It was our second time at The Pullman in the Maldives - we first came in November 2020 for 10 nights and in light of our great stay and the on-going COVID situation we opted for second stay at the resort - this time for a total of 20 nights again in an overwater pool villa (not least because we felt super safe in the Maldives and at the Pullman at all times). Once again we had a really great time with mostly amazing weather with 3-4 days of not so nice weather, but sun and clear skies for the remainder of our stay (for those wondering - in November we had 11 days of excellent weather). The island offers three restaurants (2 a la crate, one buffet) and overall the food is of high quality across the board. I also really enjoyed the scuba diving in the area especially the channel dives - got to see a ‘wall of sharks’ (more sharks than I could count), many turtles, eagle ray, and tons of different kinds of fish (parrot fish, trigger fish, barracuda, etc.). We also went snorkeling to the house reef - on a day alone we saw 6 turtles, a white tip shark, a reef shark and tons of different kinds of fishes. That said: What truly differentiates the resort is its AMAZING STAFF. Martine, the guest experience manager, went above and beyond to ensuring our stay was to our utmost satisfaction and was quick to resolve service-related hiccups. Really cannot thank you enough, Martine! Martine also ensured that our feedback from our previous stay was taken to heart, eg the quality of cocktails / mixed drinks was super inconsistent in November across the different island locations and super dependent on the bar man or bar lady and they were also super sweet, but this time around the quality was consistently high and the drinks were not as sweet and overall delightful. It was also super nice to meet again all the awesome staff that we loved from our previous stay and meet many new faces; Nimasha who never fails to smile and spread her cheer and serve amazing drinks at Saffron Affair; Mara who runs an awesome scuba diving and water sports team including Fauzaan who always tried (and succeeded) to make our jet ski safaris super special, Inma who was the most awesome dive buddy though Jean, Quentin, Judith and everyone else is also super; Braize who was most attentive pool attendant at The Hub (we could not have hoped for better!); Udit who is the most awesome bar manager and running a stellar team, always on the lookout to invent another delicious drink (thanks Udit for letting us taste the drinks that are coming out in May - we approve all of them and will miss them!!); Sajeer who runs a stellar bar at Souq; Ahmed who manages an awesome team at Souq (seemingly never taking a break always ensuring that breakfast, lunch and dinner is always on-point and service great); the teams at the Hub, Phat Chameleon and Souq with Nisha, Uswa, Naufal (who always made sure we got our wine nicely chilled and always remembered our restaurant reservations and is a great digital artist!!!), Jasmin, Looth, Maisan, Asmaa and Shristy (among many more); Ahsan who ensured that our villa was always in impeccable shape (thank you!!!!!) and Ahsan’s manager / housekeeping manager who also always ensured we had a stellar experience and stay; the entire team of chefs (Keana, Eddie, Robertito, Welmor, the main chef of Souq whose name I just cannot recall unfortunately even though he always made sure we had the most amazing dinners and the chef in charge of the dim sum / Curry station at Melange; the entire team at the spa led by Jessica - thanks again for the amazing coconut 🥥 massage (instead of hot stones, but with coconuts!). Thank you all so much!! There is so many more team members who we will absolutely miss and who did fantastic jobs and my lack of mentioning them / their names is 100% due to my inability to recall all of their names 😅. We can only wholeheartedly recommend the Pullman Resort and its amazing team - sometimes there’s minor kinks, but the team will always iron them out and go above and beyond to make up for it. It also works for couples and families alike - we (couple) ended up making new friends (seemingly for life) who were visiting for 30 nights and 9 nights respectively - both families with younger kids who have also been to other resorts in the Maldives and they confirmed that the Pullman Resort is definitely among the nicest. Book ahead, you’ll have a blast!…
I find it difficult to imagine how this hotel can be rated anything less than a 5/5. As I write this, I struggle to think of lowlights from my trip. This was my very first holiday in the Maldives and I couldn’t have made a better choice than to go with the Pullman. Is the journey to get here a bit trying? Yes. But you will forget about all of it as soon as you set foot in the hotel. Right from the get go, the hotel staff was outstanding - a high bar that was only raised further and further throughout our 5 night stay. The standard of service and luxury far exceeds the cost of the stay - I say this in particular relation to the kind rates resorts in the Maldives charge. We landed in Male airport and were taken to the lounge area by the Pullman staff member, Imthiyaz. He was very helpful and ensured that we were put on the first flight to Koodoo, despite us being booked on the later one. This ensured that we had a full half day extra in the hotel. As soon as we reached, we were taken for a quick but informative tour of the grounds and then directly to our room. This gave us some time to enjoy the sunset in our pool. Room: I have it on good authority that Pullman’s ocean pool villa is one of the biggest in its room category type across the Maldives. I cannot imagine what else they could have put in the room for me to have liked it more. Everything was impeccable, especially the outdoor shower area. The size of the pool is also very impressive. The mini bar was promptly refilled every evening by the incredibly kind and helpful Shihab - a big thank you to him. Food: We went in to this holiday thinking that we would have to compromise on food because all inclusive and 5-stars