Hurawalhi Island Resort — Hotel in Faadhippolhu

Arrival We arrived to the warmest welcome and the traditional Maldivian hand drum and clapping. Having completed our details in the Hurawahli app, we enjoyed a refreshing welcome drink as we watched our luggage being taken to our room. We took our drinks with us on the short golf cart tour that our host, Malas ("Mala"), gave us before taking us to our room.

The Room (Water Villa with Pool) The room (237) was simply amazing. A central bed looks out through huge glass doors and panels over the private deck and private infinity pool. Behind the bed is a wide desk for two, the very well stocked mini bar (everything except the Champaign is included in the all inclusive package) and ample space in the two wardrobes flanked on either side by a shoe/bag storage area and dressing table. There is a large safe in one wardrobe (big enough for a laptop) with a four number combination that you set yourself. The safe is low down, out of the way and easy to access. The hardwood doors and floor give a traditional Maldivian feel with more modern plastered walls. The entertainment system is a large TV (55" LG with LG soundbar) and there is a stylish bedside clock with Bluetooth accessibility to enjoy your own music on.

Restaurants The main restaurant, "Canneli", was excellent. We would've been more than satisfied with just this option but because we had so much to try we made the most of it and also dined at the Kashibo restaurant and JFK but did not try the Teppanyaki restaurant or the 5.8 undersea restaurant. Canneli offered buffet or a la carte breakfast, a la carte lunch, and buffet dinner. This was a first for us and we really liked the mixed format. The presentation of meals ordered from the menu was excellent. It's clear that the chefs take great pride in the visual appeal as well as the preparation of every meal. The calamari was the best I've ever had and there was not a single meal we did not thoroughly enjoy.

Kashibo is located at the end of a pier, above the 5.8 undersea restaurant with a few tables overlooking the water that's lit up for a spectacular display of active night life with fish feeding and patrolling the reef right in front of the table. The food was excellent and the red wine I had with my steak was fantastic. The Teppanyaki restaurant is located within the Kashibo restaurant.

The JFK menu is interesting and the Boss burger was excellent. The chips were too heavily salted for us though and the pink lighting made the lettuce look grey - interesting but something we decided not to try again because Canneli was excellent. We did return to JFK for a really good lunch on our last day though.

WiFi The WiFi is stable and has a respectable 9mbps up and down, considering your location (in the middle of the Indian Ocean). It was certainly fast enough to back up photos and videos as well as keep in touch with family and friends all over the world.

Bars There is a very wide and varied selection of cocktails and mocktails as well as a good selection of wines, ciders, beers, and spirits. We enjoyed all of the cocktails we had and sometimes had a mocktail with our lunch which felt extremely decadent.

Departure There was an unfortunate mix up on our last day. We'd been told we would check out at 13:00 in our Villa so we went to lunch at 12:00, planning to return to our villa by 13:00, but our host found us at lunch and explained that they were preparing our room as we spoke. His manager had unfortunately already opened the safe (which we had left locked until our return) because they could not reach us (though we had no missed call or messages on the WhatsApp group). This didn't bother us much, but it did dampen our final moments before departure from the island.

After all is said and done, our stay on Hurawahli was absolutely superb. As I said to Mala, there's a difference between customer service and customer care. Mala really seemed to care about us having the best holiday...

