Filaidhoo Island Beach

This is our second time visiting the Maldives, but after our trip to Reethi Faru, it will be incredibly difficult for us to find something better. I don't even know where to begin. The things that we absolutely loved were the premium package that allowed us to eat a la carte every night, the Prosecco which we adored, the beach villas that offered privacy and had an incredible reef right in front of them (we were lucky enough to see turtles, rays, sharks, corals, and more every single day), the close connection with the island that allowed us to walk everywhere barefoot, the outdoor bathrooms, and the lovely bars. However, there were a few things that we didn't enjoy as much, such as the services at the Water Sports Center. We had wanted to go scuba diving, but we were required to do several introductory dives to be tested, even though I already had my Open Water Diver certification and had recently gone diving. I ended up giving up in the end. We had also booked a snorkeling trip which ended up being canceled, and we were forced to join a diving excursion where we saw very little compared to the house reef, maybe around 5%. Despite these minor setbacks, we do plan on returning someday.

I visited this beach in October 2022, and it was an incredible experience. The location was absolutely amazing, with pristine cleanliness and an incredibly friendly staff. It truly left a lasting impression, and I have high hopes of returning to this resort someday.

Our conclusion about our experience at Geethi Faru is that Your Resort is not welcoming to Asian guests. It seems that we are not considered important to you, or perhaps you think we are not big spenders, despite being guests in your largest 2-bedroom water villas with a jacuzzi. We feel that what we have spent is not worth the value. However, we would like to compliment the Water Sport team, led by Mohammed. They were approachable, sincere, patient, and helpful in addressing our inquiries. They did a good job, and we appreciate their efforts. To be honest, our families were greatly disappointed by our overall experience. We expected to be treated fairly without having to demand high levels of service and attention. Unfortunately, the basic treatment we anticipated was not delivered. Our holiday is now over, and we wish Reethi Faru Resort all the best in their future endeavors. In June, our family arrived on the island and were impressed by the extraordinary scenery and the rooms we had booked. We were eagerly looking forward to our holiday at Reethi Faru Resort. As part of our Full board package, which included room and meals, we visited the Sunset Bar, the first F&B outlet, to experience it. However, we were surprised to find that we were not greeted at all, and the bartender did not show any welcoming expression or body language. Instead of being attended to, we had to approach the bar counter to ask for service. This was not a good first impression. During our first dinner at the VAKARU main dining outlet, we entered without being greeted. We were not asked where we preferred to sit and were instead led to a table that had been assigned by an associate behind the restaurant. We were confused as to why we were asked to sit in a far corner of the restaurant. Could it be because we are Chinese and not supposed to sit at the front or center of the restaurant? On our second day, we had our first buffet breakfast at the same Vakaru restaurant. We were told that we could only sit at the same assigned tables from the previous night's dinner. However, one of my family members insisted on choosing our preferred tables, and the service associates had no choice but to allow us to do so. We wondered if there was a rule in your F&B policy stating that patrons must sit where they are assigned. If such a rule exists, please show it to us to clarify any misunderstanding. Our parents were excited to use the in-room jacuzzi. My brother called the front desk four times throughout the day for assistance in setting it up and guiding us on how to operate it properly to avoid any damage. Unfortunately, our requests were completely ignored. On our last night on the island, we went to the main bar right next to Vakaru after dinner. We wanted to have a family gathering before our departure the next day. When we arrived at the bar, we asked for outdoor wooden benches to be set up with cushions, but no one seemed interested in assisting us. We decided to do it ourselves quickly by taking cushions from the benches next to our tables. When it was time to place our beverage order, we waited for more than 8 minutes to be attended to. It is worth noting that we were the fourth table to arrive on the deck, with other tables arriving after us. The worst part was that our orders were not served to us, even after all the other tables in the bar had been served. We felt like we were not valued as guests and had to beg for service. We went to the front desk to express our concerns to the Guest Service Assistant about the poor treatment we had experienced. He attempted to contact a Decision Maker and made us wait in the lobby for over 5 minutes. We eventually gave up and walked back to our villas. No manager personally attended to our disappointed experience, but instead, we were sent 8 cans of beer, which we felt was an inadequate solution to ease our dissatisfaction.

The customer service at the beach was terrible, showing a lack of respect for privacy and a complete lack of understanding of basic customer service and care. The hotel is owned by someone who prioritizes cost-cutting and operates with the same mindset. They are not willing to accept responsibility or be accountable for the mistakes they made. The prices for everything are extremely high, which I can maybe understand. However, offering a half board package that doesn't include water for dinner and then charging $5 per bottle seems like a way to deceive people into paying more than they should. My negative experience extends beyond that, and there's a long story about the transfer back to the airport, but that would require a separate review. Overall, the management is unaccommodating and cheap. The manager I dealt with, Manoj, was pretty useless to be honest. I strongly recommend booking somewhere else. Trust me on this one.

Ali, the breakfast waiter, is incredibly friendly and genuine. Unlike a few others, he doesn't anticipate receiving any tips in exchange for his service. I absolutely adore this resort for its fantastic snorkeling opportunities - the marine life here is the most vibrant I've ever encountered. Additionally, the resort is highly committed to being environmentally friendly. I'm already counting down the days until I can return for another visit.