Park Hyatt Maldives Review: My Honest & Detailed Opinion

I am writing this Park Hyatt Maldives review fresh off my stay from the departure lounge at the Male airport. It was such an amazing stay, if someone offered to take me back right now, I’d go immediately!

I booked this stay a full year ago because it has long been on my Hyatt points bucket list. I’ve also always wanted to visit the Maldives.

I visited the Park Hyatt Maldives for five nights with my boyfriend. We spent the days lounging by the pool and beach, relaxing at the spa, and snorkeling the vibrant house reef. It was also a very special trip because we got engaged!

Below, I will explain all the aspects of the hotel and highlight what I loved. I will also explain what could have been improved. This guide will help you answer the question of it is worth booking for yourself.

This stay was not sponsored in any way by Hyatt and all opinions are my own.

Some links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through them. All opinions are my own, and I only recommend products and services I personally use and believe in. Thanks for your support!

Overview of the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Opening Date: Opened as an Alila in 2009 and rebranded to Park Hyatt in 2011

Hotel Program: World of Hyatt

Size: 51 Villas

Price Per Night: $800+

Points Per Night: 35,000+

Transfer & Location

Nearly all resorts in the Maldives are private islands that can only be accessed by seaplane or boat. All visitors will fly into the international airport in Male, then continue on to their specific resort.

The Park Hyatt is one of the most remote resorts in the Maldives, and takes a bit of extra effort to get to.

Flying from Male

Once you arrive in Male, you will be met by a Park Hyatt representative that will escort you to the domestic terminal for a one hour domestic flight to a local island.

The resort will book this internal flight on your behalf based on your international arrival time. The layover in Male could be anywhere between 2 and 6 hours depending on the timing. During the layover, you will have access to a small lounge – the Moonimaa Domestic Lounge.

The lounge is not the nicest, but a sufficient place to wait for your next flight.

The flight itself is quick, but I found it to be uncomfortable. There was no air conditioning, so it was extremely hot with the 80+ degree temperatures and high humidity. Most of the passengers were literally dripping sweat.

Boat Ride to the Resort

After arriving at the local island, you will again be met by Park Hyatt representatives to bring you to the speedboat transfer.

From the local island, the speed boat ride will take 30-60 minutes depending on what island you arrive in and the weather.

The boat ride was far more enjoyable than the flight. There was a fresh ocean breeze and beautiful sights of surrounding islands.

Were were also treated to cold towels, iced tea, and small snacks.

After the boat ride, you will finally arrive at the Park Hyatt Maldives to start your vacation. It is a trek to get there, but well worth it in the end.

Note: The transfer costs $599 per adult (as of April 2024), and can not be covered by points.

Check In Process

As I mentioned above, the trip to the resort can be long and a bit uncomfortable. But once I stepped foot into the property, all of the travel stress melted away.

You will be met at the welcome pier by hotel staff with cold towels and welcome beverages. I’m not sure how, but everyone already knew our names as well – a luxury touch I appreciated.

Once you sip on your welcome drink and take in the first views of the island, you’ll be whisked away in a private golf cart by your butler.

There is no formal check in process or reception area. Instead, the butler will escort you to your villa, explain the property, and leave you with their phone number for any communications during your stay.

I loved how personalized and seamless the check in process was, especially after 40+ hours of travel from the US.

Villa Review – Beach & Overwater

There are 51 villas at the Park Hyatt Maldives, and zero traditional hotel rooms. There is a mix of beach and overwater villas, all of which are amazing.

Beach villas can be accessed from the walking path that surrounds the island. They are each offset from the path for a lot of privacy. The overwater villas are all on one pier from the island, with some facing the island and others the ocean.

During my stay, I spent part of the time in a base-level beach villa and part in a beach pool villa, so I can speak to my experience in both. I did not stay in an overwater villa, but assume the interior is very similar.

Room Review

Bedroom

When you first enter the villa, you’ll be in the large bedroom area. It has a king bed in the center of the room, couch at the end of the bed, small seating area, and a long bar along the length of the room.

