Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

We liked everything very much. Especially Beautiful villa and excellent service! We received a very friendly welcome and sweet honeymoon gift. The room and pool was large and extremely comfortable. The buggy and bicycle was convenient for exploring. Tom is so kind and nice （and handsome）, appreciate he arranged the late check out for us! We enjoyed our honeymoon in Waldorf Astoria Maldives and hope to return to stay here again!

Hundreds of glowing reviews endlessly praise how amazing this place is. But unless you’ve actually been here, it’s hard to truly see behind the mysterious veil of online reviews. That’s why I chose this resort as both the first and only stop on my trip to the Maldives. I’m currently on my third day here, and I think this is the most objective time to share my experience. 1. Facilities & Environment: Everyone knows the Maldives is a luxury hotspot. As a high-end resort that opened in 2019, the Waldorf Astoria is now entering its mid-life phase—which means regular upgrades should be a given. Especially with the pandemic hitting soon after opening, it couldn’t have been easy. But clearly, Waldorf made the right calls. Compared to other remote resorts, this one has a logistical advantage in terms of access. Although the surrounding views aren’t the classic “infinite ocean horizon” (thanks to a nearby man-made island under construction), the wooden architecture still gives off that tropical island vibe. What I mean is—just imagine staying at the Ritz-Carlton and ending up in a futuristic, capsule-like overwater villa. That kind of contrast feels out of place in the Maldives, doesn’t it? 2. In-room Experience: “With an overwater villa featuring a 4-meter high ceiling, what more could you ask for?”—that’s what most people would say. I strongly disagree. Vacationing isn’t just about a long list of paid activities (more on that later); the room itself should offer a certain level of entertainment and comfort. To put it bluntly: Waldorf should seriously consider firing its IT department. It’s 2025, and there’s not a single USB-C outlet in the room. The TV doesn’t support any app-based streaming, and worse, the locked-down settings prevent it from auto-adjusting brightness to suit the lighting. And in a space with multiple activity zones, there’s no wireless speaker system provided? Not sure what I mean? Take LXR Kyoto as an example. Even in their hot spring suite, they thoughtfully include a high-end, wireless Bluetooth speaker—so guests can enjoy immersive audio wherever they are. Many Waldorf locations suffer from this same issue: relying on a single tablet to control lighting, AC, and curtains, but offering only the most basic functions. There’s no atmospheric lighting presets (like “island,” “romantic,” etc.)—a missed opportunity given how premium the hardware setup is. It’s a real shame. 3. On-site Activities: This is not a high-energy resort. Don’t get me wrong—Waldorf offers a deeply relaxing vibe. But if you’re the kind of person who likes to stay busy while on vacation, you might find it lacking. The daily schedule is loosely organized, with limited options. At times, only paid activities are available—and even then, they don’t spark much interest. The only entertainment that carries any vibe is the live music or DJ sets, but that’s about it. The kids’ club is spacious and appealing to children, but it suffers from the same issue: errors in the printed schedule, or activities not taking place as planned. That’s a real problem for parents who need to organize their day. Maybe it’s unfair to compare this to activity-centered resorts like Club Med, but at the very least, having a full calendar should be a basic expectation. The team could consider incorporating more unique Maldivian elements into the daily programming. Of course, you could go play a game with Radu Popa, but let’s be real—that’s not practical for most families or honeymooners. A thoughtfully curated schedule would go a long way toward delivering the true value of the Waldorf brand. 4. Staff Dedication: As many reviews have already pointed out, the staff here are incredibly professional, friendly, and service-oriented. The behind-the-scenes teams—maintenance, landscaping, housekeeping, food service—deserve special recognition. Remember: the staff are human too. On this man-made island, none of this beauty would exist without their hard work. When you see them, don’t hesitate to show your appreciation. The butler team is also reliable and attentive to guests’ needs. However, if English is not your first language, I highly recommend asking Waldorf to assign a butler who speaks your native tongue. It’ll significantly improve your stay—especially when it comes to activity planning or resolving issues. You’ll really feel the difference in care and attention. In Summary: If Waldorf wants to solidify its place as a true flagship in the Maldives, it needs to think bigger and broader. While competitors are still discussing the basics, Waldorf should already be leading the way. High-end brands don’t just offer an immersive vacation experience—the services around that experience are equally critical. It’s 2025. Technology is advancing at lightning speed. Every service interaction should be built around guest experience. No matter how laid-back the Maldivian pace might be, any slip in innovation or service detail will chip away at the luxury image. And when that happens, the magic of this man-made island could easily fade. 幾百篇不斷都是稱讚有多棒多讚的評論，但沒來過不會掀開網路評論後神秘的面紗，於是我選擇來此作為馬爾地夫之旅的第一站也是唯一一站，目前是我在島上的第三天，選擇在這時候做出評論應該是最中肯的。 1. 硬體環境：大家都知道馬爾地夫一級戰區，作為2019年開業的奢華渡假村，華爾道夫已經進入中生代，代表許多地方應該不間斷更新，尤其開幕不久即受到疫情影響那應該不好過，但事實證明華爾道夫的方向是對的，對於那些偏遠環礁上的秘境，華爾道夫展現出交通優勢，雖然周遭無法呈現海天一線（尤其附近興建中的人工島），但木製建物充分帶給客人海島風情。我的意思是，當你看到麗思卡爾頓，你不會想要在馬爾地夫住進充滿現代感的膠囊狀水上屋，衝突感太深了，對吧？ 2. 房間內部：「面對超過四米的挑高水上屋，還能挑剔什麼？」這是大部分的人想法，我完全不這麼認為，所謂渡假，除了提供各式各樣的付費活動外（這點稍後再說），也必須考慮到房間內部帶來的娛樂效益，簡單一句：華爾道夫應該開除IT部門。在2025年，房間內竟然沒有一個type C插座，電視竟然沒有app系統，飯店把電視鎖定功能的結果就是無法依據環境光調整亮度，更糟的是，在這個擁有多區域活動空間的地方，竟然沒有提供一組無線音響。不知道我在說什麼？看看LXR Kyoto，在擁有溫泉空間不忘提供一組高級無線充電式藍牙喇叭，讓旅客可以在活動空間選擇沉浸的音樂風格。許多華爾道夫都有這問題，想著用塊平板做出全房的物聯網（燈光、空調、窗簾）但那也只是基本的開關，氛圍情境燈光也沒有設計出應有的主題（如海島、浪漫等），白白浪費了這麼高端的硬體設施，實在可惜。 3. 園內活動：這不是一個充滿活力的渡假村，不要誤會我的意思，華爾道夫帶給旅客的氛圍是放鬆，但如果你有意圖在渡假村裡找事做，那這裡會讓你失望。每天的行事曆非常鬆散，能選擇的類型有限，而且部分時間會只有付費活動（類型同樣提不起勁）。唯一還能算的上有氣氛的是現場演唱與DJ，但也就這樣。兒童俱樂部能吸引小朋友，空間也足夠，但也有同樣的問題，發給旅客的行事曆有錯，或是本該有的活動沒有舉辦，這對需要安排時段的父母是個挑戰。我不知道如果拿ClubMed之類的活動團隊來比是否過苛，但把行事曆填滿應該是渡假村的基本功，也許團隊可以考慮多些馬爾地夫特有的元素設計行事曆。當然你也可以選擇跟Radu Popa來場球賽，但那畢竟太遙遠，對大多數來家庭旅遊或度蜜月的客人，好的行事曆會完美演繹華爾道夫的價值。 4. 員工熱忱：如同大多數的評論，員工充滿了敬業精神，也樂於用微笑及問候對待客人，特別是後勤團隊，負責園區環境、建物修繕，房務整理、膳食提供，你必須意識到員工也是人，在這個人工島上，沒有他們的付出，不會有這個出色的環境，看到他們時請不吝給予讚賞。管家團隊也盡責的完成客人的需求，但如果你是非英語母語的人，請通知華爾道夫為您盡可能安排一位母語管家，這會大大增強你在入住期間的體驗，特別是在安排活動或解決疑問時，都能感受到無微不至的服務。 總而言之，華爾道夫如果想證明自己在馬爾地夫能代表華爾道夫，那就必須看的更遠、看的更廣，競爭者還在原地討論時就已經要知道往前走，高端品牌除了給客人沉浸式的度假體驗，相關的服務也是很重要的核心，現在是2025年，所有與科技相關的東西都以光速在前進，所有的服務都會需要考慮到客人的感受，不論馬爾地夫步調有多緩慢，只要一絲落後，豪華及高端就會離開這座美麗的人工島。

