Ifuru Island Maldives — Hotel in Ifuru

Arrival and Transportation Our first impression of Ifuru Island Resort was not the best due to the transportation arrangements from Malé to the island. We decided to arrive a day earlier to avoid waiting, but communication with the hotel was challenging. We kept receiving responses that they would inform us in due time. Eventually, our flight from Malé was at 12:30 PM with a layover on another island before reaching Ifuru. Upon arrival at the island, we were promptly taken to the reception, provided with information, and were greeted by the wonderful Indri, who took care of us during our stay. The room exceeded our expectations. It was spacious, clean, and well-equipped, including a large terrace. We had a room on the first floor near the restaurant. The minibar was regularly replenished with water, two types of wine (white and rosé), two soft drinks, and two beers. Upon arrival, we found a bottle of Prosecco in the room. The room also featured a large TV and all necessary amenities. Overall, we were very satisfied with the accommodation. Dining at the resort was a mixed experience. The main restaurant was spacious and visually appealing, but the food selection was limited—only 10 hot dishes, half of which were side dishes. For a 5-star hotel, I expected a much wider variety and higher quality. Reservations were available at Palm Grill and Waterfront. Palm Grill offered decent food, but it was average. Waterfront had a beautiful setting and atmosphere, but unfortunately, the food was subpar. After dinner, we filled out a questionnaire and mentioned that the food quality was average. The staff seemed unable to understand why we didn't rate it as excellent, but for that, much more effort would be needed. It was a beautiful place with great potential, but unfortunately, it wasn't fully realized. The drinks were good, but unfortunately, quite inconsistent. We ordered the same drink five times, and each time it tasted and looked different. It would be beneficial to establish a precise procedure for how each drink should taste, especially for the signature drinks unique to each bar. The best bar was the Beach Bar at the end of the island, and I highly commend the bartender Myl, who was always very attentive and quick. The selection was above average, ranging from various types of water to liqueurs like Baileys. Again, there was enormous potential, but it wasn't fully utilized. The island is large, but since only part of it can be used, it doesn't feel as expansive. However, it is well-maintained and beautifully lush with vegetation. Unfortunately, the coral reef is quite dead and not very attractive. It's best accessed during high tide. We paid $130 for a snorkeling trip by boat, which took us to the opposite side of the island. I wouldn't recommend it next time. Cleanliness on the island is interesting. Every morning, coral fragments and fallen leaves are swept away, but the part of the beach with an old dry tree containing plastics and fishing nets is neglected. This seems quite odd to me. Unfortunately, this was the weakest aspect of the hotel. Infri, our "buddy," was amazing. She responded quickly, arranged everything, and walked around the resort daily to check if everything was okay. Infri truly deserves great respect and praise for her work! The weakest service was at the Hubba Hubba bar. The waiters didn't approach the tables much, seemed quite indifferent, and forgot orders. We ordered five drinks and received four, with one being wrong. The service in the main restaurant was also lacking. Often, we sat down and had our appetizer before the staff came with the drink menu. This needs improvement. Unfortunately, the worst experience was dinner at the main restaurant, Social, when they decided to change the concept to à la carte. This was something that led me to deduct an extra star. This was absolutely, but really absolutely, inappropriate for a 5-star hotel, and such a thing shouldn't happen anywhere. We waited 2.5...

