Paradise.
Located in the Ithaafushi Kaafu Atoll in South Male, this resort opened its doors this past July 2019 and we were lucky enough to stay there in September 2019.
We used 480,000 Hilton Honor points as well as our free weekend night certificate from our Hilton Aspire card to book a 6-day stay in this resort. We came in with very high expectations having been to Maldives before and let me tell you, WA Maldives exceeded all of them. This will be a multi-part series that reviews various aspects of this amazing property.
We’ve stayed at the Conrad Bora Bora, Conrad Rangali Maldives, Hilton Seychelles, Park Hyatts, as well as other Hilton resort properties around the world but the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is on a whole different level. The service we reached was on par with our stays at Amanresorts. It really does not make sense for me to spend my points/money and spend my vacation elsewhere if this resort is available. Already planning our next trip back!
To give you an idea, here’s the Tripadvisor review that we wrote:
Here are some more highlights from our one-week stay at this magical property:
– Upon arrival at the pier in front of the airport, a WA representative will escort you all the way to check-in. From the moment you land to the moment you leave, WA took care of us. Finally, special thanks to our concierge Hasan who did everything to make our stay unforgettable.
– The hotel itself is gorgeous. From the massive villas to the restaurants and common areas, everything was picturesque and looked elegant.
– While the hotel has only been open for two months, the service was excellent throughout. From Hasan, our concierge to Sonny the F&B Manager, each person we met really cared for my whole family and made sure we had the best time possible.
– As a Diamond member, I was upgraded to a Grand Beach Villa and then to a Grand Over Water Villa for our last two nights. These were upgrades that I was willing to pay for yet they gave it for free.
– Handoko, one of the chefs at the Tasting Table, noticed that I liked the dim sum during breakfast and proactively made me some even when they were not available in the breakfast buffet. Also, special thanks to Halu and Reiza for taking care of us every day at breakfast!
– My wife joked that the massive swing in our villa would be perfect if she had a rope to swing herself with. Someone must have overheard us as 15 minutes later, 2 WA staff appeared in our villa and offered to install the rope. We politely declined. Amazing.
– My wife also mentioned how she loved the macaroons that were from the turndown service. For our last night, WA staff delivered a huge jar filled with these treats.
– We just can’t say enough good things about the Kids Club. Special shoutout to Alma, Erin, and Anas for taking care of our little one. My daughter did not want to miss a day there as she had so much fun with all the daily activities and the built-in water park.
– The cheeseburger at The Ledge is phenomenal. Again, the Peking duck at Li Long is a must-try.
– Waheed along with the rest of the staff in Peacock Alley was always so warm and personable.
– Scuba diving was a treat! From the diving boat and diving gear to the Ocean staff, everything was top-notch!
– They accommodated my family that had three different flights out and let us stay in our villa until it was time to go in the yacht.
– WA has four yachts. From what I was told, the 70-footer is reserved for VIPs and bigger parties. On the way back, I was at the 54-foot one which was the fastest and had me at the airport in around 40 minutes.
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We wanted to commemorate our magical stay with a photoshoot so let’s start off with that!
TravelhackRR 