Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa — Hotel in Malé Atoll

When trying to find a destination for our silver wedding anniversary, Maldives came out as a place we would like to go as it looked like a very special place. It really proved to be.

Choosing the hotel was easy because we always put trust on Sheraton and this exclusive resort ticked all the boxes.

From arriving to departing we always felt well looked after and never felt bored even when it rained for one day, and we stayed for 12. Not easy to fulfil this length of time on just one place.

From management down to housekeeping staff we had the 5-star treatment expected from this brand. Even when works disturbed the normal running of the resort, like a routine maintenance of the island power station, we were offered activities and options to compensate the lack of power.

As we arrived at about 4 o’clock local time, after 24 hours of travelling, we did not have much time to enjoy it on our first day and thought we would not even make it to dinner lol. We ended up staying to the end as animation at the main bar was superb and remained like that every day during our stay. Very good bands and DJs I have to point out. Not expecting that quality, I must say.

Second day we had our first experiences at the water centre. We tried Jet skiing and were guided for 90 minutes by Adam Aana on a trip to find a sand bank and after 20 minutes we found one. Great ride for someone who never used a jet ski before and great time enjoying that piece of sand in the middle of nowhere. On arrival we arranged on his advice for a dive for next day. Another never tried experience by none of us.

Come the day and after the mandatory health questions and going through above water safety training, we went down. The patience Adam showed, in particular with my wife who had a phobia of diving, was amazing and went well past what he was meant to do as part of the job. In the end and never pushing her too far, she managed to enjoy 20 minutes of open water diving. As for me, I loved it so much that I decided to Get my PADI certificate down there.

And so I went for it with this Italian girl called Ambra Dugaria. She really knows one thing or 2 about diving lol, is university qualified and very focused on detail, never overlooking safety. She did run me through all the tests needed, took me to dives and written tests and in the end I got what I was aiming for. If you ever go down there, ask for this girl and she will make sure you learn and feel safe while doing it. Also when you meet her at after work gatherings and parties, she is very pleasant as me and my wife did find out a couple of times.

As we are in partying mode, on our third day we were invited for drinks and canapes at the Sheraton club and we got to mix with the water centre stuff and management. 2 names stood out: Ambra Dugaria as mentioned above and a gentleman called Rajbhan Singh, who happens to be the manager of this lot, and who took a huge amount of time to come and meet us giving us the pleasure of his company. As my wife is never short of conversation, I thought we would be interfering with his schedule but he even praised her for being like that, and that she spoke “not too much, but from the heart”. That was his only mistake lol. But he surely enjoyed our company as we were invited again. His attention to what we talk about, led him to order some wine we fancied and we were able to enjoy after that at the resort, a courtesy bottle of champagne, chocolate cake, bed and table setups, etc. A manager always present and also fair to his staff as I was able to find out through the people he manages. The man of the resort for sure and I will surely make sure I see him again there.

After a couple of days of trying the buffet, we decided to visit the island restaurants. And we tried all lol

Top of the list, and the rest have to excuse me, is Sea Salt and great Chef Wicum Rangana Madurasinghe. There we had a test of fresh from the tank fish, but we also had a taste of a great pea and grilled prawn soup. Divine!!!

The bill came a bit expensive, but well… it was worth it!

We visited the Baan Thai and also had a great taste of proper Thai food. We did have a mixed chicken and beef noodles, on request and out of the menu and … Superb!!

The Sand coast came next, and we visited twice during our stay. Wide range of regional and international dishes to please all tastes. Highly recommended and run by great chef Pertamwati Pramono. She knows how to cook to please.

Finally, the KAKUNI HUT. A beach bar close from our own hut where we had a few good moments with chef Abdul Alim who also on a rainy day taught us how to make a proper curry.

But our main food Hall was the Taste. We had breakfast and most meals there as buffet is a favourite with the wife, because she can be funny with her food. You can’t go wrong on a buffet and this one is up to the level of the place. I had a Bolognese there as I never had one before and I visited loads of Italian restaurants before. Chef Babu Kuppan cooked it superbly.

Chef Mohamed Kashif Nazir is also a great asset to the resort and we got to visit him around the resort as he was in a few places during our stay.

The nights were spent at the ANCHORAGE BAR and on the company of great friend Hassam Shinax. A pleasure to have met this great barman and pleasant person. Remains a personal friend and still in touch and that is enough said. Made our nights on a strange place, feel like our local bar after a couple of days.

Do not be mistaken in to thinking the island is quiet at night with no animation. The best Maldivian bands and DJs animate every night up to 1 am. And I mean great bands and DJs. To make me dance takes a good deal of drinking and an even better deal of music lol and both me and the wife loved the nights there.

We ended up going there most nights and even when we were tired, we had that message from Hassan and ended up going. Sometimes just for a bit of his company and to provide some company if place was quiet.

Another good experience there was the Spa.

