Arora Inn

The rooms are barely basic. If anything less, you would be living in the slums. They are also not super family-friendly. We had taken extra snacks from the breakfast menu. The staff that first saw us did not say anything while we were taking it (we did not hide it). The second staff mentioned that we were not allowed to take, which we said we did not know. Then the manager/owner comes and repeats the same thing. We told him we understood, but we had traveled to more than 40+ countries and had always been accommodated since we traveled with a child. He then mentions how we should take his rule positively; he has 20+ years of experience, and we need to respect his rule. My family and I normally travel budget, as we prefer to allocate more money to activities and exploring the area than the rooms. We have been in places where they could not provide all amenities, but they had always made up for it with a smile and supportive attitude. We felt like the locals were doing us a favor by allowing us to stay rather than treating us like guests. We have also noticed different behaviors towards different skin tones.

I was warmly welcomed at the pier by Sami when my speedboat arrived in Maafushi without even informing them which time speedboat I would take (via iCom Tours) which was a great start to my stay. Fresh juice was provided on arrival, with information of what tours were available (no pushiness at all, they clearly said their only priority was for guests to have an amazing stay). My room (103) was nice and spacious and the bed and pillows were very comfortable. The shower was water was always very hot and the bathroom had a nice tap and separate mini shower head to clean feet. Aircon for the room is also very good. A few minutes walk from the speedboat & ferry pier. Lots of nice restaurants on Maafushi to choose from. All people are the hotel were always so welcoming and friendly, kindly lending me some superglue when I asked if they knew where I could find some to try fix a wheel on my case. Sami also very kindly helped me with my luggage to my ferry to my next island. This hotel is very good value for money and cannot recommend highly enough! I didn’t manage to get a reply from hotel ahead of my stay about organising my speedboat from airport to maafushi however this wasn’t a problem at all. You can just book directly from iCom Tours website and get the boat from near taxi area at the airport 😊 The plus in the room are also UK style plugs 😊

It is very unclean and full of insects. I had to cut my stay short because it was uncomfortable. Our room was tiny and could not fit my friend and I, and our luggage and belongings. The beds were child size so my feet hung off the end, and I am a small woman. The food was the worst part. The staff member cooking even openly admitted to us that he doesn't know how to cook, but just makes it up as he goes. Our room had one tiny window that did not open so it felt like a prison, which by the way, the inn is 100 meters from an actual prison, which is unsettling. They don't clean the rooms, empty the trash, or provide any basic day-to-day services. I messaged online many time over weeks asking them to organise airport transfer and they kept saying they would but never confirmed it, so my friend and I had a challenging time upon arrival. My friend got about 15-20 new mosquito bites each night as she slept. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Lo mejor del hotel es el trato recibido que fue muy bueno y te hacen sentir como en casa, te recogen en el puerto, te traen y te llevan después las maletas, te dan todas las facilidades que pueden. Por lo demás... pues bastante antiguo todo y un tanto dejado.