Velassaru Maldives: A Luxury Resort Review- The Water Suite Villa
Velassaru Maldives is a luxury hotel owned by the SLH brand. This one of a kind resort prides itself on being a relaxing, sought after experience with exceptional hospitality, and of course beautiful overwater bungalows! Crystal blue water, personal butler, private suites, beach villas, and 5 restaurants/2 lounges. With hundreds of islands to choose from, it is important to do your research and find one that fits your travel needs. We decided on Velassaru for a couple of reasons- most important to us… the pool of the Water Suite which extends the length of the villa. We knew we were going to spend a lot of time in our room and wanted this once of a lifetime trip to be magical. We had the privilege of staying at the only one of its kind room located at the property. The water suite is the only private, all inclusive villa with views for days. After a lot of research, we couldn’t find any reviews on this room so I wanted to share our experience, opinion, and overall week at this incredible resort.
TRAVEL
My husband and I traveled to Velassaru Maldives in January 2022. We flew from New York City—Doha, Qatar— Male, Maldives on Qatar Airways. Total flight time was over 18 hours so prepare to spend two days (going and coming) on travel alone. Be mindful of the 10 hour time difference from the USA to Maldives because jet lag is inevitable. We experienced this first hand as the first two days were tough since as we were wide awake at 3am and exhausted by 7pm. As for covid regulations, be sure to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to travel and upload your results to the traveler declaration form. Be sure to save the QR code as you will need to show this in order to enter/exit the country. The best time to visit the Maldives is between November to April to avoid Monsoon season so we decided to celebrate our January birthdays in this beautiful country and check it off our bucket list!
LOCATION AND ARRIVAL
This beautiful piece of heaven is located 25 minutes by boat from Male, Maldives. Velassaru is on its own private island southwest of the international airport. The only way to reach the resort is by speedboat which you arrange with the hotel prior to traveling. Travel arrangements are included with your stay so just be sure to email the resort ahead of time with your flight number and arrival time. Once you get through customs and security, look for the Velassaru representative awaiting you as they will help with your bags and take you to the boat just a short walk across the street. Once we arrived, we were greeted by staff and introduced to our private butler, Shameer. Check in was already handled for us and we were immediately taken to our suite. Shameer gave us a quick room tour, explained some of the amenities, confirmed restaurant reservations for the week, and exchanged Whatsapp contact information so we could reach him 24/7. After a long day of traveling, it was heaven on earth and we couldn’t wait to start exploring (and eating!)
FOOD
I can’t stress how important choosing the right resort is. There are soo many things to consider since most resorts occupy their own island- which means all activities, food, and entertainment for your stay will be located at the resort. All inclusive (or as they call it the Velassaru Indulgence package) is available and totally worth it by the end of the week. Velassaru has 5 fine dining restaurants and 2 bar/lounges. We wanted a resort that had plenty of options since we are foodies. Thankfully they did not disappoint with the amount of food choices, non alcoholic drink options, and dessert choices. Yum! I will say that Etesian was our favorite but all were unique with plenty of options so you can try something new every night.
Dining
Vela - This buffet restaurant specializes in African cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A children's menu is available.
Etesian - This fine-dining restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and serves dinner only. Reservations are required.
Sand - This beach restaurant specializes in seafood and serves dinner only. Reservations are required.
Teppanyaki - Overlooking the ocean, this restaurant specializes in Japanese cuisine and serves dinner only. (We saw stingrays and sharks below us during dinner) Reservations are required.
Turquoise - This restaurant serves lunch and dinner in a buffet style.
Fen Bar
Chill Bar
ACTIVITIES
The Maldives is the perfect place to relax and unwind. We spent most of our time by our private pool or at the beach. We also took advantage of the water activities included such as kayaking (clear glass kayaks are an additional $50), snorkeling, diving tours, and sunrise cruise. The resort also has a public pool by the bar, gym, tennis court, spa, yoga classes, live nighttime band, complementary photoshoot, and movie night twice a week. One of the most memorable parts of our stay was the couples massage. The three hour package includes a seaweed wrap, full body massage, and facial. We left there feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated- a must for your vacation stay here.
OVERALL REVIEW
This was the most incredible experience my husband and I have ever had. The staff, resort, private suite, and food kept us entertained from the moment we arrived. I will say that the water suite is a once in a lifetime experience since we had total privacy (did I mention it has a private gate to enter the villa), private butler to assist with everything, and private golf cart rides around the resort (not included with other room packages). This hotel is not your ideal “Instagram resort” though… No floating breakfast in the pool, no wild nightlife, and definitely very family friendly. It was very relaxing and calm just how we imagined it would be!
Things to consider when choosing a resort:
Below are items we looked for before choosing the perfect vacation stay. The list goes on but here are some things to consider before booking a resort in the Maldives!
Seaplane or speedboat (seaplanes are typically an additional charge and do not fly at night. Something to consider if you are flying in late or run into travel delays)
Overwater bungalow or beach villa (Velassaru has both!)
Number of restaurants for optimal options
All inclusive or a la carte
Family friendly or party nightlife
Additional items: slide, private pool, movie theater
Unique activities such as breakfast in the pool, swing in the water, and private sand dinners
Things to know before traveling to Velassaru Maldives:
Everything is written and spoken in English
The US currency is widely accepted and credit cards can be used
Adaptors are located in the rooms
Room accommodations range from beach villas, water villas, water villas with pools, water bungalows, and the water suite
Stingrays, sharks, triggerfish, and an array of other fish are commonly seen
The Maldives is a muslim country <3
XOXO,
LN
