• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Top 100 Bars
    • World’s Best Bars 2020: My Take
    • World’s Best Bars 2018
    • 50 Best Bars in the World: My List
  • Articles
    • Cocktail Recipes
    • Home Bar
    • Bar Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
  • Contact
  • Archives

Slightly Pretentious

Great Cocktails. Spectacular Stays. Only Slightly Pretentious.

Shangri-La Villingili Maldives: May it Rest in Peace

November 29, 2020 by Sean Leave a Comment

Here at Slightly Pretentious, we’ve largely just glossed over the whole Coronavirus pandemic thing.

Most of us are spending a lot more time at home making cocktails, so I’ve chosen to focus on highlighting those for the time being – while hoping that in 2021 travel will be acceptable again, and I’ll be able to resume my quest to visit the top 100 bars in the world.

But that doesn’t change the fact that every week we’re seeing small (or large slivers) of our live vanishing before our eyes.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have no lost anyone close to me due to the virus, so it seems trite and selfish to lament the closing of bars and restaurants that I love.

One of my great joys in life is eating and drinking at new and old places alike. Here in Portland I’ve watched dozens of restaurants I’ve frequented over the years close down permanently.

It’s a reminder of how even when things “go back to normal,” that there is no more “normal.”

The landscape has changed.

The Shangri-La Villingili: As Good as It Gets

This morning I’ve been feeling a little bit of extra wanderlust, so I was going back through old photos of previous travels.

This led to me starting to write a post about what I say relatively definitely was one of the very best weeks of my life: my honeymoon.

We blew all of our rewards points, and flew FIFTY HOURS in total to visit the Shangri-La Villingili in the Maldives where we spent a week in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

The goal was simple: stay in a hut over water.

We looked the world over to find the perfect place to do this.

But what pushed the Shangri-La over the edge was the fact it was much larger than most resorts in the Maldives – and thus more to do.

(We’re not great sit on the beach and chill for hours on end people.)

Not to mention it had the only golf course in the entire country.

Sold.

We stayed three nights in a Water Villa:

Shangri-La Maldives Water Villa
Shangri-La Maldives Water Villa

The plan was to stay the next 3 day in a less expensive “Jungle Pool Villa” – but knowing it was our honeymoon, they surprised us with an upgrade to a “Treehouse Villa.”:

The ridiculous treehouse villa
The ridiculous treehouse villa

That’s still one of the best surprises of my life ha.

During our “Dine By Design” private dinner on the golf course we joked we were on a “Bachelor Date.” You know the kind of over the top, ridiculous date, that you’d only see on the show the Bachelor. Then two years later, they filmed the finale at the same place.

Our private “Dine by Design” dinner.
The 5th hole of the golf course.

We spent the week eating, drinking, snorkeling, playing tennis, playing golf, just – playing in general.

It was truly an incredible trip and experience.

Shangri-La Villingili: May it Rest in Peace

However this morning when I woke up and began to write a post recapping our experience at the resort, I discovered that due to COVID it has now closed indefinitely.

Dagger.

I don’t know if we’d ever make it back there again. There’s simply too many places to see. But to see such a happy memory, and a place we hold so much fondness for be mothballed is just one more reminder of our new world.

Shangri-La is a massive company, and I imagine most people won’t be too upset to see a luxury resort for the 1% shutdown.

It certainly doesn’t quite have the same impact as walking down the streets of Portland to see “For Lease” signs in the windows of so many small businesses, that also hold such fond memories for us.

But I suppose it was just one more reminder of a very happy time, that has now been forever changed.

I’m choosing to view COVID as an opportunity for new beginnings. A chance to make new memories, at new places, with new people.

The world won’t be the same ever again. But that isn’t to say it won’t be good again. There are still countless places to explore, adventures to be had, and experiences to share and enjoy.

And I for one, can’t wait to see what that looks like.

But that doesn’t mean the people, the things, and the places we’ve lost don’t hurt.

Here’s to a much better 2021 and beyond.

Want More Hotel Reviews?

I’m looking forward to being able to write more hotel reviews on this site:

  • St. Regis Singapore – Slightly dated, but still totally luxurious
  • Shangri-La London at the Shard – This one better not close…

 

Filed Under: Hotel Reviews

About Sean

Sean has spent the last decade teaching people how to build small businesses, playing golf, and sneaking into high class establishments where he probably doesn't belong. Slightly pretentious is a tongue in cheek description of his travels.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT SLIGHTLY PRETENTIOUS

At Slightly Pretentious we're on a quest to visit the top 100 bars in the world, and here we share stories from those travels while also helping you create killer cocktails at home.

Let's face it, if you're into bougie cocktails? There's at least a small part of you that is slightly pretentious. This is a safe space to embrace it :)

FREE GUIDE: How to Build the Ultimate Home Bar

Want to make world class cocktails at home? Here's everything you need to know to create the ultimate home bar - at any budget.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Home Bar Resources

Blind Test Reveals Best Ginger Beer for a Moscow Mule

November 11, 2020 By Steve 2 Comments

Smoke Boards: What's in the Box

Best Cocktail Smoker: Smoke Boards is My New Favorite Drink Smoker

November 10, 2020 By Sean 2 Comments

Over 25 of the Best Cocktail Gifts for the Holiday Season

October 5, 2020 By Sean 3 Comments

Best Bars in the World

Dead Rabbit NYC

The Dead Rabbit: Is It NYC’s Best Cocktail Bar? It Might Be.

February 17, 2019 By Sean

NoMad Bar NYC

NoMad Bar NYC: A Must Visit Bar in New York City

March 1, 2019 By Sean

Cocktail at Nottingham Forest in Milan

Nottingham Forest: A Sensory Cocktail Experience in Milan

March 5, 2019 By Sean

Cocktail Recipes

Lucky Peach: A Strong Rum Cocktail

January 19, 2021 By Sean

Morgenthaler’s Sherry Eggnog: The World’s Best Eggnog Recipe. Period.

January 11, 2021 By Sean

French 75 Recipe: The Perfect Holiday Cocktail

December 13, 2020 By Sean

Latest Reviews

  • NoMad Cocktail Book Review: For the Adventurous Home Bartender
    9.3
  • Regarding Cocktails: A Cocktail Book Where Simplicity Shines
    9.1
  • Mixology Masterclass Review: Is Mr. Lyan’s Cocktail Course Worth It?
    9.3

SEARCH THE SITE

Footer

About Slightly Pretentious

We love cocktails. We love travel. We love quests. Slightly Pretentious combines all of this.

Here you’ll find stories about the best bars in the world, great cocktail recipes you can make at home, and a lot more.

Let’s face it, fancy cocktails are at least a little bit pretentious. So this is your chance to embrace your slightly pretentious side.

Recent

  • Vieux Carré Cocktail: Another New Orleans Classic
  • Lucky Peach: A Strong Rum Cocktail
  • Morgenthaler’s Sherry Eggnog: The World’s Best Eggnog Recipe. Period.
  • French 75 Recipe: The Perfect Holiday Cocktail
  • Great Cocktails: 20+ Ridiculously Good Drinks to Make at Home

Search

Tags

50 best bars 69 colbrooke row american bar americano amsterdam atlas bar boulevardier bourbon campari candelaria canon cocktail codex danico dante deadshot eggnog gin green chartreuse Italy london Luxury Hotels margarita martini mezcal moscow mule negroni nomad bar NYC old fashioned orange juice paris portland rum rye sazerac sg club shangri-la sherry Singapore tales and spirits tequila Tokyo Top 100 Bars union club vodka

Copyright © 2021 · Location 180, LLC