Ilaa Beach Maldives

The manager of this hotel was one of the rudest people I have ever had to deal with!! First when we arrived our rooms were not ready( which we didn’t complain about) and found out that the manager overbooked the hotel and now we were short of one room! When we obviously demanded for a room, he booked one from another hotel and WITHOUT asking us paid for a room which turned out to be way worse and more expensive!! Had we known about the condition of the room he booked for us we would have rejected the and settled for the rooms we had in his hotel. We then asked him to cancel the booking for the extra room since it was not worth for the price.He threw a major fit and told us that we either pay for the extra room or to get out of his hotel! We were quite shocked and honestly feeling very helpless at this point. The hotels in the island was at maximum capacity and dude was threatening to throw us out of the hotel which would obviously leave us stranded. Eventually after multiple long conversations over the phone he agreed to cancel the extra room he booked. Unfortunately, the stress of the whole situation ruined the vacation for us. In the end there was no compensation for what he made us go through and worst of all we ended up paying more than the number of rooms we stayed in. The entire experience was horrible and I would never wish it on anyone else. Please avoid this hotel at all cost.

I have to agree with the most recent guest review as I too had a similar experience, which prompted me into writing this honest and accurate review. I booked a side seaview room, only to arrive early and be shown a room facing a brick wall on a building site, just a metre away. Not only was the view bad, but the actual room was dirty, shabby, dated and miles away from what I expected in a Maldives hotel. I quickly took a photo of the 'sea view'! Yes it is next to the islands generator and you can hear it AND smell the fumes! I refused the room as I had already contacted the owner weeks before asking him to honour my booking with a seaview room as booked and paid for - as I had read reviews saying they had booked a seaview and been given a construction site view! What this hotel does is when someone comes to the hotel who doesn't like their particular room and complains at check in, is to give them another room better, so if you are unfortunate and get there after this happens then you end up with the bad room with no alternative, if you read reviews they have booked a garden room, only to say the sea view was beautiful!! I ended up walking from here and found a lovely hotel, Ayala ocean view hotel. I was not the first one to do this as explained by the receptionist - (and other reviewers), he went on to say Ilaa hotel has the worst reputation on the island and is known to be the cheapest because it is badly maintained and in the worst location. It looks like something from the 1980's that has been left untouched! Other reviewers must be use to.......not much and must be backpackers that have previously been staying in hostels, as that is what it reminded me of, a run down hostel! If anyone that gives this awful property five stars really are encouraging people to book only to be disappointed. It really was shocking that this disgraceful example of a hotel gets these glowing reviews and I can only think (by reading the reviews) that the staff are so friendly that this overshadows some of the guests real experience of the rooms. My advice, like so many others from various booking platforms is to ALWAYS read the LOWEST reviews on any site, find another place, pay more and have a far nicer experience on this small grubby (but beautiful beach) Island. Don't be misled and disappointed. I too had the terrible misfortune of being promised a full refund by booking. Com, only to receive NOTHING, because the owner of this hovel will not admit or acknowledge to *********** that we did not stay there! So the cheating man ended up taking our money and we ended up paying again for alternative accomodation.....you have been warned!

Oney, who was running the place was only 20 years old and worked so hard. He always had a smile on his face and so helpful. I felt so welcome. I had lovely days, and it was perfect for solo traveller cause there were other travellers to meet up. My room was cleaned every day. And top of the building had a spectacular view. Thank you so much Mr Oney.