Nova Maldives — Hotel in South Ari Atoll

Hello everyone! We’ve just finished five wonderful days at Nova Maldives. It was our first time visiting the Maldives, and I must say — compared to other countries we’ve been to, the Maldives are truly exceptional. A stunning destination that everyone should experience. It’s a completely different kind of holiday.

Now to the point — Nova Maldives. We flew in from Malaysia to Malé, and then took a seaplane to the resort. The flight took just 20 minutes.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the Nova Maldives team — a big thank you to them for such a kind and friendly reception. We were offered cool towels, which were a lovely touch after the flight. We arrived around midday, and our room was ready straight away.

As for the room itself — it was excellent. Everything needed for a relaxing stay was there. Spacious, clean and cosy. The bathroom featured both a tropical rain shower and a classic one. We were very happy with the room — it was simply perfect.

Now, about the food. The resort offers full board — breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also an all-inclusive option for those who want alcoholic drinks, but we went with the standard full board package, which included non-alcoholic beverages like fresh juices, cola, Sprite and so on. That was more than enough for us, as we don’t drink alcohol. Those who do can either pay separately or opt for the all-inclusive package.

Now to the most important part — the ocean. The Maldives are simply stunning. Crystal-clear turquoise waters, soft white sand. We walked barefoot everywhere — around the island, to breakfast, lunch, dinner — never once wore shoes. That alone says a lot about the experience.

The food was excellent — varied and delicious. The menu changed daily, so it never got boring. There was always something for every taste. It was a truly relaxing, luxurious and enjoyable stay.

As for the guests, most were Europeans — Swiss, Germans, Italians. There were also some visitors from East Asia — Chinese, Japanese, Koreans. Everyone was very calm and respectful. The Maldives are perfect for those seeking a peaceful, quiet holiday with no stress or fuss.

In terms of activities, the resort offers fishing, snorkelling and various other water sports — there’s something for everyone. Naturally, these are available at an extra cost. The resort also has a football pitch, a volleyball court and a gym. Whether you’re looking for something active or something relaxing, you’ll find exactly what suits you here.

And now, the most important part — the staff. First and foremost, we’d like to thank our personal host, Marzhan. She was available 24/7, always responsive, helpful and supportive throughout our stay. We truly felt cared for and looked after every step of the way.

We’d also like to mention Anar at reception — always ready to assist, very welcoming. In fact, the entire front desk team was kind and attentive. Overall, the whole staff at the resort was incredibly friendly and warm. It created a special atmosphere that made our stay truly unforgettable.

We would also like to mention our housekeeper, Amin. He always kept our room spotless — everything was perfectly clean and tidy. He clearly knows what he’s doing, and we’re very grateful for his work.

Special thanks to Dmitry and Jerry, who accompanied us on our snorkelling trip. Even though there were quite a few guests, they were constantly attentive, checking on everyone and ensuring we all felt safe and comfortable in the water. They never took their eyes off us — that’s real professionalism, and it made the whole experience even better.

To sum it all up — our family gives Nova Maldives a solid 10 out of 10. We truly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a genuine, unforgettable holiday. You definitely won’t regret it.

P.S. A special mention goes to Banu, the instructor who led my wife’s stretching and yoga sessions. My wife has been practising both for years and was impressed by Banu’s professionalism and skill. She’s clearly an expert in her field — just like the rest of the team at...

