The W Retreat Maldives is an ultra funky luxury resort that will appeal to the young and young at heart.
Our Villas
We stayed in two villa’s during our stay, one was the Wow Overwater Suite and the Beach Villa.
First Impressions
First impressions of the beach villa were, “Wow it’s huge!”
The beach villa was spacious, contemporary and fun.
There was a swinging hammock inside the room and fun design features such as modern art created from rope that glowed in the dark. The outdoor bathroom was stunning. The ground was covered in smooth pebbles leading to the open air shower and lush greenery draped the walls, evoking a true feeling of “zen”.
Upstairs was a private open-air deck and relaxation area complete with a swinging lounge. It would be perfect for yoga or meditation as it overlooks your private a pool with spa jets and out to the shimmering turquoise sea.
Over water Villa
This villa was breathtaking both inside and out. Upon entry we noticed the large porthole covered in glass allowing you to see the myriad of sea life swimming beneath your villa. We loved the contemporary rocking chair and the lovely surprise welcome package of Moet and hand-crafted chocolates (chocolate lips and pink chocolate dust!)
The bathroom once again was really spacious with a huge picture window that looks out onto your private pool and deck and beyond into the Indian Ocean.
The bathroom amenities were second to none and everything you could ask for in a bathroom was already there, eg shaving kit, mouthwash, sewing kit, nail kit, face cleanser, eye makeup remover wipes, body butter, comb, body loafer, toothbrushes and paste and of course good quality shampoo and conditioner, all replenished daily. Makes a much lighter job of packing up from home.
The private pool has spa jets and – my favourite – gorgeous fibre optic lights throughout the floor so it twinkles and changes colour all night.
The outdoor lounge is a contemporary circular shape complete with glowing table in the middle, perfect for sunset drinks in your villa. It’s an easy few steps down off your deck into the crystal clear warm ocean where you can access one of the Maldives best house reefs.
Getting around the island is very easy as it’s not a large island an it’s a joy to stroll around especially as all the walkways have chilled out lounge music playing from integrated speakers all day. There is also a buggy service you can order to take you wherever you need to go on the island if required.
Dining
For guests who like to start the day with a party… breakfast at W Retreat caters for them perfectly! You can “choose your poison” as you walk into the breakfast buffet (Vodka/bloody mary or champagne) or go the opposite direction and get freshly squeezed green juice and health elixers. (Or do what we did one morning and tried both options, health elixr first with a champagne chaser!)
There is a wide selection of buffet items, mostly appealing to the health conscious traveller, which we found so appealing and refreshing. I often opted for an egg white omlette with fresh chilli which I loved! But we warned, Maldivian chillis are HOT! Have iced water within arm’s reach!
Buffet breakfasts can be enjoyed inside or outside under the morning light. You can even dine with your feet in the water on the numerous tables and chairs set into a shallow pool – perfect on these warm sun-filled mornings.
Lunch for us was perfect at the poolside rstuarant, Wet and twice a week they have their famous Pool Party with live international DJ, giant swan floaties and BBQ (and fellow guests letting their hair down!!). It’s a really fun atmosphere and not to be missed.
One evening we dined at FIRE restaurant which is a beautiful outdoor setup on the beach with live music. The night we went was Maldivian night and there were many stations set up with all sorts of Maldivian delicacies. The standout dish was the Maldivian Chilli Octopus. Be warned, the challenge was set for us to see how much Maldivian chilli we could handle and the heat does creep up on you!!!! It’s really really hot!
Another fun night was had at Fifteen, the underground Japanese Sushi bar. The local fish and scallops here were presented like a work of art and tasted like no other Japanese we’ve had, melt-in-your-mouth incredible. Please make sure you book in as soon as you arrive as it’s an intimate underground restaurant with a cool and edgy vibe (in fact it turns into a nightclub at 10pm!) so seating is limited and it books out days in advance.
Gym
The gym at W retreat is easily one of the most well equipped gyms at any resort. It is set over a bar and pool and overlooks the stunning main beach. My husband who is a Personal Trainer and boxing coach commented on how impressed he was with all the high quality equipment. There were many different types of cardio machines, a boxing bag, boxing gloves and mitts, yoga mats and free weights – more than enough to cater for all different kinds of fitness needs.
Things to do
The W Maldives has the best house reef we have ever come across, it is renowned in the Maldives and for very good reason. We grabbed some complimentary snorkeling equipment, charged up our underwater cameras and walked across the whitest sand (that melted like soft butter between your toes) to the water’s edge. The best spot to start snorkeling is the spa (which luckily was right outside our beach villa) and head to the right and within 5 minutes we were snorkeling with turtles and thousands of fish in all the colours of the rainbow. The water clarity was up there with the best we have ever snorkeled in and deliciously warm too.
Things you’ll love:
- Their Whatever Whenever policy…you can get anything you want at W Maldives, whenever you want, as long as it’s legal!
- The fun atmosphere, pool parties, floating unicorns to borrow, the fact that that everything glows at night!
- The sea-life, we had heard is was unbelievable but we were not prepared for just how stunning the reef right off the beach is, invest in an underwater camera for your visit
- Sweet spots – dotted around the resort are little huts with COMPLIMENTARY ice, soft drinks, water, juices, and ice cream (did anyone say Magnum?!!) available ALL DAY LONG! (Sweet spot hut pictured below)
- A day trip to their luxury private island Gaathafushi, just a few minutes away by speedboat
For kids?
The W only recently changed their policy from adults only to allow children over 5. There is no official kids club or kids menus however all chef’s are willing to accommodate children’s meal requests. In the villas there are mini child size robes and slippers, which are super cute! Each villa can fit one rollaway bed leaving plenty of room to move around the villa.
Getting there
After enjoying all the delights at the complimentary W Retreat Seaplane lounge, the journey is a 30 minute scenic seaplane ride from Male International Airport.
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