I decided to please the wife but she dragged me in for a small facial treatment also lol She ended up going back for extra section and we both loved it. Timed also to perfection as it was on the only rainy day while there lol we were treated by Ni Wayan Kertiasih and Shrine Bisht. Recommended!!

Also keep in mind that the island has the best doctor on the Maldives in Doctor Fiaz Jilani. Available 24 hours a day and a great person as well as a great doctor. Needed him a couple of times, once for a burn, that was sorted with a cream in a couple of days; second time for an ear infection due to all the diving and swimming. Sorry doctor as I did not follow your advice to do not drink for a couple of days while on medication, but that was my last day lol. I assure you I started the course on the morning after on the day we left and the infection was gone in 3 days. I have to single you out as you deserve it. Many thanks.

We did so many things there, too many to enumerate here, and we were looked after by so many people, too many to name here. However, I need to leave some names here who stood out and made this memorable stay a superb experience.

Big thanks to the following and sorry to the ones who contributed to those magic 12 days and I can’t remember the names:

Manager Rajbhan Singh

Hassam Shinax

Ambra Dugaria

Doctor Fiaz Jilani

Adam Aana

Wicum Rangana Madurasinghe

Pertamwati Pramono

Mohamed Kashif Nazir

Babu Kuppan (Bolognese)

Abdul Alim (curry)

Asfaru Ali

Hussain Ubaid

Ahmed Mifrah

Mohamed Misbah

Ni Wayan Kertiasih

Shrine Bisht

Kota...

We have so many good things to say about this resort! I really do not know where to begin. We chose this resort for our honeymoon and truly never wanted to leave. From the moment they pick you up at the airport you feel like it’s going to be an amazing trip. They were so kind and had great energy. Which is very refreshing after 2 days of flying and layovers. The shuttle service from the airport to the resort was superb. They take the bags, label them, give you your tag and escort you to the speed boat while they take care of the luggage. Next thing you know it’s in your room waiting for you. Was really great not having to worry about lugging it everywhere. The shuttle is a bit of a bumpy ride but for those who love the ocean and boating it is exhilarating :). We also happened to arrive when there was wind and rain so it probably would not have been as bumpy of a ride. But nothing about that ride felt unsafe. The boat was large and sturdy and quite fun! When we arrived they had a welcome area with a cocktail waiting for us and all of our paperwork and room information ready. Right out of the gate, super informative and organized. Love that! You are given a representative for your stay that you can communicate via cell phone if you like and they will send you a daily update of events going on around the island and answer any questions you may have. Shortly after arrival they take you around and give you a tour of the island before taking you to your room which was very helpful. We chose to do an overwater bungalow and the room was so beautiful! Very clean, well air conditioned, and private. The bungalow had our own private pool and then a ladder that also let you get into the ocean from your room. Honestly we barely used the pool due to the warm ocean at our fingertips. They had snorkeling gear we could use in majority of the areas around the island including right out the door from our bungalow. And we made full use of those. So many gorgeous fish and marine life! Lots of marine life! It’s really cool how they are trying to build up the coral around the island as well! When you snorkel you get to see all of their hard work. The restaurants on site were absolutely delicious! We did not have a bad meal at all. There is a buffet restaurant breakfast that they change up slightly every morning with a few staples that remained but it was great to have a variety! And everything is super fresh. They will make you fresh omelettes at the omelette station or a crepe at the crepe station or cut fruit fresh right there in front of you. And we must say, you have to eat at the Italian restaurant at least once when you are there. The food was Devine. My husband got the wagyu steak and it just melted in your mouth and cut like butter and the pasta was tender and flavorful! The chef even came out after the meal to talk with the guests to make sure everything was to their liking which was really wonderful! The buffet restaurant in the evenings does change up themes every night as well to give the guests a variety throughout their stay and it too was just as delicious as the breakfast. There are 6 restaurants on site in total so you should really try to make it to every one. We did not make it to the Indian restaurant but it smelled really good each time we passed it. We just ran out of time. The resort has a lot of options for excursions too for those that are looking to be adventurous on your trips. There were even more options than are advertised on their website so definitely check out the excursions desk on your first day to see what options there are. We did the shark and sting ray snorkeling, scuba diving, and catamaran sailing. Each excursion was amazing. The shark and Sting ray excursion took you to an area that had sharks and sting rays that had to be at least 9 feet in length. So that was quite impressive and a little intimidating for someone who has never done that kind of snorkeling. But the guides were super informative and told you exactly what to do when you were in the water with them and really made for a really cool experience. My husband did the scuba diving (I’m not ready for that type of adventure yet). They do an orientation dive with each person to see the skill level and assess what you need etc which is really smart I thought. Then they take you on 2 dives of your choosing. I think you can choose more if you want but he just wanted to do 2. He said both sites were gorgeous and saw lots of different species of fish and several different rays, eels, and several kinds of sharks. He said the guide was really fun and informative and really took good care of him out there. He had a great time. The catamaran sailing was really fun too. We thought it was just going to be a ride along but they actually take you out and teach you how to sail the catamaran and then let you do the sailing! We can now officially say we are sailors :)! For those that are gym aficionados I can safely say this gym is perfect for a vacation workout. They had several varieties of machines, free weights, bikes, treadmills, etc and they were very well maintained and the room was kept very clean. And finally the staff at this resort deserve the biggest shoutout. Everyone was so incredibly friendly and helpful and fun! They took great care of us and made sure the guests felt welcome and special. Special shoutout to Anastasia and Kadesha whom were our servers at a couple of the restaurants that made us feel right at home and really went above and beyond. And to Robinson, the best bartender in the Maldives for sure! And to Mifrah for helping us with reservations and answering our several questions throughout the week! Thank you everyone for making this honeymoon one we never wanted to leave and we are already missing you and the resort! We hope to make it back for an...

