A few years ago I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Maldives for the first time. What we expected was a one-time affair, turned into a “how can we make a trip like this happen again in the next while” after experiencing the incomparable vacation that is the Maldives.
In early 2023, we decided to book the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa for an eight-night stay, in addition to taking the opportunity to enjoy Qatar Airways QSuites once again thanks to our stash of British Airways Avios. While we had experienced the W Maldives prior, we were excited to check out another Marriott property and had been recommended Le Meridien by a few friends who had stayed previously.
Let’s take a look at the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa so you know what to expect on your next trip to the Maldives.
Booking
This stay was entirely booked on Marriott Bonvoy points at a total cost of 389,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for an eight-night stay. This works out to roughly 48,625 Marriott Bonvoy points per night which is a bargain for anything in the Maldives.
If you are looking to accrue Marriott Bonvoy points for a stay like this, consider looking into the American Express Marriott Bonvoy credit card. You can even have your player two transfer you up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per calendar year if you are looking to accrue on one account.
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card earns Bonvoy points and offers cardholders benefits including an annual free night and 15 qualifying nights towards elite status.
Check out our American Express Marriott Bonvoy card review for more details.
80,000 Marriott Bonvoy
$3,000
$600+
$120
Yes
May 6, 2024
As with most properties in the Maldives, the round-trip seaplane cost will need to be paid separately and costs $515 USD per person. The resort reached out to me roughly a month before our stay to ask for our flight details and to collect payment for the seaplane. This is one of the cheaper seaplane costs in the Marriott Maldives portfolio, as the St Regis Maldives costs a staggering $808 USD per person!
Of note, the seaplane payment does not code as a Marriott purchase since it is a third-party payment platform. I chose to redeem Scene+ Rewards points from my Scotiabank Gold American Express card to offset a large portion of this hefty cost while also avoiding foreign transaction fees.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express card earns Scene+ Rewards points and gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 5x Scene+ points on grocery, restaurant, and entertainment purchases. This card charges no foreign exchange fees.
Check out our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review for more details.
40,000 Scene+
$7,500
$280+
$120
No
Jul 1, 2024
Previously we had stayed for 5 nights at the W Maldives but wished we had done a longer stay. The Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa was the perfect option for a slightly longer stay while still keeping conscious of our miles and points balances.
Le Meridien Maldives Lounge at Velana International Airport (MLE)
After deplaning our Qatar Airways First Class flight and going through customs, we found the Marriott representative who would assist us with weighing and checking our bags for the upcoming seaplane flight.
Once we were checked in for our seaplane flight, we boarded a shuttle for a quick ride over to the seaplane terminal. Upon arrival, we headed up to the combination Le Meridien & Westin airport lounge.
The lounge was pretty nice with adequate seating and an outdoor balcony area. We enjoyed the air conditioning knowing that we would be spending a ton of time outside in the coming days.
There were also several complimentary snacks, coffee, and other cold beverages available. Note that alcohol is prohibited in Malé meaning you won’t find any liquor in any of the airport lounges.
Once our our plane was ready, we were escorted down to a waiting area where we boarded after a few minutes. We were lucky that all of the passengers on our seaplane flight were heading to Le Meridien which meant that our flight would only take 30 to 40 minutes with no required stops.
Location
Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa is located on Thilamaafushi island which is north of Malé.
Since the resort is only accessible by seaplane and is quite isolated in the Indian Ocean, you will be spending all of your time on this island.
Check-In
Once we departed the seaplane, we were escorted to the Hub, which is Le Meridien Maldives’ lobby area.
The lobby is open-air and features a variety of seating. We took a seat and the agent went through all the details about the property and the meal plans. At this point, we also provided a credit card for the incidental deposit. The check-in process was quite smooth.
We were also brought a welcome beverage which was a nice touch.
Once the check-in process was completed, we were taken around the island for a brief tour via buggy. Afterward, we were taken to the jetty where our villa was located and were dropped off at our home for the next eight nights.
