Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort 4 stars

OMG where do I start, as soon as I was greeted on arrival, I felt this weight lift off of my shoulders and sudden calmness after a very long trip. This was so worth it and then some and then some more. After a 2 min (if that) golf buggy ride from Kooddoo airport to reception, was greeted with a lot of smiles and a very refreshing drink. Check in was completed with ease and was then back in the golf buggy chauffeured direct to my over water villa where I completely went WOW and forgot the lady was still standing at my door with my bag whilst in awe of the villa and the view. The staff must enjoy seeing and hearing all the expressions on arrival. Once settled in and of course having a refreshing beverage from the mini bar whilst sitting on my balcony taking in the view, I said to myself this is not a dream it is real. I paid for the all-inclusive package which covered all your food, the majority of your alcoholic drinks, all your non-alcoholic drinks (certain high class alcohol drinks you still need to pay for but due to the variety supplied this was not needed). The variety of food supplied was amazing and catered for all different requirements. At the Alita restaurant it was self-service but you could also have certain items cooked to order (there were plenty of staff there to ensure you had drinks brought to your table). I went to the Vista restaurant once during my 8 night stay which was a la carte but for myself I was more than happy to keep going to the Alita. Either way the food was amazing and all the staff were so accommodating and friendly and happy. There were plenty of activities available for those who are inclined (snorkeling, fishing, jet skiing, diving, yoga, dolphin cruise, sandbar snorkeling trip, the list goes on) but my main aim was to switch off from the world (apart from sending photos to all my jealous friends back home) and relax, eat and drink mainly by the pool with great service from all the pool bar staff. After the first day all the staff had figured out what I was there for and I felt treated like a king for the whole stay. Look I could go on and on, my main point I want to get across is that the staff make you feel at ease (special mention to Kasun and the rest of the bar staff, my apologies for not remembering all of your names) and will always do their best to assist you the best they can, this includes all the reception, restaurant, cleaning, spa, diving centre staff even the engineering staff working on the boardwalk and maintenance around the grounds, being greeted with a hello and a smile does wonders. From my arrival to departure (departure with a tear in the eye) I give this resort 6 stars and I am seriously considering my return trip there already. Keep smiling and thank you so much for looking after me, cheers and beers mate.

We had an absolutely wonderful time. The snorkelling was fantastic, I'd absolutely recommend the sunset cruise and the private photoshoot was well worth it! We have have some lovely memories and photos too. The catering was very good, and there were always options available. My wife has allergies to Fish and Dairy but this wasn't a problem (even on fish night). There were always great alternatives. All of the staff were extremely helpful, they all went above and beyond to make sure that everything was taken care of. Made one of the staff members was particularly attentive she was always there with a lovely smile to greet us. When the pastry chef learned of my wife's dairy intolerance he went into the kitchen and specially prepared a dairy free version of one of the deserts. This was completely unprompted and we were taken back with his kindness. I really enjoyed spending my 40th birthday here and I'm sure I'd like to return soon. The customer experience manager was very helpful and nothing was too much. My goodness I haven't even started to talk about the scenery yet, well you can check out the photos yourself. It was stunning! I would also like to add that I needed to see the private onsite doctor, I was expecting to have to pay through the nose however I was pleasantly surprised.

