Baglioni Resort Maldives - Luxury All Inclusive

I honestly can’t say enough good things about the service, food, guided meditation, and music at Baglioni Resort Maldives. Add to this the fact that every server and spa attendant speaks SEVERAL languages. It is music to my ears to hear the symphony of languages that the talented staff have mastered! There are so many staff members I wish to thank who truly made this the most relaxing vacation ever: First: Rameez, our VIP-guest experience officer, was available 24/7 to kindly address any needs or concerns we had. He even arranged to have cushions set up for me so that I could participate in the Spa’s guided meditations free of my arthritic pain. Many thanks to Baglioni for wisely giving each Villa just one contact person such as Rameez or Elisa, as it made this vacation truly one of the most relaxing and hassle-free we’ve ever experienced. Second: Jeetu, the yoga/meditation instructor was so incredibly authentic and supportive. I have been doing yoga for over 50 years, but this was the first time with an Indian yoga master who truly enhanced the experience from a spiritual level. He took extra care of me due to my arthritis, even giving me tips to enhance healing. Third, and the person we’d MOST like to bring home with us: Zia, our villa steward. We’ve been to resorts and safaris worldwide and I have to say Zia is far beyond the BEST, most attentive service provider I’ve ever encountered. I felt like I was coming home to a surprise each evening with the beautiful flowers and decorations. Fourth: The Room Service phone hostesses were so kind, especially Mary from Kenya, who was AMAZING! She was so friendly and helpful, and even called in the mornings if I’d forgotten to place an order for breakfast, knowing that I was scuba diving on several days. The RS menu was also incredibly varied and delicious, so I enjoyed it every day! Fifth: Shammu, the acoustic guitarist is an extremely talented musician with a beautiful voice and extensive repertoire. We enjoyed listening to him every night. Hearing Shammu’s soft guitar and gentle voice while watching the sunset was the highlight of the trip. Sixth: THE FOOD and SERVICE: The Japanese Yama restaurant was our favorite as we loved the rolls and small bites, plus the ‘marine show’ every night as the sharks, rays, and fish swam beneath the restaurant dock. RJ runs a great dining experience with a fantastic staff, especially Yerma, Krishna, Shoebet, and Amina. We also loved the highly skilled BBQ chefs at Fuego, which was easily the most romantic setting for dining. The Italian restaurant La Limoniae was a lovely surprise as well, with all sorts of fresh seafood options. Hisham, Lotta, Ilham, Swadha and Alena and all the staff there are excellent too! And the bar staff at the pool bar below were AMAZING! Many thanks to Praful, Ananya, Arum, Ilham, and Sakim. Taste restaurant served a great buffet with an excellent grill master, a gifted pasta chef, and spectacular salads and desserts. Our favorit

We were on a very rainy vacation in this hotel in January. What can you do in in such weather at this hotel? Turns out the only option is to stay at the bar. This all inclusive hotel is not well adapted at all for such weather. There are only a few places in the bar protected from the rain and they are all in high demand. Places in the restaurants are also limited. It’s worth noting that in the pool area, the beach, the bar and the two restaurants there is only one toilet with only one male and one female bathroom as well as no changing rooms. The hotel itself is tight-fisted and cuts costs on absolutely everything possible. There’s no towel station in the hotel just a sack with towels in the bushes and a person giving them out. He gives one towel to each person and begrudgingly gives more with a strong look of discontentment on his face. The island itself is really decent and has a lot of great places for swimming and snorkeling. It is therefore a pity to see how arrogant the likes of General Manager Andrea are in making it a five star Turkish hotel. Andrea thinks of himself as a God on this island. He even says that it should be considered an honour to even have the opportunity of meeting him. On the one hand, the hotel cuts costs on everything including table tennis rackets, their limited selection of billiard balls, hotel upkeep and even illumination of the bridge that leads to villas. Furthermore, all no-name bathroom equipment is also chosen because it is cheap. F&F manager Swadha seems nice and friendly at first but in the end she just takes your money and does nothing in return. No restaurants go beyond their menus and you can’t get a dish served in the villas at the main restaurants even as an exception. The only ones who feel comfortable here are Italians who come here with their family or elderly couples as the staff talk to them whilst others are treated with contempt. If you’ve been to other Baglioni or LHW hotels you’ll notice a big difference in the hotel quality, attitude to guests and attention to detail. Provided they don’t forget your birthday, on such an occasion the only thing you can count on is a basic piece of cake with one candle. The same thing goes for a room: there’s no flowers, no fruit, no bottle of champagne, literally nothing. My advice to the owners would be to change their staff otherwise the difference in quality between this hotel and other hotels like Emerald will only increase.