The bedroom area also has super high vaulted ceilings and two walls of windows, making it very bright and open.

Bathroom

The bathroom space is nearly as large as the bedroom, which is crazy. You enter the bathroom through large double doors, into a wide open space with a small room for the shower and toilet.

The main area of the bathroom has two identical sides, with a large vanity, mirror, sink, and wardrobe. I loved having my own space and not having to share with my boyfriend when we were getting ready each day.

Out the back of the bathroom is a large, outdoor bathroom space. The space is very serene, like a garden with plants, a large stone tub, and a shower.

Since it is nearly always warm outside in the Maldives, it is the perfect place for an outdoor shower or bath.

In addition to a great setup, the resort provides basic amenities such as a toothbrush, razor, soaps, shampoo, and cotton swaps. You can also request other toiletries you forgot such as a hair straightener, nail clippers, or an iron.

Villa Types

Besides the handful of two bedroom villas, and one three bedroom villa, the rest of them are basically the same as described above, regardless of villa type.

The biggest difference between the villa types is the outdoor space, which ranges from a small deck and beach access to an overwater private pool with direct ocean access.

Below, I’ll explain the difference between the room categories and what to expect with each one.

Beach Villa

This is the base room category at the resort, and the least expensive option. Since I booked a standard free night with points, this was my room category.

Outside the villa is a small deck with a table and chairs for dining or your morning coffee. From the deck, you can walk down a few stairs to a short path to the beach. Beachfront, you will also have private beach lounge chairs and an umbrella.

Unfortunately, there has been some natural erosion of the island, causing the beaches in front of the beach villas to erode, pictured above. Although the views are still nice, I preferred spending time at the shared pool and beach.

Pool Villa

The pool villas are the next room category, and cost around $300-$600 additional per night. They are also on the beach, like above, but have a larger deck and a private pool.

As a Hyatt Globalist, I was fortunate to be upgraded to this room category partway through the trip.

The pool is small and shallow, but perfect for cooling off. The larger deck also includes a comfortable daybed poolside.

Once we were upgraded to this room type, I preferred spending the day here versus in a public space. I loved being able to rotate between our private beach, pool, and lounge chairs. It was also convenient to have access to our room for the restroom or some air conditioning.

Is it worth it to upgrade from a beach villa to a pool villa? I say yes! Especially if you are celebrating a special occasion, this upgrade makes a huge differences and is worth the extra money.

If you have Hyatt Globalist status, there is a decent chance you will get upgraded to this category for free.

Overwater Villa

I did not stay in this room category, so I can’t tell you whether it is worth it. I can tell you, the overwater Villas are the most expensive and around $1,000 more than the base room.

The overwater villas are off of a long winding pier and have a similar setup on the interior to a beach villa. Outside, you will have a small deck with lounge chairs and a dining table.

There is also an overwater villa with a pool that has a small plunge pool and in water lounge chairs. You can swim in the ocean directly from either overwater villa type.

Service

I honestly have zero complaints about the villas. But even better than the rooms is the quality of service on the island.

Everyone is assigned a butler when they arrive on the island, and they are available 24/7 for any question or request you have. Our butler, Shahom, when above and beyond in every way to make our stay amazing. Some of the things he did for us:

• Worked closely with my fiance to plan our engagement, including coordinating with our photographer, scheduling a private dinner, and providing us with a special surprise decor and cake in our villa that night
• Arranged a room upgrade for part of our stay, even though the island was fully booked
• Made dinner reservations nightly
• Scheduled spa reservations
• Checked in multiple times daily to ensure we were having a great time

The rest of the hotel staff was also amazing. They all knew us by name and would remember our preferences from day to day.

The food and beverage staff introduced themselves the first day, then checked in at each meal to ensure we enjoyed the food. They also sent us complimentary dessert and drinks to celebrate our engagement.

The housekeeping staff was very detailed oriented, with a daily cleaning and turndown service.

Although the service was very white-glove luxury, the staff also felt like friends. I have zero complaints about the service at the resort and would return in a heartbeat.

