The Residence Maldives

This is our second trip to The Residence and unfortunately we won’t return for a third. Having celebrated my husband’s 50th here last year what was intended to be a once in a lifetime trip had us quickly booking a second. The positives, the staff. Truly exceptional customer service, where the guest experience is paramount. The location and the facilities, understated with a deep respect for nature and Maldivian culture. The optional extras that make up the whole package, rich experiences to suit all wants. The downside, and for us personally it’s a big one is that the once couples haven of Falhumaafushi is now geared to families. Despite the connected sister island of Dhigurah being built to cater to families. The tranquility of the one pool area on Falhumaafushi is no more. Large family parties, babies and tots, abound. The grown up feel gone. I can’t imagine the disappointment of those honeymooners who have travelled here seeking an intimate, adult, experience. On balance there is a lot to offer, and our experience last year is unmatched, but for new guests I think it important that people are clear on expectations. In short, fabulous family holiday for a range of ages, absolutely not a destination of choice for discerning couple travellers.

Truly a wonderful and warm experience. The staff!! The island! The water! The services! Amazing. The staff made my solo bday celebration truly worth the hike. Though I did have some hick ups, Yusuf TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING! He SAVED MY TRIP! Pinky my house keeper truly made my trip and brought tears of joy to my eyes, I cannot thank her enough for the decoration, checking on, and always greeted me with a smile. The best hands down bartender is Basar!!! And my photographer Yameen, photos had me speechless

A fantastic week on the smaller of the two islands. We had a water villa with pool which was so worth the extra money. The villa was a very high standard. Great island and fabulous house reef. Food and service amazing. Special shout-outs to Suhana , Tulsi in the dining room for always looking after us so well and to the beach bar manager too.

Fantastic hotel in a serene location... We had a overwater pool villa ( 317 ) sunset. To be fair it was in a perfect location it got the sun from 10am through to sunset & WOW they were amazing. Our villa was cleaned everyday ( Sorry can't remember name ) but he was amazing & delivered cookies every evening ( Nice Touch ). The hotel amenities were great. DINING ROOM Breakfast in dinning room had lots of options & if you could'nt find it the chef would prepare it for you. Lunch in dining room was fantastic, we were standard AI so had a choice of starter & main or main & dessert which we switched around each day. Dinner in dining room was hit & miss in our opinion, no matter what time you went there was always a limited choice & on occasion had to sit & wait for fresh rice / noodles to be replenished. BEACH / POOL BAR We went to the bar on a few occasions before lunch for a few drinks / cocktails. Service at times was a bit slow but they ensured you were served in order of arrival, but as with all beach/pool bars wherever you go they always seem dirty with full ash trays & sticky surfaces. Scraps of food on the floor . LIBRARY BAR We visited this bar a few times after our evening meal & found really nice & relaxing, the bare feet eliment was a nice touch & drinks & cocktails very good. SELECT RESTAURANTS LONG ISLAND We ate at Long Island & food & service was amazing, i have an almond allergy & after ordering our food the executive chef came to our table to advise that no almonds are used in my options which again was a good touch. THE FULHAMAA We also ate here & had a booking for 20.00 but upon arrival we told it had been moved to 20.30, we arrived at 19.45 so had to wait for 45mins which was a little dissapointing as it was Valentines Day. But once seated next to the sea the service & food was great & the live show from the sharks feeding less than 4ft away was truly amazing. LA BAI We had this booked for our first night for 20.00 as we should have arrived on island at 15.00 but due to long delays at Male regarding domestic flight we arrived at 19.00, and then had to attend a welcome meeting so we were too late for our booking which was out of our control. We asked every day to be fitted in but it did'nt happen to our dissapointment as we're looking forward to eating there. CASTAWAY ISLAND We spent x2 morning there & its like being on a deserted island especially if you arrive early as your all alone. Bar service was also great, they make a call for the buggy to collect you when your ready to go for lunch. We had a few disappointments during our stay, firstly being the bikes, mine was fine but the other was to big for my wife & we had to wait 3 days before they found a smaller one for her. My wife hurt her ankle & was picked up by one of the resort managers & driven to our villa, we called reception for someone to attend & look at it & within 5mins a first aider was knocking, it was a sprain & gave pain killers & cream, fantastic service. Only thing to mention about our villa was it in parts looked a bit tired I.E Decking & outside furnature needed a little TLC...apart from that it was amazing, pool big enough to swim in.

Fabulous Hotel We stayed here for 16 nights and booked all inclusive through Voyage Prive. Firstly and most importantly, this is truly a 5* hotel. We have stayed at many that purport to be, but sadly are not, so were delighted that this was indeed a 5* hotel. We opted for a beach villa – Room 200 – which was perfectly located for the beach bar and main Dining Room. It is also on the side of the island for the most amazing sun rises. The room is spacious with a separate lounge area, large bedroom with super comfy bed & pillows, two wardrobes and a smart TV. There’s a mini bar that is restocked daily free of charge. There is also a Nespresso machine. The bathroom has his ‘n’ hers sinks with a large roll top bath – we opened the doors each evening and listened to the waves whilst having a bath – absolute bliss! There is also an indoor and outdoor shower. The hotel is over two resorts – Digurah and Falhumafuushi. We stayed on the latter which appears to be the more refined of the two. You can visit the restaurants over both islands, although on all inclusive you are only allowed one visit to the Chinese and the French restaurants. The main Dining Room at Digurah has more of a ‘dining hall’ feel, whereas the Dining Room on Falhumafuushi is more like a restaurant, cosy and more intimate. The food at both is very good indeed and changed each evening. There is an extensive choice of still and sparkling wines – over 25 and there are named brand spirits at the bar. The cocktail list is extensive and the drinks themselves wouldn’t be out of place in a London 5* hotel. The staff are all a delight and so friendly and helpful. Two worthy of special mention were Jehad and Ishan – both helped to make our stay thoroughly enjoyable. This was our fourth visit to The Maldives, our first time at The Residence and the house reef was incredible and by far the best we have seen. We saw numerous turtles every snorkelling trip, with our most sightings being 29! We also saw rays, lots of sharks and so many different fish. We can highly recommend the Dolphin Sun Set Cruise – this was a magical experience with dolphins swimming alongside the boat and Spinner Dolphins doing their acrobatics! The journey to the hotel involved a domestic flight from Male to Kooddoo and then short speed boat transfer to the hotel. Check the timings with your agent as to when you land at Male and when your domestic flight is, as we were stuck at Male for 7 ½ hours unnecessarily so! Our only feedback for the hotel – it’s not a criticism per se – is that there are not enough seats at the beach bar. With such a stunning view of the sun setting, why not have tables & chairs on the beach so that you can enjoy your drinks whilst watching the sun set? Yes there are tables & chairs but these are all allocated to the Beach Restaurant.