Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives – Hotel Review

Kuredhivaru Resort & Spa Maldives, formerly Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru, is a luxurious five-star beach resort in the far northern parts of the Maldives. The resort offers its guests serene seclusion and an ultimate tropical island experience. White sandy beaches, an azure lagoon, modern luxury, exquisite culinary experiences, stunning villas, and top-notch hospitality – the resort truly has it all. In this review, I’ll take a closer look at the resort’s many features and highlights.

DISCLAIMER: WE WERE HOSTED ON A PRESS TRIP AT THIS HOTEL, WHICH DOES NOT INFLUENCE MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS AND REVIEW ABOUT THIS HOTEL. ALL EXPRESSED OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I MAY RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION FOR PURCHASES/BOOKINGS MADE THROUGH THESE LINKS, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE READ THE PRIVACY POLICY.

The Location

Kuredhivaru Resort & Spa Maldives opened in 2018 and is a tropical island oasis in the Noonu Atoll, 45 seaplane minutes north of Velana International Airport. It is one of only a handful of high-end luxury resorts in the entire atoll. The secluded island Kuredhivaru features native lush vegetation, palm trees and powder-white sandy beaches. It is surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and you can enjoy endless views across the Indian Ocean. It truly felt like were walking into a picture-perfect postcard.

The Transfer & Check-in

After transferring from another resort and arriving at the seaplane terminal, we were welcomed by a friendly staff member of Mövenpick. As our flight to the resort was also a seaplane flight, he managed the check-in procedure at the counter for us and then guided us to the seaplane lounge where we waited for our departure. Unfortunately, the timing of our flights was off this time so we had to wait a few hours until the departure of our afternoon/evening flight.

The shared seaplane flight started slightly delayed and took about 45 minutes. We first landed at another resort in the Noonu Atoll and it was already quite dark due to the delay. Therefore, for safety reasons, the captain decided not to fly the remaining distance to Mövenpick (seaplanes only operate during daylight hours). This meant that we had to get on a speedboat for an unexpected 20-minute ride in the dark to the resort. While we usually are fine with spontaneous changes of schedule, having a speedboat transfer on a small boat in very rough conditions and complete darkness was definitely not very pleasant for me as I’m very afraid of being out in the sea when it’s dark.

After a long day of traveling, we finally arrived at the resort and were welcomed by numerous staff members at the jetty. Due to the circumstances, we had a rather quick check-in and were offered room service free of charge for dinner as a courtesy of the resort. We were then brought to our room with a buggy, so we could rest and get comfortable. Although we ended up going to the main restaurant to get some fresh air after the stressful transfer, we really appreciate the kind gesture which showed that they care about their guests from the moment they step onto the island. We were also surprised with delicious welcome treats – tropical fruits, sparkling wine and chocolate in various forms and tastes, even in the shape of an edible Kuredhi tree.

The Property & Amenities

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives is situated on a rather small island but still has all the amenities you need and expect from a Maldivian five-star luxury resort. The property boasts contemporary design, unique architecture, organic shapes and appealing aesthetics. Every building effortlessly complements its natural surroundings and combines modern luxury with Maldivian heritage.

Your first point of contact is the small open-style reception area with a few sofas and a huge globus. As guest of the resort, you have access to three amazing fine dining venues, a coffee and wine lounge, an award-winning spa with multiple treatment rooms in the jungle and over water, a yoga sala, a kids club and a retail boutique.

The resort also features an ocean-facing infinity pool with sunbeds and umbrellas.

If you love to be active during your vacation, you can work out in a fully equipped and state-of-the-art fitness center, rent motorized and non-motorized equipment at the watersports center or let the divemasters of the residual dive school take you out to the best dive sport to marvel at the abundant marine life of the Noonu Atoll. You can also play a match of tennis, football or basketball at the resort.

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives can also serve as your tropical backdrop if you would like to have an island wedding and has various packages on offer. Married couples can also renew their vows in tropical fashion and with sandy toes.

The Rooms

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives features 105 luxurious villas that are split into three villa types: Beach Pool Suites (30), Beach Spa Pool Residences (3), and Overwater Pool Villas (72). What is quite unique is that each of the resort’s villas has its own private plunge pool. Sunset lovers might want to opt for the Beach Pool Suites on the sunset side to enjoy beautiful sunset views.

All overwater villas are located above the lagoon, east of the island and Bodumas restaurant. Looking at them from a bird’s eye perspective, they look like a giant necklace with Bodumas being its pendent. About half of the water villas (the ones located on the inside) have views onto the lagoon and onto the water villas on the opposite side, while the outside water villas provide uninterrupted ocean views to the North or South.

