The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Excellent service and environment. Hotel was new . Good was great .. excellent sea view from villa... everything was beautiful over here .

We just had an amazing stay at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, and it truly exceeded all expectations. The resort is beautiful, and the staff made it even better. A huge shoutout to our butler, Ford—he went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. From drawing sand art on our door to surprising us with fresh fruit and chocolate-covered strawberries, he made every day special with his thoughtful touches and warm hospitality. We also want to express our gratitude for every individual staff member, from housekeeping to the restaurant and beach/pool staff to the gardeners and boat drivers. Each one of them greeted us with a smile and made us feel welcome and honored. The hotel itself was spotless, the rooms were spacious and super comfortable, and we honestly felt like we were in paradise the whole time. The food was also incredible, especially at the Arabesque restaurant. A special mention to Chef "TopG," the Egyptian chef, whose passion and skill really shone through in every dish. You could really feel the love he put into his cooking. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives really set the bar high. It’s going to be hard to go back to real life after such an incredible experience. We’ll definitely be back!

My partner and I stayed over the Thanksgiving holiday 2024 for 5 days. Short version - resort, room (aka villa), restaurants, staff, and environment are all 5 stars. To date this his been the most amazing resort experience of all my travels. Just the right amount of luxury without being pompous. Most of the guests appeared to be Americans and were surprisingly young (early 30s/40s). Not many children (kid-friendly but I think its better off for adults only due the high-end nature). Only time we ever saw lots of people was at the restaurants or the sunset ceremony. I was worried it would be a snooty vibe but I didn't get that sense. Marriott Elites (I think Platinum and above) get some special perks and discounts which we enjoyed. Our Aris Meeha (aka butler) was Ford and he was incredibly helpful, courteous, and attentive. Anything we needed, we'd send him a WhatsApp text (download if you don't have it) and he'd answer promptly. Need Ice? A bottle of Rum delivered to your room? Room made up at a certain time? Text away and its promptly taken care of. Tips: Pack snacks. Eating out 3 meals a day is not only expensive, its a lot of food. Google YouTube video reviews - we watched several in-depth reviews so we were fully prepared on what to expect, where to eat, etc. Bring some US cash for tips. Like any hotel, you can leave a tip on the bill at restaurants, we wanted to recognize a few outstanding team members at the end of the trip. We were able to add that (by employee name) on our bill at the end of stay, but I would have preferred to give extra cash on my last day. There are some sharks but they are not mean/deadly - don't be afraid if you see them while snorkeling. Pack a waterproof iPhone case. Go snorkel near the dock in front of Villa 311. That is where we saw the most fish (and some small sharks). Do the Shark Snorkel excursion...we saw TONS of amazing tropical fish and a couple sharks. Visit their sister island (free 10 minute boat right) to try the other restaurants. The butter chicken at Arabesque was incredible. Cost: Yes its expensive, and there is ~27% tax/service fee added to all meals/drinks. Plan on $500 - $1000 per day per couple. You are in the middle of the ocean so I get it. Everything must be shipped in. The only thing outrageous was the speedboat (mandatory from the airport). For only a ~45 min journey roundtrip, it was nearly $1K USD per person. On the bright side, when you landed a resort attendant greeted you and assisted with your luggage, and on the way back, they escorted us through security with our bags on a cart (we had a lot of luggage and it was hot and crowded, so that was a huge help). Final tip - this is a manmade island (like many others there), about 1.8 KMs long. Immaculately landscaped and natural looking, so it didn't feel fake. I can't speak to whether a natural island is better. If I go back, I would stay at the Ritz again and also try a natural island resor