Shipra & I returned last night from a quick 3 night stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives, and we are already besotted with the place so much that we are ruing the fact that why did we not plan this trip for a longer time. While there is a lot to be written about this little island which is approximately 400 m x 350 m in size, I just wanted to share with you some initial insights about why this made a great vacation, albeit short!

It is a very small and private resort, and remote too!

You can look at this as a good thing or a bad thing, but you really need to be determined to get here to be able to make the trip. After arriving in Male, you have to take a 60-minute ride on a turbo-prop plane and then a 30-minute boat ride before you finally arrive at your destination. It may sound like a lot of work to get somewhere, but once you set foot on the island, you’ll realise it is completely worth it! You somehow switch off even if you don’t want to.

Add to it the fact that there are only 50 villas, which means you are not running into more than another 98 guests at this resort, ever!

You are never far away from scenic beauty, as far as you can see

We really were in the lap of nature, and we woke up to pristine views of the turquoise blue water every day, as far as we could see. And we could never get enough of it, whether from the Park Pool Villas where we stayed initially, or the Sunset Overwater Villa we stayed at the last night.

The Sun makes two calming appearances here, everyday!

I’ve been many places, but there is a different aura attached to watching the Sun come up or go down in this island in the middle of nowhere. It has a very calming effect on you, and I am one of those people who are usually working and/or connected all the time.

The overwater villas are an experience

I have to admit, I was stuck in a rough sea on the last day of my stay, when I moved into an OW Villa. A tonne of hotels offer OW Villas/Bungalows in the Maldives, but the privacy and the luxury this one afforded was very good! Imagine sipping a cocktail sitting at the edge of the ocean.

They spell luxury through and through

The place is remote, and they receive supplies only once a week, but that does not mean they are any less luxurious. There is food from all over the world, and they can make you an Angus Beef Burger as well as they can make you a Butter Chicken! Add a great spa and a lovely wine list and tonnes of experiences they can create for you.

The reef

The hotel’s in-house reef, which is accessible only to guests of the hotel, is one of the best out there. While I did not manage to eventually go snorkelling due to the choppy weather on the last day of my stay, I read up tonnes about it, and was kicking myself about not having planned this better.

The crew is marvellous!

Like I always state, a great property with a grew not half as good is pretty lacklustre. But here, the crew is intuitive, and goes all out for their guests! The GM of the hotel was very hands on, and so were the other members of the team. The Executive Chef, who has been around 10 months or so, turned out to be an Indian/Australian chef, and we got first look on some of his new inventions for breakfast. Our host played the fool and helped me plan a surprise dinner by the beach for the wife! And at 200 crew for 100 guests, you literally have at least 2 people looking out for you at any point of time!

While a lot of people always wonder why is there so much chatter about this particular Park Hyatt all the time, I’m hoping everyone realises, that pictures don’t do justice to this place, and the only way to ever absorb all that this place has to offer, is to get here!

Anyone else share my new-found love for the Park Hyatt Maldives?