Dusit Thani Maldives

We spent two weeks at Dusit Thani Maldives and came away with mixed feelings. The resort has genuinely lovely staff and a colourful house reef, but several aspects of the experience fell short of what we expected from a five-star luxury resort at this price point. 1. Staff and Service The staff were one of the highlights of our stay. They were generally very friendly, greeted us warmly and were willing to help whenever we approached them. A special mention goes to James at Benjarong, who was outstanding. He took the time to teach us about Thai culture and went out of his way to arrange dishes that were not on the menu. His personal attention, enthusiasm and hospitality made our dining experience particularly memorable. He is a real asset to the resort. Our butler was also friendly and responsive, arranging things whenever we asked. However, we cannot confirm several other reviews that swoon over their wishes being basically being predicted and anticipated. The team prepared a lovely table decorated with flowers for our last evening, which was a thoughtful gesture. We also appreciated the room service team’s willingness to help with unusual requests. They kindly lit a candle below our essential oil for us, immediately provided a mosquito net for the bed when requested, and brought us a bag of rice when our action camera broke while snorkeling. These gestures showed genuine helpfulness. The waiters at the restaurants were generally friendly and attentive as well. Unfortunately, this positive personal service was not consistently matched by the resort’s housekeeping and maintenance standards. While staff members were often happy to help when approached, too many basic tasks seemed to require us to ask repeatedly instead of being proactively provided. 2. Food and Restaurants Benjarong – Lunch and Dinner The food at Benjarong was generally good, although not exceptional enough to be truly memorable in terms of culinary quality alone. As abovementioned, the real highlight was James, whose outstanding service elevated the experience considerably. He took the time to explain Thai culture, introduce us to the food and arrange off-menu dishes for us. We greatly appreciated his personal attention and willingness to go the extra mile. Overall, we enjoyed dining at Benjarong, but while the food was good, it did not consistently deliver the exceptional culinary experience we expected from a resort of this category. In particular, we were underwhelmed by the fact that lunch and dinner menu barely differ. Sea Grill – Lunch and Dinner We generally enjoyed the food at Sea Grill. The quality was good, and the restaurant provided a pleasant dining experience. The waiters were friendly, attentive and professional. However, the food was good rather than outstanding. Given the resort’s five-star positioning and price point, we had expected something more exceptional and memorable. Sea Grill was enjoyable, but it did not stand out as a particular culinary highlight of our stay. The Market – Breakfast and Dinner Buffets The Market was one of the most disappointing aspects of our stay. The food selection was surprisingly limited for a five-star luxury resort at this price point, and breakfast became repetitive over our two-week stay. The breakfast offering lacked variety in several areas. The only milk alternative we found was sweetened soy milk. There was no unsweetened soy milk or other milk alternatives. There was only one type of plain white yoghurt, no chia or other seeds, virtually no dried fruit and a very limited selection of nuts. The selection of cold cuts was also small. People who enjoy creating their own oats should lower their expectations. The sashimi selection at breakfast was limited to tuna, reef fish and smoked salmon. The cold cuts were similarly sparse in variety, as was the bread selection. Overall, we expected substantially more variety, particularly given the resort’s positioning and the expectations associated with a luxury Maldivian resort. The fruit selection was a major weakness. Both the variety and quality were underwhelming, with fruit frequently lacking flavour. For a tropical island resort, we expected a much more appealing selection of fresh, ripe and flavourful fruit. There is also no smoothie station that we have come to expect from stays at other resorts. We were particularly surprised by the lack of fresh coconut in a Thai resort or Durian. Another concern was the lack of effective insect prevention around the buffet. Flies were frequently landing on the food, which was unpleasant and raised concerns about food hygiene and buffet safety management. Dinner at the Market was inconsistent. Some themed buffets were enjoyable, while others were underwhelming and lacked variety or excitement (in particular, Mediterranean was very weak in our opinion. The deserts are sugar overload and tasted of nothing but sugar). The overall offering at the Marlet simply did not consistently meet our expectations, and over a two-week stay the limitations became increasingly apparent. Many times, no dedicated steamed vegetable section of other healthy alternatives were available. In general, the food selection appeared to appeal to Chinese customers, witch many dishes being strongly influenced by chinese cuisine, rather than Thai cuisine. The waiters were generally friendly and attentive, which we appreciated. Nevertheless, good service cannot fully compensate for a limited selection, lacking food quality and insufficient attention to buffet hygiene. Overall, we expected considerably more variety, freshness, quality, flavour and consistency from The Market. The buffet offering was simply not at the level we anticipated for a resort of this price and category. 