We stayed in an incredible Overwater Pool Villa with spectacular sunrise views and it was the overwater villa of our dreams! It was not only spacious in size but also had all the amenities you can wish for. Let me tell you more about our villa:

Overwater Pool Villa Ocean with Sunrise View

As soon as we entered our stunning 140 square meter overwater villa, we were blown away by the setup and thoughtful details of the villa. A glass-bottom floor in the entrance to watch the marine life from above, a large walk-in closet with lots of space for clothes and luggage, massive wooden sliding doors to the bed- and bathroom, and an incredible outdoor deck were only a few of the amazing features we loved.

The villa has a large bedroom that is equipped with an ultra-comfortable king bed, a sofa area, a minibar with coffee and tea-making facilities, high ceilings and sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors which allow you to enjoy every sunrise right from your bed. A Nespresso machine with Mövenpick coffee and a separate wine fridge were lovely additional touches.

The very spacious indoor bathroom conveys a sense of true luxury. It features a large free-standing bathtub, a walk-in rain shower with views down into the lagoon, a double vanity, and sliding floor-to-ceiling windows like in the bedroom. We also really loved all of their cosmetic products that radiated a beautiful smell.

However, the best part for us was by far the stunning outdoor sundeck. Accessible from the bedroom and the bathroom, the veranda offers two sun loungers under a canopy, a dining area for two, and direct access to the lagoon via a ladder. In addition, a beautiful private infinity pool is situated right in the middle of the sundeck. There is also an outdoor shower and a comfy hammock. It’s truly perfect and the best place to soak in the sun and all the tropical vibes that come with it.

We really didn’t want to leave this amazing villa! It’s certainly one of our favorite overwater villas we stayed in so far.

The Restaurants & Bars

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives spoils its guests with enticing culinary experiences and gastronomic delights in multiple dining outlets. You can also enjoy one of their unforgettable private destination dining experiences such as lunch on a private sandbank or a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach inside the illuminated shape of a manta ray. Their options are endless! Dining in the privacy of your own villa is also an option.

We had the pleasure of trying out all three restaurants as well as the unique Coffee & Wine Lounge during our stay and loved the combination of world-class cuisine and wonderful vistas.

We started most of our days at ONU Marché, Mövenpick’s international main buffet restaurant, with fresh and wholesome breakfast overlooking the beach. Situated under a beautiful triangular bamboo roof that immediately reminded us of Bali, the generous market-style restaurant offers many delicious options, live cooking stations, beautiful food presentations, and ample open-air seating options. They also serve lunch and offer weekly themed dinner nights. We can confidently say that ONU Marché is one of the best main buffet restaurants in the Maldives we ever tried.

Another great option for lunch and dinner is the à la carte restaurant Latitude 5.5 right at the main infinity pool. The trendy poolside restaurant with an open kitchen focuses on delicious Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Western-inspired cuisine. We came here twice – for lunch and dinner – because the food was so good, especially the prawns we had as a starter!

We also went to dine at Mövenpick’s Japanese-inspired seafood à la carte restaurant Bodumas which is located right by the overwater villas in an overwater pavilion. It’s the place to go to if you want to indulge in delectable and fresh seafood dishes. All the dishes we chose were amazing and the Edamame was to die for! We had a table on the outside verandah and some live music was playing. It was a truly magical experience!

Right next to Bodumas is the Mövenpick Coffee & Wine Lounge which is a small café that offers quality Mövenpick products like coffee, swiss ice-cream, chocolate, and wine. With its outside lounge chairs under the palm trees and beautiful views onto the beach and lagoon, it’s the perfect place to unwind in the afternoon – whether it’s with a scoop of ice-cream, an iced coffee or both. We went there for their complimentary Chocolate Hour (which is every day between 4 and 5 pm) and tried out a selection of decadent chocolate delights. Simply delicious!

Moreover, you can also enjoy drinks at the resort’s two bars Onu Bar and Latitude Bar.

The Staff

During our stay, the staff at Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives was absolutely fantastic. Every staff member carried a smile and made you feel truly welcome.

Our resident host was always available via WhatsApp to answer any question we had and helped with our planned activities and its timings, which is a great feeling as you know that somebody is there to take care for you.

