One&Only Reethi Rah

I am from Brazil and have traveled a lot to many countries around the world on business, but this was the best hotel I have ever stayed at! Everything was perfect from the moment we arrived at the Maldives airport, with an One and Only hotel employee waiting for us and taking us to the speedboat that took us on the 45-minute comfortable journey to the island where the hotel is located. We arrived and were greeted by the General Manager of the Hotel, Jan Tibaldi, a very friendly Swiss man who lived in Brazil for 2 years and therefore speaks Portuguese perfectly! We were introduced to Alejandra Robles, who would be our hostess for the entire period we stayed at the hotel. Alejandra is a very friendly and efficient Mexican woman. She literally took care of us during the 5 days we stayed at the hotel. The best hotel employee I have ever met!!! She is wonderful!!! The island is literally magical, a unique environment! Our villa, as the rooms in the hotel are called, was excellent: comfortable, beautiful, with a unique view of the sea and the sunset, and everything worked perfectly! The sea was crystal clear, beautiful, with fish, sea turtles and sharks! Wonderful! There were several restaurant options with great food and drinks! And the staff was the best I have ever met: extremely efficient, fast, but without losing the excitement and friendliness!!! Anyway, my wife and I were at One and Only celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and it was a unique and magical trip!!! We hope to return to the Maldives one day and, if that happens, I am 200% sure that we will return to One and Only and that we will want Alejandra as our hostess again!

By way of reference, my wife and I travel extensively for work and pleasure so our standards are Aman quality high...... First the good The villas are of older classic construction, but meticulously maintained - some of the largest villas on the islands... with a gigantic WOW in terms of space, design, thoughtful touches... all necessary electronics.... these might be our favorite villas of anywhere we have stayed... also located in a manner which provides privacy.... and views of the ocean rather than other villas..... unlike much of the Maldives where the villas are adjacent and screened by walls... The ability to bike around the island was an added plus.. and we had a blast efoiling - the instructors were patient and awesome.... the island roads of sand a romantic wonderland.. The restaurants are of excellent quality food.... the breakfast buffet was top of the line... quality over quantity... yet not wanting for anything... Now the reason for the lack of five stars. 85% of the staff at the resort was perfect - service exactly as you would expect at a five star resort... But 15% of the staff seemed as if they did not want to be there.. were not responsive, and really did a poor job... this was true across the board... so some nights at the restaurants were great... other nights, we felt ignored and as if we were a bother when we asked for anything... this was true in every area... sometimes we would go for breakfast, and housekeeping had not made up the room - other times, they went above and beyond with thoughtful touches [our understanding was that the butler kept forgetting to notify them...so not their fault... Our butler, unfortunately fell into the 15% that did not want to be there.... ... and when this happens, it really takes away from the experience... so when we made special request... it was if we were asking for world... So how do you review, when you want to praise 85%of the staff, yet the ones that dragged the service down, need to step up their game. A big thank you for those amazing staff which were the majority. One other small problem was that when families were seated next to us, the kids cranked up their phones and ipads...and games and ruined the environment for all other tables... when we asked the waiters, they said there was nothing they could do about it... [perhaps it would be good to have family seating times and couples seating times.... or easier yet, just require all devices use earphones... that way the kids can enjoy and the rest of the guest are not affected....] All resorts are struggling with this issue, so this is not just a One and Only issue.

Our stay at the One&Only Maldives was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable, and our every need was anticipated. The resort itself is breathtakingly beautiful, and our host Mahish went above and beyond to make our experience truly special. From personalized touches to seamless assistance, everything was flawless. This was an unforgettable escape in paradise, and we can’t wait to return!