Review: Waldorf Astoria Maldives Hotel
There has been a lot of media hype surrounding the Waldorf Astoria's newest addition in the privileged spot of Haa Alifu Atoll at the north-most point of the Maldives. The location of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is one of its strong points if you are looking to feel completely secluded from everything else. However you must be aware that getting there does add a good few hours to the journey time as it involves catching a domestic flight from Malé airport and then a speedboat to the hotel. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives is a luxury hotel with a good range of facilities but we found that it was still experiencing some teething problems where the service is concerned. We tried not to be too severe when evaluating the service as cultural differences do apply when training Maldivian staff. More time is needed for the Waldorf Astoria Maldives to be perfect. The hotel is another beautiful luxury resort, however we did not feel that anything really stood out from other luxury resorts, especially when weighing it up against the long journey.
Advantages
- The secluded location.
- The Maldives' only hotel art gallery.
- Stunning pools; the Amazon pool is set amidst thick lush vegetation.
- A good option for families.
Disadvantages
- The service needs more time to reach Waldorf Astoria standards.
- The journey from Malé Airport to the hotel is fairly long.
Price and availability of the Hotel
The Maldives consists of over a thousand islands arranged into what is commonly-known as atolls, or groups of islands, although the word 'atoll' actually denotes an island made of coral surrounded by a lagoon. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives is located at the north-most point of the Maldives, it takes a good few hours to get to from Malé. You must catch a 50 minute domestic flight to Hanimaadhoo Airport, followed by a 45 minute speedboat ride from the airport to the island of Manafaru, where the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is located.
The Waldorf Astoria Maldives opened in March 2010, which means that it is still undergoing a few teething problems where the service is concerned, so be patient with the staff during your stay. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives is also still part of the Hilton family, meaning that it has a very similar design to the Hilton Irufushi Hotel in the Noonu Atoll (see our review of this hotel on this site).
Around 200 islands of the archipelago are inhabited (recorded at the time of our visit in April 2010). Each hotel is set on its own island (unless you stay in the capital or Hulhule, the airport island). Among the 200 or so inhabited islands, few are inhabited by locals only - hotels and locals rarely mix unless in a work environment within a hotel structure. By this, we mean that there are no local villages on the same island as a hotel and vice versa. Tourism and local life are kept separate. This means that there are no cultural activities on hotel islands, although most hotels tend to organise excursions to neighbouring local islands for the day.
Upon arrival at the airport, everything may seem very confusing, with people milling around all over the place looking lost - you will notice a row of hotel kiosks, and a row of Maldivian Air Taxi or Trans Maldivian Airline kiosks behind the kiosks. When you come out of the arrival doors, just look out for your host who should be waving a Beach House Resort placard. Go with him/her. Make sure you have bags of patience, as the wait may last a little longer before you board the domestic flight to Hanimaadhoo (up to two hours). Your host will have to collect all the passengers heading the same way as you before checking you in and taking you to the Beach House lounge, where you will be served complimentary refreshments while you wait to board the plane; there is also complimentary WI-FI (ask the staff for the access code).
8.5/10
Part of the Hilton family, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives was designed by the same designer who undertook the plans for the Hilton Irufushi Resort in the Noonu Atoll. The two hotels do in fact look very similar. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives also has two pools, an Amazon pool and an infinity-edged pool in a more private spot away from the main activity of the hotel. Although the hotel doesn't have many families come here yet, the Amazon pool is aimed at children whereas the other pool is reserved for adults. The beautiful spa and its labyrinth of paths winding round the island's vegetation is also similar to that of the Hilton's.
Otherwise, as you arrive at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, you are taken to your room for check in with a member of staff. The hotel reception is situated in an open thatched roof pavilion and is decorated in a very simple style; we were expecting something uber-luxurious leaning towards the pretentious side of design, but actually there is nothing designer or contemporary about the Waldorf Astoria Maldives apart from some of the accommodation. All in natural tones, with natural fabrics and materials, nothing much stands out in the décor. Something we haven't seen in the archipelago before is a hotel art gallery dedicated to local artists. Although a great idea, we felt that something was missing to give the pavilion that extra something to give the gallery a livelier atmosphere. High tea is also served here; guests can try British pastries with a tropical twist.
The 35-acre island is lush with vegetation and is blessed with a beautiful lagoon all around the island. It is ideal for a leisurely stroll, although if you need to get somewhere fast you are best off calling for a buggy!
There are also several fun activities for kids, such as turtle monitoring to bungee trampolining at the kids' club. Otherwise there is a good range of activities from water sports to diving excursions, and the wonderful spa.
Although the hotel does have all the necessary facilities and is set out on a lovely island, we did feel that it lacked soul and atmosphere, which we put down to teething problems since the hotel has only just opened. We think that the hotel needs a little more time before it is up to the Waldorf Astoria standards.
8.5/10
In total there are 83 rooms including 22 Beach Villas, 12 Beach Suites, 30 Water Villas, 17 Ocean Villas, a Grand Beach Pavilion and a Grand Water Pavilion. All the accommodation looks great although very particular in its style which I dare say is rather in keeping with a more classic than contemporary spirit. This is especially obvious in the dark woods used in the water villas. All rooms have the expected mod cons including large flat screen televisions. All rooms have their own private plunge pool, which is a rare luxury at most hotels in the archipelago where only some room categories have a pool. All beach villas have open-air bathrooms featuring low lying over-sized bath-tubs and rain showers. The accommodation also includes a beach cabana for lazing around on the beach. The sophisticated water villas are equipped with Jacuzzi bath-tubs all fitted with inbuilt speakers. The water accommodation is also fitted with air-conditioning that shuts down as soon as a door is opened, so beware of keeping all doors locked shut if you don't want to die of heat! Private decks with infinity edged pools and direct access to the ocean is the defining aspect of the water accommodation. There are also glass floors in the rooms and bathrooms. All amenities are Waldorf Astoria Maldives refill products.
Although we found the water villas to be a little isolated in their distance to the rest of the hotel and the beach, in terms of aesthetics the accommodation is extremely stylish. We loved the seating area with its glass walls looking right out to the sea, especially beautiful at sunset, and the dark moody slate bathrooms. The decks of the villas are also well equipped with not only the private pools, but also with a Maldivian swing and an overwater spring hammock. Compact, guests have all they need here for a relaxing stay. Our favourite accommodation was the Beach Suite with its spacious and light layout. With large open-air bathrooms and large private poosl set in a garden in front of the room or beach, these rooms are cosy and luxurious.
7.5/10
The hotel has a very good range of places to eat. You can indulge in a romantic over-water Asian-fusion meal at Saffron, or a succulent seafood and steak meal from the central kitchen at Medium Rare. Guests can also choose to dine at the organic Four Corners. There are a number of private dining options available which should be enquired about at reception. The hotel also boasts three bars. If you are feeling nostalgic you can also drop into the art gallery for a spot of high tea and scones. All options look great although the décor has been kept very simple. The food and service still needs a little time before reaching the expected standards but we have no doubt that the Waldorf Astoria Maldives will succeed!
8.5/10
The beach is beautiful. The island is blessed with a pristine lagoon all around the island. A real postcard picture, guests will not be disappointed by the swaying palm trees lining the fine white sands. Snorkelling is best further out; we recommend joining an excursion to really get a good view of the magnificent coral. Otherwise you should still manage to catch sight of a few colourful fish in the lagoon itself.
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