Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa

Had an unforgettable time here, if you are looking at different properties especially Bonvoy, look no further (with couple caveats): good sized island, has everything, and above all, amazing staff attitudes to want to make your stay Great. Caveats are if you mind the sea plane transfer and it not being on South atoll if you are keen to dive to see whale sharks. Everything else you’ll expect from a Maldives luxury experience is there! 1. Staff went out of way- we celebrated a birthday there and the private beach experience as simply unique, personalized and amazing with the chef cooking something special and delicious for my vegetarian wife. 2. The room decorations and 2x do-up for our birthday bash was amazing, staff really made the effort. The seaplanes thing- it is operated by a standalone company, not the hotels. We waited Three hours in the lounge after landing, a nice lounge but not much to do, no shopping etc. Late into the night before departure we still didn’t know what time plane was coming. Am sure this is not unique to Le Meridien but when it is a crucial decision factor for some, surely worth pushing for better solutions either the flight operator (they will say, out of their control etc, but still….just offering friendly advice). I wouldn’t say it is cheap, but among the luxurious options, this was decent value for money. Thanks to all who made it a wonderful trip for us. Read less

Le Meridien's team truly went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and memorable. The best feature - which I've never experienced before - is a dedicated Whatsapp Number for guest services! They were extremely helpful - from arranging buggies, to restaurant reservations etc. They even managed to get me some medicines that I forgot to bring from home. I could go on and on about how heavenly and beautiful the resort and its lagoon are. But that you can read in other reviews. What was different and amazing was: - they provided us an end-to-end concierge service at airport, with wheechair for me. Right up to the check-in desk at the airport. - all the staff at the resort knew we were vegetarian and helped us accordingly with food - beautiful farewell cake at our last dinner - they made our daughter's birthday very special! Multiple celebrations and cakes throughout the day. - good speed wifi. - The dolphin tour was amazing! Got to see many dolphins. - newly built resort - the little one really enjoyed the art and craft activities at the kids club. - kids club staff were also accessible over whatsapp This was our fourth trip to the Maldives, and we truly felt welcome and special. Read less

Preface- I debated whether to write a review for this five star luxury resort. It probably needs another five star review like I need a hole in the head. All I could write about was its positive points - almost no negative things. Positive- —This resort should be charging more!This is Marriott’s more reasonable priced resort in the Maldives. Despite it being more “economical” (a word typically not associated with the Maldives), I saw nothing of the sort when it came to the high-quality of the villa’s, the superior quality of the staff, the amenities, the food quality, the activities, etc. —The staff is tremendous - genuinely friendly and extremely helpful. English is widely spoken. —There are about 350 staff members working on this exclusive island. With roughly 130 villas, even at 100% occupancy that’s an amazing ratio of over two staff members to one guest (closer to three). —The water pressure was great (even to the outer over-the-water villas) —The hot water was plentiful. —The A/C in the room could almost make ice cubes if you want (but is individually controlled). But quite honestly, I didn’t use it most of the time. Instead, I opted to open the double sliding glass doors and let the fresh air in, and to also hear the soothing ocean waves crashing in the distance. —The WiFi was fast and free. And it’s everywhere on the island! Not only in the villas and restaurants, but on the beaches and roads too (how cool is that). The quality is so good I even did video calls with my Mom in a nursing home with no problem. —Ditto with making cellular calls. —They provide you with bottles of purified drinking water each day. —Your villa is serviced twice each day (in the USA, even once a day is becoming a rarity). —Every type of bathroom amenity is provided (toothbrush/paste, comb, vanity kit, shaving kit, bath salts, etc.) —The ability to go swimming in the Indian Ocean (which is really a safe lagoon) off your villa is magical! —There’s 24 hour room service. —You’ll never yearn for a pool or beach lounger - there are plenty! And they have deluxe thick cushions too. —Want a private section of beach? There are sections all over the island without a single soul I found. But not private enough for any funny business though… —I could go on and on - everything in this place screams of quality! Negative- — I hated the swinging saloon doors on the closet - yuck. —On their website, the color scheme of the over-the-water villas looks kinda tacky (really just the lime green shutters and saloon doors inside the rooms). In reality, it really isn’t that bad. Their pic’s just make it worse than what it really is. I think they need to switch that green out with another color. —There is a strong water current beneath the over-the-water villas. Don’t think you’ll be able be swim there 24/7. Typically you can only swim there during low tide (Google for times). I’m a good swimmer and I dare not swim in the strong current during high tide. And they ask you not to swim off your villa after 6p for safety reasons. Swimming on the many beaches is a completely different story (very little current there). —I’ve been told a top complaint is that the waiting time for a golf cart (which they call buggy) to bring you someplace. I didn’t use the golf cart service that much but when I did, it was only a few minute wait. I also didn’t use it that much because the walking distances weren’t that much. Also, I wanted to stroll (walk) along in the resort to actually get to know, love, and appreciate the resort. But I can also imagine at 100% capacity there could be a 10 or so minute wait at times. Suggestions- —Don’t sweat the sunset/sunrise bungalow decision. In reality, given the earths rotation and the seasons, you might be in a sunset bungalow and not even see the sunset from your villa (it would be off in a far corner). Ditto with the sunrise villas. All villas are great! —Don’t discount coming here during the off (rainy) season. In reality, during the “rainy” season it typically (sometimes) only rains for a few hours, then you have clear or cloudy skies. Some days there are quite sunny days. And the rates are less expensive. And I worry about sunburn (the sun is intense here), so cloudy skies actually mean less sunburn (and using less sun protection chemicals). —Bring water shoes if you are staying in an over-the-water bungalow. —Take a behind-the-scenes tour (you have to ask the tour - it’s not advertised). It’s fascinating how a five star resort on a remote island without any connected utility lines can support 350 staff and over 260 guests. Summary- I would absolutely stay here again! Read less

Everything was absolutely perfect — I have nothing to complain about! The entire experience was 10/10. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout my stay. A special thanks to Aly Omar from reception for his excellent service, constant support, and outstanding professionalism. He truly made a positive difference and ensured everything went smoothly. Highly recommended — I will definitely be returning! Read less