Hotel con colazione inclusa a Thilamaafushi

The 12 nights that we spent at Le Méridien was the best holiday that we have ever had…and we travel a lot! We came to the Maldives for the snorkelling; the variety and accessibility exceeds anywhere else that we have visited. Le Méridien has a super house reef, best seen behind the island. It’s accessible from the main beach or a sneak down the service jetty and a 50m swim from the small islet. The ease of finding your depth far from the shore is reassuring for novices, but deeper water is also easily reached. In short, everything that we came to see was there and in abundance. Even off the terrace of our villa we swam with many fish, sharks, rays and turtles. The gym is extremely well equipped and the beach yoga classes are very good. Buggies circulate efficiently on WhatsApp demand, but we found walking the trail, the main beach and isolated beaches a perfect way to really get to know the place. However, it is as you enter the bars and restaurants that the real difference is felt. The food in all of the 4 restaurants is consistently very, very good. There are some dishes that are truly excellent - try the lava cake with guava and Maldivian chilli sorbet! The quality of ingredients is clear; the meat dishes are some of the best that I have eaten. The fish and seafood are of course so fresh and expertly prepared and presented. The leafy salads come from the hydroponic green houses and burst with flavour and freshness. The menus change in each of the restaurants from lunch to evening and we did not exhaust all that we wanted to try even after 12 nights! But, as with many holidays, it is the staff that set this place firmly in our hearts. It is clear why the Marriott group is considered the best in the world. The leadership team were just exceptional; accessible to the guests and their staff alike. They worked alongside their personnel offering guidance and kind words. The head chef, head of food and beverage, sous chefs and other key people were at every service and they made every effort to ensure everything, absolutely everything was perfect. So, in no particular order, our thanks to these people, but we’ve surely forgotten some! Lita, Xanyf, Yusuf, Evi, Erma, Xavi, Rishab, Vishu, Nasheth, Mobassir, Amir, Aappaa, Jayanta, Sanaa in the restaurants and bars. Mahil, Sami, Aysha and Azad for the amazing service in the room and wonderful surprises of petal filles baths. Ari in the gym and for the yoga. The leadership team of Asaf, Choris, Pradeep who made our stay incredible everywhere.