Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa

Cancelled our trip of a lifetime. Booked a week at Vilamendhoo for next year (May 2026) with a speedboat transfer to Lily Beach resort nearby for a further 7 days. Received an email today saying our booking has been cancelled due to the resort being closed for refurbishment from May 2026 - October 2026! Now, we have to re-plan our whole trip, change our flights etc etc. Why take bookings in advance and take guests money, then decide to close??? The management should have PLANNED THIS CLOSURE IN ADVANCE and NOT taken bookings if this was the case. Our holiday has been ruined.

After reading so many reviews, I always wondered why so many guests return to Vilamendhoo again and again. Now we completely understand — the warmth, beauty, and exceptional service make it truly unforgettable. We can’t wait to come back! Although every staff member we met was wonderful, we’d like to give special thanks to Nadia from reception for her warm welcome, friendly and efficient check-in, and detailed resort orientation. Also, to Nishad, our waiter at Ahima Restaurant, who was incredibly attentive and remembered our preferences from the very first day. And finally, to Hashim, our housekeeper, who was so quick, clever, and always polite — he kept our villa spotless throughout our stay. We had an amazing experience! The Water Villa was absolutely stunning — just a few steps down and you’re snorkeling in what feels like a living aquarium. The resort Wi-Fi was excellent, even better than our travel data plan. Snorkeling here was truly exceptional — the best off-shore snorkeling we’ve ever had. Bring your own gear and fins; if you’re not used to wearing fins, fin socks are a must. Don’t forget an underwater camera or a waterproof phone case! And for extra comfort in the water, a UPF 50 long-sleeve rash guard was a lifesaver for me. Vilamendhoo, you’ve won our hearts — see you again soon! 💙🐠 At last but not least special thanks to the resort manager Mr. Josef for his swift and thoughtful response to my wife emergency call.

Villamendhoo Resort was fantastic—a spacious, comfortable, free-standing beach bungalow truly felt like a retreat. Showering outside (there was a garden and a high wall) was magical. The house reef was an absolute highlight, offering so much to see and explore with ease in the healing waters of the Indian Ocean. The food at Vilamendhoo was outstanding, with a variety of cultural cuisines served each day, along with a generous selection of vegetarian options. We did think that an all-inclusive package is the way to go. We could eat and drink at any of the two restaurants and the Asian Wok with a 20% discount. We did this on our last night, and the price was reasonable. The Vilamendhoo welcome, as well as all the staff, were kind, humorous and accommodating, with the manager regularly checking in on guests to ensure everything was perfect. The level of outstanding service truly made us feel special. We loved everything and highly recommend.

First time in the Maldives & we could not have chose a better island! I have one small negative that i will get out of the way first. We arrived on the Island at about 10.45 am after 2 flights & a seaplane so was a little bit disappointed to be told that our jacuzzi water villa would not be ready till 14.00pm.I guess its just the luck of the draw if your room is ready or not & we just wanted to get to our room asap, unpack & let our holiday commence.But the main issue was that when we went to reception at 13.45pm we were just handed the key cards and more or less told to find our own way to the water villa!!! So having not been to the island before we were unsure where to go & we thought someone would at least show us to our accommodation? I am sorry if i repeat what has been already said before but this resort is perfect for peace & quiet in a relaxing environment.Fantastic reef just meters away from the beach with such an abundance of marine life.We chose this resort after hearing good reviews about the reef & we were not disappointed. Our jacuzzi water villa (318) was large,clean & just perfect for our stay with the added bonus of the mini bar being re-stocked daily.Never eaten so many bounties before!! We ate at the adults only buffet for breakfast,lunch and dinner and never had a bad meal with always a varied option of foods on display.Shout out to Paul at the egg station in the mornings for my eggs benedict & omlettes,always friendly & smiling. Everywhere was clean and tidy,even the toilets near the sunset bar were spotless. Most of our days were spent around the adults only pool where the bar service was excellent,keeping us supplied with endless drinks.So a big thank you to all the bar staff especially Salah (Mo). We booked the day excursion to see Whale Sharks,Mantas & Turtles and we were so lucky to see all three and for me to get so up close to a whale shark on 2 occasions. The crew on board were fantastic and made the trip very enjoyable.So a big thank you to Hassan,Arafat & sorry but i cannot remember the other 2 on board! So all in all we had a brilliant time celebrating my wife's birthday and we cannot wait to return to our little paradise soon.