Jumeirah Maldives

This is possibly our 16th visit to a Maldivian resort having stayed well over a dozen times at lovely 5 star Plus resorts such as Shangri La, One and Only Reethi Rah, Four Seasons , Soneva Jani and Read MoreThis is possibly our 16th visit to a Maldivian resort having stayed well over a dozen times at lovely 5 star Plus resorts such as Shangri La, One and Only Reethi Rah, Four Seasons , Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi, all of which are amazing world class resorts. We are fortunate in that we manage to holiday 3-4 times a year to some amazing locations with our two young children. But we usually always ensure that we have the Maldives as an permanent fixture- annual pilgrimage. It never disappoints and this trip to Jumeirah Maldives was no exception. Our key requirements for a great Maldivian resort are - easy accessibility to the resort and also within the resort, great service from hosts , great food/ eating experiences with flexibility from restaurant staff, beautiful accessible sandy beaches , accessible reefs for snorkelling, resorts that value local culture and lastly we also value a resort that also is attempting to work with true efforts at sustainability ( always a difficult one, as guests needs don’t always support this on the islands). Suffice it to say that the Jumeirah Maldives Ohalahali resort ticked all of the above boxes with flying colours and scored a “distinction” ! This is a small, beautiful but luxurious resort with one of the most spacious villas and a very accessible island at the Northern edge of the North Male Atoll. Don’t bother flying in a sea plane to the resort especially after a long flight. Rather it is only 50-55 minutes in their super fast gulfcraft luxury speedboats. You come out of the airport and your bags get taken off you and simply cross the road to the jetty and you are welcomed and settled into comfortable leather seats with coffee / refreshments and a warm welcome from a jumeirah speedboat host. The luxury speedboat journey has some amazing views of the surrounding islands and if you are lucky you can spot dolphins, as we did on our way back. That is the best way to travel to and fro from the island. However if you haven’t travelled in a seaplane or want the air experience, then and only then take up the sea plane transfer as they both take overall the same time (lounge waits for sea plane etc equate the time). The resort itself is small, yet you can get a 2.5 km walk/ run from the ends of each of the 2 water villa jetties around the soft sand beach with crystal clear waters around this well maintained island. The Jumeirah resort teams leadership is led by its incredibly well spoken and most gracious GM Ashraf Mohammed, being one of the first indigenous Maldivian GMs for any international Chain resort in the Maldives, his team of leaders including head butler( Hamad) and Manager for Rooms (also called Ashraf Mohammed) are all Maldivian, very experienced managers/ hosts and run a truly amazing resort. The Exec Chef Taylor and her Deputy Alex catered up a fantastic array of dishes for our 12 days that we spent in the island . It has 3 restaurants, Kayto ( modern fusion japanese), Glow ( modern mixed cuisine) and Shimmers ( Med food , beach based) with a beachside large pool , so great for lunches and themed dinner nights . Giovani (Asst Manager) looked after us every day , Arul ( Somnellier) did a great wine tasing( drinking session) and for a non red drinker got me to like Pinot Noir. The restaurant lead hosts Nappey and Tom and servers such as Anita (who was very new but most hospitable) were all most hospitable and helpful. The three restaurants were serviced 6 days a week by a wonderful threesome Philippina band with great voices and guest interaction. We enjoyed listening to them every day. They have a great Pastry Chef Denis and his Deputy JD, Both Mauritian and JD was amazing with my daughters especially with their allergy related requirements - that young man will go a long way . The Cafe Lounge ( best place for sunsets), has a great Maldivian Barista called Shafaa who not only gave me the best flat white I have had for a while but also re-educated me on coffee brewing - a great asset to the resort. The Villa host ( our host was “Bond” aka Atif) is one of the nicest and most perceptive and accommodating island hosts you can ever have, we knew Bond from our previous visits to Shangri La Maldives. He was truly amazing and always found solutions to anything we posed to him. Now……..the villa itself - we had a water villa and it had a full sized living room and also a full sized bedroom and a spacious bathroom. The outside pool, terrace spaces on decking and he roof were ….truly and visually stunning. And the water around the villa was brimming with beautiful corals and colourful sea life , and snorkelling ready. We saw turtles and black tipped sharks , sting rays, Jack fish, squid and hundreds of colourful amazing reef fish , you don’t need to leave the island to snorkel elsewhere. If you have very young children opt for the land villa as the walkway and decking edges have high falls into the water that sometimes has sharp corals or rocks. The water sports team were always helpful and we took canoes out every day and also Stand Up Paddles and pedal boats onto the beautiful crystal clear calm lagoon in shimmers side/ sunrise side. The kids club team of hafsa, Mia and Chicko were great with our kids and I am pleased to hear that they are planning to expand their facilities and open it up a bit more. ICI , the ice cream parlour served up some of the best ice creams in the Maldives. There is a Sri Lankan in house artist calked Yash, our children did 5 sessions with her and loved the experience and came back with some great painting/art skills and some great pieces of artwork. The Spa had one or two excellent therapists such as Avi and the therapy rooms were over the water , so was an experience. So lots of positives ……. Any th big needs improving / changing . Well very little really , and the management team are onto them. There are planes improvements to the kids club, an additional new restaurant is planned for. It’s still a relatively new resort and will need some time to completely bed in but between the GM Ashraf Mohammed and his Deputy Ashraf Mohammed , the Exec Chef Taylor and the other leadership team members, they are onto it, fully supported by the light of Dubai holdings the incredibly wealthy parent company of Jumeirah who aren’t frightened to invest. The Jumeirah resorts in Dubai have become impersonal crowded but I am confident that they will not allow this to go that way as it has the potential to become the jewel in the crown for Jumeirah with its stunning picture perfect waters and photogenic villas and shores. To us , it was a true tropical island paradises led by great leadership and delivered by islanders to create a truly immersive Maldivian experience and to experience their their warm hospitality. Jumeirah Maldives (our fist visit), exceeded our expectations and we are booking again to go back . If you are reading this review and contemplating your options, and if the price you get is comparable to other 5 star plus resorts, my advise is to book it, you won’t regret it. I am confident that the management review the pricing constantly to ensure you get great value for money too. Read Less