Room – Sunrise Overwater 1 Bedroom Villa
For our stay, we booked the Sunrise Overwater 1 Bedroom Villa which was available to book on points. This is the base-level overwater villa and the next step up is the Sunset Overwater 1 Bedroom Villa. Oftentimes, the property will upgrade guests with status to the Sunset Villa where possible.
However, many data points indicate that the Sunrise Villa is the better choice as it means that your deck will be shaded most of the day as opposed to the Sunset Villa in which the deck will be in the sun all day. With this in mind, I requested to not be upgraded as a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite member in advance of our stay knowing that we would want to spend a large portion of time outside on our deck. Needless to say, this was the right choice as we had shade daily from noon onwards.
Upon entering the Sunrise Overwater Villa, the king bed is immediately in front of the door and in the center of the room. There is a chaise lounge at the end of the bed which was quite comfortable.
Each side of the bed has a nightstand with a lamp, universal plugs, and master lighting controls for the room.
To the right of the bed is a window that looks into the bathroom. The window can be closed and locked if desired, but it does make the bathroom much hotter due to the lesser airflow.
Directly beside the window is the television situated on top of a dresser. The television does not have smart TV capabilities, but it does offer Miracast so you can stream directly from your personal devices if desired.
At the foot of the bed are the sliding glass doors which are the main entrance to the deck outside, the focal point of the Sunrise Overwater Villa.
To the left of the outdoor entrance is a singular chair with two small tables. This area isn’t overly functional, but it is a nice addition to the room.
There was a small welcome amenity of various fruits, macarons, and chocolates left for us.
In the back-right corner of the room is the minibar and coffee area.
Complimentary coffee and tea were available and were refilled daily. There is also a kettle and coffee machine.
Below is the minibar area complete with a minifridge which contains the majority of beverages. Snacks and spirits are available in the drawers.
The minibar prices are about what you would expect for the Maldives. While we didn’t overly indulge, I did purchase a 375ml bottle of white rum for $70 USD and a few Coca-Colas at $6 USD a pop. Even with the inflated prices, it was still cheaper than paying for drinks elsewhere on property and it was nice to indulge while enjoying our villa.
Complimentary still and sparkling water are provided throughout the room as you do not want to drink the tap water in the Maldives. If you run out, you can simply message the hotel via the Marriott Bonvoy app and they will be happy to deliver more water free of charge.
Near the door are the master room controls. These can be used to control the temperature, the ceiling fan, and to note if you would prefer privacy or the room to be cleaned.
In the back of the room was a closet with saloon-style swinging doors. We felt that this room was full of interesting design choices, but not in a bad way. Just very different than your typical hotel room.
The closet contained a floor-to-ceiling mirror, luggage storage space, robes, an iron and ironing board, slippers, flip-flops, and a safe.
Separating the toilet room and the main bathroom was a small alcove with a pseudo-vanity comprised of a set of mirrors and a desk.
To the right of the vanity was the water closet which was pretty typical.
Moving into the main bathroom, there is a double vanity complete with various amenities. A towel-drying rack is propped up against the glass divider.
The shower is just past the glass divider and has both a handheld shower head and a rainfall shower head available.
Finally, the bathtub is situated in the corner with gorgeous views of the ocean. The windows are tinted to be less transparent from the outside, however, this is obviously far less useful in the evening when the only source of light will be coming from inside your villa. There is also another door to the deck from the bathroom.
Moving outside, the deck is sizable with various seating areas. On the right side were two lounge chairs.
The back left corner contained a more traditional table and chairs, perfect for enjoying any room service orders outside.
Finally, there was a netted hammock area that was comfortable for a short period of time. Each overwater villa also has a ladder that goes directly into the ocean if you are interested in snorkeling.
The only thing that I missed from our stay at the W Maldives was having a private pool! While still enjoyable, we both agreed that the next time we come to the Maldives we would prefer to stay at a hotel that has private pools in their rooms that are bookable on points.
