One&Only Reethi Rah

Absolutely incredible resort. Third time visiting the Maldives and this place topped all our previous trips here. Every part of the island is clean, well presented, the natural environment is greatly maintained and manicured. Staff are always so helpful and friendly. The addition of the bikes to ride around the island on is a bonus. Good sized gym with a vast variety of cardio options and weights. Big thanks to our Butler who made our trip feel like a home from home and a big thanks to the dive team who calmed our nerves when on the Nurse Shark encounter experience and Underwater Ski Bob experience. This really is the ‘One&Only’ resort that feels like paradise on earth.

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!

Trip date: December 22-30th, 2024. : Here goes my review: Wow! We were a large and energetic family of 7, including grandparents, parents and teenagers. We loved all the tiny details at the One and Only Reethi Rah, like the surprise nightly gift on our beds, the impeccable staff and service as well as the well planned activities for the holiday week like the family games which my sons want to win next time. They came in third! We loved the almost immediate buggy service and we loved how pristine the sandy roads were for cycling. We all enjoyed the family bikes. Maria deserves a shout out. Maria's Magic Brush (my nickname for her art studio at the Beach Club) was my favorite afternoon post lunch activity followed by the Dolphin Sunset Cruise. The boys loved jet skiing and snorkeling. We had my parents and kids and everyone had a lot to choose from. It was a magical trip, stunning location, beautifully decorated during the Christmas and New Years week (although I am sure its lovely all year) Eugene was assigned to us as our buddy and concierge and showed up at different places at the same time to make sure we were taken care of. Eugene was the embodiment of warmth, attention to detail for all family members, always accessible on WhatsApp, managing activities, pushing for reservations and going the extra mile on everything. The joke in the family was we were convinced Eugene was in three places at the same time. Yet her manner was not imposing or annoying. Due to the festive season, were so many cocktail parties and events aside from a plethora of activities for all ages. Sports of all kinds, board games, a buzzy beach club at lunchtime with Nikki Beach style DJ'ing and more. Aside from missing one precious night due to flight issues we had a pretty perfect vacation (written on the car ride from JFK to home) The weather was incredible (82 for most of the stay) the villas impeccably decorated and luxurious, and we were given fresh fruit, water, notes of chocolates and other treats every day. The breakfast buffet was beyond our expectations and as fussy and 'foodie' New Yorkers, we were truly impressed with the quality of all our meals at the Reethi Rah resort restaurants. Fandita, Earth, Fire and guest 3 Star Michelin Chefs who created special menus using local flavors. The entertainment each night was world class, from live music, deejays, fire-eaters and elegant cocktail parties for the whole family. Management was present but discreet, ensuring guests were taken care of. We all wanted to extend our stay and definitely plan to go back!

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.