Facilities & Amenities

Since the resort is a private island, everything to do is either location on the island itself or an excursion arranged by the resort. Let’s first discuss the things to do on the island.

Pool

At the main hub of the island is the large, shared infinity pool. It has warm, but refreshing water, views of the beach and ocean, and plenty of lounge chairs.

If you have a private pool at your villa, you likely won’t use this shared one. But it’s a great option if you don’t have a pool of your own. Its also great if you prefer to have bar service or people watching while you lounge.

Beach

In front of the pool is the large shared beach. As I mentioned before, the beach has eroded on much of the island. However, it is perfect in the shared area.

There is plenty of seating on the beach including lounge chairs, six free cabanas, and some bean bag chairs. We were there when the resort was at capacity, but never had a hard time finding a seat.

If you want a soft sand beach that is easy to swim from, this is definitely the spot to come.

Dive Center & Snorkeling

The dive center is the main activity center for the resort. It is where you will meet for all the off-island excursions.

It is also where you can rent the complimentary snorkeling equipment. They will size you for flippers, a snorkel, and a mask that you can keep for the duration of your stay.

The snorkeling at the resort is definitely one of the highlights and one of the reasons it is worth traveling so far from Male. The house reef is one of the best in all of the Maldives.

Just off the resort’s jetties, you can see a ton of colorful fish, sea turtles, lobsters, octopus, reef sharks, and potentially even dolphins.

Spa

The spa is one of my favorite places on the island. Mostly because I had one of the best massages ever. It was also my fiancé’s first spa experience ever and now he’s hooked.

The experience starts in the lobby with check in and a glass of fresh coconut water.

Then, you’ll be taken to your private spa area which consists of a treatment room, separate bathroom, and an outdoor courtyard with a cabana and shower. It is basically a private villa!

I booked us a combination scrub, wrap, and massage treatment. All of which were absolutely amazing. I left with buttery soft skin and feeling extremely relaxed.

When you visit, I highly suggest visiting the spa at least once. If you prebook the treatment before your stay, you can also save 10%.

Gym

I am not much of a workout on vacation person, so I did not visit the gym during my trip. Based on photos, it looks small but nice. It is also centrally located next to the pool, restaurants, and spa.

Activities & Excursions

In addition to the on-island amenities, the Park Hyatt Maldives offers a range of excursions. Since you are in the middle of the ocean, most of these activities are boating focused.

We decided not to take any excursions since they are pretty expensive, and we had enough to do around the island. If you are interested in an excursion, these sounded the most fun:

• Boat ride and tour of a small local island
• Diving
• Private island picnic
• Sunset cruise
• Dolphin watching expedition

Food & Beverage

Of all the aspects of our vacation to the PH Maldives, the food was the biggest disappointment. All the food is extremely expensive, likely due to the long travel time it takes imports to get to the island. I’m talking $10 for a cold brew, $50 for a bowl of vegetarian pasta, and $130 for a small cut of steak.

Although I was expecting these crazy prices, I also expected the quality to match. But it did not.

The food was not bad, but it also wasn’t great. As a foodie, this was a bit of a disappointment. However, eating wasn’t the main reason for this trip, so it was all ok in the end.

Main Dining Breakfast

Ok I just finished saying that the food at the Park Hyatt Maldives wasn’t great. However, the one exception is the breakfast which was actually excellent.

For breakfast, they offer a huge buffet and a la carte options. The buffet included Asian dishes such as noodle soup, curries, and local dishes. There is also international fare such as pastries, fruit, charcuterie, and yogurt.

In addition, there are a ton of hot options available for order such as omelets, fried rice, stir fry noodles, eggs benedict, french toast, and more.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it was also my favorite at the resort.

Bar

The bar is the best place to grab a casual bite to eat or enjoy happy hour each evening. This was where we liked to get lunch.

One day we had beef tacos which were surprisingly good and another day we had pizza which was also tasty.

My favorite thing at the bar was the nightly Globalist happy hour (pictured on the right). It includes two cocktails and a trio of small bites.

Main Dining Lunch and Dinner

The main dining room, where you get breakfast, also serves lunch and dinner. We ate dinner here 3 of the 5 nights since it had the most varied menu.