Restaurants
Le Meridian Maldives Resort & Spa has six restaurants/bars available plus room service. Velaa and Tabemasu are the most desired restaurants on the property and require reservations. Tabemasu and Riviera Tapas & Bar are both closed for dinner one day per week.
Note that you can make reservations in advance of your stay for Velaa, Tabemasu, and Riviera Tapas & Bar through OpenTable. This is highly recommended for Velaa and Tabemasu as they are the most in-demand restaurants on the island and there is a risk of them booking up. I will include the link to each reservation page within the section for that restaurant.
Meal Plans
Le Meridien Maldives offers meal plans that guests can opt into if they want to simplify their stay. These meal plans were once more reasonably priced and have increased in price as recently as this year, so carefully consider if they are worth it for your situation. Meal plans must be committed to for at least four days, and you cannot downgrade once you are on the meal plan, only upgrade to a higher meal plan.
If you are a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member or above, you will save $40 per person, per day on each meal plan as a result of the complimentary breakfast. All guests in the same villa must be on the same meal plan.
There are four meal plans available to choose from: half board, full board, all-inclusive, and premium all-inclusive.
The half board meal plan offers daily breakfast at Turquoise and daily dinner at Turquoise (buffet or 3-course a la carte if the buffet is not offered that day), a 3-course set menu at Velaa, or a 3-course set menu at Riviera. Beverages are not included in this plan. The cost is $130 USD per person per day, or $90 USD per person per day if you hold Platinum Elite status or above.
The full board meal plan offers daily breakfast at Turquoise, lunch at Turquoise, Velaa, or Riviera, and daily dinner at Turquoise (buffer or 3-course a la carte if the buffet is not offered that day), a 3-course set menu at Velaa, or a 3-course set menu at Riviera. Non-alcoholic beverages are included and minibar non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are also included. The cost is $175 USD per person per day, or $135 USD per person per day if you hold Platinum Elite status or above.
The all-inclusive meal plan includes everything in the full board meal plan and adds Waves Cafe as a lunch option and Tabemasu as a dinner option (available every four days). This plan adds unlimited consumption of select alcoholic beverages all day and includes everything in the minibar except the champagne. The cost is $235 USD per person per day, or $195 per person per day if you hold Platinum Elite status or above.
Finally, the premium all-inclusive meal plan includes everything in the all-inclusive meal plan plus all alcoholic beverages at the resort, including specialty cocktails and champagne in the minibar. The cost is $335 USD per person per day or $295 USD per person per day if you hold Platinum Elite status or above.
Ultimately, we chose to opt out of the meal plan and ended up spending far less than if we were on a meal plan for our stay. We aren’t heavy drinkers and often chose to have a light lunch which is probably where we made up the difference. However, if you plan on enjoying many cocktails during your stay and want to stick to the usual 3 meals a day, the meal plan is probably a great value-added option.
Turquoise – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast
Breakfast is served daily at the main restaurant on the resort, Turquoise, from 7:00 am to 10:30 am.
If you aren’t on a meal plan, breakfast is charged at a rate of $40 USD per person, per day. This means I was able to save $640 USD over the course of my eight-night stay thanks to holding Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status or higher.
Turquoise has both indoor and outdoor seating available depending on your preference. We preferred to take all breakfasts indoors to stay a bit cooler.
The majority of the breakfast options are served buffet style. This includes Western and international foods and a good variety of both savory and sweet options. Fresh squeezed juices were also available and the options rotated daily.
There were also various a la carte food stations, including a noodle station and an egg station where you could order any variation of eggs including omelettes and eggs benedict. We only saw a handful of repeat options during our eight-night stay so needless to say, breakfast was never a boring affair and was actually a meal we looked forward to every morning!
Overall, we felt it was really reminiscent of the breakfast buffet available at the Conrad Koh Samui. Hotels outside of North America really understand how to do a good breakfast buffet, and Le Meridien was no different in this regard.
