Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

As anyone that follows our reviews knows, we have visited the Conrad Maldives a lot of times, fifteen in total so in this review I will focus on what is new. All the previous, great people, great service, great views, expansive scope and scale of accommodation hold true. From arrival to departure you are cared for at every moment. New for us this year, was to be there for New Year’s Eve which was great. A champagne reception on one island for all guests was followed by a massive food selection back on the main island. Every possible food option was covered, lobster, fish, meat and my favourite a superb seafood chowder. All self-serve so you can assemble your own personal feasts! Entertainment ran from about 8pm until well after midnight and at midnight there was a great firework display. We may not go every year for this as we are UK based and our families are in UK but will certainly want to visit again for this. For those with Hilton status the free afternoon tea has made a welcome return and was well done, the free evening cocktails have moved to Rhanghali and are later so more of an after-dinner option. Great to dine at Sunset and then follow up with a free cocktail. We also had a great wine experience at Mandoo where they have a special bottle of sparking rose wine that you have to open under water. Tell Shark (the manager) we sent you and he will explain more! We did have mixed weather in that a cyclone was causing grief near Sri Lanka but that was only two poor days and there was enough, given how expansive the Conrad is, to keep us busy. My wife does like the Over Water Spa a lot! Our original plan has been to relocate the coral line we planted two years ago onto the reef but there had been a bleaching event late 2024 and some pieces had died and the rest were moved by the marine biologists early to keep them safe. Not to be down hearted we placed a brand-new coral line – number 55- and will hope that will grow and we can check on it in 2026 and plant it in 2027. Even if you don’t want to plant it yourself I would urge fellow guests to consider supporting this by going to the dive centre and asking the marine biologists how to.

Context: My extended family. Wife & I, our 2 sons and my eldest’s family, including 2 toddler Granddaughters, 7 of us. 4 of us had been here ~15 years ago. Stayed in a 3 Bed Villa (128/129) on “the main island” for 6 nights. Summary: is there a better luxury Maldivian Resort? I doubt it. Highlights: + Lovely Villa: well positioned for the beach, 2 pools. Eldest and his little family could have privacy when needed. Some niggling issues but these were always rapidly resolved thru our Butler. Ideal dimensions & layout for us. Buggy service to restaurants, spa, Ocean Centre, Kids Club was ideal. + Conrad’s outstanding people: All good, or better. Highlighting a few who stick in my mind one week after departing: + Fasy (soon referred to as Uncle Fasy by my Grandaughters) our butler: A lovely human being. “Always there” for all of us. Buggy rides, advice, help in resolving villa niggles. An outstanding ambassador for Conrad. +Najiba, a Moroccan lady server in Atoll. Consistently kind to my family, particularly to my Grandaughters at breakfast. And she allowed me to practice my appalling French. +Filipa, a young Portuguese lady who managed our private boat trip: Rays & Dolphins & some snorkeling. The kind of young woman, who you’d like your unmarried adult son to be attached to (but realistically know won’t happen). By the end of the trip, my granddaughters were calling her Auntie Filipa – she was adept at leading a boat tour for 3 generations, including an old, mediocre swimmer/snorkeler (me). Filipa put the safety of my family above all else – postponing our trip for calmer weather and constantly watching over all of us when it eventually took place. And the lady, for sure, is a talented swimmer. + Executive Chef. I believe he’s American (?). I like my fish: At Sunset Grill he cooked a stunning black cod: lovely ingredient beautifully cooked, World class IMO. Sunset Grill’s centrally located kitchen is managedcalmness: no shouting, every chef seems to know where he fits in, totally focused on culinary excellence for their guests. + All Conrad staff involved in the pre-arrival preparations of our holiday: answering questions, taking restaurant bookings, arranging private boat trip, seaplane flights etc. Clear, informative, communicative, guest-focused staff. + The lovely Indonesian Baby-Sitters at the Kids Club. So caring, so kind – women who clearly love interacting with and caring for toddlers. + GM Thomas has assembled an outstanding group of diverse, skilled, customer-focused people to run the resort. And he’s so approachable – thank you Thomas. + The food. We particularly enjoyed Ufaa (excellent Chinese), Sunset Grill and Atoll for Breakfast (an excellent spread). Quality, Quality, Quality. Tips: + If you want to eat at KoKo Grill, Ufaa or Sunset Grill …then book ahead, that is….way ahead of your arrival. Rangali Bar & Atoll don’t need advance bookings IMO. + Take a Private Boat Trip. Ask for Filipa to lead, she will ta

One of the reasons we keep coming back to the Conrad is the staff. They are superb. The dice centre in particular has one of the best teams that exists anywhere - Rabie, Madoo, Lu, Chris, Haruna, Sawaadh, Jess, Filipa. They are brilliant. Thank you, and see you all soon.