Barcelo Whale Lagoon Maldives
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23 reviews
December 24, 2024
Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives forever❤️
The first time we were in the Maldives, from 16.12 to 23.12.2024, the rest was wonderful, we liked everything, the hotel is very cozy, friendly, top-level service, the staff is very friendly, we were pleasantly surprised and pleased with the attention from the hotel. We were provided with a free massage for two people and snorkeling upon check-in,
The rooms are clean, cleaning is done twice a day, water, juices, drinks, coffee, tea are provided in the rooms, all-inclusive meals are varied, more European, holidays are aimed at couples.
I recommend this hotel, we had an unforgettable stay.
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4
April 14
A wonderful hotel, during the rest it was not possible to identify a single disadvantage.
The villas are new, well renovated, beautiful, the bathroom area is very nicely decorated. The food is delicious and varied, there are few people, the bar is also good, the ocean and beaches are also excellent, shallow but comfortable to swim. A great place to stay that is 100% worth the money.
See original · Русский
1
December 26, 2024
I will start my review by saying that this is the third time we have flown to the Maldives, and in general I am a fan of beach holidays - I have been to the Seychelles, Mauritius, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Bali, so there is something to compare it with.
Looking ahead, we were very happy with our stay, even more than I expected. And in fact, we found only one big "but" in the hotel, which does not allow us to call it ideal, but first things first.
Transfer and check-in.
Let's start with a transfer to the hotel. We were flying on a direct Aeroflot flight, and a hotel representative met us in Male with a sign, picked up our luggage, checked us into the seaplane, and escorted us to a spacious waiting lounge. The lounge has everything for a comfortable stay: coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches, pastries, fruits, very comfortable armchairs and sofas, and even a comfortable shower. Many people write that they waited for the plane for 40 minutes, but we sat for more than two hours. As a result, the seaplane flight itself turned out to be a very exciting adventure, almost a small excursion. It's not a long flight, no more than 45 minutes. At the hotel, we were greeted by staff with drums and traditional music, drinks and cool towels.
Check-in is fast, the hotel has a Russian-speaking staff who can always answer any questions. In general, 20 minutes after we arrived, we already checked into our first villa.
Habitation.
I'll make a reservation right away that I'm a pretty moody friend when it comes to hotels. Even after staying at The Ritz Carlton, I had some questions, but here I do not even know what to complain about in relation to villas. We spent half of our vacation at the beach villa (the sunrise side), half on the water. The villas are simply amazing – everything is thought out to the smallest detail, incredibly aesthetically pleasing, amazingly comfortable beds and bedding, perfect cleanliness and no signs of "fatigue", which is often found even in the most premium hotels. My inner aesthete simply rejoiced at these fantastic bathrooms and terraces. I was also pleased with the large closets and a sufficient number of hangers for all my dresses. The only thing is, the mini-bar could have been a little less modest, but since we took the all inclusive, it wasn't a problem.
And I would also like to mention the incredible privacy. It was a fundamentally important moment for us, we really wanted to be alone together. We lived in 429 beach villa, it fully corresponded to our wishes. Absolute silence, tranquility, the ocean and the chirping of birds. You can't see or hear the neighbors, maximum privacy.
Territory.
The area is simply stunning, surrounded by greenery and tropical flowers. No insects were seen, only flying chanterelles and all kinds of birds. It's amazing to go to breakfast in the morning and inhale the fragrance of plumeria, which stretches over the entire island. Very well maintained territory, it is a pleasure to walk around the island and admire all this beauty. I was worried that breakwaters could somehow spoil the landscape, but in a global sense, we hardly noticed them, everything is fine.
Food.
The nutrition is simply beyond praise. I don't like the All system, but in this case, it's the best thing that could happen to us. Every day the menu includes fresh fruits (papaya, mango, pitahaya, marauja, watermelon, melon and our usual apples and citrus fruits), seafood and fish (and very diverse: tuna, sea bass, reef fish, shrimp, octopus, mussels, langoustines and in a variety of forms: grilled, curry, stewed, baked), varied meat and also in a variety of forms, salad bar, desserts, ice cream, cheese, hummus and other snacks. For breakfast, excellent coffee, including alternative milk (which was important to me), freshly squeezed juices, a station with eggs (benedict, omelets, scramble, glaunya), excellent pastries (very decent croissants, which is also rare for everyone).
According to the a la carte system, we went to two dinners: the Aqua restaurant and a romantic dinner on the beach. Everything was amazing too, great grilled steaks and scallops, appetizers, desserts. On the last evening, we decided to have a royal dinner and took an unlimited buffet dinner on the beach with seafood.: it is held once a week, a boat arrives with fresh fish and seafood and they are cooked right in front of you on the beach. It was space, of course, one of the best lobsters I've eaten in my life. Live music, ocean noise, stars, candles ... The number of approaches to food is unlimited, and we, of course, were just incredibly full, but everything was just incredibly delicious, I highly recommend visiting, it's definitely worth it.