Turquoise – Lunch & Dinner
Turquoise is open daily for lunch and dinner and the menu can be seen here. If you are on the meal plan, Turquoise offers a themed buffet dinner daily. Those on the meal plan are not eligible to order a la carte for dinner at Turquoise.
Turquoise offers the most diverse menu capturing cuisines from around the world. Since we were not on the meal plan, we did choose to dine here for a few meals. More specifically, we greatly enjoyed their selection of Thai-inspired options.
The desserts at Turquoise were also a treat and a great way to end our meal.
Turquoise was a consistent well-rounded choice for a meal if you were looking for a variety of options as opposed to the other restaurants which were more focused on a specific cuisine.
Velaa
Velaa is the most popular restaurant on the property and is located beside Turquoise. The menu for Velaa can be seen here.
Velaa is open for lunch and dinner. For lunch, reservations are not required and the menu is more casual, consisting of salads, sandwiches, and pizza. For dinner, reservations are required and the menu is more focused on steak and seafood. Reservations for dinner at Velaa can be made here.
The majority of the seating at Velaa is indoors. While the tables are closer together for lunch, they are much more spread out and intimate for dinner.
There are also a number of tables available outside. Similarly, for dinner, the tables are spread out around the pool deck if you want to dine outside.
Velaa had excellent cocktails and while we enjoyed them during our meals, it was also a great spot to stop and have a mid-day drink.
We stopped by Velaa for lunch quite a few times during our stay. The sandwiches were great, and the pizza was an economical choice as it was big enough to share for two people.
We also made reservations at Velaa for a few nights of our stay. While the steaks were good, the standout meal was the braised short rib with truffled potatoes.
Velaa was easily our favorite restaurant on the property and I would highly recommend making at least one reservation here in advance of your stay.
Tabemasu
Tabemasu is a Japanese-focused restaurant and is located on one of the jetties. The menu for Tabemasu can be found here. Reservations are highly recommended for Tabemasu and they can be made here.
We dined at Tabemasu for two nights of our stay and both times it was excellent. While we chose to sit inside, there were also a number of tables outside if you preferred.
The meal started with an amuse bouche, typically consisting of tempura.
Throughout our meals at Tabemasu, we tried a number of dishes including noodles, chicken, and rolls. Everything was high-quality from both a presentation and taste viewpoint.
We also enjoyed a matcha raspberry tart with sake sorbet one evening for dessert and it was stellar. Truly, I thought it was the best dessert we had at the Le Meridien Maldives during our stay.
If you enjoy Japanese cuisine, Tabemasu needs to be experienced at least once during your stay.
Riviera Tapas & Bar
Riviera Tapas & Bar is the adults-only restaurant at Le Meridien Maldives and is open for lunch and dinner. The menu can be found here. Reservations for dinner at Riviera can be made here.
Riviera has a central bar if you want to sit in the shade. I’ve always been a fan of sitting at bars when possible, and it was no different as the bartender was personable and the service was great.
There is also a variety of seating outdoors by the pool and on the beach. Staff is happy to bring cocktails and food to your lounge chair if desired.
We stopped by Riviera a number of times during our stay and the cocktails were great. It was also nice to be in an area that was adults-only, as there were a lot more children at Le Meridien Maldives compared to our stay at the W Maldives.
We also ordered some small bites, including sliders and an order of french fries. Both options were good, and exactly what we wanted when it came to a small lunch after a big breakfast.
For dinner, there is a separate dining area however we didn’t stop by for dinner at all during our stay as the menu was nearly identical to their lunch menu. I would recommend looking elsewhere for dinner options and keeping Riviera as a lunchtime option.
Waves
Waves Cafe is located in the same building as the fitness center. Waves offers a variety of coffee beverages, juices, and healthy-focused food items. The menu can be seen here.
While Waves is a small cafe, we did however find ourselves visiting here every day for a late morning iced latte. There is a variety of inside seating and board games if you are looking for something to do.
There are also a few seating areas outside if you would rather enjoy the heat. On the plus side, the outdoor seating is in the shade.
