Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa Maldives – A Premium All Inclusive Resort

Absolute paradise

Drinking water

We had a 4 night stay. Free airport transfers and all inclusive was a big bonus. We had a beach villa that backed onto the beach, with a little deck area and a hammock. It was great to wake up to the sound of the waves and be a few steps from the ocean. There is a wide choice of food on offer, and standard was ok in the main restaurant (better standard lunchtime at the bar) The staff in the whole resort were very friendly and welcoming. Special mention to Imali and Abigail who were sunshine characters. I had a spa treatment made more affordable by the 50% off included with our stay, which was very nice. The snorkeling around the resort was a highlight, together with the wildlife on the island (crabs, hermit crabs, fruit bats, lizards, storks, birds). There is a nice, calm atmosphere at this resort. It is a very small island, only taking 5 minutes to walk around. The resort shop was well stocked with some great gifts to take home. Despite the very poor weather during our stay, with monsoon like rain we did enjoy our stay.

I wouldn’t describe this as a 5 star property, more 4 star. It is looking tired and worn in places. We were surprised there was no service on the beach or poolside. The excursions are prohibitively expensive. I was keen to do the turtle snorkeling, but $300 (including the taxes) for the 2 of us for 1hour and 20 minutes did not seem good value, which was a shame. The spa is also very expensive, but we did appreciate and use the 50% offer. The food standard was a little disappointing, (mostly in the main restaurant), and portion sizes were quite small.

Very calm and relaxing

Nothing

Our stay at Taj Coral Reef was exceptional and truly enjoyable from the first to the last minute! The Deluxe beach villa with own small beach area right in front was perfect for us. The service was absolutely excellent. Everybody from the reception to cleaning to restaurant crew was very friendly & helpful. Special thanks and warm greetings go to Imali who took excellent care of us in the beach bar during lunchtime and in the Grill restaurant. She was extremely pleasant and soon knew our routine order. In the end the drinks for our group of 7 arrived at our table before we even ordered anything! But also all the other people who served us were so very attentive and kind - Abigail, Ibrahim, Reehan, Mohammad and Saman at the bar, plus all others. Every meal we had was tasty & perfectly cooked. They offer a huge variety of diverse dishes. We especially enjoyed Indian & Maledivian cuisine. Our daughter needs gluten-free food and everybody in the restaurants knew this instantly and took care to offer alternatives. They even exchanged the oil in the chip pan for her french fries and potatoe wedges. The gluten-free bread that she got for breakfast looked like home-baked and it was very tasty according to our rather picky daughter which is an accomplishment in itself. They also made gluten-free pizza extra for her and were always helpful to check with the chef in case we had questions about some food. In most menues the allergens were clearly labeled which made it easy to order in case you need to stick to a diet. We can highly recommend this resort for anybody with allegies or special dietary requirements! The sea right around the resort offers a great snorkeling experience for beginners (in the lagoon) to advanced ones (outside at the reef). You can see so many colorful fish and even saw some black tip sharks close up - very impressive!

Everything was perfect and we have absolutely no complaints at all! Only two tiny hints if the hotel wants to improve even further: Label allergens in the dining menue like you did in the breakfast, beach bar and grill restaurant. And if you would even provide some gluten-free sweets like muffin or cake this would be exceptional. But we understand that this is not easy in the middle of the ocean where everything has to be brought in by boat. And our daughter was anyway happy to have chololate ice cream for dessert every day. ;-)

Staff: Everyone is super friendly and helpful. Food: I have no idea why many people complain about the food. To get through all the options you need a few weeks and there is loads included in the all-inclusive package from all over the world. Breakfast even had an additional menu that changed on a daily basis. Everything we had was very tasty. Location: Only 35-45 min boat ride from Male (short wait for other passengers), which is not too bad after a flight. Snorkelling around the island was amazing. We are divers, so we did not have high expectations, but we saw so many different species in such shallow water.

- As most reviews state, the property is indeed due for a renovation, but everything is still clean (well, it wouldn't hurt to do a deep cleaning and get the old dust removed from less reachable places) and working. Regardless, it is time to upgrade/replace bit by bit :-) - The island is very small with minimal beach, so no long beach walks unfortunately. - The activities and spa are very expensive. Would have used them (more) if prices were more reasonable. The 1hr massage offer @50% off that came with the booking, was still 105 USD. So full price is just a bit over the top. - The usage of small plastic bottles on a daily basis is insane. They should provide a more sustainable solution. If their own desalination facility cannot produce enough to provide reusable bottles, then use the big bottles and watercoolers or something.

The Lagoon. The beach villa had private outdoor space.

Room was a bit tired. Some drinks and food selections were unavailable

Small quiet and beautiful and great service by staff Great food. Great service with smiles by Imal and Madu in the restaurant. Ty

Nothing

Great food. Beverages. All inclusive package, including transportation. Easy access to the reef.

Old property although beautiful. Sometimes I felt understaffed in restaurants.