normally have decent buffet food. But we were totally wrong. We were spoiled for choice. Thank you to Jasmin at the Phat Chameleon (do not miss eating here) for encouraging us to try as many dishes as we could digest! Aarvind at Melange was so polite and helpful, and prepared some incredible food. The Italian and Lebanese restaurant was also spectacular. Be sure to try the Gorgonzola gnocchi - we particularly loved it. Service: This place is massive. It’s run like a machine. There are so many people and guests and yet it never feels overcrowded. that may means you have to wait for 5 minutes for a buggy. We never had one bad experience in terms of waiting for the buggy for too long - thank you to Shafeen for that. The number of times we were asked if we were enjoying our trip is evidence of the confidence the staff has in the quality of their service. In particular, the conversation with Udit at the pool bar was very memorable. One doesn’t ask these questions if they don’t care. Moreover, I did read some complaints about things being full - I think that’s just the nature of the game. Be sure to book your excursions in advance, we booked everything on the evening we arrived and managed to get a booking for everything. The timings of a few things weren’t ideal but in honestly didn’t matter. Whenever we politely requested slight tweaks to thing they were accommodated. I personally don’t think they’re trying to be difficult or scam you. I (clearly) have only good things to say about the Pullman - wouldn’t change anything. If I had to be picky, I would say maybe the internet speed could be faster. Also, a big thank you to Suraj (Security at Romeo) for being so helpful. Similarly, Thariq and Eeman at the reception ensured that we started and ended the trip on a positive note. Be sure to sign up for the activities - Mara and her team at the dive center are so well informed and approachable, all the boys at the water sports center are fun and forthcoming and of course, the photographer Samuel was incredible! Go with the Pullman for your Maldives holiday - you won’t be disappointed. And definitely get the ocean pool villa.…
Best place in Universe for self isolation :) Once in the life time under water villa. View like screensaver. Sleep like in the glass made submarine. It’s not easy to get here and not cheap,but it’s worth every single penny. Everything just perfect !
This was our 7th trip to the Maldives, 2 Adults and our 4 children- (22,20,17,15). We love the Maldives because of the wonderful people, beautiful ocean and lovely resorts. It is definitely one of the best places to travel to during this time, as it’s very safe and once you are on the island, you don’t need to wear a mask for the duration of your holiday. Arrival: We were met by the lovely Thuga who escorted us to the domestic departure terminal, checked our baggage in while we relaxed in the lounge. They serve a light breakfast- which we didn’t try. If possible try to take an international flight that arrives early - we arrived at 7:30 and got to take the first flight out from Male at 9:30 - by 11:30 we were checked in and Eaman gave us a tour of the island. This is a Beautiful natural island with so much natural vegetation and a beautiful lagoon with wonderful sea life - we saw green sea turtles every single day from water villas 519/520 (especially at around 15:30-17:00)- also spotted eagle rays, different types of stingray, plenty black-tip reef shark and many beautiful fish just by simply walking around the water villas. They say home is where the heart is- well then Pullman is my new home. We really met so many fantastic people who made our holiday most memorable. Our wonderful friend Munzir who left our villas spotless every day- he works so hard and does it with a smile, we appreciated him so much. I will break down the review by points of interest. *Melange restaurant : Although we enjoyed the food at all the other outlets we mostly loved spending our meal-times here, because of the interaction with everyone-Shiraaz (who entertained us and always had a trick up his sleeve that kept us laughing, our wonderful waiters (Shristy, Shifag, Naufal, Yeldana, Naafiu, Ziyan, Vildhaan, Mufeeda - thank you for keeping our water glasses filled and clearing the endless plates from our table and always greeting us with warmth - we miss you all!) and all the special chefs who prepared a wonderful buffet and dished up our delicious food filled with love, Dearest Fajar ... your pastries and desserts were extraordinary but your kindness meant more to us than you will ever imagine. We could not spend one meal without searching for your warm and friendly face. -Subrata, who went out of his way to prepare our favorite foods. The butter chicken, prawns, paneer curries, etc. Let’s just say all your food was absolutely amazing. -Mustafa, your Middle Eastern cuisine was fantastic and your kindness reflects in your food. Ravishka, Edi, Putu and Parvesh. Thank you for every special meal and conversation. *Phat chameleon: delicious vegetarian food, exquisitely plated by the talented Robertito. *Souq Oven: lunch and dinner was amazing and especially loved the tuna served at dinner. Shahid gave us great service here. *Saffron Affair: best sunsets, wonderful service and lovely place to relax. If you don’t consume alcohol ask them to rinse the mixers and they will serve you delicious mocktails. Rediana and Nimasha were always very good to my kids who were there often. *The Hub- best place for afternoon snacks and some evening entertainment. My children enjoyed Shahin’s & Braizes company there who was always friendly and happy to help. *Dive centre and water sports- Ahmed, Sallih and Jean will give you the best advice on what activities to try out. We went for the complimentary snorkel and sunset fishing trip and enjoyed it very much. The rest of my family did the 30 minute jet ski and it was fun. We also had the turtle snorkel trip booked but unfortunately the weather during the second week of our trip took an unexpected turn and we couldn’t snorkel for 5 days- it was