WA at maldives is the best choice for honeymoon. The services in Waldorf are top of the line. Speical thanks to our personal concierge Yousry from Egypt. He shows professional and warm services for the whole time. Also all other staffs are very kind with big smiles everytime. The villas are great, way beyond expectation. We tried beach villa and overwater villa for two nights each. Rooms are huge with beautiful views. Pillows are soft and my wife experienced excellent sleep quality even better than at home. Foods are also fantastic. We tried Tasting Table, Yasmeen and Lilong. Also thanks to Riza from Tasting Table. He remembered everything we need. Ambers are also great. We had the best sunset ever. Snorkerling is fabulous. We can easily go to reef from our villas or just go to house reef. We even saw baby shark. As a beginner, its already great. Its the best and unforgettable experience ever in my life. The only regret is that we should stay longer.

First - class service: warm welcome and smile from every staff you met on the island no matter where you go. Especially our personal concerned Yousry, who upgraded our second over water villa to grant one for free and let us stay there until 8pm upon our late night flight. So sweet and considerate, also planned and booked popular restaurants for our dinner in advance. His recommendations for where and when to see the sunset is the best(Amber at 6:30pm), when you wonder which butter to choose, feel free to name Yousry and I'm sure you won't regret. Meanwhile, there were also several staff I would like to thanks for their outstanding services, Riza from tasting table who is willing to remember our name and make us feel like home, buggy car drivers who are willing to drive us from villa 601 to Yasmeen(only one block away haha, we don't know that on our day 1), or from dive center to villa 719(also a 3-minutes walk and we are wet from snorkerling), the list can go on and on. The villa is spacious no matter a beach one or an over-water one. Each has its unique view and beauty. The food is also great. Tasting table provides delicious Chinese hot soup with noodles and eggs for breakfast and yummy international food for dinners. Lilong's Beijing duck is also above-average tasty even compared with the numerous one back in China. Overall, it's a desirable destination for your honeymoon in Maldives and no worries at all if you meet an excellent butter as Yousry and friendly staffs as we did.

A beautiful hotel with exceptional cleanliness and outstanding hospitality. Anna, our personal concierge, provided top-notch service. My husband and I enjoyed our stay, although we found the Li Long restaurant a bit pricey for the portion size. However, the food was tasty, and the view was amazing.