Barceló Nasandhura Malé

They advertised a 'sea-view room,' but all I could see from the window was the building across the street. The balcony offered a view of trash, and only from a very specific corner of the balcony could I barely glimpse a sliver of the sea peeking between two buildings. When I went to the front desk to complain, they adamantly insisted it was indeed their sea-view room. The shower's hot water, even on full blast, was barely lukewarm, cooler than body temperature. Aside from the lobby, gym, and restaurant being decent, this place is absolutely not worth the price.

The free round-trip airport transfer is definitely the most important perk. Facilities: It's on par with a 3/4-star hotel domestically, but this hotel is currently the best transit hotel in Malé. Cleanliness: Spotless, goes without saying. Environment: The hotel entrance opens right up to the sea, offering a perfect island experience. Service: The staff are all incredibly friendly and will fully confirm your destination island and seaplane departure time for you.

Check-in and check-out were very smooth. We sat on a sofa in the lobby, and a staff member collected our passports for processing, returning them afterward. Thanks to Trip.com and the hotel's communication, they knew we were on our honeymoon and kindly sent us a small cake. The room was small, but it was clean and hygienic compared to other transit hotels on the island. The toilet wasn't smart, and the hairdryer was basic, but it was perfectly fine for a one-night stay. The hotel's buffet breakfast was decent, and having breakfast facing the sea was very chill. P.S. The hash browns were the best! Oh, and there's a supermarket less than ten meters downstairs with a great selection of fridge magnets – more variety and cheaper than at the airport. Hope this helps everyone!

Ali's service was great. As for the main island of Maldives, the overall environment is just okay, I guess. The ferry ride was also quite fun. If you're not sure how to choose, you can even spot engineers and employees from Chinese companies there.