Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort 5 yıldız

This was a bucket list and so glad we selected Raffles as the location! The resort was beautiful, food tasty & excellent service from all the staff who was so pleasant at all times…..and the rooms are in a class of their own! Everyone was so very kind and attentive, especially our butler, Nasiba, who was always available and willing to help with any requests. She also put together lovely surprises commemorating special occasions we were celebrating. The resort is a bit further from the airport from other resorts, but worth the trip!

This is our 6th visit to the Maldives, 10th resorts visited. We had a great 2-week stay at Raffles, thanks to the amazing untouched dive sites, luxurious villas and high level of privacy. - Transfer / location: As many have mentioned, the domestic flights do take a bit of time, however once arrived (especially for longer stays), you are welcomed by a super pristine atoll without the plane noise, light pollution, and constructions of other atolls closer to Male. We really enjoyed the remoteness of Raffles. - Villas: We stayed in sunset water villa, sunset beach villa and beach residence, all of which are stunning, with a lot of space, extra large beds and great privacy on the sundeck or beaches. If I had to choose, #15 (beach residence) is my favorite due to the great beach in front of a super private lagoon. - Dive centre / watersport: Having travelled and dived in quite a few countries, we had the best diving holiday at Raffles. Appa and his team were very flexible and customized every dive trip to suit our interest. We even saw countless dolphins and some mantas & mobula rays during dive stops. After spending 12 days diving with the same guide and crew, we all became friends. The watersport centre has all the equipment you need, with amazing locations nearby for sandbank or picnic island visit. - Spa: We had 3 massages each during our stay, all were amazing! Enjoying a nice massage in a luxury spa after a day of water activity is a real treat! Special thanks to the GM Tracey for the leadership and positive changes (and for promptly addressing some minor issues we had at the beginning of our stay), our dear dive guide Aru (the only one I know who can talk with sharks), watersport centre manager Appa for arranging all our activities and the daily fun chats, our sweet butler Nasiba, and F&B team who looked after us and shared fun stories everyday (Azin, Ahad, Harshania).

It's such a nice place. It was a comfortable and happy five days. Butler Nattu and all the staff were kind. I used a sunken dinner, spa, and floating breakfast service, and this was also so good. And most of all, I was happy to see the turtle! The underwater environment of Raffles is really the best!! The restaurant has a very good view and you must experience Firefit! The grilled food is great!! Take a good rest.

Arriving at the long-awaited Raffles Maldives to celebrate our honeymoon and my wife’s birthday, our butler Aziza has been incredibly attentive. She handles every request promptly and even arranged a surprise for my wife.
We will definitely return to this beautiful place in the future.