A Memorable First Visit to the Maldives – Thanks to the Incredible Team at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort||This was our first visit to the Maldives, and despite the countless hotel options available, we chose to stay with a brand we trust — the Marriott. Our destination was the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, and we’re so glad we made that choice.||Our journey began with a smooth arrival at Velana International Airport, where we were warmly greeted by Hassan, a kind and professional gentleman at the Sheraton counter. We mentioned our interest in exploring the city before heading to the resort, and Hassan went above and beyond to make that possible. He suggested we leave our luggage with him — promising it would be waiting in our room when we arrived later — and helped us plan our quick city visit. He advised us to return by 2 PM for the speedboat transfer. Hassan’s helpfulness and warm demeanor set a high bar for customer service, leaving a wonderful first impression of the Sheraton brand in the Maldives.||The speedboat transfer took just about 12–15 minutes and was smooth and efficient. On arrival at the resort, we were welcomed by Mifrah, our personal concierge. While he was knowledgeable, we quickly felt that the role may not be the best fit for him. He didn’t exhibit the kind of can-do attitude typically expected of someone in a guest-facing role. Instead of offering alternatives, he often responded with a quick “no,” which stood in contrast to the otherwise excellent service culture we experienced.||Our villa was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained. The common areas of the resort were beautifully arranged, and access to the ocean was seamless and well thought-out. During our stay, we had the pleasure of meeting several staff members who truly elevated our experience.||A few individuals stood out for their dedication and genuine hospitality:| • Rasheed, the vigilant lifeguard, always kept a watchful eye on guests enjoying the water — a true professional who clearly takes pride in his role.| • The culinary team deserves special recognition. They were the heart of our experience at the resort. From breakfast to dinner, their attention to detail, passion, and effort were unmatched. They not only served amazing food but went out of their way to ensure every guest felt valued and cared for.|In particular:| • Chef Chamara, the Sous Chef, consistently checked in with guests and made sure everyone was satisfied — a true leader by example.| • Chefs Dinendra, Lasantha, Nalindra, Nalitha, Sandun, and Ruwan showed a remarkable level of dedication and professionalism. Whether it was a special request or simply a friendly interaction, they exceeded expectations every time.|The chefs were not just skilled — they were warm, attentive, and committed to excellence. They are, without a doubt, the epitome of what makes a resort successful. Their work went beyond the kitchen; they built genuine connections with guests and created experiences we will never forget.| • Birendra, who seemed to be everywhere across different restaurants, offered fantastic service with a cheerful attitude.| • Anton made an unforgettable pot of masala chai — simple but perfect.||And then there was Amirith — without a doubt, the star of the resort. Always warm, engaging, and present, Amirith consistently checked on guests, shared recommendations, and promoted delightful cocktails with contagious energy. We initially assumed he must be in guest relations, only to learn he’s a Bar Supervisor — a testament to his incredible dedication and hospitality. He embodied the spirit of the resort and truly made us feel at home. Thank you, Amirith, for everything — you made a lasting impression.||One observation worth mentioning: apart from Sous Chef Chamara, we didn’t meet any members of the resort’s management team during our stay. More visibility and engagement from the leadership team would have certainly enhanced the overall guest experience and shown their appreciation for both the staff and the guests.||The Anchorage Bar, located in one of the most stunning settings of the resort, has great potential. However, it lacked clear leadership. Different servers appeared to be working without defined sections, which led to a lack of coordination. On one occasion, our bill was incorrectly issued twice, and we had to request corrections — something that could easily be avoided with better supervision and training.||Additionally, we noticed that the mini bar pricing was quite excessive. While we would have happily indulged more often, the pricing felt unjustifiable. A more reasonable rate would no doubt encourage more usage and enhance the overall guest experience.||In conclusion, what made our first trip to the Maldives truly special wasn’t just the natural beauty or luxurious amenities — it was the people. The outstanding team at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort, from lifeguards to servers to the phenomenal chefs, made all the difference.||To the chefs: thank you for being the heartbeat of this resort. Your dedication and warmth are what transform a vacation into a lasting memory.||Thank you, Sheraton, for an...