One and Only Reethi Rah

I had a fantastic experience at One & Only Reethi Rah. One of the best resorts I have been to, and this is compared to the most luxurious and exclusive resorts in Europe and Asia. Upon arrival, you are greeted by the airport and transportation team. Me and my partner were lucky to have the yacht for exclusive use and there were 5 crew members taking care of the two of us. Upon arrival on the island, we were greeted by our host, Yiting, alongside many members of the team. As we arrived quite late in the evening, we hopped on a buggy and did a private check-in in our water villa and had a quick shower. Then we were picked up to enjoy a 3 course meal at Reethi Earth. Although it is included in the half-board package, the quality is good and service is impeccable. The next days were exciting, adventurous, relaxing, and calming at the same time. The spa is great. The house reef tour is well organised and gives you something to see on this island not known for underwater features (they added one tour for us because the waitlist was considerable). The tennis and padel courts are seldom occupied, so you can basically use it whenever you want. The dolphin encounter was delightful, with the crew members talking through the folklores of the dolphins and helping take a lot of photos and videos. Yiting went above and beyond and arranged for me to join two of the staffs’ football matches, which was great fun. Yiting was very responsive, personal, thoughtful, and always anticipated my needs. My partner had something small go into her foot and Yiting quickly escorted us to the clinic in 10 minutes, where surface numbing and extraction with a needle was performed and we were able to get on with our day. Overall, the vast majority of the staff here is warm, welcoming, friendly, helpful, and know when to approach you vs. give you private space and exclusivity. It is very easy to take stunning pictures because it is so beautiful everywhere, and we were blessed with blue skies and very little rain, even in what is usually considered “off-season”. Tipping is appreciated, but never hinted at or certainly never requested, which you would expect from a resort of this calibre. I almost feel like I had exclusive use of the island, with a staff:guest ratio feeling like 3:1 or 4:1. Maybe this is because half of the island (I estimate 60% of the villas) are closed for refurbishment. It’s very hard to think about ways to improve, perhaps 1)higher dining credits (currently 80USD per head) when dining at restaurants not Earth. With the 18% tax plus 10% service charge it can add up quick 2)extend the breakfast hours. Currently it ends at 10:30, would be nice to have an option to sleep in and come a little later 3)a little more guidance around where the best diving spots are, and a brochure of the sea creatures you are likely to encounter. I am a geek in these sort of things and want to know what I am looking at, and can sometimes feel a little lost when diving by myself. However, I was able to borrow a book from the diving centre. Overall, it’s a 95/100 (I don’t think it is possible to get 100) experience, and Yiting made our stay enjoyable and took a lot of planning/stress out of our hands. Looking forward to returning in the future.

Our stay at One&Only Reethi Rah started with a few disappointments, but ultimately ended in absolute delight thanks to the exceptional level of management. Initially, considering the very substantial budget, we received something quite different from what we expected.The first day frankly did not go well. At the airport, we were met not by the luxury signature yacht, but by a very ordinary speedboat, where the only welcome amenity on board was a bottle of water. Upon arriving at the villa, another unpleasant surprise awaited us—the outdoor terrace shower. The hose there turned out to be only 100–120 cm long. To simply rinse off after the ocean, an adult had to literally crouch down. We were deeply upset and felt that our vacation was ruined.However, the way the hotel management handled our complaint completely turned the situation around and proved the resort's true premium status.Their reaction was lightning-fast. As compensation, we were immediately offered a two-bedroom beach luxury suite. We declined, because our water villa was spectacular. This was the first time we experienced an architectural layout where a villa has absolutely nothing to its right, left, or front—just the open, endless ocean. Unlike other hotels where privacy is created by solid side walls blocking the view, the villas here are brilliantly angled. This feeling of absolute freedom is worth every penny.Ultimately, all our issues were resolved right on the spot. The maintenance crew promptly replaced the terrace shower hose with a perfectly adequate, long one.Following that conversation, a flawless vacation began, and we truly understood the meaning of ultra-luxury. It manifests in the details. For instance, it was our first time seeing five people diving simultaneously near the beach, manually collecting rocks from the seabed just to make the ocean entry perfect for the guests. For women, the room features a proper vanity table equipped with Dyson hairdryer, completely eliminating the need to pack your own from home.A standout aesthetic and culinary highlight was the flagship Japanese restaurant, Tapasake, which rightfully ranks among the top 10 best restaurants in the Maldives [Tapasake Restaurant One&Only Reethi Rah]. In the photos, you can see the stunning champagne flutes they use—they are a true work of art. Speaking of standards, guests are welcomed in the villa with a bottle of premium Louis Roederer champagne, rather than some cheap prosecco or basic sparkling wine. It is precisely these details that signify true luxury and the highest status of a resort.To be fair, not all of the hotel's restaurants are as flawless as Tapasake. There were dishes in other venues that did not quite suit our taste. However, the management demonstrated incredible flexibility: any disputed items were quickly removed from the bill, alternatives were offered, and we always reached a mutual consensus effortlessly.Another great feature of the hotel is the sauna area in the spa complex, which is completely free for guests. You can sense a deeply professional approach there: it features two cabins with completely different temperatures, and most importantly, a cold plunge pool at around 12°C alongside an extreme cold barrel at 6–7°C. Such a serious, therapeutic approach to thermal therapy is a rare find even in dedicated wellness hotels.Tremendous attention is paid to children here, and not just at the kids' club. At the Beach Club, an excellent animator is constantly working, taking the children for activities (playing tennis or pool with them) while the parents relax. Right in the ocean, there is also a great inflatable water slide that the kids absolutely love.Among the temporary downsides, it is worth noting that two-thirds of the island is currently closed for a massive renovation that will last until the end of 2026. Because of this, unfortunately, it is impossible to see and walk around all the beaches and lagoons the hotel is famous for. However, the scale of the property is so immense that even the remaining accessible part was more than enough for a completely private and relaxing holiday.The conclusion : every hotel makes mistakes , but the way One&Only values its guests and solves any issue puts this resort head and shoulders above many others. We were absolutely delighted with our stay and will definitely return once the island is fully renovated. P.S . My advice-put more traffic signs for those who use bicycles themselves.