3. Facilities and Maintenance Unfortunately, the facilities and maintenance were yet another glaring weaknesses during our stay. The gym was disappointing, with insufficient equipment and machines that felt outdated (some still used connectors to the non-touchscreen iPods generations). The tennis balls provided were extremely old and heavily worn, with visible fraying and fluff. The 8-ball pool table was also in poor condition and appeared partly damaged. These details contributed to the impression that the recreational facilities were dated and not adequately maintained. The resort cinema also appeared to be closed throughout our two-week stay, and there were very few evening activities in general. We found this disappointing, particularly during an extended stay, when a broader range of recreational options would have been welcome. Maintenance issues in our villa were especially frustrating. The toilet was blocked almost daily, which is simply not acceptable at this level of accommodation. We had to flush several times and pray every time we went to the toilet that we did not block it. Several times we had to ask the hotel for their help unclogging the pipes. The pool at our villa also had visibly damaged or broken parts, further contributing to the impression that maintenance and upkeep were not consistently meeting the expected standard. We repeatedly encountered smaller but persistent housekeeping issues. Shampoo, conditioner and tissues were frequently not replenished unless we specifically asked or provided visual cues such as opening the bottles and leaving them in glaringly obvious locations. Cotton buds were also not replenished after being used up. The insect-repellent wipes were never replaced, and the water in the foot-washing vase outside our villa, intended to remove sand before entering the room, was repeatedly left empty until we requested a refill. The shower head and water pressure in the spa area were poor, while the pool and our rooms outdoor showers did not provide hot water whatsoever. There were also safety and upkeep concerns. The handrail around the spa’s cold-water pool was noticeably unstable and wobbled significantly. This is a safety concern that should be addressed promptly. Individually, some of these issues are minor and we understood that human error cannot fully be eliminated. However, their repeated occurrence over two weeks became frustrating and revealed a more deeply ingrained structural issue. Guests should not have to repeatedly request basic amenities or report recurring maintenance problems at a five-star resort, especially not at the price point of the resort. The resort would benefit considerably from better preventive maintenance, more consistent housekeeping and greater attention to detail. The condition of the recreational facilities, recurring plumbing problems and repeated omissions in basic room amenities did not match our expectations for a luxury property at this price point. 4. Reef The house reef is undoubtedly one of the resort’s main attractions. It is colourful and extends around almost the entire island, offering beautiful underwater scenery. However, the island does not have a particularly extensive lagoon, and there are relatively few convenient places to enter the ocean and access the reef properly. This makes it less straightforward to enjoy the surrounding marine environment than we had hoped. Although the reef itself is visually appealing, the limited convenient entry points detract from the overall experience. Guests who enjoy spending several hours snorkelling and exploring the reef independently should take this into consideration. 5. Reef Encounters and Marine Life Considering the attractive reef surrounding the island, we were surprised by the relatively low number of fish we encountered during our stay. The underwater scenery was colourful, but the amount of marine life was less impressive than we expected. Nevertheless we encountered rays, reef shark and turtles. For guests who choose a Maldivian resort primarily for snorkelling, abundant fish and frequent marine-life encounters, this may be disappointing. Combined with the limited number of convenient places to enter the ocean and access the reef, our overall snorkelling experience did not fully live up to our expectations. We also booked a manta-on-call service which was a highlight during our stay. However, the exorbitant price of almost 300$ per person left a bitter aftertaste in our mouth for a 45 minute snorkeling experience. The reef is certainly attractive, but guests looking for particularly rich marine life and consistently rewarding snorkelling may wish to compare it carefully with other Maldivian resorts before booking. Overall Impression Dusit Thani Maldives has genuine strengths. The staff were warm and welcoming, James at Benjarong provided exceptional personal service, our butler was helpful, and the room service team went out of their way to assist us with several requests. The thoughtful flower arrangement for our last evening was another lovely gesture. The colourful house reef is also a positive feature. However, a luxury resort experience requires more than friendly staff and attractive surroundings. The food selection was surprisingly limited, breakfast became repetitive, fruit quality was often disappointing, and flies frequently landed on exposed food. Dinner theme nights were sometimes disappointing and made us book the other restaurants to avoid them. The facilities felt dated, the recreational equipment was worn or damaged, and recurring maintenance and housekeeping problems became frustrating over two weeks. We appreciate that no resort is perfect and that individual staff members cannot be held responsible for every operational shortcoming. Our criticism is directed at the overall consistency of the resort’s offering rather than the people who often made a genuine effort to help us. At this price point, we expected better food variety and quality, more consistent maintenance, higher standards of housekeeping and more attention to detail. The resort has the potential to provide a much better experience, but its overall delivery did not consistently meet our expectations for a five-star luxury property. Would we return? We would hesitate unless the maintenance and facilities issues were addressed and the overall dining experience improved. The staff deserve considerable praise, but the resort as a whole did not consistently deliver the level of quality we expected. Overall, we rate Dusit Thani at 3 / 5*