Overview This was my third visit to Raffles Maldives in as many years, so you can already guess—I absolutely love it. A year without coming here isn’t something I even want to consider. It truly feels like our home away from home, and despite the significant management and staffing changes they’ve undergone, they still made us feel like VIPs, preserving the warmth and familiarity that made me fall in love with the resort in the first place. Transitions like these aren’t easy. When only management changes, staff continuity helps maintain the guest experience. When only staff changes, strong management ensures consistency. But with both changing, it was inevitable that some adjustments were still being made. That said, I give the team immense credit for how well they’re handling it. My only concern is the possibility of further staffing changes—there are certain individuals here who feel truly indispensable, and I’d be heartbroken if they left. Service The service was nothing short of exceptional, centred around a few key individuals who made it feel like their sole mission was to ensure every moment of our stay was perfect. The generosity and kindness shown to us still make me emotional when I think about it—constant little surprises, drinks appearing the moment we were near the bar, and an attitude of "Forget the menu—just tell us what you want." Shane—The Heart of Our Stay Shane, the F&B manager, deserves an entire paragraph to himself, though it still won’t do justice to what he did for us. He has played a huge role in making all three of our visits unforgettable, but this year, he became a permanent part of our family—whether he likes it or not! This trip was extra special because I proposed to my girlfriend, and Shane was instrumental in making it the single most magical moment of my life. From reaching out before our arrival to meticulously planning every detail, he created the most romantic private beach setup imaginable for my proposal at sunset. He even went so far as to shut down an entire restaurant, arranging a private chef and a custom-curated menu just for us. The thought, effort, and kindness that went into this will stay with me forever. And if that wasn’t enough, he even rescheduled his holiday to ensure he was there when we arrived, personally overseeing the proposal and our entire stay. Raffles, please do whatever it takes to keep him—he is irreplaceable. Other Standout Staff • Ranga (Barman) – From the moment we arrived, he greeted me by name and made it his mission to ensure we had the best cocktails of our lives. Every evening (and sometimes even during the day), he crafted personalized drinks without us even asking. He was a joy to see every day. • Yasru (Butler) – The perfect balance of professionalism and warmth. Many butlers in the Maldives can feel a little too formal, but Yasru adapted effortlessly to our more relaxed style. Somehow, he always appeared just when we needed him, almost as if he had a GPS tracker on us! He knew exactly when to give us space and when to check in. • Azeem (Waiter) – Invited us to his home on a nearby local island, where his family cooked for us. It was an experience of generosity and hospitality that left us speechless. • Jazz (Senior Waiter) – Though new, he carried himself with a level of professionalism, warmth, and refinement that stood out immediately. It made perfect sense when I found out he had worked at Velaa. While the service was generally outstanding, the waiting staff at the restaurants (with a few exceptions) didn’t quite match the level of previous years. Many seemed new and understandably a bit nervous, so we didn’t build the same bonds as before. Getting There Getting to Raffles can be a bit of a journey, and I won’t sugarcoat it—the local flights can be frustrating, particularly when leaving. Sitting in the "lounge of doom" at the domestic airport for three hours after such a luxurious stay was tough. If budget allows, I’d strongly recommend the seaplane—it eliminates the need for the domestic flight and speeds up the journey. Regardless, the moment you arrive at Raffles, it all becomes worth it. Island Beauty Raffles is the definition of natural Maldivian perfection. Even after three visits, I still found myself in disbelief that a place this beautiful is real. The lush jungle is dense and untouched, the powder-soft beaches are pristine, and the way the trees overhang the shore creates a dreamlike setting. The lagoon is the perfect size for swimming, and the house reef is teeming with life—we swam with turtles, eagle rays, stingrays, sharks, and more, all right off the beach. The scent of incense that fills the air at night adds to the atmosphere, making everything feel even more magical. Facilities & Activities For such a small island, the facilities are excellent. Free non-motorized water sports (including a glass-bottom kayak and paddleboards), a fantastic padel tennis court, and an incredible spa make it easy to fill your days. The spa is a must—every treatment I’ve had here has been phenomenal. The therapists are sweet, skilled, and create an experience that I look forward to all year. If you visit, don’t miss the Raffles Signature Massage—it’s incredible. There’s also a wide range of excursions, from manta snorkelling and dolphin cruises to jet-skiing to uninhabited islands. Rooms The villas at Raffles remain some of the best entry-level accommodations in the Maldives—spacious, beautifully designed, and incredibly private. That said, we did run into an issue upon arrival. As third-time repeat guests, we had requested Villas 2 or 3, but we were instead placed in Villa 6, which had no beach and was poorly located. The staff member who escorted us to the villa seemed almost embarrassed and immediately mentioned that they were already looking into moving us. While the issue was resolved quickly—we were upgraded to the two-bedroom residence—a bit more careful planning could have turned our initial reaction from disappointment to sheer excitement. Food The food at Raffles is exceptional, and we always opt for full board because we love it so much. • Thari (Main Restaurant) – The best of the three. A fantastic variety of cuisines, impeccable quality, and the most consistent service. • Yuzu (Japanese Restaurant) – Still not quite there. The menu is more honest now, but it still lacks identity. I strongly believe a Robata-style grill with sushi would be a far better fit. • Firepit (Grill Experience) – Last year it was an interactive experience where you could go up to the chef at each of their stations, order what you wanted, watch them cook it and engage with them , this year it has gone to nearly a set menu restaurant, I hope they revert to the previous format. One slight concern—the creeping presence of menu surcharges. Raffles has always stood out for not overcharging full-board guests, but I noticed more dishes now requiring supplements. The mixed grill, once my favourite, now costs extra and has been cheapened, replacing high-quality lamb chops with a single skewer. I really hope this doesn’t become a trend. A special mention to Krishna (Pastry Chef)—he made it his mission to spoil us. Every meal, he surprised us with incredible custom desserts, often even sending extra treats to our villa. The pastries at breakfast were outstanding, and the Valrhona chocolate desserts were world-class. Final Thoughts Raffles remains my favourite place in the world. The warmth, the service, the beauty—it’s unmatched. Despite a few areas for improvement, it’s still a place that makes me feel special in a way no other resort has. A huge thank you to Tracey (GM) for ensuring our experience was as magical as ever. We will be back next year, already counting down the days. If you want the perfect blend of a pristine natural island and ultra-luxury service, there is no better place than Raffles Maldives.