were two lounge chairs with an umbrella.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa plunge pool
To the left of the plunge pool were some cushions with pillows.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa plunge pool
Then as was the case with the other villa, there were two chairs, along with a fairly large table.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa patio
There were a handful of stairs you could use to directly access the beach.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa walkway to beach
Having this secluded of a beach literally just steps from your bed is pretty damn amazing, I have to say.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa walkway to beach
As you can see below, each villa also has a lot of privacy, thanks to the trees growing around them. That means the plunge pool is truly private.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa view from beach
Villa 37 is the first villa past the jetty leading to the overwater villas, so when you go onto the beach you have a direct view of the 14 overwater villas. Fortunately they’re all angled away from the beach, so they can’t really see you at all.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa view from beach
In the other direction, the beach by Villa 37 faced the “dawn jetty,” as it’s called. That’s much closer to where Villa 31 is, where I had stayed the prior two nights.
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa view from beach
Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa bottom line
It was nice to find out that the difference between a Park Pool Villa and Park Villa is just the plunge pool. Everything else is identical.
Will I take a Diamond upgrade to a Park Pool Villa? Absolutely!
Could I imagine spending $250 per night to upgrade to one? No way. I didn’t use the plunge pool once, though I suppose it was a nice option to have. A plunge pool is something everyone will of course value differently. Some people value the privacy of one, while I’d much rather be out at one of the public pools.
Part of my problem is also that I burn really easily, even when using sunscreen. So I limit my time outside, and am certainly not the type of person who would sit outside my villa for hours on end.
But as always, “your mileage may vary.”
Do you value a feature like a plunge pool? How much extra per night would you be willing to pay for one?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.