While we mainly just enjoyed iced vanilla lattes during our visits to Waves, my significant other did order lunch one day and said it was really good. For what it’s worth, Waves felt like a great value proposition for those who are looking for a good coffee or an easy meal.
Latitude
Latitude is connected to the Hub and offers coffee beverages in addition to a number of small bites. The menu can be found here.
We didn’t stop by Latitude at all except for a quick picture of the space.
In-Room Dining
In-room dining is also available at the resort, however it is not included in any of the meal plans. You can view the menu here, however it felt like a reduced menu from the main restaurant, Turquoise.
We enjoyed in-room dining outdoors once or twice during our stay and it was a great option for an afternoon snack.
Facilities
Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa has everything that you would need to keep yourself busy during your stay on the island.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is located above Waves and has stunning views with floor-to-ceiling windows. The cardio machines were lined up with that view in mind, ensuring that you wouldn’t be bored during your morning run or bike.
The gym was always busy so I wasn’t able to snap any pictures of the rest of the space. However, the fitness center is massive and includes a wide variety of free weights and weight machines in addition to the cardio equipment so you could definitely get a good workout going.
Pool
There are three pools available for guests at Le Meridien. Located in front of Velaa are two of the pools that were often used by families with young children. The main pool is pretty big and has sufficient lounge chairs nearby.
A smaller, shallower pool is also available nearby but it was rarely used.
On the other side of the island, Riviera Tapas & Bar houses the adults-only pool. It was never busy when we were here which makes it a great spot to enjoy a cocktail with a swim!
Dive Center
The dive center is located near the welcome jetty and is where you can pick up your complimentary snorkeling equipment for your stay. The dive center is also your meeting point for any excursions that you wish to take part in.
Of note, the resort offers a “Sunset Dolphin Cruise” a couple of times a week, and we had pre-booked this excursion before our arrival in the Maldives at a cost of $95 USD per person.
The sunset dolphin cruise takes about two hours and includes complimentary water, soda, beer, and sparkling wine. We actually did this twice during our stay and it was fantastic both times as we saw hundreds of dolphins. At $95 USD per person, you can’t really go wrong as it is an easy way to get off the island for a few hours.
Watersports
The Watersports hub is located beside Velaa on the beach.
Stand-up paddleboards are complimentary but everything else has a charge associated with it. The jet skis seemed to be most popular among guests as we watched many couples heading out every morning.
Spa
The Explore Spa at Le Meridien Maldives is the place to be if you are looking for some rest and relaxation.
We didn’t indulge in the spa during our stay, but it was recommended that reservations be made in advance to ensure there is availability.
Activities
Upon check-in, we were provided with an experience guide for everything that was going on during our stay. I believe that the schedule does stay the same week-over-week however if you had any questions about any specific activities you were interested in before your stay, reach out to the hotel directly.
Activities include things such as yoga, twilight movie night, and beach volleyball. Most are free, but the schedule will denote anything that is chargeable.
Marriott Bonvoy Elite Event
When we returned to our villa on Wednesday evening, staff had left us an invitation to their Marriott Bonvoy Elite event to be hosted the following night. We had attended a similar event at the W Maldives so were looking forward to having a few drinks, some light bites, and connecting with the staff.
While we didn’t take any pictures of the actual event, it was a nice affair. Complimentary beer, red and white wine, sparkling wine, and cocktails were flowing. Staff circulated with various sweet and savory small bites. We also took the opportunity to connect with various managers to learn more about the property and share our thoughts.
This event was one of the highlights of our trip and it is hosted once per week, so if you are doing a longer stay you can definitely expect to get invited!
Conclusion
We loved our eight-night stay at the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa and thought it was a great cross-section of value and luxury. While we did miss having a private pool in our room, everything else was stellar including the service, food and drink, and overall quality of the resort.
I would highly recommend this resort to those who are looking to visit the Maldives on a lesser points or cash budget while still wanting to experience everything this gorgeous corner of the world has to offer.
Josh Bandura
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