OBLU SELECT Lobigili

Overall, we enjoyed our stay here for our Honeymoon, but would not return. The hospitality was amazing but there are pros and cons. I feel a lot isn't mentioned in other reviews. I will go into more detail in the cons. Pros: 1. Adult-only, especially when we walked over to the sister resort and saw how busy their main pool area was. 2. Short speedboat ride away and for free! We picked this place because it was close to Malé when only staying 5 days after we were already exhausted coming from vacation in India all the way from Canada. 3. So much included! So many other places don't include speed boat or seaplane. So many others don't include a honeymoon cake, dinner, drawn bath experience, so many others don't include sun hats, and certainly no one includes a spa experience for free if staying 4 or more days. 4. The included spa couples massage we received was so amazing we booked more attached to it at the end to go to 90 min instead of 45 min 5. Renting the kayak for free was great and no one else out there but the area you had to stay in was tiny and wasn't allowed to explore further. 6. All food at Ylang-Ylang and the fresh made juices every morning. Cons: 1. Food at Only BLU was actually really bad. My grouper with caviar still had the membrane attached and was literally unseasoned and overcooked. My second option was an Angus steak medium rare that was sooooo DIFFICULT to cut and was just overall bad as well, especially having a ribeye to compare it to at Ylang-Ylang. The amuse buche and appetizer came out almost too fast like they were rushing us out and couldn't enjoy the fish swimming by us and taking pics but then we waited FOREVER for main and dessert. My husband's ghee marinated chicken was also overcooked. It didn't state on the menu that it was breast so it was beyond dry and overcooked. 2. The Moscato wine I had here was delicious then was told no they don't have it at Ylang Ylang - the main restaurant. Throughout my stay was only dry wines except that one I got at Only Blu 3. The food at Gaadiya-17 was a bit better than Only BLU but still worse than Ylang Ylang. Basically the buffet restaurant and menu at Ylang Ylang is better than the 2 specialty seated/plated food is. This was the consensus in the Facebook group. Again amuse buche and app came out quickly here then waited for main and dessert. 4. Honeymoon dinner: I was unaware that this was a perk but it really wasn't. It was regular seating inside Ylang-Ylang with a set Honeymoon menu but food coming from Ylang-Ylang. They made it seem like a Honeymoon dinner we'd get setup with on the beach, with toes in the sand, just for us. Portions were too small for my hubby so he ended up having to also order from Ylang-Ylang standard menu anyway since we were already seated inside Ylang-Ylang. 5. Drinks at Ylang Ylang and the bar take entirely tooooo long. This includes both coffees and cocktails already listed on their menu. My husband's Old Fashioned was not consistently made. 6. Asking specifically for iced water never worked. They always brought room temp or warm. Almost daily, I had to ask twice to 3 times sometimes specifically for ice. They would bring the ice bucket over to the table separately. 7. The free hats were not available for us in our room until I specifically asked for them. 8. I felt at a resort of this caliber and to compare to other AI I've been to in the Caribbean, that they should decorate your bed every night. You only get a basic Welcome message and then one message for our Honeymoon the night they drew our bath. The Honeymoon message was spelled wrong "Honeymon" 9. We asked for peanuts with our cocktails at the bar but was told no. Not looking for actual lunch or snack menu. 10. At the bar, they had a sign for oysters 4-10pm. We inquired before 4 and there was none and she went and flipped around the sign. 11. We inquired about purchasing 1 pillow in our room but they are not for sale and was told they'd get us the info but did not. 12. For cooking class activity, I asked what food was being made before signing up but was not responded to. 13. The cultural dancing is at the sister resort and in general I wish this resort had more activities like the cultural dancing. They arrange a boat to take you over but you get there late, after the show started and with no seating as everyone at the sister resort was already there first and seats taken. 14. The only sound healing spa services are at the sister resort. More spa choices in general are at the sister resort. And in order to do the sound healing in the pool, you have to book 7:30am because the spa is using the main pool and doesn't have its own pool. 15. Paid for jacuzzi, steam room and sauna at sister resort but jacuzzi was cold and they did not turn on the steam room and sauna until we said something which was already a half hour into our paid hour. All in all it was still a good stay, just things they need to improve on. I felt we were told no for so many basic things or having to ask too many times or too long of wait times and that the same benefits at the sister resort should be at this one. Read less