I had an unforgettable moments during my stays in olhahali Maldives resort. Upon arrival, we were met with warm smiles and a refreshing welcome drink, an instant indicator (Sakina) of the exceptional Read MoreI had an unforgettable moments during my stays in olhahali Maldives resort. Upon arrival, we were met with warm smiles and a refreshing welcome drink, an instant indicator (Sakina) of the exceptional service that awaited us. The attention to detail was evident in every aspect of our stay. the genuine warmth of the staff. Every interaction felt like a conversation with friends, and their dedication to ensuring our comfort and happiness was truly heartwarming. If you seek a place where dreams come true and every need is met with a smile, this resort is the ultimate destination. My heart is full of gratitude for the memories created during those unforgettable days in paradise. Thanks you Sakina and resort team for the great moments. Read Less

A wonderful experience. We had a villa with a swimming pool on the shore, surrounded by greenery. The ocean is a few steps away. Every morning the flowers opened their faces to meet us on the path to Read MoreA wonderful experience. We had a villa with a swimming pool on the shore, surrounded by greenery. The ocean is a few steps away. Every morning the flowers opened their faces to meet us on the path to the ocean. Very private environment, quiet, complete relaxation. The island is small, there is no noisy nightlife, suitable for a quiet family holiday. Impeccable work of all staff! Thank you for taking care of us at every step! Many thanks to our butler Aziz, who remembered our preferences from the first time and anticipated our questions, was very delicate. Rumboy's work was great, while he was completely invisible. Thanks to all the restaurant staff, sommeliers, waiters and executive manager! Read Less

It was a great experience and trip for me and my family, the hotel staff are professional and friendly with us and with my kids, the facilities of the hotel, villas, restaurants and diving center are Read MoreIt was a great experience and trip for me and my family, the hotel staff are professional and friendly with us and with my kids, the facilities of the hotel, villas, restaurants and diving center are amazing. The arrival and check out experience also shows the quality of the staff and how they are prepared Read Less

Exceptional. Purely exceptional. This resort pushes the boundaries in every aspect in order to increase their aptitude in making the guests as comfortable as possible. From the deluxe and divine Read MoreExceptional. Purely exceptional. This resort pushes the boundaries in every aspect in order to increase their aptitude in making the guests as comfortable as possible. From the deluxe and divine rooms, with gorgeous views, to the fantastic dining experience, I would really recommend this resort. Special thanks to our villa host sajjy for being an amazing guy. Read Less