Maldives is my dream color palette: turquoise, green, and white sand. This is what I imagine my heaven looks like. After a whirlwind of an Indian wedding, I knew I’d end up at the Maldives for my honeymoon. It’s what I deserved 😮‍💨    

2 years later and I’m still stoked on our trip to the Full Moon Sheraton Maldives -it was like stepping into a dream. Picture-perfect beaches, clear blue waters, and palm trees everywhere you look – it’s paradise, seriously! From chilling in a hammock by the sea to snorkeling with colorful fish, every moment was pure magic. Whether I wanted to adventure or just chill out, this place had something for all my moods. 

There are mixed reviews online about booking here with points, mostly from people that I think are pickier with their resort chains (Ritzs, Waldorf’s, Four Seasons), but since it was our first time in the Maldives, I was usually in the water or under a palm tree any way. Highly recommend this stay if you’re looking for a midpoint stay in the Maldives. You get 5-star service, solid water activities, and the island is so cute. TBH, couldn’t have had a better honeymoon. Here’s proof.

When we arrived in Male, the speedboat picks you up right at the front of the Airport. Full Moon Sheraton has a guide with the list of arriving guests so they’ll make sure you get on our transfer boat. The check-in process at Full Moon Sheraton Maldives was seamless and efficient. When we got off our transfer speedboat, we were led to the lobby, handed yummy welcome drinks, and filled out some quick paperwork. There was a little discrepancy, but the staff were so friendly and understanding about correcting it that it was hardly an issue. There aren’t any language barriers, but always stay respectful since many of the friendly residents’ first languages aren’t English. We were promptly escorted to our overwater bungalow and were hella stoked to see that we’d received a complimentary upgrade to a Deluxe Overwater Bungalow, which offered stunning views of the turquoise lagoon. We were thrilled with the spacious and excellently kept accommodation.

The Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort has everything from international buffets to poolside snacks. Craving romance? Sea Salt’s fresh Italian seafood will have you swooning. Feeling spicy? Masala Hut’s classic Indian dishes will hit the spot. Or maybe Baan Thai’s authentic flavors, whipped up by expert Thai chefs, will tantalize your taste buds.

Not a floating breakfast in the pool girly, but in-villa dining or a private sandbank dinner for two sounds perfect for a romantic getaway. Although honestly, the island itself is so cute, I didn’t want to leave!

Here’s a peek at the deliciousness:

• Feast: International buffet with live cooking stations and themed beach dinners.
• Sea Salt: Romantic oceanside Italian seafood restaurant where you can spot sharks and stingrays.
• Masala Hut: Classic Indian dishes in a relaxed setting.
• Baan Thai: Authentic Thai cuisine by expert Thai chefs.

I’m an introvert in America, but the moment I step on foreign land, something changes, and suddenly, I want to talk to everybody. So thank goodness, Maldivian people were generally the friendliest people I’ve ever met. They’re so helpful in pointing out different parts of the islands, sharing stories from local islands, and details about the sea life. When we got upgraded, the staff laid out chocolates and palm leaves to spell out ‘happy honeymoon’ within a few minutes. They’re really attentive, and even with a large number of accommodations on the island, I couldn’t take for granted how meticulously the rooms were kept. I really can’t think of anything that I would change to make this stay more comforting. The friendliness of the staff and the ease of access to amenities around the island made this our smoothest getaway ever. 

Since my wedding was in December, I didn’t really have the option to hack timing and knew I’d be there around their peak holiday season. I researched a bunch and figured out how to get this under 2k for a week.

1. Cut down transfer costs: It’s extremely rare to get a points hack for transfer costs, so pick a hotel that you can get to via boat and not require a seaplane. There are a couple hotels you can get to in a speedboat transfer. This costs way less than a seaplane transfer. Speedboat transfers are around $150-300 vs Seaplane transfers $550+ per person.
2. Pick your room category wisely: It’s my honeymoon. I want a treehouse in the ocean. Wasn’t gonna compromise on an overwater villa. Did I want the luxe 2 bedroom Suite Villa? Duh. But Abhi and I were gonna share a room, and I strongly believe in getting complimentary upgrades, so I picked an overwater bungalow. Marriott offers Gold members complimentary upgrades in the same category. So if you get a beach room, that means you could get upgraded to a beach villa but not an overwater villa—unless it’s off-season and guests are sparse. Paying for the least costly room in the category you actually want to stay in means that you’ll never be disappointed.
3. Cash vs. Points: I chose to pay with a combination of cash and points to avoid opening multiple credit cards simultaneously. While stacking cards and taking advantage of intro offers can be beneficial, it wasn’t the right approach for me at the time.
4. Maximizing Points: I utilized Chase’s transfer promotion, waiting for the opportune moment to convert Chase points to Marriott points.

Marriott allows you to pool together points, so your partner can transfer up to 100k points per year.

I picked the pay with money and points often just because I didn’t want to open multiple credit cards all at the same time. If you have longer to plan (especially during a high spend time like a wedding), I totally recommend stacking cards and getting intro offers, but since my wedding was international and I already had 1 Chase Marriott Card, there wasn’t really a card I found worth opening. After I met my minimum spend, I waited for Chase’s transfer promotion for 1 Chase point: 1.4 Marriott points, which happens at least 3 times a year. This led me to my initial 100k points being worth 140k points which was enough to meet my money + points offer. 

At check in, we got a complimentary upgrade and ended up getting to stay in an overwater villa room that’s priced at $5,611 for an actual spend of $1,750.
Love that for us.

 Now this is the cheapest Marriott property in the Maldives with the lowest transfer option. Obviously, if you’re entering a high spend era (like a wedding, new house purchases, etc.), you can easily stack other credit cards over a few months to get a points stay for “free”. Keep in mind to keep speedboat/seaplane transfer costs and credit card Annual fees low. Here were the rest of the costs on the trip listed below!

I think the Maldives might be my favorite place on Earth. At least so far. I also finally got Abhi to shut his laptop down and actually hang out with me after our wedding so that played a part. Seriously though-can’t recommend this place enough. It really is paradise on earth. The clearest, blue water and the whitest sand I’ve ever seen-what else could a beach lover need?