A Superb Return

We stayed here a few weeks ago (late Oct, 2021) for 4 nights.  It was our first time to the hotel since our first stay in 2016, and we were incredibly surprised by the improvement in service.

(Note: As of time of writing, uploading photos is unavailable. I will add them later, or link to them in a different post soon.)

Our arrival here was preceeded by a stay at the St. Regis Maldives, staff from there handed us off to staff from the Park Hyatt, who guided us into the domestic check-in area to drop off our luggage. Ali helped us with the departure process but also ended up meeting us on the return. He has been with the Park Hyatt since 2009, and was incredibly helpful and friendly throughout.

After our 1 hour Dash-8 flight to Kooddoo, we were met by additional staff, who led us to a speedboat (options are a short ride in a buggy to the boat, or a 5 minute walk).  Rough seas made the trip over quite bumpy, but they made it as comfortable and quick as they could.  We were at the hotel within 30 minutes.

Nik (GM), Mohammed (Front Office Manager), and others were waiting to greet us at the arrivals jetty.  This was a stark contrast to our first visit, where just a couple people were on hand to assist with our luggage and check us in.

After a short tour of the island, we were dropped off at our room: Villa 45.

On our last visit, we were upgraded from a beach villa to a beach pool villa for the first two nights, and paid to upgrade to an overwater villa the second two nights (villa 46, at the time a water villa, now a Sunset Overwater Villa with Pool).

On this trip we had confirmed a paid upgrade for the first two nights to an overwater villa with a pool (Approximately $700++).  We decided we didn't want to move rooms for the second two nights, so negotated an additional amount to stay in the same room for the whole stay (slight discount from the $700).

Villa 45 is adjacent to drift/Koi, a small overwater Japanese restaurant that was scheduled to open early this month (November).  It was not open during our stay this time, and in 2016 as "Drift", it was also closed.

The villa retains the same layout as all the other overwater villas, with the addition of a small plunge pool on the deck.  Upon entry you are greeted by the main bedroom, which has a small couch for seating, King bed, large desk area, minibar, and small fridge.  Our welcome included a small selection of local delicacies along with a fruit platter and bottle of sparkling wine.

We were shown the features of the room, including a tablet with the menus/activities, lighting switches, and the "curtain" system. Closing the room off to light involves sliding several large panels across the glass in the room.

There is a single sliding glass door in the main bedroom, which was inconvenient as we wanted more private access to the pool (the main exit puts you in view of the jetty). 

The bathroom consists of a large soaking tub, shower with skylight, and a no-frills toilet.  There is also a double vanity.  We found the soaking tub to take a very long time to fill, and that it ran out of hot water before really being full enough to soak in.  During the last morning of our stay, some of the water in both the tub and our sinks began to come out yellow (we informed staff on departure so they could fix it).

Outside a ladder leads down to the ocean, a slatted cabana covers a lounge seating area, and two chaise lounge chairs soak in a shallow portion of the plunge pool.

Unfortunately the seas were too rough on this stay to enable us to snorkel around our villa (in 2016 we did, and it was fantastic).  Also, the water in the plunge pool was too cold to use. (We discovered at a relatives Deluxe Water Villa that their pool was quite warm in comparison).

During a storm, some water leaked through the roof in a corner, but did not impact our stay.

Overall, the room is comfortable and spacious, but not without issues.  Luckily this hotels appeal does not revolve around the room.

The service here is top-notch, but may not be the norm for the Maldives.  As opposed to other resorts, the Park Hyatt felt a lot more hands-off.  Our host was in touch with us for the necessities and to check up on us here and there, but that was about it.  Personally, this was to our liking.

What stood out most was the direct communication from both the Front Office Manager and the General Manager, who stopped by to say hello on a few occasions while we were out and about.

Nik (GM) had two very cordial conversations with us, where we discussed the island's past, present, and future.  His passion for the resort was quite clear in our talks, and through our interactions we felt the "Luxury is Personal" slogan was exemplified.  I've had several phenominal Park Hyatt stays in many different countries, but this specific visit and the genuine care for both guests AND staff that Nik demonstrated put the PH Maldives on top.

Due simply to the size of the resort, dining options are limited.  The breakfast spread was paltry, and the a la carte selection was mediocre.  Unfortunately this may just be the nature of the beast.  The food we did order was excellent, from Marshmallow and Peanut Butter Toast at breakfast, Lobster Mac at lunch, and Whole Reef Fish for dinner.  On top of this, The Bar has a supreme selection of cocktails and desserts to enjoy throughout the day.

It's also of note that the Island Grill is an amazing environment in and of itself, with the ability to dig your feet in the sand while seated, and an incredibly calm atmosphere.

As mentioned above, this resort requires travelling on a 1 hour turboprop ride and a 30-40 minute speedboat ride.  While inconvenient, the benefit is a level of seclusion and intimicacy that cannot be matched.  As well, the island is natural and pristine.  The sand will almost melt under your feet (even moreso at the nearby 'picnic island'), and the breeze will calm your heart.

While the resort itself can do everything in its power to satisfy the guests, it cannot compete with what the island itself offers: pure serenity.

This resort is not perfect for every person or for every occasion.  However, it is perfect for those that this resort is suited to.

If you want luxury villas, more activites, more hands-on service, or a family retreat... as someone who has been to resorts in the Maldives that fit those bills, I'd recommend besides visiting the Park Hyatt.

If you want tranquility, peace, beauty. If you want to be surrounded by people who care and are cared for, and if you want to truly understand what makes the Maldives so special, this is the place to go.