The lunch and dinner menu are fairly similar, with a mix of western and Asian options. The best thing we ate here was the butter chicken.

Island Grill

The Island Grill is the fancier restaurant on the island. I loved the atmosphere with our feet in the sand, open cover, and water views.

For food, they offer items cooked on the open grill such as steaks and seafood. Our steak was good, but not $130 good. The starter salad and dessert were also just ok. I’ve had better meals that cost $80 compared to this one that was around $300.

Again, it is not all about the prices. You just expect to get what you’re paying for, you know?

Koi

Koi is a sushi restaurant that is in an overwater bungalow. I would have loved to dine here because the atmosphere looked amazing.

However, they could not accommodate our request to make a non-seafood option for my fiancé that is not a big fan of fish. Throughout the trip, the dining team emphasized that we could ask for off-menu items, but apparently that guidance does not extend to Koi. Oh well.

Private Dining

The Park Hyatt Maldives is such as amazing place to celebrate a special occasion. As I mentioned above, we got engaged on this trip. The staff was super helpful in arranging a private beach dinner to celebrate that night.

They set up this super romantic table in the middle of the beach. The food was a fine-dining 5-course meal that included a variety of different options.

This meal was so special and I am very grateful to the team for helping us plan it all!

Park Hyatt Maldives as a Globalist

If you aren’t familiar, the highest level of World of Hyatt status is called Globalist. It is earned after spending 60 nights in Hyatt hotels annually or through a certain threshold of credit card spend.

Globalist status gives you a variety of perks that really pay off at the Park Hyatt Maldives.

Free breakfast: My favorite Globalist perk was the free breakfast. As I mentioned above, the breakfast at the resort was fantastic. As a Globalist, you get the buffet, two a la carte entrees per person, and unlimited nonalcoholic drinks during breakfast.

Globalist happy hour: From 5-7, the bar hosts a Globalist happy hour that includes one drink per person and a trio of appetizers. Between this and breakfast, you won’t have to buy much additional food each day.

Villa upgrade: This perk is not guaranteed, but you are eligible for an upgrade if there is one available. The most likely upgrade is from a standard beach villa to a pool villa. I have not heard of anyone being upgraded to an overwater villa.

What to Wear

The Maldives is the definition of barefoot luxury. The best outfits are comfortable, beachy, casual.

During the day, wear your favorite swimsuit layered with a cover up, sandals, and a beach bag. For dinner, I wore a sundress each night with slip on sandals.

You can leave your formal attire and heels at home. I only saw one woman wearing heels and did not envy her as her shoes sunk into the sand when she tried to walk.

One thing to note is that the Maldives is a Muslim country. Although that does not dictate what to wear at the resort, I recommend packing modest clothing for the travel days you will be in Male.

Guide to what to wear in the Maldives

When to Visit

The best time to visit the Maldives is during the dry season, which typically runs from November to April. This period offers plenty of sunshine, little rain, and ideal conditions for diving and snorkeling.

If you prefer to avoid the crowds, consider traveling during the shoulder months of May, September, or October when prices may be lower, and you can still enjoy pleasant weather.

The Maldives experiences a wet season from May to October, with a higher chance of rain and humidity, so plan accordingly.

I visited at the very beginning of May and we had a nice mix of a couple rainy days and a couple sunny days. Even the rainy days were warm and the weather did not stop us from spending time outside.

Summary: Review of the Park Hyatt Maldives

The Cons: There aren’t many cons of the Park Hyatt Maldives. The only thing I would mention is the quality of the food compared to the price.

The Pros: There is so much praise I can provide this resort. The location is incredibly beautiful, the villas are perfectly decorated and luxurious, and the service is out of this world.

Also, I love that it is one of the best uses of reward points in all of the Maldives. I was able to book 5 nights for 150,000 points which is how many points some competitors cost per night.

I highly recommend you stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion or are looking for a romantic vacation.

Related Posts:

• What to Wear in the Maldives: Cute Outfit Ideas
• How to Earn Hyatt Points Fast

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