What a wonderful stay at the Mercure Kooddoo. You are lifted and laid throughout the stay. There is plenty of respect and smiles shown and nothing is too much trouble. Prior to check in, we let the team know that we wanted to get to the room quickly. Therefore, the check in experience was relatively fast, allowing us time to relax after an early start. Irshad, Ksenia, Raushan and Naveer made sure it was a smooth arrival. Raushan then whisked us off, on the golf cart, to our delightful over the water retreat. The views are stunning and the weather was gorgeous. Our villa was everthing we hoped it would be and the steps led right down to the reef. Later we got our free snorkle equipment and this was put to good use. The amazing reef was all around us and the shelf was a short 20/30 metre swim away through the gentle waters. What a fabulous experience to swim with all the colourful and exotic fish. We were then treated to Sharks, Manta Rays and Turtles. Wow! The dive centre team of Afu, Marty and Chris were loads of help to ensure one gets the most out of the reef. I would have loved the exploratory dive but there was no time before flying again. As we are vegetarians, we were worried a bit about meal times. However, the delicious and plentiful buffet at breakfast helped show there were plenty of options to eat. Jo Ann and the rest of the crew were always on hand to ensure the experience was one to remember. At dinner, Rajesh (F&B manager) and Sugath (Head Chef) chated with us about the menu and confirmed the dietary needs were met. We had fantastic meals at both restaurants. It was brilliant to see that they produced plenty of their own herbs, veg etc in the onsite organic garden. The garden made for a nice walk too. It was lovely to relax in the afternoon and evening by the bar. Kunal, Pubudu, Pradeep, Kamal and the rest of the guys made sure that we didn't go thirsty. They were chatty and fun, making the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. Dulla played some tunes in the evening and all was well with the world. We loved our stay on Kooddoo and would recommend to anyone. We will be back again some day.

We had the most wonderful experience. It's a place were dreams our made off. So pretty, and a place one dreams about when wanting to get away from the cold of Ireland. We had high expectations for the room and we weren't let down. Everything was perfect. Cleanliness, fluffy white towels and robes, the outdoor bath, the filtered water, the comfy bed, and oh my goodness, the view! Waking up to that view was breathtaking. You'd never get bored of it and it was so private. The 2 restaurants were sufficient for our stay & we never went hungry, even as 2 vegetarians. Sugath, the lovely chef, would even ask us what we would like, and one morning he made our favourite avocado on toast. What a treat. Our dinner meals too were always delicious and catered for our needs. We also enjoyed the company and laughter from Jo-Ann. She's very funny! We also enjoyed the craic from the boys at the bar/ restaurant. We had great chats. A big shout out to Ksenia, who was very sweet in sending me a lovely honey tea when I was feeling sick. It was so appreciated. Not forgetting Raushan too, who showed us around our over water villa when we first arrived and offered us a lift to the restaurant on occasion. He always has a big bright, happy smile on his face! I'm sure I have not mentioned all names of the staff we encountered, however they are all wonderful and work so hard. I must not forget the garden, were they grow some of their own produce. As someone who loves organic food, this was a big highlight, and it was fabulous to taste the delights in our meals! As you can tell we absolutely loved our time at the resort and hope to go back one day for a longer time. Just keep that wine on ice! Thank you very much everyone for a memorable stay.

It was everything we hoped for and more! The room was exactly as advertised and the daily room service was exceptional. We had one of the more desired locations, close to the end of the reef which also makes it a longer walk to everything else. However, the staff was always willing to give us a lift on one of the golf carts whenever we requested, usually within 5 minutes. The two restaurants were more than adequate with the variety and quality of food offered and the service was exceptional. Ibrahim, Made and Fazlan at Alita were so thoughtful and always looking to see how they could accommodate us. Yamen at the Vista restaurant was very attentive and professional. He also made the best aperol spritz on the island! Reception was quick to respond to any questions or requests that we had, I'm pretty sure "no" is not in their vocabulary! Kylie at reception seemed to be able to read our minds and was always there when we requested anything. The dive center runs all the recreational activities and tours so we got to know all of them. Chris, Nikko and the other dive instructor were fantastic. Not only were they enjoyable to spend time with, but very professional and knowledgeable about everything we were doing. I highly recommend doing at least one snorkel tour and if you are comfortable, going diving. The island is an amazing underwater playground and you should take advantage of it! It is really a small resort so we didn't have any crowds or lines! We couldn't get everyone's names but really, every employee was terrific, which says a lot about the management! Tips: Bring lots of sunscreen, go during the dry season, stay on the sunset side, go snorkeling/diving multiple times a day.