W Maldives

I’ve been to nearly 50 countries and have stayed at 100+ hotels/resorts across the Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt brands. Without being hyperbolic, I can confidently state that my stay (five Read MoreI’ve been to nearly 50 countries and have stayed at 100+ hotels/resorts across the Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt brands. Without being hyperbolic, I can confidently state that my stay (five nights in September 2023) at the W Maldives was the most positive experience I’ve ever had at a hotel. Location and Ambiance Fesdhoo island is a 25-min seaplane flight from Male International. The island’s natural beauty is stunning, with white sand beaches juxtaposed against cerulean and deep blue waters along with the island’s lush, multicolored, carefully manicured flora. We stayed in an overwater bungalow on the lagoon side (highly recommended due to a much larger expanse of sea-green waters). The $595 per person charge for round trip seaplane seemed a bit steep at first, but the unique experience of taking off and landing in the water was worth every penny. The better way of thinking about the expense is that it’s actually more like an aerial sightseeing tour — there’s simply no replacement for seeing the atolls and islands or the Maldives from only a few hundred feet up. The house reef is easily one of the best in the Maldives, and there are plenty of places to snorkel around the island. Dining I’m not the best person to judge the resort’s cuisine, as I’m not exactly a foodie. So take these comments with a grain of Maldivian salt. The W features four major restaurants: Fire (outdoor grill), Kitchen (Indian and Italian), Fish (seafood), and Kada (Maldivian food). Vegans and vegetarians will have a fair number of options including Daal Makhani, Paneer Makhani, Veg Biryani, Veg curry, tofu broccoli, ravioli/pastas, risotto, Dosa, Uttapam, and Aloo Paratha. For breakfast there are plenty of options including pastries, eggs, fruits (there’s a fruit counter with a staff member dedicated to cutting up tropical fruit), juices and smoothies, and pancakes, hash browns, and French toast. There are especially unique options like coconut French toast and Pandan pancakes. Activities I’m not really a beach person, so one of my fears was that I would get bored quickly being on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It’s partially for this reason that I picked the W, as they do a phenomenal job of offering a wide range of activities including diving, snorkeling, night snorkeling, parasailing, and boating. For those who enjoy working out, they offer Boxing, Pilates, HIIT, yoga, and core workout (Mark and Toto were wonderful instructors). When it’s raining, they offer movie nights, marine biology lectures, Maldivian cooking classes, e-sports, beer pong, a wine academy, and limbo. The Staff While the ambiance, activities, and rooms were fantastic, there are certainly many properties in the Maldives that rival the W’s offerings in these areas. Where the property really distinguishes itself is in its staff. From the moment we landed on the seaplane dock—where we were greeted by the resort’s 10 senior staff who knew us by name—to our departure, where we sailed to a seaplane deck a few miles off shore--the staff we met were kind, authentic, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. The team of 250 staff are from all over the world. We met staff who are from the Maldives to India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia and even France. What unites them all is their positive attitude, desire to be helpful, and unrelenting focus on the guest experience. Nearly every staff member with whom we interacted knew our names. Food and beverage staff members — including Leeru, Siva, and Audi — greeted us in the morning knowing what we had ordered at a different restaurant the previous night! Executive Sous Chef Suresh was so incredibly friendly and went out of his way to ensure that I was aware of vegetarian options — even off menu items. He also took the time to chat with us about his prior experiences with plant based cuisine. It was clear that the F&B team are dedicated to their craft—the pastry team produced works of art, from pistachio croissant to caramel cream cheese cromboloni to berliners. Siska, one of the hostesses, always greeted us with a smile and ensured we were seated in our preferred area. Saif, fruit artist extraordinaire, was always willing to create a custom exotic fruit plate, and explain to us the seasonality and other details of mangosteen, dragonfruit, guava, longan, and passionfruit. I mentioned to Irufan, the manager of the “Whatever, Whenever” program, that I was interested in seeing what the Beach Villas looked like. He arranged for us to move to one such villa for our final night on the island. It would not be an exaggeration to state that I actually felt like the staff were members of my extended family. While the staff members are all friendly and helpful, the W really takes things to the next level with its attention to detail and aspiration to achieve a personalized experience for each guest. I was very curious about how the resort is powered and where its water supply comes from. I asked a question to a staff member about this, and 15 minutes later, after returning to my room, received a message letting g me know a tour was being arranged of the water desalination and power generation facilities. Mangala and Ali on the Engineering Team gave us a grand tour of these facilities, which I found fascinating. We met 10 members of the Engineering team, and one of them cut up a fresh coconut for us! I would highly recommend the W as a premier Maldives resort at which to spend your next vacation. You won’t be disappointed! Read Less

