The Ritz-Carlton, Maldives is one of the newer luxury hotels in the Maldives, which has many competing resort hotels. With a variety of dining, recreational, and lodging options, it caters to all types of travelers, including honeymooners, families, and couples.
It is a 40-minute speedboat ride from Male International Airport. A short 10-minute seaplane ride is also available
Booking
Opened in June 2021, it is the first Ritz-Carlton hotel in the country with 100 villas in the overwater and beachfront categories.
I used 70,000 Marriott points on the day I stayed. For cash, a standard room is 2706USD including tax, so the stay with points that day would be worth about 3.87 cents/point (USD).
According to the 2022 hotel points value table, this stay was way better value for the points exchange, so of course I booked with points!
Unfortunately, Marriott’s award categories have been eliminated and the stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Maldives is now minimum 100,000 points per night at least. Although 100,000 points per night is still high point value.
Check-In
Although there is no Ritz-Carlton lounge at the airport, we did not have to wait after arriving at Velana International Airport at 10:00 AM and were able to smoothly board the yacht.
We booked a speedboat, but luckily we were upgraded for free and headed to the Ritz-Carlton on a luxury yacht! The speedboat cost 678 865 USD/person including tax(price increased from 2023), in addition to the accommodation fee.
Wi-Fi was available on the yacht and they even gave us wristbands to prevent seasickness.
The inside of the yacht is air-conditioned and comfortable, but I recommend going up on deck, with a nice breeze and a view of the horizon, which will enhance the feeling of the resort you are about to visit!
A speedboat takes about 45 minutes to get to the resort, but a yacht takes 75 minutes.
Upon arrival, our butler showed me around the entire island in a buggy cart and took me directly to the villa where I would be staying.
Ocean Pool Villa
Nice decoration at the entrance of the villa where we stay!
The villa was 150 square meters in size, had a private pool with a horizon view, and all the furniture was fairly new.
You can see the beautiful horizon even from the bed.
This is my favourite place, I can relax here for hours!
You can dive directly into the sea from the villa.
There was a welcome dessert and champagne upon arrival at the villa.
Snacks, capsule coffee and tea (Tea Forte) were replenished daily at no charge.
Beverages are also replenished free of charge, except for alcohol.
The washroom is large and has two washbasins.
There is a door that leads directly outside from the bathroom, which is convenient for after snorkeling or pool.
The bathtub is inside the room, and you can see the beautiful ocean even from inside the bathtub.
Dental kit, vanity kit, mouth wash, loofah, shaving kit, shower cap, hair brush, nail kit, shoe mitt and body lotion are provided.
Beach bag, hat, and flip flops came with the room and were very sturdy. By the way, you can take these back home with you.
Facility
All rooms have private pools, but the public pool is right in front of the Eau Bar.
Public beach is at the end of the island, where you will definitely have a relaxing time on the couch!
Next to the beach is a dive center where you can book for various water sports activities and rent snorkeling gear.
The fitness center was fully equipped, with Smith machines, cable crossover machines, and even a trap bar for deadlifts. And of course, the cardio machines allow you to exercise while overlooking the beautiful beach!
Game room behind the fitness center with PS5 and pool table.
It will be hot during the day, but you can also take tennis lessons with a coach.
I was impressed by how well the staff took care of the children at the kids club. The outside was very spacious with a children’s pool and slides!
Snorkeling in right front of the villa
The sea in front of the villa is very clear and the water level is about 1.1 meters at low tide, so snorkeling can be easily enjoyed.
There were many coral reefs and a variety of fish gathered, so we were able to observe them.
Gallery
Many activities are offered here for guests to participate in, one of which is yoga every morning in this garden.
If you are lucky, you can even see stingrays!
The sunset from the spa was beautiful too!
Observe carefully, there is many many reptiles on the ground.
The spa was so beautiful that I can’t even describe how beautiful it was in the light of night!
Luckily, it was a full moon during my stay, so I was able to take pictures of the villa lit by the full moon!
Sunset ritual at Eau Bar
Every day at sunset time, a sunset ceremony is held at the pool right in front of the bar.
This is the ritual of saying goodbye to daytime and hello to nighttime.
Dinner at La Locanda
The Ritz-Carlton has seven restaurants and bars offering a variety of international cuisines. La Locanda is an open-air Italian restaurant with all-day dining available!
The pizza was big enough for one person and the ham was soft and very tasty!
It was nice and chewy spaghetti.
At night, the lights of the restaurant attract fish, and sometimes baby sharks come too!
Read more 【Review】Lobster Dinner at The Ritz Carlton Maldives
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the La Locanda with a choice of buffet or a la carte.
The buffet includes Maldivian, Chinese and Western cuisine, as well as an a la carte menu.
I was pleased with the tenderness and flavor of the steak
My Verdict
| Room | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Service | 9.5/10 |
| Breakfast | 9.5/10 |
| Pool | 9/10 |
| Gym | 8.5/10 |
| Design | 10/10 |
| Wi-Fi | 7.5/10 |
| Location | 9/10 |
| Value for Money | 8.5/10 |
| Overall Experience | 10/10 |
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