Evaluate: One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives

June 12, 2024

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Wednesday newsletters all the time characteristic a resort or flight overview.

I lately loved an outstanding vacation within the Maldives, the place I stayed on the archipelago’s 4 most unique ultra-luxury resorts. You’ll be able to learn my opinions right here:

Evaluate: Beond Airways A319 Enterprise Class from Zürich to the Maldives
Evaluate: One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives (at present)
Evaluate: Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives
Evaluate: Soneva Fushi
Evaluate: Soneva Jani
Evaluate: Etihad Airways B787 Enterprise Class from Male to Abu Dhabi
Evaluate: Etihad Airways A380 First Class from Abu Dhabi to London

As we speak: Evaluate of One&Solely Reethi Rah Resort, Maldives

Extremely-luxe One&Solely Reethi Rah Resort supplied a stage of favor and class unsurpassed on the planet when it opened in 2005 and it nonetheless delivers because the Grand Dame of the Maldives. Set on a partly man-made, octopus-shaped island within the North Male Atoll, the resort is blessed with a rare 6 km (3,7 mi) of shoreline, dotted with white sand coves and turquoise bays. All 128 spacious villas are discreetly positioned amidst lovely landscaping, every occupying its personal secluded piece of sandy shore or personal deck over the lagoon’s crystal clear waters. Meals is modern and of the best high quality, ready in an inspiring number of methods, and employees are all the time receptive to the non-public necessities of every visitor. Set other than the remainder of the resort, the spa is positioned inside tranquil gardens and manicured lawns. One&Solely Reethi Rah is a favourite amongst royals and A-list Hollywood celebrities.

One&Solely Reethi Rah additionally options in my high 10 lists of the finest luxurious resorts within the Maldives, the world’s finest resort spas, the finest luxurious resorts within the Maldives that may be reached and not using a seaplane, and the finest One&Solely Resorts on the planet.

Have you ever ever stayed at One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldive? If that’s the case, what was your expertise? Depart a remark.

On this overview (extra information and pictures beneath my YouTube video):

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean, nestled inside lush tropical gardens and fringed with pure white sand seashores, One&Solely Reethi Rah is among the Maldives’ most unique resorts, providing an unrivalled stage of seclusion, selection and personalised exploration. The property is located on one of many largest personal islands within the Maldives, which stretches throughout 44 hectares (109 acres) in space and 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) in circumference, with 6 km (3.7 miles) of shoreline and 12 powder-soft white sandy seashores, every one mendacity in a secluded cove. Because the island is so large, visitors get bikes (for water and seaside villas) or a personal golf buggy (grand villas and residences) to get round and discover the island. For comfort, time on the island has been set one hour forward of Malé time, offering an additional hour of daylight.

One&Solely Reethi Rah is well reached by a 45-minute luxurious yacht journey from Velana Worldwide airport (the Maldives’ primary airport). Throughout the journey, visitors are supplied welcome snacks & drinks by the employees and likewise take pleasure in complimentary WiFi. Alternatively, the ultra-luxe resort will also be reached by a quarter-hour personal seaplane flight. Upon arrival, visitors are welcomed by the resort employees & administration, and make their method by way of a spectacular reception, an open picket pavilion main from the marina to the island’s lush gardens. Tropical in design, with eight giant carved inside columns atop cool black polished terrazzo ground, inset with teak, the house is scattered with low comfy seating. From right here, visitors are transported to their villa by buggy.

A complete of 118 spacious villas together with 90 seaside villas and and 28 water villas, are located discreetly alongside the shoreline the place crystal clear waters lap gently. Every villa, whether or not on a personal powder-white seaside or suspended above the turquoise lagoon, is a self-contained sanctuary of luxurious. Seaside villas are separated by lush vegetation, whereas water villas linked to the island by overwater walkways are in small clusters of 4, every villa dealing with a distinct course, offering a serene setting. Each villa is historically thatched by native craftsmen and options beneficiant terraces and verandas created from Balan wooden from the Malaysian a part of Borneo, seamlessly mixing indoor and out of doors dwelling. The villas’ up to date, Asian-influenced interiors exude magnificence and magnificence with pure magnificence, utilizing supplies corresponding to coconut shell, sea grass, silk and mahogany.

