Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa Hotel

Brilliant experience, the staff were all super kind and welcoming, with plenty of dining options to choose from. Everything was well organised, with the resort going above and beyond to make the stay truly magical. A special thank you to Sioma - she was an absolute superstar in helping us organising a magical wedding anniversary for our parents. Also, big thanks to Tas and Roberto from the diving centre - we had the most magical diving days. We had an amazing holiday with excellent food, service and atmosphere. Read less

Absolutely special vacation-the best at Maldives. Nice hotel, cozy rooms, everything is very well maintained. A tennis court in a good condition, a coach for group and private lessons. Perfect Spa, professional yoga and meditation therapist. Special thanks to the host Eldor, who tried his best to meet our wishes and expectations. And deep respect and gratitude to Mr Moreno, the culinary chef, whose passion for cooking is inspiring and his recipes will always remind that a haute cusine can be a part of your everyday life if a chef is an artist like Mr Moreno. Read less

Our First visit to the Maldives. I particularly had dreamt of visiting for many years, held back by booking and then the resort not being as in my imagination- so it took a great deal of research to identify where to book. WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED This resort was everything I had imagined and hoped for. We booked the whole package with BA flew direct from Heathrow to Male. Greeted at Make but member of Emerald who took us to check in for sea plane transfer. Helped us set up WiFi . We then transferred to sea plane lounge where drinks and food were available. All staff friendly and do willing to help. Our Emerald lady advised us we could check in to hotel and see what was available if we wanted to book any activities. Seaplane transfer was fun, calm day, we had one drop off before arriving in Faarufushi. Seaplane staff also very polite and helpful. I he flight took just over an hour. Very warm greeting when we arrived, buggy ride to reception, it was a wonderful experience. Our host took us on a quick tour of the island 10 minutes. The. To our beach villa. It made my eyes leak, the relief that we had selected the perfect resort for us. Our host booked all our dining times but we could change if did not suit us. We are in all the different restaurants. Staff and food in all were excellent. We are not big drinkers but there was a fabulous range of wines on offer. In our opinion no requirement to pay for wine not included in AI. Recommend snorkel at different parts of the island. You can walk not the sea safely from all parts but recommend you take sea shoes . Masks, fins and snorkels are available from the dive centre no charge. We took our own masks and snorkels. If you have never snorkelled do try it , even in the shallow waters there is a huge variety of fish. I personally liked the rock breakers, that broke up the bays around the island and on the edge before the drop off so much to see. It creates an extra habitat. BIG WARNING ‼️ The sun is EXTREMELY strong , wear sun protection at all times and re apply regularly, wear long sleeve rash vest and leggings when snorkelling. SUN IS STRONG. We had the complimentary tennis lesson - fabulous. I have no coordination but the coach was patient and I achieved success hitting g the ball with some control. The mixology class was interesting and only a small group . Very knowledgeable mixologist. Dolphin tour - sadly no dolphins the evening we went. Heart of House Tour OMG do it, you will appreciate the WHOLE TEAM that make the resort so special. The bikes were great fun and cycling around the Halas amongst the plants and tees was cool. They do all have brakes - just not all have handle bar brakes. Non motorised sea sports are included , so try one of them. I enjoyed the Paddle board, with my husband prefering a Kayak. We enjoyed a cocktail in the Eclipse bar before or after dinner. The Italian evening and White Party on Sunday was fun with all diners on the beach enjoying dinner. I have not mentioned any member of staff by name because they are ONE EXCEPTIONAL TEAM. We chatted to many staff who all had positive feedback about working for Emerald which for us is important. They work long hours and always gave a smile and friendly greeting. Be mindful of mosquitoes, my husband was bitten and they don’t usually bother him so be warned. This is a magical little island safe snorkelling , so many different fish, delicious food, peaceful evenings, fabulous rooms and the most amazing staff. The only element we didn’t quite fathom was TIPPING, at the end of lunch and dinner you are presented with a bill and the opportunity to leave a TIP charged to your room. do you leave a % like at home . In the end we did leave a % TIP and gave bar staff and room hosts cash at the end of our holiday. TIPS can add up especially as alcohol is served with your meals . We did feel everyone deserved a share of the TIPS and was re assured that they are shared with ALL staff. Would I visit this resort again YES YES YES . If you have any questions please contact me. Read less

We had a wonderful family trip to Emerald Faarufushi in September. Everything was amazing, from the room, to the food, to the service and more! Service: The service was amazing and the staff really go beyond to deliver what you would like aswell as learn your order at breakfast. No, is not a word used at this resort. We wish we could name some staff members that really stood out but with so many it is impossible. Food: Food was incredible. We have never been somewhere where the buffet food is of such great quality. We also tried a few of the other restaurants and would recommend trying those too. Our favourite evenings in the buffet were Italian and Catch of the day. Tepanyaki was a great experience and the food everywhere, amazing! House reef: As wildlife lovers, it is really important for us to have a house reef in the Maldives. The house reef here was full of fish, sharks, rays, turtles, octopus and more! There is a jetty which takes you straight out to the drop off making snorkeling easy and accessible. We snorkelled two or three times a day and saw a new species most times. Room: We stayed in a beach villa with a pool which we loved. The room and bathroom were very spacious. The mini bar was refreshed daily and included wines, chocolate bars, crisps and soft drinks. Our room was attended to twice a day and was kept spotless during our stay as was the pool area. Each room is also assigned bikes which makes getting around the island faster. Sports facilities: There was a gym which was on the small side but sufficient and we only saw other people in there once. Padel, tennis, pedal boat and canoeing is also all included. Free trips: There are trips included based on the number of nights you are staying. We stayed 10 nights and were entitled to both the dolphin trip and fishing trip. A couple of fish were caught on the fishing trip which was an experience, using hand lines. Unfortunately, the dolphins were sparce but the boat trip at sunset was lovely anyway. All in all we would love to return and we don't often return to the same hotel! We had an incredible time and are still really missing it and talking about how amazing it was a month on! Read less