Taj Exotica Resort & Spa

Great place..beautifully mindblowing location..lovely people who took good care amd made the stay even more memorable. The lagoon was the most amazing part which went on for miles, fabulously done resort..very helpful staff who were there to support and help at every point. Payel was a superb hostess, Daksh from housekeeping really made our rooms magical everytime, wonderful lifeguards..always willing to help and spotted sealife and guuded us around the lagoon, the staff at 24 degrees with Rabeem was amazing..all of this made our stay extra special. Payel made us experience both the overwater villa with pool and then the upgraded sunset beach villa with the pool ensuring our experince was made absolutely magical.

This is my second visit to your property. We were greeted and escorted to the speed boat and just before arrival at your property we saw a pod of dolphins play and that set the tone for the entire trip. We were assigned Mr. Nadeem from Taj exotica for the whole trip and he was wonderful throughout, whether it was about making us comfortable or explaining the property or being at our service at Times when we didn’t even know that he could have been of help, he was there. He explained about the various activities that we could indulge in. Even though he had to manage other Vilas when the property was completely full, it felt like he was there whenever we wanted him. He even addressed the needs of my little daughter and made her experience magical by helping her sight a turtle, and Nemo fish in your property. The lifeguard was also very helpful and kept our safety at prime focus. If something bothered us, it was the management style of handling the guests in the restaurants. In the name of food wastage after spending so much of money, which is one of the highest in any Taj properties portions and the way the set menu is designed is pathetic. It looks like the hotel is doing a favour by providing the food. Even if anyone goes to a two star hotel, even there, breakfast is a buffet where people are allowed to eat whatever they want from the spread provided to them when I visited you earlier, you did not have this deplorable system. During my visit, there was a free Christmas brunch at one of your restaurants, but even there not everyone was made a part of it. Only people who got to know about it were given the free brunch and there was no poster to inform all the guests in fact, even the restaurant staff denied the brunch when we walked in stating that the time was up. When, in fact, there was an hour for it to get over this kind of handling kills the overall experience of Tajness that you all define to be the epitome of service. I did speak to your duty manager, the second morning and he handed my disgust in a calm and proper manner. He did tell me that we could take whatever we wanted and that we can get all the service at the restaurants as we wanted, he did take extra care about our needs, but it is difficult and also not in my habit to ask for a change of rules at the restaurant, so we stuck to the set menu in the way it was designed for all the guests. All of this treatment was being given at the restaurant, even when the hotel was completely booked. Apart from this unpleasant and unwelcoming, feeling at your 24° Restaurant, everything else was joyfull experience. We would definitely recommended to our friends and plan to visit you all in a few months. If my feedback does resonate with the same given by other guest, please consider this stupidity which is happening at the restaurants and change it because when we or any other guest comes to Maldives, they want to be pampered and made to feel like they are really important. The policy changes that you made in the name of food wastage may not reduce your client especially for people who want authentic Indian food, but will always leave a bad taste for the overall experience of Taj properties worldwide.

Amazing experience. Loved the hospitality, service, food and overall waters! the place is a must visit. It has been one of my best experiences in Maldives.

We went there for our honeymoon our stay was comfortable also we required pure jain food during our entire stay which was made possible by Chef Ashish who recommend us many dishes and even made all arrangements for pure jain food and even the staff was polite and helpful to us. Talking about our first ever experience at Taj Maldives was overall average and not upto the expectations of what we had about how we have that in Mumbai. The hospitality towards the customer, the property management it could be done even better and could be made upto the Taj Level. Overall everything was good but there was less entertainment for us. Pool and restaurant was nice and it can be even better.