At ONU Marché, we were always welcomed with a casual chat and a big smile. Moreover, the chefs at the live cooking stations were always happy to explain more about the dishes and eager to know your preferences so they could tailor the dish to your liking. Even the executive chef was always around and available for a chat. In general, at all the restaurants, the service was very attentive and quick to take orders and clear plates. Overall, the service was impeccable – with only one exception. A waitress who served us desert at Bodumas had to re-place one of the plates as we needed a second to decide who gets which desert. As she apparently did not have that second, she “smashed” the two plates onto our table, rolled her eyes, shook her head, and walked away without saying another word. Maybe she just had a bad day, but having worked with customers myself in the past, you should not take it out on your customer. Luckily, this was only one negative experience among all other excellent experiences we had with the staff.

Activities

Whether you want to enjoy relaxed days by the pool, be active, unwind at the spa, calm your senses at the overwater yoga sala, or go on an excursion – you will be spoilt for choice at Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru. The resort also hosts daily recreational activities every day of the week from morning to evening.

At the watersports center right at the beach guests can enjoy complimentary non-motorized activities such as kayaking, SUP, and windsurfing. We got a kayak to explore the lagoon which is always a fun activity to do in the Maldives. They also have motorized watersports available like jet skis, flyboards & fun tubes, and offer different excursions such as dolphin cruises, snorkeling trips, romantic sunset and starlight cruises, local island tours, and many more.

Moreover, the licensed dive crew can teach you everything about scuba diving basics in a discovery dive, improve your abilities with PADI courses or take you out on fun dives to the various dive sites around the Noonu Atoll.

As already mentioned before, the resort also offers different dining experiences and activities. We had a floating breakfast in the pool of our villa, which definitely is one of the must-do activities when visiting the Maldives! You can choose between different breakfast options (we went for the Go Healthy option) and select the time they’ll serve it to you. We really loved this experience and can only recommend to try a Floating Breakfast at least once during your Maldives vacation!

Spa & Wellness

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives is an amazing place to put your mind and body at ease. You can indulge in the spa’s signature rituals that are inspired by Africa’s rich natural resources, couple spa rituals with your partner, specialty massage therapy, body rituals, facial treatments, and so much more. The list of options is endless.

The resort’s Sun Spa by Healing Earth received the 2021 Haute Grandeur Global Excellence Award for being the best private island spa on a global level, the best resort spa in the Indian Ocean and the best spa destination in the entire Maldives, and many more.

We also had the pleasure to experience Mövenpick’s award-winning spa and started our relaxation journey with refreshing towels and delicious tropical juices. While the spa has 4 jungle treatment rooms that are surrounded by lush vegetation, we had our treatments in one of the 5 breathtaking over water treatment rooms, benefitting from spectacular views onto the lagoon.

While Carsten had the 60-minute Raahlu Symphony massage, Sun Spa’s signature massage, I had the Ultimate Equilibrum treatment which is a wonderful facial therapy with antioxidants, essential oils, and vitamins. Both treatments were exceptional! If we would have stayed at the resort for a longer vacation, we definitely would have come by for another treatment.

Sustainability

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives has an extensive list of sustainability initiatives and resource-saving programs in place and continues to reduce its impact on the environment. One example is the resort’s own hydroponics garden with homegrown produce such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, and more.

Some of the in-house measurements include waste management and disposal, a desalination plant for drinkable water (with excess steam heating the water), a water bottling plant to eliminate plastic waste, a sewage treatment plant to prevent water wastage in the garden, and 900 solar panels that cover between 30-40% of daytime power and help save thousands of liters of diesel every year.

The resort’s sustainability efforts also include eco-conscious activities such as tree planting, palm weaving or little gardener lessons at the kids club or walking around the island with an experienced gardener to learn more about the botanical diversity.

The One Unique Thing

For us, the One Unique Thing at Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives was the complimentary chocolate hour at Mövenpick’s coffee & wine lounge. Being able to savor delicious Swiss chocolate for 60 minutes every afternoon of your tropical Maldives vacation was such a treat! You can enjoy the chocolate hour with a Mövenpick coffee or some wine while relaxing in the shade of some palm trees.

Conclusion

Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives is a luxurious 5-star resort in a beautiful tropical island setting. We really loved the white sandy beaches and the crystal-clear turquoise lagoon surrounding the island. The resort features amazing overwater villas (some of the best we’ve seen so far), outstanding dining options and unforgettable experiences & activities. Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives is the perfect place for couples, honeymooners as well as families, who are looking for a relaxing Maldives vacation with modern luxury, incredible culinary choices and a holistic island escape experience. We can highly recommend this resort and would stay here again anytime!

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