Nice Island Stay with Room for Improvement
This hotel features its own lounge at the airport, with a dedicated shuttle bus for quick and comfortable transportation. The seaplane ride to the hotel takes only 20 minutes. Upon arrival, a large team of staff, including the hotel manager, warmly greets guests. You hand over your shoes to wear pre-prepared flip-flops instead, as the island encourages a barefoot experience and operates on +3 hours time difference. The primary visitors during our stay were Chinese and British. There are no insects as the island is regularly treated.
· *Accommodation**
The hotel offers several room types: beach villas, villas on sand, and water villas positioned on both sides of the island. Beach villas are located on the sunset side. Our beach villa was small but comfortable. The robes were of good quality, though not available for purchase, and towels and hotel brand toiletries were decent. Essentials like a hairdryer, slippers, and umbrellas were provided. Plug adapters were needed but promptly supplied upon request. The 180 cm bed had a firm mattress and somewhat uncomfortable pillows—causing back pain for me and neck pain for my spouse by day three. However, the hotel quickly resolved this issue within hours. The mini-bar included wine, champagne, snacks, chips, soda, chocolate, and two beers. The air conditioning was well placed, ensuring no risk of catching a cold. Each bungalow has two sunbeds with cushions and an umbrella. The placement of our sunbeds, situated under trees, wasn't ideal for sunbathing, so we had to move them to the beach daily—a slightly inconvenient issue unique to our spot. Housekeeping was exceptional, cleaning twice daily (big kudos to Samit).
· *Beach and Surroundings**
The ocean and beach were stunning—white sand without coral, crystal-clear waters, and ample snorkeling opportunities around the island. The compact island can be walked around in just five minutes, and it's impeccably maintained and clean. Despite being an older hotel, everything felt comfortable and fresh. Walking barefoot everywhere was delightful.
· *Dining**
The hotel's biggest drawback was its food. The main restaurant operates a buffet three times daily and is showing signs of aging, requiring modernization. Breakfast featured pancakes, fried bread with milk, scrambled eggs, sunny-side-up eggs, sausages, bacon, rice, yogurt, fruits, fresh orange juice, salmon, and cheeses. However, only the coffee, fruits, juice, and fried eggs stood out as enjoyable. Lunch included unappetizing pizza, rice, soup, grilled items, Caesar salad with poorly prepared chicken, potatoes, stewed beef and chicken, and fish. Dinner offered various cuisines over seven days—three of which had decent options; on other days, we relied on fresh pasta or grilled items. For example, grilled fish was underseasoned and served medium-cooked, making it unappealing. Dishes in general lacked flavor, with the grill station serving items like tuna, fish, beef, and calamari. Once, a pre-made, cold kebab was offered—a surprisingly poor experience. Baked goods were similarly disappointing. Alcohol selections, however, were superb, with an excellent wine range, expertly crafted cocktails, and strong drinks. The bartenders were skilled, and sommelier services were available. Additional dining options include the Tatem bar by the pool (a small saltwater pool), offering an à la carte lunch menu with little to commend, though they prepared a tasty Greek salad upon request. Late dinner starting at 19:30 and evening programs post-22:00 were inconveniently timed for us. The à la carte restaurant delivered better dishes than the main buffet, but we’ve experienced higher-quality meals at other hotels offering less expensive packages. Cream brûlée was especially delightful, though no dining options were available between 16:00-19:30.
· *Staff**
The staff here is perhaps the best we’ve encountered, not just in the Maldives but anywhere. Highly attentive and accommodating, they addressed all requests without hesitation. Hotel managers checked in daily to ensure guest satisfaction. When we expressed disappointment about only having mango juice in the mini-bar, they started delivering fresh orange juice to us daily.
· *Entertainment & Activities**
Evening entertainment starts late at 22:00, and we only attended twice during our 16-day stay. The hotel offers snorkeling gear, billiards, and table games, with one complimentary excursion for stays over seven days. We redeemed two trips: one at sunset and another to watch dolphins. Additional paid excursions included snorkeling with mantas, available seasonally. The spa services were notably pleasant. There are no jet skis, but water bikes and canoes are available. There’s little for children, which likely explains the absence of families. As a farewell gesture, the hotel hosted a complimentary dinner featuring grilled seafood and meats, including lobster.
· *Conclusion**
This hotel left a lasting, positive impression, despite the dining falling short of expectations. If the food quality improved, we’d happily return—and likely more than once.