And I want to tell you about alcohol separately. We like to spend the evening with a glass of good sparkling wine or a cocktail, and we really enjoyed everything here too. Champagne, unfortunately, is not poured, but prosecco and French creme are of decent quality. A good wine list, excellent cocktails (both classic, such as pinacolades or aperols, and local ones from the chef-bartender). Alcohol is not premium, but it is of decent quality, there are no questions at all.
Leisure and activities.
This is my favorite topic for discussions about the Maldives.… There are people who say it's boring there (and quite often it's those who have never been here), but personally I just don't understand how it can be boring here. Honestly, I don't have time for anything.… Find an octopus hiding under a coral, take 100,500 photos, pet a turtle, roast in the sun, taste all the cocktails from the extensive menu, spend an incredible sunset (which is absolutely different every day), gaze at the stars, fall asleep in the SPA for a massage… In general, I am absolutely convinced that if everything is OK with your outlook, then it will definitely not be boring. Of course, you need to understand that a vacation in the Maldives is not a sightseeing tour of Europe, when you are always running somewhere, watching something and trying to embrace the immensity, but this is the thrill of escaping from all the deadlines and endless fuss and finally allow yourself to relax a little. No wonder the Maldives' motto is: no news, no shoes.
We didn't have a goal to get ourselves into a million things, so we chose snorkeling (a lot of snorkeling), an excursion to swim with manta rays (sea devil), a trip to the home reef and a trip to the SPA. Once we tried to do sports early in the morning (there is a gym on the territory), but we realized that once was enough for us and we just want to relax, not that's all.
I really enjoyed the trips to the home reef and manta rays. I'm a fan of snorkeling and I'm happy to see all kinds of marine life, and manta rays have long been on my must see list. Everything is organized at an excellent level, and swimming in the open ocean is a special thrill. We didn't go to the whale shark – I've already swum with it in the Philippines, and this year I've also swum with sperm whales in Mauritius, but the guys who went were also satisfied. We highly recommend it, after all, the underwater world of the Indian Ocean is something that you need to see at least once in your life.
Staff.
Here I'm ready to just give a standing ovation. Without any exaggeration, I would like to say that, perhaps, this was the best team of staff that I have met in hotels in my entire rather rich travel history.
Such attentive attitude, caring for the guests, friendliness and sincerity (which is important) I've never met him. Starting from the very first minute when you are met at the airport, and ending with the whole team escorting you to the seaplane, you are surrounded by absolute attention and care. Chefs, receptionists, waiters, bartenders, cleaning staff and gardeners, the guys from the dive center and SPA are real professionals who do their best to make your vacation magical and unforgettable.
If there are any "shoals" in the hotel, they all become completely insignificant thanks to the smiles and care of these people. The hotel staff is 10 out of 10 and even much more. I could have talked endlessly about all the little surprises they prepared for us, about how we felt like the most important and valuable guests in every detail, but then no feedback would have been enough.
Ocean, beach, reef.
And that's where we got to the only fly in the ointment. As I wrote at the very beginning, I am a fan of beach holidays and I know what the ocean can be like in the Maldives and beyond.
Unfortunately, we were somewhat disappointed in this regard. Naturally, this is not a complaint about Barcelo, and I understand perfectly well that you can't fool nature, but if you're going to stay in the ocean and enjoy the flour sand, then this is not exactly about this hotel.
Firstly, the tides are felt very strongly (they depend on the phases of the moon and you can track them in a special application), but even at maximum tide, the water level will not be higher than shoulder-high (this is with my height of 165 cm), or even lower, that is, to fully swim in any case, it won't work. Secondly, entering the water is a coral crumb and there are quite large and sharp corals and shells in it. Of course, you can go into the water in special slippers, but still, when you fly to the Maldives, you want a more comfortable swim, given that this is the main part of leisure time. We didn't find an ideal entrance to the water with soft sand on both the sunset and dawn sides, and we couldn't swim properly either.
It also has a pretty strong effect on snorkeling, because you almost always swim extremely low above the corals. My boyfriend scratched his foot on the coral, and it took a long time to heal. It's very uncomfortable, and you can't see half the beauty of the reef that the hotel has, because you just can't swim over it. Nevertheless, we met a very friendly turtle, saw a lot of cute reef fish, sea cucumbers, octopus and lobster, starfish and needle fish, and during the walk we watched rays and nurse sharks.
Conclusion.
If swimming in the ocean is not your main value during a vacation in the Maldives, then the hotel is beyond praise. We spent part of the day swimming in the ocean, and part of the day getting high with a cocktail in the pool (of which there are two on the territory), so we had an amazing rest anyway.
Otherwise, I give it an A, because with the exception of some minor points, the hotel is really decent. I hope that it will only get better in the future, and I sincerely thank the team for our fantastic vacation.
See original · Русский
12