We travelled as a family of 3 with a 9-month old baby for 10 days, I have summarised all aspects of our stay below:
Hotel & Rooms:
The hotel is absolutely beautiful and impeccably maintained. The design is modern and stylish, with lovely furnishings and spacious rooms. The grounds are immaculate—no litter, no dirt, and everything feels pristine and thoughtfully cared for. It’s genuinely a paradise to look at.
We stayed in a Lagoon Beach Villa, which was fantastic. Having direct access to the lagoon was a real highlight, especially as it was rarely used by other guests, making it feel very private and peaceful. The room itself was very clean, comfortable, and well air-conditioned. The bed was comfortable, and the pool and garden areas were equally impressive.
The bathroom was well equipped with both a shower and a large bathtub. While the bathtub looked modern and interesting, it was a little impractical—it takes a long time to fill and isn’t particularly comfortable to sit in. The only other minor downside was the shower water pressure, which was acceptable but not as strong as expected for a hotel of this standard.
Overall, the rooms and facilities are excellent and provide everything you would need for a very comfortable stay.
Facilities:
The hotel offers most of the amenities you’d expect, including water sports, a photography studio (with a complimentary 30-minute photo session included in the stay), spa, gym, a pool bar, a main restaurant, and an Arabic restaurant. Everything is well organised and maintained, contributing to a relaxed and high-end resort experience. The gym is small but functional with good quality equipment.
Food & Dining:
Breakfast is outstanding—one of the highlights of the stay. There is a wide variety of options, delicious pastries, fresh fruit juices, and excellent cooked dishes. While the coffee could be slightly better, the overall breakfast experience is fantastic and faultless.
The Arabic restaurant is also excellent, with delicious food, good menu choices, and a beautiful setting.
The main restaurant (Citronelle Club) and the pool bar are more mixed. The food is generally okay, but fairly basic and not especially memorable. Lunch and dinner options can feel repetitive if staying for a longer period, and prices are very high for what is offered.
When we arrived, dinner at Citronelle Club was buffet-only due to hotel capacity, priced at $120 per person, plus a 10% service charge and 17% tax. This felt extremely expensive and not worth it unless you plan to eat a very large amount. Once à la carte dining became available, it was much more reasonable and allowed for better choice and value.
Additional dining options are available at The Crossroads, a small shared island just a two-minute boat ride away. We would recommend the steak restaurant, and the Japanese restaurant was also quite good. The other options were generally underwhelming. The crab restaurant is said to be very good, although we didn’t personally try it.
Activities & Excursions:
There are plenty of water sports and excursions available, though many come at a high cost. The only excursion we tried was the Coral Garden Snorkelling. In our opinion, this was very expensive for what it offered—$140 for a short boat ride to a small reef with fewer fish than we saw snorkelling directly around the island from our villa.
It is very beginner-friendly, so guests new to snorkelling may enjoy it, but for experienced snorkelers/divers it doesn’t offer good value. Given how incredible the Maldives is, this excursion felt underwhelming compared to what’s naturally accessible around the resort.
Location & Transfers:
The location is excellent. The resort is just 15 minutes by boat from Malé Airport, and the transfer was organised smoothly and efficiently by the hotel. This was especially appreciated as we were travelling with our nine-month-old daughter—it meant no seaplane and no long waits after landing. We were picked up almost immediately, which made the arrival experience stress-free.
We were also very lucky with the weather during our 10-day stay: no rain, barely any wind, and clear skies throughout. The water and views were absolutely stunning.
Staff & Service:
The staff are exceptional. Everyone we encountered was warm, friendly, and genuinely eager to ensure we had an enjoyable stay. We were always greeted with smiles and kind words, whether in the morning or evening. The level of hospitality was outstanding, and it truly enhanced the experience. There are too many people to thank individually, as everyone was wonderful, but big thanks to Arshad who looked after us from the moment we arrived.
Overall Summary:
This is a fantastic resort in an excellent location. It is beautiful, spotlessly maintained, and staffed by genuinely warm and attentive people who go out of their way to make you feel welcome and well looked after. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and from arrival to departure, the service is consistently excellent.
The main drawbacks are around value for money, particularly when it comes to food, activities and excursions.
It’s also important to come to the Maldives with the right expectations. Compared to hotels elsewhere in the world, prices here are easily two to three times higher, and everything comes with an unavoidable 10% service charge and 17% tax, meaning a 27% increase on top of already high prices. This is understandable given the location and the fact that everything is flown in, but it does significantly impact the overall cost of a stay.
While there may be resorts in the Maldives that are cheaper to book initially, it’s essential to budget carefully for food, drinks, and excursions—especially for longer stays—as these costs can add up quickly and may be far higher than anticipated.
That said, if you are prepared for the pricing structure and plan accordingly, this resort delivers a high-quality, relaxing, and memorable Maldives experience in a truly beautiful setting.