Where do we start?? We have just returned from a very luxurious 2-week holiday on the beautiful island of Hurawalhi, in the Maldives. We have been lucky in our lives to have travelled to many different countries and stay in some amazing locations and hotels. I spent months researching our next destination for us to visit, although we have been to the Maldives on 2 different occasions, this is where we wanted to revisit. I was recommended Hurawalhi by our local travel agent. I knew exactly what I wanted, and this adult only island resort seemed to fit the exact requirements that we were looking for. I then spent a couple of months reading reiews before I committed to the booking. Every review I read seemed to be outstanding, so I went ahead and booked the holiday. It was not for another 18 months, so I then spent the next 18 months reading reviews on a weekly basis. Every review I read was outstanding and repeatedly mentioned the excellent service and the fantastic variety and quality of different foods. We arrived in Male airport to be greeted by a representative of the Island, it was a smooth transfer across to Hurawalhi, where we were greeted by our wonderful host Mala, his kind, soft, sincere nature overwhelmed us, but we were soon to learn the resort was full of kind, compassionate staff. Mala was the perfect host, anything we needed, at what ever time of day or night, was seen to with no hesitation and ease. His attentive and caring nature was outstanding. Our main waiter for the 14 days was Fazeel. His soft friendly nature also won us over and we had a lovely bond. All our beverages were served by Fazeel whilst having our breakfast and dinner. Again, nothing was any trouble. He even made us a beautiful gift to bring home, a wonderful painting of the view from our sunset beach pool villa. The happiest, most smiley member of the team who brightened our breakfast experience every morning was Arun; he is a true delight, and I’m sure will go far with his career. Squeezing our fresh orange juice every morning with the biggest of smiles filled our days with happiness. Harry the wonderful wine sommelier was also outstanding, always so humble and gracious, always on hand suggesting what wines we might like to have with our dinner. Our final mentions, as there are too many to mention, is to Lalaith. He was so friendly and spoke to us every day to make sure we were enjoying our stay and whether he could do or arrange anything for us. Again, always with a smile and something relevant to talk about. He is truly splendid! The bar manager Dilan, again a very humble and sincere member of the team who welcomed us with grace on every occasion and was genuinely happy to serve us whatever we wanted. The food was outstanding, we mainly ate in the Canneli restaurant. There was so much choice, and the chefs were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their creations. I would personally compare it to a Michelin star restaurant! The villa we had was a sunset pool villa. It was larger than we thought, immaculately clean with a bar and drinks cabinet stocked with drinks of our choice and snacks and anything else we needed. The whole experience from when we were greeted at Male airport, the welcome reception we received on the jetty, to the sad farewells, waved off from the island, was truly outstanding. We had a wonderful time at Hurawalhi and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It is already on our list of destinations we...

Just returned from a 5-night stay at Hurawalhi Island Resort, Maldives, and it exceeded all expectations. We booked the All-Inclusive Plus Package which included meals at Canneli, Kashibo, and JFK restaurants, unlimited beverages including a daily replenished minibar, a bottle of champagne on arrival, and excursions like a dolphin cruise.

I downloaded the Hurawalhi app before arriving and was able to pre-book activities. During the stay, anything our Island Host (Yum) arranged was automatically added to my itinerary on the app, smooth and effortless. We were also set up with WhatsApp for easy communication, and responses were quick and helpful. WiFi worked flawlessly throughout the island. I also brought USDs for tips and Yum helped break them into smaller denominations without fuss.

From Male Airport, we were met by a Hummingbird Travel rep who fast-tracked us through the seaplane terminal. Before stepping into the car, he asked our shoe size, for flippers and snorkel gear to be ready in our villa. A great touch. After a short stay in the VIP lounge, we boarded the seaplane for a stunning 40-minute flight over the atolls. We were then greeted by Yum and whisked by private speedboat directly to the island. No group transfers, just us.

On arrival at the jetty, we were greeted with drums, garlands, and a warm welcome by staff and the resort manager. From there, we were driven straight to our Ocean Pool Villa, which was ready despite our early arrival. The villa was stunning, complete with private pool and ocean access. A bottle of Taittinger champagne awaited us, and the service throughout was exceptional. Every day, our “room angel” tidied, replenished, and added lovely touches, like placing sunglasses on branded cloths or spelling out “Happy Anniversary” with leaves on the bed.

Each morning started with a relaxed breakfast at Canneli, always calm with plenty of space and a wide selection to suit every nationality. By day two, staff were greeting us by name, even those we hadn’t spoken to yet.

We snorkelled around the island regularly, often feeling like we had it to ourselves. One afternoon, we had a Robinson Crusoe moment, no other guests in sight, just marine life and silence.

JFK (Junk Food Kitchen) was a lunchtime favourite, don’t be misled by the name; the food is gourmet quality. Evenings were spent enjoying laid-back meals at Canneli or Kashibo, followed by drinks at Coco Bar, always warmly welcomed by Casmir and his team.

We enjoyed the Champagne Pavilion one evening for sunset—although it was overcast, the staff made it a lovely experience. On another evening, the dolphin cruise started quietly but finished with an amazing display, dolphins leaping, spinning, and putting on a full show.

A real highlight was our anniversary dinner at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. We arrived early (just after 5pm) and were the first in. We were able to take photos from every angle before it filled up. The views are stunning from any table, and guests are free to move around for pictures. Truly memorable and absolutely worth doing.

We also spoke with several returning guests who said they’d stayed at many Maldivian resorts, and all agreed Hurawalhi is by far the best. I completely agree. From the moment we arrived to the final goodbye, it was relaxed luxury, handled with precision and genuine care.

Highly recommended. We'll...