South Palm Resort Maldives

Well, where do I start? For a budget friendly Maldivian holiday this place is totally perfect. Myself and my daughter had room 610 (Water villa) From arriving at Male airport we were totally looked after by the resort reps. Swiftly taken down to the domestic flight departure where all our check in and luggage was sorted. We were then taken to the airport lounge for refreshments. We didn’t have to wait long for our domestic flight which was truly breathtaking and gave us the most stunning views. This took around 70 minutes. After arrival at Gan airport we then did the 15 min speedboat trip over to the island. This is where the magic really begins. The staff were all waiting for us on the jetty and even knew our names. We were greeted with smiles, drinks and face towels. Our assigned butler was Mohammed Ali (Ali, Ali, Ali) More about him later. We were swiftly taken by buggy to our water villa, when we opened the door we felt like we were the luckiest ladies on the planet! The room was spacious, spotless and right in the ocean. Even in the dark it was magical. Food - excellent, always plenty of choice with ready made options and also fresh cooking stations. Something to please everyone. There is also a salad room and a dessert room. So much choice and always fresh. The chefs and the waiters go above and beyond to look after you. Every single one of them is a true credit to the resort. Water Villa - stunning views with everything you need for your stay including a safe, chargeable mini bar and huge TV. Tea/Coffee replenished daily, or twice daily in my case. There is a bed to lounge about on on your decking however we were constantly in the water. Sea life visible with baby sharks, turtles and fish all around. The tide goes in and out so you can also walk really far out if you wish to. The sunsets and sunrises from the water are spectacular. Buggy service available 24hrs to take you to the bar, restaurant, etc.. Pool - tbh we rarely used this as we were always in the ocean however, it is totally spotless and towels are readily available so you don’t need to take them from your room. The pool guy does an amazing job of keeping the pool and the surrounding area immaculate. Bar - the main bar has everything you need, great selection of soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. The staff look after you like a friend. Entertainment - great balance of modern and cultural with some great singers and bands. Get involved and don’t be shy! Trips - OMG!!! Do them, sunset cruise, dolphin trip, shark feeding, fishing, snorkelling. We did them all. The dolphin trip was a real tear jerkers with hundreds of them surrounding you and showing off! The shark snorkelling was magnificent, don’t be afraid, just do it! You will not regret it. Hammi and the water sports team are the best. I have never felt so safe and looked after. They are a cracking bunch of lads who not only make you feel safe but will go out of their way to make your trips magical. Hammi especially did so much to ensure we had the best time even sending us pics and videos that he had put together of us. These guys are phenomenal and deserve so much more recognition. They truly are a massive asset to the resort. I can’t thank them enough for taking care of us. Butler - we were assigned Mohammad Ali, he wasn’t a butler, he was a friend. This guy is the most adorable guy you will ever meet. He looked after us from the second we arrived to the second we left. Welcoming us and waving us away. He played a massive part of our holiday and will forever be in our hearts. He was always on hand to pick us up, drive us around, help us, answer our questions and bring us pizza when we had the middle of the night munchies. Ali, Ali, Ali, you are the best! Friends - get involved, speak to other guests. We made friends with a truly wonderful gang. We came as holiday makers and left as friends. We did trips together, swam together, drank together, sang together. The holiday would not have been the same without our holiday friends and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for involving us. What could make this holiday better……literally the simplest of things. Open the bar at the villas on an all inclusive basis. Even if it is just for a few hours early evening before you get ready for tea, or give a small allowance in the mini bar. This is the one and only slight inconvenience that affects this resort. I just want to thank you all again, cleaners, waiting staff, chefs, entertainment, bar staff, pool guy, water sports team, Hammi and Ali, Ali, Ali, you guys and girls are wonderful people and we left a piece of our hearts with you. Till we meet again…. Maria & Ruby (Princess)

Great accomodation, great food and the boats trips alone were worth the trip! Hammi and the team were really knowledgeable and every boat trip we went on we saw a variety of sea life. Being that close to dolphins and sharks was amazing and I cannot recommend it enough!

