Having been on holiday to the Maldives several times, this is by far the most naturally beautiful island we have visited. Lush green vegetation that is sympathetically illuminated at night to create the most romantic and stunning setting.
The service is also excellent. Special call outs to our butler Rizam and the energetic and attentive Nizam at the pool every day.
We had a sunset overwater villa which was very large and well equipped. The cleaning team were great and the bed was probably the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept in.. We have stayed in overwater villas elsewhere in the Maldives which have always had steps into the sea. All of the villas on our side had steep ladders, which are difficult to use with fins on so I unfortunately wasn’t able to enter the sea from our villa. Some maintenance is also needed on the deck area as both my husband and I got multiple splinters in our feet and hands.
Each villa has the use of bikes, which is a great idea although walking around is beautiful and easy.
The food was very good and always looked and tasted very fresh. Whilst there were just about enough options in each restaurant to keep it varied for 10 days, we have experienced much more choice in other Maldives resorts. We luckily both love Tuna but if you don’t, the AI fish/seafood options can feel limited. The Maldivian night is a must do if you can. We also experienced an intimate dinner in the Cellar, which was a fantastic and unique experience.
That brings me on to the all inclusive offering. If you enjoy, and are used to, the concept of leaving your mental wallet at home and being able to pick what you like from a varied and comprehensive food and beverage package, you may be disappointed.
Food: each menu item is marked with one or two asterisk to tell you if it’s included in the AI or not. Some of the items make sense, for example a surcharge for lobster, but some seem illogical. For example, mashed potato is included on one menu but fries aren’t. We spoke to the general manager about this and we were assured that we could pick some items that sat outside of the AI offering (within reason), so in transparency we didn’t go hungry.
Beverages: There is usually one option each for red, white and rose wine plus prosecco. The wine was nice, but we are used to much more comprehensive lists to pick from. The AI cocktail list was also a bit odd. Despite being advertised at the same price, some cocktails were included and others weren’t. Again we spoke to the manager and he explained that this was to reduce wastage with some guests over ordering and then leaving the drinks. If that’s the case, surely it’s easy enough to apply a one cocktail per person per order approach, so drinks are finished before a new one is ordered. Again to be fully transparent, we were offered the cocktail we fancied vs just those with an asterisk, so we didn’t go thirsty.
The issue for us is that an AI holiday, especially at this price point, should mean you can relax and don’t have to think, ask, check for an asterisk each time you have a meal or order a drink. It diminishes the experience.
Another thing to flag is that there are very few sun loungers on the beach for those in water villas (maybe 20). We arrived at 9am one day to find all loungers reserved and not a single person there. The lovely towel attendant was apologetic but clearly didn’t want to upset the guests who had “reserved” their spots for use later in the day. I would expect this at a more budget friendly AI hotel in Europe but have never experienced it at a 5* luxury hotel in the Maldives, where sunloungers on the beach or pool have always been plentiful.
The pool is lovely and the staff there are very friendly and attentive. Special call out to DJ Niki and her chill out set each afternoon. It’s a shame the infinity pool had to close as that looked beautiful, although we understand it was necessary for safety reasons. Some advice to the management team, perhaps you could still use that area for more beach sun loungers.
Overall we had a lovely and relaxing time but unfortunately JA fell short of other Maldives resorts in a few areas despite being at a similar price point. They offer all inclusive but I don’t think that’s their focus or target audience so if you’re looking for a more comprehensive Maldives AI offering, I would recommend you do some research.