An unforgettable stay made special by the most wonderful people! We had an absolutely amazing time at Dusit Thani Maldives and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The resort itself is beautiful, the surroundings are breathtaking, and everything is taken care of to make your stay truly special. But what made our time here so memorable was, without a doubt, the incredible people. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed with genuine warmth, kindness, and the biggest smiles. A special shout-out to the wonderful team at the Sand Bar, who made every visit such a pleasure and always made us feel so welcome. But honestly, this friendliness and outstanding hospitality could be felt throughout the entire resort. Every single interaction made a difference and showed how much the people here care about their guests. It’s the little things, the genuine conversations, the thoughtful gestures, and the warm personalities that turn a beautiful holiday into something truly unforgettable. Thank you to the entire team for making our stay so special. We’re leaving with amazing memories, full hearts, and so much appreciation for all the wonderful people who made us feel at home in paradise. Dusit Thani Maldives is a truly special place, and its people are what make it exceptional. We would come back in a heartbeat! 💙🌴 Thanks a Lot! Marcel & Anna

We had an amazing stay at Dusit Thani Maldives! The Beach Pool Villa was incredible, with so many beautiful spots to relax and enjoy the views, like the cabana daybed, sun loungers and hammock. The house reef is less than a 5 minute snorkel away and is beautiful, with so many colourful corals and fish to discover. The treetop spa was another highlight, with relaxing treatments from the Thai therapists. The island itself is so lush and green, with countless coconut trees because it was a coconut plantation. A beautiful island paradise, perfect for relaxation and enjoying nature!

The island is great but the team there is even better. Amazing experience and good scuba diving location. April took care of us all the time, also we were impressed by our scuda diving instructor Rose. Thansk

We have a very pleasant experience at Dusit Thani Maldives! We spent 4nights on the island. The room is quite large and very clean and the privacy is great too. Our Butler is Naan. He is very polite and always satisfied our requirements. At the first day, he has already booked the dinner restaurant and activities. Everyday he gave us the activity plan on the island and if the Manta or sharks come, he always let us know at the first hand. We would recommend Dusit Thani Maldives to our friends and recommend Naan to be their butler too!