What an amazing holiday , if your looking to relax , recharge and chill out this is the place to come to !! From the minute we had collected our luggage at Male airport the hotel looks after you like royalty , we was me at arrivals then escorted to a lounge where we waited for our flight to Gan. The flight Gan was pleasant, we was then met in Gan airport and escorted to the boat for the short trip to the island. Check inn was quick and smooth , we had a beach villa booked which was everything we wanted. The room was spacious and clean with a lovely outside shower which we loved. Location is everything and outlook form the villa was amazing. We was in Beach villa 116 which was only a few yards from all the bar , pool and few more yards to the restaurant. The food in the restaurant was great , with a different variety every day, our personal favorites were the rice & noodle station along with the pasta station which is all cooked fresh whilst you wait. If you do come make sure we visit the Spa , we went twice , well worth the money ! Hotel staff - where do I start with this one , we have always said you will never beat Mexico for service , well this place goes above and beyond all expectations. Full credit to the owners and senior management for having such a wonderful team. Special mentions ….our fantastic waitress Hashia who was a joy every day and it was fantastic when her team won the talent contest. Didi the chef , you were also great - thank you Bar staff - Arif , Saif Julie & Sushadn - all great service our glasses were never empty and we ad some great conversations and laughs to. Pool guy - the pool is kept immaculate by this guy who like all staff really believes in making this resort a success , top class service every day - thank you Maid - thsi guy looked after us none stop , came twice a day non stop fresh towels and water , even on our day of departure he came and made sure we had fresh towels and then when checking out he came again to say good bye ! We plan to return in 2 years , see you all again

This is potentially a nice resort.  However, as many other reviews have stated their all inclusive policy totally ruins your holiday plans.  We booked a water villa so we could sunbathe, read and snorkel with privacy.  This cost us much more than normal villas but it was what we wanted. All inclusive is, however, not all inclusive. Unfortunately you cannot get drinks in the room as the mini bar is not included.  It is chargeable.  So we need to dry off,  walk to the bar (10 mins walk or get a shuttle).  Have your drink, walk back, reapply suncream and them half an hour later repeat the process.  We are avid readers and want to sit with a book and a beer in the evening.  We cannot do this either. We can either read in our room in the evening or go to the bar or restaurant where it us too dark to read.   This issue has ruined our holiday.  At Oblu Experience in Maldives last year we could take drinks to the room and do as we pleased. The same at Sunrise Attitude I'm Mauritius.  Both of these were amazing. When we complained to the manager of South Palm he spoke to my wife but he was not remotely interested in resolving the issue just saying repeatedly it was their policy. Clearly, as many other reviewers have noted, this is an issue.  The hotel is no more than 15% full so they are clearly trying to get as much money from people as possible as it is pretty unlikely they are currently breaking even.  I expect the hotel will close down if its occupancy doesn't increase.  This won't happen given how many people are complaining about this. Other issues The steps to the sea on our villa have two broken steps so it hard to get out of the sea   The bannister and guard rail both wobble ferociously if you lean on them due to age and /or not being varnished.  Decking is also aged and causes splinters so you need footwear.  Thes are basic maintenence issues.  The villas are positioned so that, unfortunately, you get very little sun to sunbathe on the sun terrace. Don't be swayed by the free 'butler service'  either.  Its just delivering room service (which is expensive). There is a bar nearer to the villas.  However it is chargeable.  It is manned with staff and they are the only people you ever see in there.  Not once have I seen a guest drinking in there.  Clearly paying for drink on top of all inclusive is not what customers  are prepared to do and is a waste of the hotels resources. Watching the Euro 2024 final they very kindly put it on the big screen and advertised this to guests.  Brilliant we thought!  Unfortunately they stopped serving drink just as the match kicked off which infuriated everyone there. Positives The island is truly picturesque.  The rest of the staff are truly amazing and nothing is too much trouble. The food is tasty and quite varied (given how few guests there are).  The water villas have nice spacious rooms. The potential is there to make it a holiday haven if they were to listen to what so many customers are saying.  If you don't change your policy you will continue to have most rooms empty and end up closing down.

From the moment we landed at Male to the moment we left, South Palms Resort looked after us like Royalty. We were met by a lovely lady at the arrivals gate who took us to the lounge to await out transport to Gan and the same happened on our return journey and even escorted us to the check-in desk. We were met by staff on the speed boat jetty and quickly transported to a welcome meeting with our butler and onto our water villa. Villa's not 5☆ luxury, but perfectly adequate, and the views are amazing. Can't complain about the food and drink, as always something on the buffet and a lot of the food is cooked in front of you, even for the fussiest of eaters. What really makes this resort stand out, is the staff. They work tirelessly to ensure you have a good time. Our waiter "Magic", barman "Saif" and buggy driver "Ali" we outstanding, and really made our holiday special. Overall, outstanding value holiday. One tip..watch the transfer times from Male-Gan-Male. The flights to Gan leave 3 times a day, so check your arrival time at Male to ensure you don't have an extended layover time after a long flight from the UK.