Alila Kothaifaru

I don't often write reviews but Alila really stood out as an excellent resort. The staff went out of their way at every opportunity to cater to our every need and make our stay the best it could be. The island is lovely with lots of swimming and snorkeling locations, the rooms are fantastic, the food is amazing, and the staff are great. The hotel did not charge us for every little request (coming from the US I am used to being charged for everything), instead providing complementary basics. We even received free health care on the island, again a novelty for someone from the US. I can't recommend this resort enough, we really enjoyed every minute of our stay.

I had an amazing stay at the Alila Resort in the Maldives. From the moment we arrived, the staff warmly welcomed us and assigned Syn, who accompanied us throughout our stay. The service was fast and efficient, enhancing our experience. The resort was immaculately clean, and our room was spacious. The variety of food was impressive, with the sushi at Umami Restaurant being some of the best I've ever had, and the desserts at SeaSalt were incredibly delicious. The spa offered a deeply relaxing experience, and the snorkeling was truly spectacular. There is also a small gym with a great view, a tennis court. Additionally, the resort was never crowded, adding to the overall tranquility of the experience. Overall, the Alila Resort provided a memorable and luxurious getaway.

After booking the property I soon received a welcome email containing all information I could possibly want/need for the stay. It included items like the logistics of the sea plane, if I wanted to guarantee an upgrade what the cost would be, a stay preferences form, etc. Upon landing at the MLE airport I was greeted by a representative of the resort. He was extremely friendly and kept us close and moving through the process. We were promptly put into a shuttle and driven over to the seaport side of the airport. Once there we were taken up to the lounge. The lounge was very nice and had a perfectly viewing of many sea planes coming in for a landing. We waited about 90 minutes for our shared ride to the island. There were plenty of snacks and drinks available at no cost. Upon landing at the resort we were greeted by the hotel stuff and the GM. As a globalist I received a personalized greeting from Thomas, the GM of Alila. All I have to say about the over water villas is WOW! They are amazing! We were put into a sunset villa, and it was amazing! Even though the room was smaller than the beach rooms, it was plenty of room. A large bed, large couch, outdoor couch, etc. ZERO complaints about the room. The view was amazing! The quality of the food was AMAZING. The wide range of options at breakfast were all excellent. I liked how the pre-made items were small in quantity as well as the ala carte options. Very sustainable choices! Note: After this visit we went to Sri Lanka for a wedding at a 5-star resort. The Alila food and service FAR exceeded anything we received in Sri Lanka. One night we even ordered the kids meal of chicken nuggets and fries, they were amazing! They hit the spot and gave us a smaller portion serving as a 2nd entrée. We did participate in the Globalist reception and the staff reception. Both nights had amazing cocktails and appetizers. At both receptions we had staff engage with us in great conversation and Thomas joined in about halfway through. We were very impressed with the social hours. Because this trip was part of a larger trip our funds were limited. We took advantage of the complimentary activities like the cooking session and snorkeling. Because the snorkeling at the resort was so nice I decided to go on the turtle snorkel excursion. This was a great value! For about $140 in total, it was a nice 20-25 minute boat ride out to the spot, 45-50 minutes of snorkeling, and then a nice ride back. The entire time the aquatics staff was super friendly and engaging. I highly recommend this! The island is small. A 6-minute walk end to end. But this was PERFECT! It meant limited guests and easy to get around, FAST. We walked almost everywhere except for a few rides. The beach erosion seems to be well controlled. There is only a small spot where it is eroding, but everything on the sunset side of the island is perfect. Internet access is in all buildings and rooms. This was great for staying checked in with family, especially our son who was traveling alone at the time in Sri Lanka. It was also great to watch the world fall apart during the CrowdStrike ordeal on our secluded island. Overall impressions... I can’t say this enough, this was an amazing and relaxing trip. Service far exceeded expectations, there was no pressure from any of the staff to do activities, and the rooms/facilities were top notch.

We visited Alila Kothaifaru Maldives in April, booking through an agency for a 3-night, 4-day stay. Upon arrival, everything seemed fine, and the island is visually beautiful. The butler was nice and sweet, but they didn't explain everything in detail. It would have been helpful if they provided more information about the activities and dining options available. The island is ideal for relaxing without doing much beyond enjoying the beach and pool, but it's not great if you're looking for a variety of activities. The fishing trip and dolphin excursion were nice, though quite casual. Regarding the food, the options felt very limited. We wished there were more variety and additional cafes or ice cream spots around the island. The afternoon coffee and tea offerings were also quite limited. It would be great if they could add some food-related activities or more dining options. The Patel area was nice, but our checkout experience was disappointing. We had a late flight and requested lounge seating in Malé, but no arrangements were made despite our request. This was quite a shock upon arrival. Overall, the stay was good, but we wish more attention was paid to these details.

We had an absolutely amazing time at Alila resort! The staff made us feel very welcome. The sunset overwater villa was beautiful and the breakfast at seasalt restaurant was delicious with variety of options and thanks to the staff who made our stay there just perfect! A special thanks Niya 🙏🏼🌸