Velassaru Maldives

Why We Liked it:

The Maldives certainly isn’t short of quality overwater bungalow resorts but not many see the same amount of positive reviews as Velassaru. It is an enormously popular resort and many of its guests happily return years after year.

Its convenience probably helps in fairness – we love the fact that this island paradise is just 25 minutes by speedboat from Male Airport. Its prices are a positive factor too – for a 5 Star resort in the Maldives Velassaru looks very good value.

It sees a mixture of guests: many couples on romantic sojourns but also families. A drawback may be that it can get pretty busy, by Maldives standards anyway. Some may call it lively or vibrant maybe, and much prefer that way.

It’s certainly not any kind of wild party resort though either and it’s easy to wander off around the island and quickly find yourself alone with the sea.

You have three meals packages to choose from at Velassaru: Breakfast included, breakfast and dinner included or breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Velassaru Maldives is a family friendly resort but children are not allowed stay in the overwater bungalows, hence we have it placed in our adults only overwater bungalows category.

OVERWATER BUNGALOWS & OTHER ACCOMMODATION:

You have lots of choice here, both on land and overwater, and all offer smooth, modern interior design and understated luxury.

The overwater villas & bungalows are for adults only and come in three classes: 861 square feet/80 square meter ‘Water Bungalows’ with infinity plunge pools on the deck, 1205 square feet/112 square meter ‘Water Villas’ some with pools, some without, and then their premium 2906 square feet/270 square meters ‘Water Suites.’

Naturally the latter are pick of the bunch. The space can almost seem excessive though for an intimate couples’ getaway. Unless cost is not a factor, a step below – the Water Villas with pool – will offer a reasonably similar experience for a more reasonable price.

All the bungalows and villas at Velassaru Maldives are really quite beautiful, and though it may feel needless with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean directly beneath you, having an infinity pool on the deck adding greatly to the aesthetic, and is worth the extra we feel.

All modern luxury hotel conveniences you can imagine are included here, including 24 hour room service, with the Water Suite clients also getting a personal butler for the duration of their stay.

On land we liked their beach villas; they have a rustic tropical feel with high ceilings and thatched roofs. You have an infinity plunge pool outside overlooking the beach and a nice and spacious half indoor/half-outdoor bathroom with bathtub.

PRICES:

Check out all the details – prices, reviews and more photos, on their Booking.com page here and on their Expedia.com page here.

Note: You have three meals packages to choose from at Velassaru: Breakfast included, breakfast and dinner included or breakfast, lunch and dinner included. 

FACILITIES & THINGS TO DO:

There are five restaurants and two bars at Velassaru Maldives. The main buffet restaurant, Vela, serves up enormous buffet spreads for breakfast and dinner alongside some made to order dishes. The dinner buffets are sometimes internationally themed eg. Indian food nights, Maldivian or Italian.

The a la carte, sand floored Turquoise Restaurant is right on the beach and has indoor and outdoor seating. Its menu is broadly international but leans more towards Asian. It is open for lunch and dinner.

Also open from lunch time onwards is the Infinity Pizzeria and so too the pool bar which serves snacks and small dishes alongside a good variety of drinks.

The other restaurants are open from dinner time only and are also all a la carte. Etesian has a Mediterranean menu and a romantic, old worldly indoor dining hall.

The Sand restaurant serves seafood is entirely outdoors. It sits directly on the beach while their Teppenyaki grill house is housed in an overwater hut and does both Teppanyaki and hibachi.

The resort concierge, or your private butler if you have one, can also set up romantic, private dinners for you in secluded spots if you so wish.

Very few guests will be disappointed with the food we feel. And though some of the restaurants can get pretty busy the level of service is consistently impressive.

Velassaru Maldives isn’t a party place though it does have a friendly cheery atmosphere. Many guests linger in the restaurants well past dinner while some head to the casual chic and colorful lounge-bar Fen which also does food but is mainly a drinking venue.

It has a range of seating and spaces to hang out from stools around the bar to giant bean bags and hammocks on the sand.

Near the overwater bungalows lies the other bar, Chill Bar, which has a more casual, laid back vibe, a tapas menu and homemade Sangria alongside its cocktails and more. The outdoor deck is a popular place to watch the sunset.

The beach here is wide and beautiful and has a teeming house reef. The resort also has a large and very impressive infinity pool alongside great spa facilities, outdoor, ocean facing hot tubs, a very well equipped gym and tennis courts.

There is a dive center on the island and a water-sports center where you can try jet skis, catamarans, paddle boards, kite surfing and parasailing.

REVIEWS:

“Stayed in a water with private pool. Service was incredible, the staff could not have been more friendly. I would absolutely go back and recommend to others. We were sad to leave. The only minor negative would be the condition of the room, the furniture was a little worn but I think they are upgrading the rooms currently. On our first day we heard a lot of noise from a room they were upgrading and they immediately moved us to another villa. We then had an excellent surprise of champagne on the beach-such a nice touch and something we will remember for a long time. Also, the food at all the restaurants was delicious….”

“Staying at Velassaru was like a dream come true. This was a very special one as it was for our honeymoon trip. Each and every staff member from the front desk, waiters, cleaners, shop staff, maintenance, even the chefs we talked with were so friendly and we honestly felt like royalty there. We even ventured off for an overnight stay at one other resort on another island but we kept talking about how much we missed this place. Everything from the good food and drinks we had every day, the pristine beaches, the well kept island, the photography session was just beyond our highest expectations. We are so glad and extremely happy we got to see Maldives and staying at Velassaru made it an memorable one. We are hoping to revisit here once again hopefully in the near future and quite possibly with children….”

>> CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS & TO BOOK YOUR STAY AT VELASSARU MALDIVES

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Location Category:

Maldives