We stayed for 12 wonderful nights at Ifuru from the 2nd to the 14th Feb, and wished we didn’t need to leave when it came time to, which we always see as a sign of a good holiday. I’ve tried to split my review into sections describing each aspect of the resort we experienced. Beach and Sea – They are clean and tidy, the staff do a fantastic job at keeping the resort like this. The water is warm, and so clear, you can see the fish swimming around you. It’s bliss! Worth noting there is quite a bit of broken coral around, so wearing water shoes is a good idea, we had them and were very glad we did. Room – We were in the beach suite, it was lovely and spacious, and only a few seconds walk from the back door to the waters edge. The room was cool (thanks to the air-conditioning and the ceiling fan) and the bathroom was a good size too. It may have been nice to have some cupboard and drawer space for clothes that aren’t hung up. Staff – All staff were excellent, very friendly and attentive. A shout out to the staff at Waterfront (Rocky, Yadde, Manzoom, Pasek, Ari, Nipun) who made us feel so special and welcome whenever we ate there. Apologies to the chefs, I didn’t get your names, but the food you cooked was incredible, we loved it all! Also, to the staff at the beach front bar (Raj, Sumit, Sakshi) who served us great drinks! The biggest thank you to Hasith who cleaned our room each day. He was so friendly, attentive and kind, helping us a few times sorting some requests. His sand art at the front door, towel art in the room, and leaf and flower artwork on the bed always left us speechless and so happy. He is a credit to the resort and really helped with our enjoyment of the holiday. Restaurants – The Waterfront is the best restaurant by far. The food is incredible, the service outstanding, and the wine the best selection in the resort. Highly recommend the Teppanyaki, it was a fantastic experience, Nipun is a skilled chef and makes the evening good fun! The 30$ per person (plus 26% service and tax) is well worth it! The Social House is a nice buffet, but it gets samey. Try and get into the Waterfront as much as possible. It’s hard though as it’s the best restaurant, and it’s always booked up. The Palm Grill we didn’t enjoy. We had 4 nights in this restaurant, and only went to 2, the other 2 we paid to have the Teppanyaki as it’s so much better. Waterfront is better food by far. The pizza hut on the beach serves excellent fresh pizzas. Remember to ask for specific pizzas to get the flavour you want. Bars – We found the Hubba Hubba bar to be chilled during the day, and quite lively and very loud during the evenings. Good selection of spirits and wines, plus Tiger on draft. We did notice it seemed to close earlier than advertised, one-night last orders being 11.15pm. Beach Bar – The downside of this bar is it closes around 6, just as the sun sets. It would be great to see it open till 7, so you can enjoy the full sunset. Also, a couple of times certain spirits were out of stock and weren’t refreshed for a couple of days which was a little annoying. In room Mini Bar - doesn’t have great choice and it doesn’t get cold, we just brought drinks back from the bar when we wanted drinks in the room. Note drinks back to your room come in paper cups, although you have glasses in your room you can transfer them to. Wildlife – We just stayed around the island, we felt the excursions were too expensive. Note the reef isn’t great though, with a lot of broken / dead / dying corral. On land lots of bats fly around, and the little hermit crabs are cute to see in the early evening, as well as the lizards that all come out in the evening. We had 12 amazing nights at Ifuru, especially for the price we paid. I’d recommend the resort as a place to go to relax in the tropical sunshine and waters, see some stunning wildlife, enjoy good food at Waterfront restaurant, and excellent service from...

We have just returned from an overnight stay at IFURU ISLAND RESORT. Opened in September 2023 and located in Raa Atoll, Ifuru shares a beautiful green natural island with the domestic airport of the same name.

It is a 45 minute domestic flight via Dharavandhoo, Baa Atoll, which makes it perfect for split stays between the two atolls. Currently, there are 4 flights daily. It is also accessible by seaplane. While the sound of the domestic flight landing and taking off can be heard, it is not in my opinion intrusive and no louder than a seaplane take off.

What I particularly liked about the island was that all 147 rooms face sunset and an interrupted view to the horizon. In the distance there are two uninhabited islands and a local island to the north and south meaning absolutely no light pollution. The beach stretches for 1km with the soft powdery sand the Maldives is known for. There was a bit of a step down at the jetty end but there are no walls or groynes. As you reach the far end of the beach at low tide it becomes more shingle like. There is one channel entrance to the house reef, 5 minutes swim from the dive centre. Plenty of fish life activity and ok coral. No evidence of pelagic or larger marine life activity at the time of visit but you never know what is out in the blue! Maybe manta rays are a possibility in manta season?

There are 4 room categories. Sky Suite, Beach Villa, Beach Pool Villa and Family Beach Villa. I stayed in an upper floor Sky Suite but the layout, facilities and amenities are all the same. Rooms are well proportioned with a huge comfy bed. Was tempted to take a pillow home! AC (maybe could have been a bit colder for me), ceiling fan, TV, Mini bar, snacks, tea, coffee machine, water, slippers, beach towels, flip-flops, bathrobe, huge and I mean huge bath towels! Toiletries, tissues, super powerful hairdryer, safety deposit box, laundry service and plenty of storage, counter space and sockets. Maybe most importantly of all there are inflatable floating beds to use in the swimming pool LOL!!

The villas have outdoor bathrooms complete with bath but the sky suites have indoor bathrooms. They also have either a deck or a terrace with table and chairs and sofa lounger. The villas have decking with the same furniture plus sun loungers. All the villas are very private and enclosed by vegetation with a sandy pathway to the beach and ocean. The three sets of sky suites sit amidst trees and vegetation and are set up in an arc which would be perfect for families or groups. Given the abundance of vegetation I had no issues with mosquitoes.

There are four bars and six dining options, I ate at the Social House and Palm Grill and was not disappointed with the variety or quality. They have an extensive kitchen garden growing a wide range of fruit, herbs and vegetables, which is always a plus point for me. Social House is the main buffet restaurant. Palm Grill, The Waterfront, Beach Club, Pool Side Pizza, Hubba Bubba Bar and the Japanese Teppanyaki & Sushi Counter, based on the top floor at the Waterfront and the only restaurant that is not included in the Premium All Inclusive package that all guests are booked on.  Ifuru Eats also allows you to order food and beverages to your room. The All Inclusive means what it says including mini bar and for those that perhaps want something extra special lobster or champagne for example, these can be ordered under their Exclusively Yours - a separate package option.

There is a spa, dive centre, watersports centre, pool, kids club, gift shop and they offer skydiving! Having done this myself in Australia I would highly recommend it!! Book prior to arrival or during your stay.

In short, Ifuru has a fun, cheeky style but is also relaxed...