Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Nice property but gets 1 star for dangerous and unsafe diving instructor (Benny) Below is what I wrote their GM My partner and I both signed up to SCUBA dive and were assigned to Benny. We let her know that my partner had not been diving in 12 years and has never dived in salt water or an ocean before. During the orientation dive, I noticed Benny was not attentive or organized. She turned off the air for one of the other divers (there were 3 of us with Benny that day) before he entered the water without telling him. The diver, R, would not discover this until he got into the water because he had tested his equipment already at the dive center. Once in water his regulator didn’t work because he discovered the air got turned off. No other staff was helping us that day. When we were all in the water, Benny showed us a few hand signals before we quickly descended. She did not wait for people at the surface and instead descended first. This is not a common practice I have seen. Usually the dive master (DM) stays to make sure people are ok then drops down quickly to keep an eye on everyone in case something goes on. Throughout the dive, Benny was often far ahead of the group and getting her attention was difficult because she did not look back often when I was trying to get her attention and she was too far to swim up to quickly. If she checked back frequently it would have been ok but she didn’t so she did not notice my partner getting too bouyant until it was too late because he has only been diving in fresh water before. Also she didn’t teach the signal for “ problem” so my partner didn’t know how to signal there was an issue. She also did not teach the signal for the safety stop or give a brief on it so my partner did not know what to do and did not understand the signal when we went to surface. Despite this, we still signed up to dive in 2 days after Benny discouraged 3 of us from diving the next day. 2 days later, we went diving and coincidentally our group was the same 3. Benny mixed up our masks and swapped my partner and R’s mask. This lead to my partner being very sick because he was not accustomed to the single view mask instead of the 180 degree mask which allowed him to see peripheral view. He almost vomitted as a result. On top of that, Benny turned of my partner’s air tank after we did gear check (same thing she did to R on the orientation dive). Once again, she descended quickly even after my partner was signaling problem to her. On our dive, Benny would swim several meters ahead from everyone and was very preoccupied with her camera and not paying attention to the group. I tried for several minutes to get her attention because I was experiencing underwater issue but by the time I would get her attention I would have resolved it myself. This is concerning especially for new divers. I am very worried this behavior at the resort will lead to negative experiences or even worse, an unfortunate accident. I have been diving in dozens of places all around the world for several years and this was the most unsafe practice I have ever seen. Usually divers are very cautious people because it is a dangerous sport. I do not feel Benny is someone who prioritized safety and awareness. I hope she will change her behavior and practice especially since Park Hyatt Hadahaa prides itself in being a place to introduce new students to diving. The property wrote back barely acknowledging the above incidents and doesn’t seem to understand the danger. Avoid diving with this property. BTW the 2 dive trips cost us $1000. I would expect thorough and safe instructors -- they can certainly afford to hire better at that rate.

I had high expectations before coming to Park Hyatt Maldives. And they met/exceeded all of my expectations. Everything from service, view, ocean, and food were great! Service: I wanted to shout out two of the superb team members during my stay: My host - Zac Zheng and my diving instructor, Bang. Zac has been super responsive and attentive throughout my stay. It was also very nice to chat with him. He was also able to deliver something I needed before I even asked him. All of the resort hotels have personal hosts I stayed at; he definitely provided the top 1 experience. My instructor, Bang, was super amazing in getting me into diving. Something I thought I could never do. After the intro diving, he suggested that I could proceed with Open Water Certification. And I think this is one of the best decisions I made. I was able to fully enjoy a whole new world. Bang was very patient and throughout during my open water course training. He made sure I was able to understand every technique and performed them well. During these courses, I can feel I was progressing each dive in open water. Amazing experience overall! Thanks to these two amazing people, I am thinking about coming back next month! View: Everything from beach, ocean, and sunrise/sunset was top notch. You can walk around the whole island through the beach. Ocean: If you are a snorkeling lover. You are in for a treat! Bring your snorkeling gear or borrow it from their dive center. You can just go by yourself for free! And the view around the hotel was so great. I can confidently say this FREE snorkeling experience will be better than most of the paid snorkeling experiences (based on my 10+ paid experience) They of course also provided diving experiences. It was also amazing if you are able to dive. Food: The food quality was absolutely great. The variety was also amazing. I have never felt I ran out of the options during my 6 days stay.

The best experiences we had was diving in the incredibly well preserved house reef. One of the best, if not the best we have witnessed in the Maldives. “Wonders under water” captured on camera and experienced with the very knowledgeable, prudent and caring free-diving instructor Ahmed. He will show you new ways to approach the under waterworld without the weight of the air bottles and other heavy diving equipment. Dive savely and feel free. You are in good hands. Barbara Kotthaus

Getting to Park Hyatt Maldives is a bit of a journey, but once you arrive, you’ll understand why it’s worth every bit of the effort. It is located in one of the most pristine and remote atolls, offering natural beauty, luxury, and peace. The house reef is one of the best in the Maldives. Snorkeling here is a dream, with vibrant coral reefs and lots of marine life. The beach is equally stunning, with powdery white sand and crystal-clear waters that feel like paradise. The resort is perfect place unwind because the Vidhun Spa is exceptional. The treatments are relaxing, and the therapists are incredibly skilled—especially the signature massages. Dining at Park Hyatt Maldives is another highlight. The Lobster BBQ is a standout experience, featuring fresh, perfectly grilled seafood with live flute music in the background. Overall, Park Hyatt Maldives is perfect for travelers looking for a secluded, luxury escape with world-class snorkeling, incredible dining, and a spa experience that leaves you rejuvenated.

Spectacular place! Luxury and excellent service was a highlight. Special mention for Monika who was in charge of our stay. She made sure everything was flawless . Such an asset to the resort. Also wanted to thank Manuel , their executive Sou’s chef,Amish, Frisca and Stella who made sure our breakfast was according to our likings. Gilda in the dive shop. We enjoyed the serenity, beautiful and natural coral reef that can be explored anytime of the day. Just incredible overall. Yes, food is steep but you are in the Maldives at a remote and undisturbed paradise. Fabulous!!