We spent eight nights at Oblu Select Lobigili and had a fantastic time throughout; we opted for splitting four days in a beach bungalow and four days in a water villa, both were of excellent standards and beautifully maintained. The island is very well presented and is pristine, with a good house reef for some great snorkeling (reef sharks were common, but harmless); it's also an adults only island so it's quiet but has a good amount of social interaction and activities to keep all having a good time. The food is good here, REALLY good. Very impressive variation of menus with hardly any repetition, which can sometimes be an issue for an all inclusive resort. There are speciality restaurants, must notably "Only Blu" which is the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives, it's stunning to see all the fish (and sharks) swimming next to your table as you enjoy a very impressive menu. Even the breakfast/ lunch restaurant has a nightly menu instead of the standard buffet, all the food and drinks were of the highest standard. Overall the island, amenities and accommodation are impressive enough but what sets this resort apart from others we've visited is the staff. We've been fortunate to have visited resorts worldwide, and the team at Oblu Lobigil were some of the best we have encountered, both on a professional and personal level. Nothing is too much, everybody will do their upmost for you and the entire team of restaurant/bar staff and housekeeping were exceptional. Shout outs go to Nisha (a natural team leader and creator of amazing strawberry milkshakes), Kim (a very kind soul with always with a smile to hand), Elin ( a great personality and very professional), Madheeh (great fun and also very thoughtful) and our host, Mechelle (always available for any enquires and support and created a superb tailor made itinerary for our stay) To summarise, Oblu Select Lobigili is a highly impressive resort with excellent accommodation, superb food and drink options and an overall team which excels in customer relation standards, we're very much looking to returning in the very near future, Shukuriyyaa! Read less

As soon as we stepped foot on the island, we knew we should have booked longer than 5 nights! The food was delicious, the staff were incredible, the water villas took our breath away - we arrived just in time to see the sunset the first night and couldn't stop talking about how we were in paradise. Special thanks to Alpi for all her help and guidance! Read less

Oblu Lobigili - just the most amazing time, we were relaxed instantly, felt looked after and cared for at all times. Our nest was immaculate with such care by Hazel to keep everything clean and comfortable. Our host Mechelle was exceptionally helpful and attended to our every need. At Ylang, Hana and Nisha stood out to us as friendly, a great sense of humour which made our meal times so much fun. All the staff across the whole island were so friendly and helpful. Our 30th Anniversary spent at Only Blu was wonderful and what an experience! The additions of our bed decorations and a bath poured for our rerun from dinner was a wonderful surprise. It would be very helpful to have a long mirror in the bedroom area. And perhaps a few more sun beds on the main beach, as a few of us struggled to have them. Read less

We stayed in an overwater bungalow for 10 days and had an amazing time. Our room was kept immaculate by the lovely Swostika, whose attention to detail was greatly appreciated. Our hostess, Alpi, arranged massages, fishing trips and sunset cruises for us. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and she helped make our stay truly special. We visited the underwater restaurant twice and were overwhelmed by the experience of seeing sharks, lionfish and clownfish swimming around in their natural environment. The food was good, but we felt that Ylang was even better. The food there was fabulous, thanks to the excellent cooking of chefs Sachin and Harry. Ylang quickly became our favourite restaurant, not only because of the food but also because of the amazing staff: Carol, Nisha, Elin, Harc, Setia and the wonderfully funny Mad. We also enjoyed two massages, both of which left us feeling refreshed, relaxed and energised. This resort has everything you need to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the Maldives. I would go back in a heartbeat. Thank you, Lobigili, for an unforgettable holiday! Read less