Where to start with this, in our opinion terrible hotel! This hotel does not exhibit the 5 star service and quality as it claims to be! The food quality is terrible and not fresh, the hotel is in disrepair, the service is slow an inattentive, the staff and management are uncaring towards guests. There is no privacy in the hotel, and the hotel is surrounded closely by many smaller islands so there is not a good clear view of the beautiful Maldives waters as is seen in other hotels. My family & I left 2 days into our planned 8 days stay! And were not even offered a refund or any kind of apology or compensation for our unpleasant stay from the hotel. We as a family have travelled to Maldives around 13 times and this is the first time we have such a bad experience at a hotel in Maldives. In fact the hotel was so terrible that we ended up staying only 2 nights out of our planned 8 night stay. The food quality is not fresh, at the breakfast buffet their pastries and items in the buffet were stale, dry and old (and we tried the buffet twice to give it a chance but on both occasions we faced the same issue). They did not offer fresh juices and had boxed juices (not what you as a guest at a 5 star hotel want to enjoy). We even tried the in-room dining to check if the food quality would be better, however the steak we ordered was not cooked well, and was served very dry & tough, again we ordered it twice in the hopes that it was just a fluke however on both occasions it was not served well. There is no privacy, now of course, since we have travelled to Maldives many times, we are not expecting 100% privacy, but usually all other properties we visited tried to design and put measures in place to offer at least some degree of privacy for their rooms. We had also cchosen to book in to the highest category room at Nova Hotel, and still the privacy was absolutely non-existent. There was not a time when we were aware and looked outside our villa that we did not see people crossing, sitting, walking across, and we were not offered any privacy. Upon highlighting it to the hotel, they offered to place privacy screens across our villa but were then told it will disrupt our view, so of course we would not want that. The service is non-existent. There are many examples during our short stay of this, however one of these is after we had ordered in room dining, and asked the staff to clear our plates, even after a few reminders, it stayed outside our villa for 1 day - obviously drawing ants, insects and creating a smell. It was only after we had informed the top management, a day later, that they cleared it – but again after another 2 hours! The disrepair of the hotel, a couple of the doorhandles within our villa were broken and we had brought this to the attention of the hotel various times. Each time they mentioned they will send a team right away, however this never happened, and our family kept on hurting themselves each time we tried to open one of the doors. The design of rooms is also not functional, what you would expect in a 5 star hotel. An example is the jacuzzi tub in the room is not built in, but rather a plastic-type material just placed in the bathroom filled with water – this is NOT the way to greet guests checking into the highest category room in a 5 star hotel. The water had a bad smell to it so we were unable to use the jacuzzi. The hotel is not clear about their payment & refund procedures, because of our horrible stay we decided to leave after 2 days and the hotel and management were uncaring and cold towards us, not even offering us a sincere apology or any kind of compensation from our distress. We are coming from a point of view of guests who have stayed at 13, 5-stars hotels in Maldives and have never once left a bad review, this is the first time. So we believe we have a great benchmark to compare this to – and it does not live up to any of those standards. In our opinion DO NOT book at NOVA Hotel, if you are expecting a 5 star hotel service and quality, you will be extremely...

The idea of going to the Maldives was a dream come true for us. What added special meaning and value was staying at Nova Maldivas. The resort offers the best conditions and environment for us to rest, be mindful, and enjoy. ||Everything around is so beautiful, but what really made the difference was the kind and professional staff we encountered. Words are not enough to describe this amazing team that welcomed us with smiles every single day, full of an honorable mission to serve others. They have the unique ability to make us feel at home. Do you know that awesome feeling of arriving at a place where you are expected? This wonderful team made us feel that every second. Their motto fits them perfectly: soulmates. And we were their soulmates as well. 😊||From the reception with a kind welcome moment with Siru and throughout the days with an available team always helping us out in our daily needs, we knew that they were there for us! The housekeeping team was so efficient, diligent, and very competent! And we must add: creative! We will never forget the sand art made for us at the entrance of our room! Thank you, Iyaz, for your warmth and for taking such good care of our room!||Some notable team members from the F&B service (and we apologize if we misspell any names or forget anyone): Rishal (our kind Ritchy always taking care of us and paying attention to the details), Muneeb (very professional and always giving his best to the guests), Kadek, Maya, Heidi (offering good recommendations for the evening), Amir, Saraaw, Anggun (sweet, so sweet person!), Jaheel, and never forgetting the unbelievable team from the kitchen: always available to serve the best and accommodate our specific wishes. And what really made our breakfast outstanding were the poached eggs, crepes, French toasts, and pancakes from the two kindest girls in the Soul Kitchen (sorry for not having your names but you definitely have our affection!).||And the food? A delightful experience for the five senses with fine cooking always on the way and offering so many options that your imagination can conceive! Restaurants like Soul Kitchen, Mizu, and Flames have everything you may wish for and are full of options to serve your taste and preferences. A dinner with your table next to the sea – what more could we ask for? We must say that having this diversity was a criterion for picking Nova Maldivas!||A kudos to Chef James from Mizu. He is such a great chef and makes wonders specially for you. He also has a charismatic personality.||We also want to address the Spa, where Ayu and her soulmates team work wonders for our body, mind, and soul. If you don't know what treatment to pick, they have a personalized answer! This team is super warm and very professional in their métier. We knew instantly that we were in good hands!||Being at Nova Maldivas during the festive period was magical. Christmas far away from home can be a challenge, but the Nova Maldivas team nailed it, making us feel at home! And the music in the afternoon was so great and embodied the spirit of this place.|Every single day we felt special, but only because Nova Maldivas has such special people running it and taking care of this amazing team. Abdulla congrats for all your team!||For sure, we will be coming back! Congrats to everyone at...