we went with my family and was an amazing experience. service is top level and always supports all your requirments. reef tour is a must! after next renovation would be one of the best resorts in Read Morewe went with my family and was an amazing experience. service is top level and always supports all your requirments. reef tour is a must! after next renovation would be one of the best resorts in maldives Read Less

For our first visit to the Maldives we struggled which Marriott property to go to. We're a couple celebrating our anniversary and the factored in. We had booked the St. Regis and changed it to the W Read MoreFor our first visit to the Maldives we struggled which Marriott property to go to. We're a couple celebrating our anniversary and the factored in. We had booked the St. Regis and changed it to the W 3 weeks prior to departing. WHY? In my research (and I do a lot of it), I came across an incredible detailed 5+ page, single spaced write up in a Facebook group about the W. This came from another experienced traveller and the details reminded why I like the W do so much (Costa Rica, Vieques, NYC, ...we've been to both resort and urban Ws) - the vibe, the approach to have fun and create an epic adventure. The vibe you get from the moment you touchdown in Male where Abdullah greeting us, checked us in (with a surprising villa upgrade) while waiting for the seaplane. The greeting when we arrived from a large part of their staff made you feel at home. I later learned that there are 300 people working at the resort with only 75 rooms...they are focused on providing an incredible experience). Shareef who handled our housekeeping was awesome - he's been there 17 years, since the W opened - that tells you a lot about how they like working there. He made a point to decorate our room to acknowledge our anniversary and it blew us away...so thoughtful and special for us. (we met others that had been there 14 years, 17 years...really tells you a lot about the property and its management) Mark and Tutu with the FIT team were awesome. We did yoga and trampoline classes with them - great trainers and even better people. Mini and the rest of the restaurant team were just as awesome - based on recommendations we ordered off menu dosas for breakfast (recommended from a bartender there) and it was easy, no problem and loved sharing the experience. The W was also hosting other W execs, including Claire from the W in Singpaore...we got to know her as well and made sure our stay was top notch. Lastly, the resort - super clean, great W vibe and does not look its age at 17 years....The overwater villa was superb - massive room, great outdoor pool, lounging area and hammock. The reef was spectacular - saw Bob (sea turtle resident) along with many types of fished and reef sharks. This is another reason the W is different than the other properties - keep that in mind. When you can jump right in and experience a reef and not have to go in a boat to another place (unless you want to). It was hard to leave the place and the friends we made with the staff. We will return!! Read Less

My stay at W was amazing , magical and surreal . The staff were extremely sweet and polite . Special thanks to Mr Suresh for making us feel at ease and at home . The food was great . It was all we Read MoreMy stay at W was amazing , magical and surreal . The staff were extremely sweet and polite . Special thanks to Mr Suresh for making us feel at ease and at home . The food was great . It was all we had hoped for as our getaway . Read Less

I was there with my husband for our honeymoon, such a dreamy place, we stayed for 10 days and we had the best time . The staff was soo kind , friendly and welcoming . The room was perfect , it got Read MoreI was there with my husband for our honeymoon, such a dreamy place, we stayed for 10 days and we had the best time . The staff was soo kind , friendly and welcoming . The room was perfect , it got cleaned twice a day by a kind man called jumbo . There was a private pool outside of our room and nice place to stay or drink the coffee or even eat . The island was so beautiful and peaceful. I’m not good at remembering the names but I wanna mention one of the waiters Arit , he was the most amazing and kindest person , also the other waitress were so nice and kind too though ! Read Less