My wife and I had high expectations of W Maldives, and never once were we let down by the actual product - and the people that made it happen. We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and my wife's belated birthday.
While every staff member at W made our stay memorable with their warm smiles and personalized greetings, we would like to present a special shout-out to the following talents:
- Bisha our coordinator, who took care of our every need, responded to our queries within seconds and made program / transport arrangements. We appreciated her assistance in securing our dinner reservations and - for the beautiful gesture of nightly decorations on the bed and handwritten birthday / anniversary cards for my wife and me. The personal gifts on our last day were a pleasant surprise and one that we have put to good use.
- Bianca from reservations, who patiently addressed all our queries prior to making our reservation. Her professionalism and knowledge made our decision to stay with W much easier.
- Claire the F&B Director, who was present in all dining venues at all meal services, we enjoyed speaking with Claire and her presence was a sign of mgmt. commitment to excellence.
- Sandra the assistant F&B director, who surprised us with a "sushi cake" during our dinner on our last evening alongside the beautiful table decoration and set-up. Sandra shared with us her journey / aspirations and her commitment to excellence was evident during her shifts working the floor and interacting with guests with a smile always on her face.
- Serene and Lynn from F&B, whom we had countless chats with during mealtimes - sharing their stories and ensuring that our every request was taken care of. From offering recommendations on the buffet to remembering our seating and dining preferences, both Serene and Lynn displayed warm and friendly service, while staying professional, and we thoroughly enjoyed our interactions with them.
- Alip and Nihal from F&B, from whom we learnt so much on Maldivian culture and cuisine. Both Alip and Nihal proudly shared their stories of local islands they were from and how they ended up working with W, and we were happy listening to their stories.
- Tengei the wine sommelier, who recommended us a nice bottle of wine for dinner at Fire, we appreciated his knowledge on wines and his warm and friendly disposition.
- John the Aquaman, who shared with us his knowledge on the house reef, tips on snorkeling and defogging the masks. We took his advice and spotted the resident turtle "BOP".
- Ishaan, Muhey, Arjit and Shakeel, the fine gentlemen at Wet deck, who made such good cocktails and mocktails for us. Customizing the level of alcohol as we prefer a lighter drink, conjuring their personal creations (should go on the menu) and offering icicles in the pool. They noticed us playing pool outside the gym during mid-day and brought us still and sparkling iced water (remembering our preference) - which was a small but very thoughtful gesture.
- Manil, W's photographer, who took us to his favourite spots and the ones we requested. Manil was very patient during the session and the end result was a beautiful picture that we placed on our bedside table - a fitting memory of our wonderful experience in W Maldives.
- Last but not least, Chef Wasantha and his culinary team, who ensured the food was of top-quality and every dish meticulously prepared and beautifully presented. We appreciated his kind gesture of offering us some kimchi to pair with the fried rice, and the plate of mangoes when my wife mentioned she likes them. Absolutely no issues with the food provided, in terms of quality, quantity, presentation and taste.
Now, for the actual review:
Arrival desk at Velana Airport.
- The friendly W staff (I apologise for not getting their names) calmly explained the seaplane process and within minutes, we were whisked away in a W minibus to relax in the seaplane lounge prior to taking the 20-minute flight to W Maldives.
- Check-in was done in the lounge and the spread/quality of food and drinks were more than adequate for us.
Arrival at W Maldives.
- We were greeted by the entire management team, with every HOD addressing the guests and explaining their role in the resort. This gave us further assurance on W's commitment to making every guest's stay - a magical experience.
- After a refreshing local-inspired welcome drink (your preference for alcoholic / non-alcoholic will be asked beforehand) and a cold towel to freshen up, we were introduced to our coordinator and given a tour round the island in a buggy, before being dropped off in our villa.
Room.
- We booked a superior overwater villa and got upgraded to a premier overwater villa.
- The rooms were newly renovated 2 months ago and everything was spotless, the architecture and design was very "W" and matched the overall vibe of the resort.
- The rooms were not only aesthetically pleasing, but highly functional as well.
- There was a welcome card by the resort's GM, Mr. Amila - a bottle of Prosecco and a tower of sweet and savoury treats on the table.
- The external deck was well maintained, and we had no worries walking around barefoot.
Snorkeling.
- One of the main reasons we booked W Maldives - was for its natural house reef that was very accessible from the beach / spa / sip bar and teeming with all sorts of marine life and corals.
- The house reef is situated in very close proximity to the beach (probably around 30 meters out).
- The house reef is clearly demarcated with buoys and the dive center's staff explained to us the best route to take which was 100% spot-on.
- Equipment provided were clean and of high-quality.
- We spent 1/4 of our day snorkeling and we saw their resident turtle "BOP" and many varieties of fish and coral that we never knew existed, it was as if we were literally swimming in an aquarium.
- We tried snorkeling directly from the steps of our villa, and the experience was just as good as the house reef.
Main Pool and gym.
- While we were not snorkeling, we found ourselves at the pool - sliding down the metallic water slide - and feeling like kids all over again (we are both 35).
- Icicles are handed out around mid-afternoon which provided respite from the tropical heat.
- There were more than sufficient numbers of lounge chairs / towels and sunscreen etc.
- Gym was well-equipped with new equipment, cleaned regularly and had great views of the trees and ocean.
Dining venues.
- We were on an all-inclusive package and had dinner at both Fire and Fish.
- We were amazed at the freshness of the food noting that almost everything is imported into the Maldives, and we were tucked away on a secluded island.
- The Chefs' creativity really stood out (pandan brioche with pistachio butter, charcoal sun-dried focaccia with chilli butter etc.).
- Portions were huge (biggest burger we have seen), food was well-seasoned without being salty, and the Chefs were always cooking with a smile.
- Food was a close second on our top priorities behind snorkeling when choosing a resort, and W Maldives definitely did not disappoint - in fact they went above and beyond in this aspect.
Our short 3-night stay had to come to an end eventually; and as we left the island sun-kissed, well-rested and thoroughly spoiled, we take along with us memories of the kindness of the staff, and the gratefulness for every moment spent in this slice of paradise, and for this, we thank you - W Maldives.
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