Centara Ras Fushi Resort — Hotel in Malé Atoll

My partner got severe food poisoning from the hotel restaurant, we had to have a buggy take him to the resort doctors where he was injected with medicine and given four different tablets to be taken three times a day for the rest of the trip. The doctor confirmed this was from food poisoning from the hotel restaurant. He was being violently sick, had extreme pain and discomfort and could hardly leave the hotel room for the rest of the trip it completely ruined our experience. When I called up the reception and advised them off this we was met with silence which was extremely rude. No one came to check up on the following day or throughout the rest of the trip.

Upon checkout we were handed a bill which was very badly printed with very faded ink which made it hard to see the charges. However we did make out a charge of over €100 been added to our bill for doctors fees which was shocking. We advised the reception team yet again it was the hotel which poisoned my partner and ruined his trip (if anything we should be compensated not charged!). They completely ignored the fact this happened, offered no apology or even asking my partner if he was now okay. They instead told us to claim the amount through our insurance and tried to take the doctor’s note which evidenced the fact it was the hotel who poisoned my partner, we said they could only have a photocopy. We stated it was their fault so they would need to remove the charge and claim it through their own insurance which they finally agreed too. Upon payment they then refused to give us our change (we paid in cash) and laughed at us when we questioned why they were not giving us our change which yet again was extremely rude and offered no explanation. We ended up paying the difference by card. Overall the reception staff are rude and more needs to be done to look after guests.

On the last day there was a marketing team taking photos in the pool, on the beach and on the decking. They took photos having lunch on the decking outside the restaurant where actual guests were not allowed to eat lunch. They encroached on the spaces where people were sunbathing making them feel uncomfortable and having to move. Multiple videos and pictures were taken with guests in the background without their consent.

The hotel buffet restaurant was closed two nights. All menus were done by scanning a qr code through your phone, which I noticed quite a few older guests struggled with. We did sunset fishing however on the boat the captain advised us the wind was too strong to catch fish as they would be in hiding. So that was a waste of a couple of hundred dollars and something they should have advised us before as they knew it was going to be bad weather.

Loud music is played on the beach which was annoying quite a few of the guests who were trying to relax. There is also a landfill site directly opposite the resort which u can see from the water bungalows, which was not a pleasant site.

**Following the response from the hotel below, there are many things which are completely incorrect with the hotels response.

The doctor told us it was definitely food poisoning. The hotels own doctor would not have told us this if it was not true.

The reception team did not offer for us to pay the rest by card this is what we requested after being laughed at.

The hotel has mentioned dining around the pool depending weather and availability. Multiple guests (not us) asked to eat there and were told lunch is not offered there, it was a nice day and there was availability.

For the sunset fishing trip we were not told of the conditions before and we did not agree to proceed, this conversation never happened and is completely false.

For the sunset fishing trip again, I became seasick because of how windy it was and the guide told us if we went back we could not get a refund. We never asked for one, this was told to us...

We recently stayed at Central Rasfushi in the Maldives and unfortunately, this was one of the worst and most disappointing holidays we’ve ever experienced – especially considering the total cost of over $11,000.

🛏️ The Room – Not Worthy of 5 Stars

The room was extremely basic and poorly maintained for a supposed luxury resort. • In 7 days, the bedsheets were never changed. • The shower drained poorly, creating a bad smell. • We had to request fresh sheets, cleaning, and shower gel refills multiple times with no response – except finally on the last day. • The balcony net was broken, wooden boards were coming apart, and nails were sticking out, making it unsafe. • The walkways were unstable, with warped planks that made walking dangerous. • Our room (#364) was located 15 minutes on foot from the island’s main areas, and no transportation was provided – even during heavy rain. Staff watched us walk soaked in the rain without offering assistance or a buggy.