Very disappointing experience. This resort does not meet Taj standards and the worst thing is management at the resort does not care. Specific examples include: - We had to change the host very next day (previously known as Butler) , although they have not updated the website to reflect the same and its quite important fact to be mentioned on the website as the level of service provided is not the same for butler and host. Our host (Nadeem) was unresponsive and did not bother with providing any information or provided misleading information (e.g. sunset cruise which was complimentary for us - he said it was from his side) regarding events/activities at the resort . Most of the information, we either got from other guests if they happened to know through their host or only found out if you happened to be at that place. Anyways they changed our host (Salah) who was very good and provided information promptly (only plus point at this resort and truly a blessing in otherwise a very bad experience at this resort. - 24 degrees restaurant (their main restaurant) is a total disaster. We stayed at this resort for 10 days and not even once did they get our order right in those 10 days after waiting nearly 45 mins - 1 hour on daily basis. Their excuse is that their entire staff is new and they have been having difficulty in recruiting. If you mange to get a table then they will not give you basic thing as water for 45 minutes and only after you yourself go at the coffee station located inside the kitchen to fetch it yourself. It’s a total chaos in the restaurant and appears that the staf do not talk to each other (e.g. on a Sunday brunch, we waited for 30 minutes for our table to get ready) and just as we were ready to go to our table, we saw some other guests who were already seated requested for pour table right in front of us and they gave it to them. When we questioned them about this,the restaurant manager (lost name Rabeem) who was not even present there came from kitchen and said that those guess requested for that table before us which was complete outright lie as we saw those guess requested for ask for that table in front of us while we were for that table to be cleaned (please note junior staff did mention that this was our table that was getting ready and he also came next days and said the same). Rabeem did this as those guests went and sat at the table before us and didn’t know how to get out of that mess. Anyways what is not correct id lying outright on your face. - if you order for sushi, be prepared to eat with knife and fork as they have always ran out of chopsticks. They don’t have have tequila, sparkling wine (i am sure there many that they don’t have but i know of these 2 as well asked for these). Whilst they have extensive menu for alcohol, i asked one day how would you make aperol without prosecco and they said they wont as they don’t have it. Be prepared that their menu is only for show and most of the things they don’t have. After all these experiences, when we complained a the reception, they called their director for culinary (Luke) who apologised and promised that he would ensure such things won’t happen.however he never bothered to even ask once after that if every thing was alright, leave alone ensuring that such things don’t happen. Things kept happening daily after that. It’s a lottery system during breakfast and you would be lucky if they get your order right for the first time. Not to mention this was the experience of every other guests we met there and similar complains. I am not sure why they have kept this resort open as they have left it to deteriorate and level of service to degrade so much (note the rooms are very old and furniture is very old - i visited the resort 9 years back and nothing has changed and somebody mentioned they have not changed anything since last 25 years. - at poolside, you would always have to request for towels and wait for an hour before they can provide you with some. First resort i have come across where the poolside does not keep towels handy (please not this was not a one off but a daily lapse) - there are hardly any kids activities and no kids club. Not at all suitable for family with young kids. - there are so many things that went wrong and i really regretted my stay here. I can only say i chose this resort second time as we had such a wonderful stay first time round when my daughter was six months and it was to revisit those memories when she was old enough and her insistence to state at the same resort as we had spoken so much about it to her and our friends. She anyways asks at any other place we stay if Taj Exotica Maldives was still our favourite and we would say yes. We have always had such good experience at Taj and this experience was so shocking for us that it does not even deserve to be called a Taj property anymore as this is not at all par with any taj Property standards. - The general Manager - Mr Abnash Kumar and another lady (don’t remember the nae) needs to ensure all guests are taken care of instead of focusing on selective guests during their stay. - Also be prepared if no one is to meet you once you come out of airport and an employee of some other hotel helps you out in finding the Taj Booth at the airport for you to b escorted to your hotel via speed boat. The only thing redeeming of this resort is staff at the equator Bar (Ritesh, Raja and raiyya) and the host (Salah - apparently he is the best there) Definitely not a place i would recommend. Hopefully Taj Managment sorts these problems, sad to see such a beautiful property go downhill in this manner