Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives

We arrived on the island to a warm welcome from staff. Checkin was very smooth and we were delighted to be upgraded to the private island. It really is a peaceful paradise! The rooms are stunning and have everything you need. We stayed in a beach bungalow, effectively with our own private beach outside our room. The sea is simply beautiful for snorkelling adventures or a quick chill from the heat of the day. The staff couldn’t do enough to provide everything we needed to enjoy our stay. Their attention to detail, remembering your choice of drink and refilling glasses frequently. My need for gluten free options was understood and the team offered plenty of alternatives to accommodate me. A particular shout out to Hannan, who went over and above at every meal to look after us, showing a real pride in his team and restaurant. The chefs were really friendly, also going over and above to prepare amazing food with love, care and attention. The range on offer was vast. Special thanks to Charkuran and Anjeli for preparing my amazing birthday dinner on the beach. They looked after us at every meal, checking we had everything we needed. Cocktail o’clock was also a highlight with friendly bar staff at all times. Nandana, Prathima, Kasun, Shakthi and Chamara were always friendly and served up great drinks daily. This is a really special place to stay. We would thoroughly recommend it as an adults only retreat! Thank you for making our holiday one to remember 🙏🏻 Read less

I've given the hotel 5 stars overall as it is a lovely luxurious holiday for a special occasion in our case. I'd sworn never to go all inclusive again but this has changed my view completely. I'm not sure if it's always the case or if the hotel was quieter than normal but everyone had their own table in the restaurant which meant you didn't have to queue to be seated, you could just go straight to your table. It meant you mostly had the same waiter too, ours was Nihaanu and he was excellent, always quick to get our drinks and clear our plates between courses without being intrusive at all. I also wanted to point out that lovely coffee served with hot frothy milk is available at meals as I was disappointed when I read that cappuccinos, lattes etc were only available on the premium drinks package. Also I'd read that the white wine wasn't great but it was fine and I'm fussy, normally only drink NZ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (a bottle of that costs $75 here!) A few things I wish I'd known before I went: Although I'm glad I had the experience of staying in one of the over the water bungalows, as someone with minor mobility issues, I did find the walk to and from them a bit nerve-wracking because of the lack of hand rails and if you forgot something from your room if you're in one of the further away ones it's quite a walk back. Luckily my husband was happy to go back for my book/ glasses etc. I also found the access into the sea from the room a bit scary. I thought it was going to be steps down but it's a few steps and then a ladder with a handrail on one side only and quite big gaps between the treads. I'm not scared of water at all, it was actually the fact that the water was so shallow at times that I worried if you slipped in you would hurt yourself on the coral. As I say this won't be an issue for lots of people but I think if I was going again I would choose a beach bungalow instead for these reasons although the snorkeling wouldn't be as good. The water on the beach side never gets very deep at all. Having the boat trip twice a day to another reef is good but it is the same one each time even though they seem to imply they go to different ones. The evening entertainment was a bit mixed but I did love movie night, watching a film on the beach, lying on a sunbed under the stars was special. Read less

Staying in an over-the-water villa in the Maldives has been a dream of mine since I was a child, and it completely lived up to every expectation. After a week of adventure and action in Sri Lanka, four nights here were the perfect way to relax, reset, and simply do nothing. We had a sunrise-facing villa, and though I usually love sunsets, I found myself waking up before 6 am every morning to watch the most incredible sunrise from our terrace with a cup of tea, listening to the waves—it was magical. Sunrise really is worth it: you can literally roll out of bed and enjoy it, something you can’t quite get on the sunset side, where sunsets can be enjoyed anywhere on the island - ideally from the pool bar with a little cocky t. The resort itself felt peaceful and quiet due to being only about 25% full because of the war, yet the staff remained exceptional. The grounds were immaculate thanks to the gardening team, who worked around the clock to keep everything looking perfect. Every member of the team—from reception and housekeeping to the bar and restaurant—went out of their way to make our stay special. The buffet exceeded expectations, with fantastic all-inclusive dining, and the snorkelling trip to the reef was a real highlight. We loved wandering the jetties at sunset, spotting sharks and manta rays. The spa teaser massage was one of the best I’ve ever had, and the celebrations for our birthdays and anniversary—from decorations in the villa to cakes and songs at dinner—felt incredibly thoughtful and personal. The villa was a perfect refuge from the midday heat: after lunch, the sunrise villa balcony stayed in nice shade, so the room was cool and comfortable, making it easy to relax during the hottest part of the day. If I had to note the tiniest thing, it would be that I wished for a nearby ice machine—but that’s on me, not the staff. I could have ordered room service for ice, I just didn’t want to trouble anyone to come all that way. For someone who usually struggles to switch off, this stay allowed me to lose myself in books, wander the island, and just soak in the sheer beauty around me. It was, quite simply, the dream of a lifetime, perfectly executed from start to finish. Read less

I will start by saying if you are a glass half empty kind of person I’m sure you could find something small wrong. For us this place was truly amazing, paradise. From the moment you stepped off the sea plane at resort the staff, and I mean all the staff, were incredible. Friendly, courteous and very hard working, going the extra mile to ensure you had everything you wanted. Check in was very good and we were at our room with the luggage in no time. Currently, due to the war in the Middle East, occupancy at the resort is much much lower than normally expected due to flying restrictions. It is obviously a worry for the company, hotel and all staff but it did not show too much to the guests. Minor adjustments were made for example consolidating the dining room into one half and as we left they were considering closing the platinum island. For us at times it felt like you were on your own private island and it was fantastic. Our room was a water villa on the sunrise side (341) and it was perfect for us. Very comfortable large bed, kept immaculately cleaned by the staff with all the touches you would expect. A lovely Happy Birthday message was on the bed in flowers for my wife which was a lovely touch. The grounds were kept very clean by staff who constantly worked clearing leaves, raking sand etc etc. We were on normal AI and the drinks were fine for us with the bar staff excellent preparing and serving drinks as required. Entertainment was every night in the main bar area and it was just a shame more people were not there to enjoy it. The food was absolutely stunning for buffet style with many different choices for all courses. This included very good vegetarian choices which kept my wife very happy at all meal times. The salad bar and desert choices were in 2 separate areas of the food area separated by self closing doors with cold air con keeping the areas well chilled which we thought was excellent. The Chefs provided excellent food and service at the many stations around the buffet. Harshani provided many different types of egg dished at breakfast which were all great. Our waiters for the 2 weeks were Nihaan and Maishan. They were 2 lovely lads and we enjoyed little conversation about their lives whilst they provided excellent service throughout. Messages were expertly drawn on our table for my wife’s Birthday and our last night and the staff brought a cake for her Birthday too. All very nice touches by the hotel and staff. Snorkelling trips were run by the hotel twice a day and are free. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to local reefs with about 45 minutes snorkelling. These run at 1000 and 1500 and we really enjoyed the fish and coral. The Spa provided a free 15 minute head and shoulder massage after arrival. They offered many different Spa treatment packages to suit your individual needs. My wife had a Balinese massage and thought it was excellent and commented how wonderful and relaxing the Spa area was and how the staff all made the experience wonderful. We spoke to people who had taken a package of treatments and they all commented how wonderful and relaxing it was. We had to change our travel plans and fly direct from Heathrow to Maldives. This obviously came at a cost which we thought was worth it to get our holiday. This resort is stunning and we had the most wonderful holiday and maybe one day we may return. Hopefully things will change soon and the resort can get back to normal for the Benefit of company and all the wonderful staff. Thank you Cinnamon Hakuraa for the most amazing holiday. Read less