Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort

The biggest question here is: why did I visit this very resort for the 4th time in a row? The answer is simple: its amazing people. The Maldivian sceneries are something to die for, and it is almost becoming my home away from home. Why not spending time with people that kept referring to me as their family? Yes, I’m talking about the staff here at Mercure Maldives Kooddoo. After all, the Maldivian ocean view is breathtaking wherever you go, but it is the people that will truly make a difference in your vacation. Over the years, we have made so many friends with the resort staff. Yes, people do come and go, but the newer employees, whom we have never met, were not shy to delightfully join your conversation or happily photobomb with you (if you invite them). They know how to take care of you - what kind of morning drink you want; how you take your coffee; the drink you order at 2 PM vs. the drink you order at 8 PM…I am still amazed of how much these people care even after being here for 4 times. They are genuinely happy to see you! And they take great pride in making sure you are spending the best time possible here. The moment we collect our bags at the airport, our Villa Advisor, Kylie was already eagerly waving at us (we have also had the pleasure of working with Kylie before). She was extremely welcoming and helpful. After learning that my bad was delayed and never made it to the Maldives, she took on the responsibility of working with the airport and the airline to make sure my bag arrives as quickly as possible. Keep in mind my bag was still in the U.S. when she started working on it!!! Spanning across THREE different airlines!! Two days later, Kylie sent me a picture of my bag being dropped off in front of my villa…. This girl is my hero!! It was so great to see Pradeep, our wonderful bartender, for the fourth time as well. This guy is such an artist in crafting your drinks. He also knows your likes and dislikes and tailors your drinks carefully. Pradeep is quick with a joke when the moment is right, and he has some of the best life stories to tell. The restaurant staff were equally amazing. The food at both Alita and Vista was to die for, and the food quality was even better than last year! Thanks to Ibbey and JoAnn, the wonderful restaurant managers. Their strive for excellence is jaw dropping. Before our departure, the entire restaurant staff along with the amazing Pastry Chef and Executive Chef, prepared a special meal for us. Hmm… maybe a 5th time is happening? This time we opted to get the PADI Advanced Overwater certification. Marty is an amazing instructor! His teaching is so thorough and calm that we felt little stress when attempting to complete the tasks underwater. We also had the privilege of joining the rest of the Dive Center staff to do the first night dive that Mercure Maldives Kooddoo has conducted. It was a huge success because both instructors were very experienced in night dives (when they were teaching elsewhere). Of course, I cannot forget to mention our room attendant, Robiu - he is an artist when it comes to banana leaf art and towel art. Everyday we would be welcomed by a surprise in the room, whether it is a sea turtle, an elephant made with towels, or a fish or a whale made from banana leaves. Of course the room was always sparkling clean. My massage therapist, Ida was both kind and professional. She was able to pinpoint exactly which areas on my body needed attention, whether it was soreness or stiffness. The list goes on and on. To the resort management team - your people are your best assets! They are some of the most amazing hotel staff members I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with - and I travel for work! I spend almost every other night at a hotel room due to the nature of my work, and it is safe to say you have some of the best people working for you. Please do everything in your power to keep them motivated to be here. Happy staff = Happy guests. That’s when people start to come back for the 2nd, 3rd even 4th stay.

A nice adult only resort, with great breakfast and amazingly cozy beds. Situated only 2 minutes away from the airport, with smooth check in and check out process.

This resort is the most beautiful place. So relaxing, food and drinks are available all the time. 🍹🍸🍾🍖🥓🍕 .loved the scenery. Staff were wonderful. Shoutout to Ali, who picked up us to bring us to the restaurant and back daily 😊 To Jo ann and Manvi.fantastic staff, very attentive and all the staff at Mercure Kooddoo.

To get here, it’s not just a hop on a speedboat or sea plane, it’s another full on, internal flight as the island is 800km or so away from Male. The island is big enough for a runway for those planes to land, with some weary travellers continuing onwards by boats to other islands in the atoll. But this extended journey is VERY worth it for the AMAZING snorkelling and pristine diving on the house reef or very close by. This is especially so for the snorkelling off the water villas - crystal clear visibility (we were there at the end of the rainy season so had a couple of stormy / choppy days which impacted on the vis), with SO much sea life just waiting at the bottom of the villa steps. The resort itself is just a small portion of the island so it is not possible to walk the circumference - in fact some of the island is not at all attractive with a commercial fishing port & industrial area but this is mostly out of sight. The hotel facilities are top class - restaurant food & setting is excellent and the waiting staff very friendly & attentive. The food is excellent with many choices for each meal. We mostly ate in the main restaurant which is self-service buffet as this had such a wide selection to choose from, but there is also a smaller Italian style restaurant a little way along the beach with table service & good food, slightly more towards fine dining but less choice. On New Years Eve the chef & his team created the most INCREDIBLE gourmet extravaganza of so many dishes the food display continued along three full sides of the (large) restaurant. The pool was lovely, just in front of the restaurant & sun lounger area & we made use of the gym too (big windows overlooking the sea need blinds as the glare from the water was painful), and we also enjoyed the kayaks & paddle boards. A truly fantastic holiday, especially with amazing scuba diving (turtles, sharks, rays, eels, many many fish) and brilliant snorkelling, immediately out of the villa. Highly recommend