Throughout my vacation at One&Solely Reethi Rah, I stayed in a seaside villa, which occupied its personal stretch of sandy shore on the island’s sundown facet, these villas. Providing a direct view of the Indian Ocean, the villa featured an expansive backyard & seaside space, with a personal pool, giant veranda, out of doors seating space, hammock and solar beds. The villa was geared up with two queen beds in addition to a day mattress (which might have been sufficient to accommodate a journey get together of three or 4). The ensuite bogs was geared up with double vanities and an enormous, over-sized, custom-made terrazzo bathtub, positioned on the window, for gorgeous views over the seaside. The toilet additionally had a walk-in bathe, which supplied the choice of rain bathe or energy showers. A bottle of Champagne, recent fruits and goodies have been supplied as a welcome amenity.

Extremely-luxe One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives was designed by world-famous architect Jean Michel Gathy, Design Director of Denniston Worldwide Architects. Gathy was tasked with making a design that lives as much as the resort’s namesake – Reethi Rah means ‘Lovely Island’ in Dhivehi. Gathy and his crew have been answerable for the structure, interiors and lighting of the all villa resort, in addition to the design of the outside areas surrounding every of the 118 visitor villas with three phrases in thoughts – luxurious, house and privateness. The resort’s stand-alone pavilions and villas have been designed to be architecturally easy on the surface and to mix within the lush vegetation surrounding them; nevertheless that is coupled with dramatic, flamboyant Asian fashion interiors that use robust vivid colors, blended with tropical supplies and pure textures – teak, rattan, mahogany, coconut shell, and silk.

Eating choices at One&Solely Reethi Rah are different with modern and recent delicacies ready with actual ardour and aptitude, served at six numerous eating places and bars, or privately in-villa or at one of many resort’s secluded out of doors eating areas.
- Fanditha, an unique beachside restaurant and the very best sundown spot on the island, serves an a la carte menu of scrumptious Center Japanese delicacies.
- On the coronary heart of the island, Reethi Restaurant serves scrumptious breakfasts, providing an array of recent bakeries, tropical fruits and wholesome superfood dishes. By evening, the venue presents distinctive eating with exquisitely executed pan-Asian impressed dishes and nice grilled flavours from the land, farm, and sea in a charcoal oven. After dinner, visitors could make their approach to the colourful cocktail bar, Rah Bar, for reside music, cool martinis and unique cocktails.
- Subsequent to Reethi Restaurant is Rabarbaro, an informal restaurant serving an actual style of Italy within the Maldives with views of the long-lasting One&Solely Reethi Rah lap pool.
- Throughout the day, visitors can pattern an excellent collection of salads, seafood and grills at feet-in-the-sand eating spot The Seaside Membership.
- The resort’s signature restaurant Tapasake – at present present process intensive renovation – is ready on the island’s sundown facet and presents world-class Japanese expertise in addition to some traditional Japanese favorites.
- One&Solely Reethi Rah’s lovely setting additionally supplies the proper canvas for an array of personal eating choices, from an intimate sandbank in the course of the Indian Ocean, to secluded seashores below the celebs.

The award-winning One&Solely Spa at One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives presents a holistic program of therapies, magnificence, health and wellness. The peaceable retreat is positioned on the island’s dawn facet, tucked away from the remainder of the resort inside lush manicured gardens. The spa boasts 14 remedy pavilions nestled beneath thatch roofs, a few of them overlooking the Indian Ocean. Visiting practitioners from across the globe add additional experience to the award-winning spa providing, which incorporates intensive amenities for visitors to take pleasure in together with swirling vitality swimming pools, saunas and crystal steam rooms. The spa additionally homes a studio by the world-renowned French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez, a hair salon, a smooth gents’s grooming salon and a yoga pavilion. Subsequent to the spa is a totally geared up gymnasium, that includes state-of-the-art indoor & out of doors amenities and a Recharge Bar for a post-workout power increase.

One&Solely Reethi Rah has a bunch of actions and fascinating excursions to select from. Membership One on the seaside membership is the hub for all issues energetic on the resort, together with an Artwork Studio, two out of doors tennis courts, a floodlit padel court docket, a climbing wall and a FIFA-approved skilled artificial grass soccer subject. The action-packed water sports activities heart presents a variety of water sports activities, together with canoes, pedal boats, windsurfing in addition to jet skis, water ski, flyboard and seabob. Membership One additionally presents seaside volleyball, badminton, desk tennis and board video games to be loved by all ages. Youthful visitors can benefit from the KidsOnly and One Tribe applications designed to encourage creativity and creativeness. Friends may uncover the secrets and techniques of the Indian Ocean on the resort’s dive centre, with exhilarating snorkelling journeys corresponding to Shark Safari and Turtle Journey, and dive excursions to discover the underwater marine life.