🎣 Activities – A Complete Tourist Trap

We booked three excursions for $500, and all of them were poorly organized and not worth the money: • Shark Snorkeling: While we did see sharks, the place was overcrowded with 10 boats, and other tourists pushed and touched us in the water. It was chaotic and not well managed at all. • Manta Rays: This was a scam. We were taken out to deep open ocean with dangerous waves – my partner had to return to the boat for safety. Although we were told there was a 50% chance of seeing mantas, the guide later admitted that in 30-meter-deep waters, chances were very low for snorkeling. No refund, discount, or future credit was offered after this failed trip. • Fishing Trip: This was the worst. I’ve been fishing for 20 years and have never experienced something like this. We were taken to a so-called “fishing spot” near the Malé garbage disposal area, where we stayed for 3 hours without seeing a single fish. I had specifically asked that if no fish were biting, we could switch to handline fishing – but that was ignored. I paid $1,050 for 4 hours of absolutely nothing, no effort to make it worthwhile, and no customer care.

🍽️ Restaurant Discrimination?

At the Italian restaurant, we arrived without a reservation and politely asked for a table. Staff member Amber spoke rudely to us and said we needed a booking, even though six tables were empty. The next day, we returned to the same restaurant — and this time, no one asked for a reservation, and everyone was allowed in freely. We were left wondering: were we treated this way because we’re young (23 years old)? Or because we’re French? We were always respectful and kind throughout the stay.

✅ The Few Positives

We want to thank Mama at the restaurant, the team at Ocean Buffet, and especially Babu, whose hospitality stood out. Also, the ladies at the spa provided excellent service.

⸻

🚨 Conclusion

There is a serious lack of hospitality culture at this resort. For a 5-star destination in the Maldives, we expected so much more.

We suggest that the management: • Conduct staff training in basic hospitality and customer care. • Offer compensation or discounts when activities fail. • Improve room maintenance and daily cleaning. • Add shuttle services across the island, especially during bad weather. • Stop overselling overpriced, under-delivered excursions.

As residents of Dubai and professionals in the hospitality industry ourselves, we know what true service looks like. This was by far the worst and most expensive experience we’ve had, despite traveling across the world.

We sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously and makes changes for...

My husband and I visited Centara Ras Fushi in mid-May, which is the beginning of the rainy season. We stayed for eight nights in one of the bungalows over the ocean and it was nothing short of amazing! We are from the United States and it took almost 2 days to get to the island, but we considered it an adventure and it was worth every minute of travel to get there! We had beautiful sun almost the whole time with a few bouts of rain and storms that didn’t interfere too much. The storms that did come in were fascinating to watch as you could see them coming in, and then they were gone so quickly most of the time. The bungalow was not huge, but was sufficient for us with a large bedroom and a separate bathroom with a built-in closet area. We had a nice deck outside as well with steps going down into the ocean.

The food in the restaurants was all good. We could’ve had room service more, but we only ordered it once because we honestly weren’t hungry more than they fed us. We had the all-inclusive package.

The island is small and there’s nothing on it but the Resort. This was perfect for us because we were looking for quiet and peace, beauty and tranquility. We got exactly what we were looking for! While there were activities planned, and excursions optional, we didn’t do much of that. We rested on the beach and in the pool, mostly and then we went to watch the sunset each day from the Viu bar. We walked around the island and through the beautiful scenery daily, literally smelling the flowers and enjoying the beauty.

We had drinks throughout the day whenever we wanted them. Service was wonderful! They do have bar service on the beach and at the pool and the swim up bar is nice. Ashik, who cleaned our room, did an amazing job and was so good to us! Jo, Areef, and Simon were especially great and kept our drinks filled whenever we wanted them! They all remembered us each time they saw us and made a point to make every moment special for us. Jo even went above and beyond that to find us to see if there was anything we wanted. They were also good for conversation when we wanted to talk, but not invasive at all. Mama made amazing eggs every morning for breakfast and was absolutely delightful to talk with while he was doing it. Anfau was so helpful at lunch and dinner, always ready to help with a smile and a kind word.

All in all, it was the vacation you dream of with the Villa over the ocean and wonderful snorkeling just outside, waiting for you to experience it. Lifejackets were provided if you wanted them, although we didn’t need them. They will also provide snorkel equipment, although we brought our own. The only thing I would change is to have some drinks that Americans are used to, such as strawberry daiquiris, margaritas, and various fruity types of martinis. The espresso martinis were amazing, as was the Prosecco! My husband’s favorite was beer “Mexican-style” with salt on the rim and lime. We will definitely be back for more in...