A lovely stay at Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa – the staff really make this hotel special ❤️
We’ve reached our last morning at Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa, and we’ve had a really lovely holiday.
There are always little things that make a holiday memorable, and for us, it has undoubtedly been the people who work here. The staff are genuinely lovely, friendly and welcoming, and you can really see that they enjoy their jobs. There seems to be a real team spirit throughout the island, and it’s lovely to see managers who clearly look after their staff. That extra effort and enthusiasm really does shine through in the service guests receive.
I’d particularly like to mention a few people who made our stay extra special.
Our room cleaner, Cafexj, was absolutely lovely. Our beach bungalow, number 205, was kept lovely and tidy every single day, with everything replenished. He was always friendly and even came to see us during our stay. After I’d been bitten by mosquitoes during the night, he kindly helped arrange for someone to spray the room while we were out at lunch. Such a thoughtful gesture, and very much appreciated.
Lammar, our restaurant waiter, was another special mention. A lovely, quiet and rather shy young man who genuinely couldn’t do enough for us. He was always attentive and so pleasant. It was particularly nice to hear that the hotel is supporting his career development and that he’s attending additional classes. He’s a real credit to the hotel, and I hope he goes on to achieve everything he wants to.
Safwaan behind the bar was always on hand to make sure our glasses were never empty! Always smiling, good fun and happy to have a little joke with us. Another lovely member of the team.
And finally, Buddika, the chef. We’d missed the advertised curry cooking demonstration (entirely our fault, as we’d been too busy sunbathing!). When we mentioned how disappointed we were, the management and chef very kindly arranged a private cooking demonstration for us in the restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great fun, and we even learnt how to make a really decent curry. Such a lovely thing to arrange for guests.
The food throughout our stay has been really good. The buffet restaurant is spotless, there is always plenty of choice, and we’ve never struggled to find something delicious to eat. I’m fairly sure I’ve put on at least a stone!
We stayed in beach bungalow 205. The accommodation was comfortable, clean and perfectly adequate for our needs. I wouldn’t describe it as luxurious, and having stayed at the sister resort with an upgraded room, we did prefer the accommodation there. However, we spent very little time in our room, so cleanliness and comfort were what mattered most.
One little suggestion would be to add some more loose sand along the pathways outside the beach bungalows leading down to the beach. It would make the walk feel a little more like walking on a tropical sandy beach.
The beach is lovely, spacious and well maintained. It’s kept exceptionally clean and tidy, and you regularly see the team out brushing and looking after it. The sand is a little more compacted than the soft, powdery white sand you might imagine when thinking of the Maldives, but it’s still a lovely beach and a beautiful setting to relax and enjoy the sunshine.
For anyone who enjoys snorkelling, we did see quite a few puffer fish and plenty of stingrays around the piers, although we didn’t see quite as many reef fish as we did at the sister resort, where the marine life seemed more abundant.
One experience we absolutely loved was the shark excursion. Yes, it’s an additional cost, but it was worth every penny. Swimming with the sharks was unbelievable and genuinely one of the highlights of our holiday. We would definitely recommend doing it if you visit. An incredible experience that we’ll remember for a very long time!
One thing worth mentioning is the all-inclusive drinks package. It was a little disappointing to discover that Prosecco wasn’t included and that we’d need to pay to upgrade, particularly as it’s my usual holiday drink! We had experienced the same situation at the sister hotel, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. However, after speaking to the manager and explaining our disappointment, he very kindly upgraded our drinks package free of charge. He was extremely polite and helpful, and we appreciated how he dealt with it.
There is also quite a lot of upselling around the island, whether it’s special beach evenings, themed dinners or alternative restaurants. These are generally at an additional cost, which can become a little frustrating when you’ve booked an all-inclusive holiday.
In terms of evening entertainment, there is a resident band and a DJ, and both were perfectly fine. We just felt the resort could perhaps offer a little more variety throughout the week rather than having much the same entertainment each evening.
There was also a Maldivian evening, when local performers came to the island to share a little of their culture with guests, which was a nice addition.
One thing we did find was that the layout of the entertainment area wasn’t particularly ideal. The band and DJ are positioned in a slightly awkward spot, meaning it’s difficult to find somewhere comfortable to sit and watch. Unless you’re standing around the bar area, you don’t really get a good view, which is a shame.
There is also a lovely beach bar which, in our opinion, has so much potential to be a fantastic little beach club with music and atmosphere. Unfortunately, drinks there are chargeable outside happy hour, despite being the same drinks available in the main bar as part of the all-inclusive package. As a result, it doesn’t seem to get used as much as it could. Such a shame because it’s a lovely setting.
If you’re looking for a lively holiday with lots going on in the evenings, this probably isn’t the resort for you. However, if you’re a couple looking to switch off, relax, enjoy the sunshine, have a few drinks and do very little, you’ll be perfectly happy here.
A little note about the weather!
Please don’t let the weather forecasts put you off visiting the Maldives. This is our third trip here, and every single time we’ve looked at the forecast before travelling, it’s shown rain, rain and more rain! You start to panic, thinking you’re going to spend your entire holiday watching the rain from your room.
Well, we’ve been here for 11 days and, apart from the day we arrived, when we had quite a lot of rain and unfortunately couldn’t get to our resort because the seaplane couldn’t fly, resulting in an unexpected night on another island, we’ve had mostly beautiful, hot weather.
We’ve come home with brilliant tans, and I’ve actually sunbathed underneath a parasol every single day. The sun is incredibly strong here, even when there’s cloud cover. It’s difficult to explain just how much sunshine you get, even on days that aren’t completely blue skies.
So please don’t be put off by those weather apps showing endless rain. You can still have a fantastic holiday, get plenty of sunshine and come home with a lovely tan. And one thing is certain – you won’t be cold! ❤️
Would we return?
Possibly, although the Maldives has so many beautiful islands and resorts to explore that we’d probably want to try somewhere different next time.
We would certainly return to the sister resort, though, particularly for its fantastic Friday night band, which was absolutely brilliant! We really did enjoy the atmosphere there.
Overall, we’ve had a lovely break at Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa. There are a few little things that could be improved, particularly around the entertainment and the use of the beach bar, but nothing that has spoilt our holiday.
If I had to sum up this hotel, I’d say it’s the staff who make it.
From the people cleaning the rooms and beaches to the restaurant team, bar staff, chefs and management, everyone we encountered was friendly, welcoming and always had a smile.
A huge thank you to everyone who looked after us. You made our stay that little bit more special, and that’s what we’ll remember most.
Thank you, Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa. ❤️