Reethi Rah is managed by One&Solely, certainly one of my favourite resort manufacturers on the planet. The fabulous One&Solely model was created in 2002 completely for the luxurious resort market by Solomon Kerzner – a South African accountant and enterprise magnate – and now options a number of the highest-rated resorts in essentially the most idyllic spots on the planet, such because the Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Rwanda and Cape City. Every resort within the One&Solely assortment not solely presents distinctive design and ambiance which embraces the native environment, but in addition an unparalleled dedication to the best expertise on each potential stage. Luxurious lodging is complemented by impeccable service, unique wellness sanctuaries, full of life leisure and a bunch of actions, in addition to beautiful culinary adventures from a number of the world’s most achieved cooks.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

A considerable a part of One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives is man-made (the unique island was largely prolonged). You don’t actually discover it at first sight, because the tropical vegetation, seashores and lagoons have a really pure look. Nevertheless, the seaside on the seaside membership (Membership One) in addition to Reethi Seaside (close to the principle pool complicated) are the one pure seashores on the island, that includes powdery white sands and an extremely blue lagoon. The ten different seashores are man-made and you may really feel it when taking a stroll right here because the sand is little rougher (or much less powdery) below the ft in comparison with the pure seashores. However don’t let that put you off: the island’s magnificence is past phrases and nicer than a number of the genuine Maldivian islands.

Whereas the overwater villas at One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives are tremendously spectacular, their exterior decks don’t supply a lot privateness, particularly throughout daylight. Your neighbors would possibly see you in addition to the (few) individuals on the abandoned seashores as you might be uncovered to them. If (out of doors) privateness is a should for you, I like to recommend to e-book a seaside villa as a substitute of an overwater villa (privateness is assured at most seaside villas).

One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives lacks a home reef, which could be a bummer for snorkelers. That stated, about 100 meters (or 300 ft) in entrance of the seaside membership (Membership One), there may be good reef with loads of underwater life (you possibly can attain that reef, both by swimming or taking a pedalo). As well as, at evening, there are all the time stingrays and sharks within the waters across the overwater villas.

One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives is not low-cost, however you need to know that getting in. Having stated that, the charges and costs are according to the opposite high resorts within the Maldives. For instance, a 3 course course dinner will likely be round $180-200 USD per particular person (with out wine and with out the heavy taxes), so attempt to e-book a halfboard package deal. An important factor is that, whereas it’s not low-cost, it’s definitely worth the funding as you’ll expertise an excellent, top-notch vacation.

MY VERDICT

Location: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Pool: 10/10
Rooms: 10/10
Meals: 9/10
Breakfast: 10/10
Spa: 10/10
Service: +/10
Wow issue: 9/10
Worth for cash: 9/10
General expertise: 9.4/10 (distinctive)

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Get monetary savings: get complimentary VIP perks when reserving through Virtuoso (e.g. villa improve, every day breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit score).

Get monetary savings: learn my suggestions for getting the very best deal at a luxurious resort just like the One&Solely Reethi Rah (and/or obtain many free perks).

Get monetary savings: e-book a package deal together with transfers and (breakfast minimal) meal plan to keep away from big further prices.

Room tip: all villas are wonderful, no matter location. Whereas the sundown facet of the island is my favourite (merely due to the spectacular sunsets to be loved out of your personal villa), one has to understand that the sundown facet of the island has extra windy climate and rougher waters as in comparison with the dawn facet of the island (particularly within the moist season, which runs from Could to October).

Room tip: if privateness is a should, e-book a seaside villa, not a water villa.

Learn my suggestions for getting ready your journey in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

One of the best climate within the Maldives is between January and April, which additionally means excessive season (and skyrocketing resort charges). The monsoon runs from Could to October, peaking in June. It’s value paying larger costs and sticking to the dry season as there may be nothing to do on a wet day besides drink, eat, work out, or scuba dive. Particularly November and December, which are sometimes labelled as dry season months, have been very unsettled lately.

HOW TO GET THERE

One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives is well reachable by a 40 min speedboat experience or a 15 min seaplane flight from Male Worldwide Airport (MLE). Test the Wikipedia web page of Male Worldwide Airport for an up to date record of airways that supply flights to Male Worldwide Airport.

PHOTOS

Right here’s a collection of my pictures of One&Solely Reethi Rah Maldives To view extra resort pictures (together with breakfast, lunch and dinner), click on right here.