really such a pity because the first week was so beautiful and calm. The best place to snorkel by yourself is in front of the Melange. I suggest you start walking towards the reef from the Juliet Peer (depending on the current) and snorkel all the way past the Melange. We saw rays, turtles and many fish. The lagoon is beautiful, but the reef is very far and if you are not a confident swimmer or snorkeler, you might feel a bit intimidated but don’t be too worried as the water is shallow and it’s easy to just swim back into the lagoon. I suggest bringing coral shoes to walk in certain areas of the lagoon. *Spa: As mentioned by some guests the complimentary spa treatments can be a problem. We stayed for 10 nights which entitled us to 2 massages each. We reserved our spa appointments the same afternoon that we arrived, but the first available appointments were 8 days into our trip, which meant that guests staying for 1 week would not have been able to get any massages. Unfortunately, the day before our treatments 3 therapists had to quarantine and all our treatments were cancelled and re-booked. Jessica and Dewi tried their utmost best to accommodate us, and managed to give us only 3 of our 12 massages as well as 3 salon neck and head massages for the men, which unfortunately were not as good as the real deal, but still appreciated. Ratna though gave us fabulous massages and she comes highly recommended. We do understand that these are difficult times. I can make a suggestion though .... in a previous resort we stayed at, the host responsible for a family reserves some time slots per activity, and if the guest wishes to change it they may do so. *Fitness: Some of our fondest memories are from our time spent with the team from the gym and Skillz. We loved the time we spent with Sheila, Nicole and Amaany on the fit trail. Kunchok, who also worked at Skillz was always so positive and kind ... Who would have thought that exercise on holiday could be so much fun! We miss you all so much. *Buggies: Buggies are available at regular intervals and for a large island they actually did a pretty good job. Some of the buggy drivers that were very good to us were Shizaan, Aghsad, and Thushar. I apologize for the long review but I had to give my honest feedback. If you do have any problems or queries, just approach Martine or any of the Pullman team members ... I can assure you that they will try their utmost best to resolve any of the issues you may have. …
Travel: My wife and I fly from Seattle - San Francisco - Doha - Male - Koodoo then a boat ride to the Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Resort. When we arrived in Male, there was a Pullman team waiting to help guests with luggage, assist with check-in for the next domestic flight to Koodoo, and then escorted all the Pullman resort guests to a private lounge to await our domestic flight. The domestic flight was only 50 minutes to Koodoo Regional Airport. Once we arrived at Koodoo and retrieved our luggage and a golf cart took us 1/4 of a mile to a boat for a 20-minute ride to this beautiful and welcoming resort. Resort: Stunning, beautiful, and clean!!! Once we stepped off the boat we were amazed by the beauty of our surroundings. We were escorted to the guest service area where a wonderful hostess, Esther, greeted us and showed us around the property. She energetic and passionate about ensuring our stay was more than satisfactory. The property contained a gym, skills center, three restaurants, three bars, two public pools, water sports center, basketball and tennis court, computer area, just to name a few. There is a natural lake in the center of the island that is breath taking. Once the tour of the island was over, Esther took us to our overwater bungalow with a pool. Room: We stay in an overwater bungalow with a pool for 6 days and 5 nights which was not long enough. Once you go through the gate of your bungalow, there is a giant deck with furniture and a nice size pool. The room has a comfortable king size bed facing a folding sliding glass door facing the ocean. The mini bar is more than adequate with good chocolates, chips, healthy bars, juices, soda, and alcohol. Behind the king bed, the double doors to a outdoor restroom that has two sinks, a bathtub in the middle, shower on one side and the toilet on the other side. Our room was always cleaned twice a day and mini bar replenished by a nice gentlemen named Shizaan. Shizaan always said hi and asked everyday if we needed anything to make our stay better. Food and Drinks: Amazing!!! The property has three restaurants and three bars. The staff always catering to your needs to ensure you have everything you need. We were never bored with the selection and the food always tasted fresh. They serve Italian food at one of the restaurant during lunch, the other restaurant was more of a fresh buffet style setting, and there is a vegetarian restaurant that I cannot speak for. The alcoholic beverages and service were the best my wife and I had experienced. Uddit and Braize went out there way to say hi to us every time they saw us and made sure we always had a drink if we desired one. Activities: Plenty of activities to do but we just relaxed enjoyed the sun, weather, and swam. I recommend booking your activities a week before you get to the resort as they book up quickly. My wife did get a massage and said she was impressed with the service and massage. Other than that, I cannot comment on activities other than to say that they have plenty of options. Staff: The staff is what made our experience truly amazing. We enjoyed talking to the staff and hearing their personal stories and sharing ours. They went out their way to ensure we were happy, feed, and hydrated. I wish I took the names of all the employees were encountered. My wife and I want to personally thank the staff for going out their way to make our stay unforgettable. Some employees we would like to call out for their excellent customer service are: Ester; Uddit, Braize, Shain, and Shizaan.…
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