Ithaafushi Vacations from AED4,211

Overall nice stay with great snorkeling. We stayed at water villa and ate at the Lagoon restaurant. The food can use improvement in quality and consistency. Service staff was nice. We filled out the survey for food on our 2nd day and the staff really took it seriously and made sure we had good food options rest of our stay. Breakfast was consistently awesome. Lunch and dinner varied in our opinion. I wish our host treated the food allergy we reported seriously as we had kiwi sent to our room as well served on a 10 person excursion without an alternative. The staff was nice to have kind gestures when we shared the food allergy issue. Just not the 5-star personalized experience we expected. We booked on Expedia 7 days before we arrived. The hotel never confirmed our arrival flight. Hope the property better manages communication. Luckily there was another family on the same flight so we didn’t wait for the boat transfer. Just an unnecessary stressful beginning when you do not hear back from the property.

It's ok for a 4-star. We spoke several times with the front desk manager (Shahin), who was outstanding! However, it feels like he cannot make big changes happen as the hotel is underinvested from the top. Shahin saved the experience -- without him we would have given this place a 2 star max. We reached out to senior management and were totally ignored. This actually explains why the place is unlikely to change in the future. GM is too busy thinking revenue, not experience. He won't get much revenue UNLESS he improves customer experiences.

Needs a full renovation very outdated. We stayed 1 night before going to the ritz Carlton, I know this is a different level of hotel but it’s the first hotel in the Maldives so it’s outdated. Bathroom smelled of urine

The food at Baros is top notch. Breakfast was fantastic every day that I was there. I stayed in an overwater villa with great views. Snorkeling at the house reef gave way to views of wonderful underwater life. When I come back to Maldives, I will book this place without hesitation. As for the expedia option of pre-paying for dinner, don't. Just go a la cart and not feel obligated to eat at the same restaurant. It's priced such that you are getting the maximum priced items on the menu each night and only includes one of the three restaurants. The food is great at that restaurant though, so no complaints there. I would have preferred more flexibility in how I used those funds.