Royal Island Resort & Spa, Maldives – Hotel Review
Royal Island Resort & Spa is a five-star resort in the Maldivian Baa Atoll and the latest addition to the Villa Hotels & Resorts Group. The resort is a wonderful tropical getaway for couples, honeymooners, families, and friends. The island is surround by a beautiful and calm turquoise lagoon and white sandy beaches. Palm trees, majestic Banyan trees and lush greenery complete the idyllic dream of paradise you envision when thinking about the Maldives. Read on to learn more about the highlights and features of this resort as well as our personal experiences.
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
Royal Island Resort & Spa is set in the Baa Atoll, 120km northwest of the capital Malé and Velana International Airport. The Baa Atoll is recognized as the only UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives, meaning that it is of particular ecological importance and home to rich biodiversity and reef animals including manta rays, turtles, and whale sharks. The island, which is about 800 meters long and 220 meters wide, requires a bit of traveling to get there due to its distant location from Malé.
The Transfer & Check-in
At Velana International Airport, we were already awaited by Royal Island’s friendly airport staff to assist us with the flight check-in at the domestic terminal, which is located right next to the international airport. Only 30 minutes later, our domestic flight to the local airport of Dharavandoo was up in the air. The scenic domestic flight took about 25 minutes and was followed by a short 2-minute bus ride to the marina and a 20-minute shared speedboat transfer to the resort. We were really happy about how seamless our transfers not only from/to Royal Island but also the other Villa Hotels we stayed at during our island-hopping trip in the Maldives turned out.
After the usual check-in procedure, we got some more information about the island, it’s amenities and our planned activities. We could also have lunch right after arriving at the resort and were then escorted to our beach villa by our personal island host. Our luggage arrived shortly after with a buggy. The check-in process was very quick and efficient.
The Property & Amenities
Royal Island Resort & Spa opened back in 2001 and caters to people looking for a more budget-friendly five-star all-inclusive option that still offers all the necessary amenities they need for their tropical vacation. Not only the open space lobby but all facilities and rooms are built in traditional Maldivian architecture and design with thatched roofs and a lot of wood – whether it’s the floors in your villa, the walls or the furniture throughout the resort. While other newly-built or renovated resorts boast a more contemporary look and style, Royal Island Resort & Spa appears to still feature its original setup.
Looking at the amenities, the resort features two restaurants, two bars, a beautiful palm-fringed lagoon-style pool, various indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a watersports center, and a diving school. Moreover, Royal Island offers a spa with a sauna and a steam room and a few small shops. You can also hold wedding ceremonies at the resort or renew your vows.
The Rooms
Royal Island Resort & Spa offers 152 wooden villas which are all located alongside the island’s beaches with direct beach and lagoon access. The different room categories are: Beach Villas, Sunset Beach Villas, Two-Bedroom Family Beach Villas and 2 signature Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Residences. Unfortunately, there are no water villas available at Royal Island.
We stayed in one of the Sunset Beach Villas. Let me give you an overview of our beach bungalow:
Sunset Beach Villa
All villas at Royal are constructed from unique Marabou wood from floor to ceiling and decorated with wooden furniture. With only 57 square meters of space, the villas are rather compact. They feature a bedroom, an semi-outdoor bathroom, and a covered outside patio with a seating area.
The room itself consists of a bed, a working desk, a small table with two chairs, some space for your luggage, a wardrobe and a minibar including a tea and coffee station. The accompanying bathroom has a single vanity, a bathtub and an open-air shower.
Unfortunately, the villa only had one socket which wasn’t enough for charging all our camera gear and laptops. It would definitely be great to add a few more sockets. Also, the furniture could be upgraded in our opinion as everything looks a bit old-fashioned from a style perspective. But that’s just our personal taste as we prefer modern style luxury over traditional style luxury.
The Restaurants & Bars
Royal Island Resort & Spa has only one main restaurant, one specialty restaurant and two bars which, for its size, is not much compared to what other resorts offer but probably all you need. You can also order room service if you don’t feel like “eating out”.
The resort’s international buffet-style main restaurant called Maakanaa offers breakfast, lunch, and themed dinner nights in a nice open-air setting with views onto the Indian Ocean. The restaurant has a good variety of food options and great live cooking stations. In the middle of the restaurant, you will find a large saltwater pond with corals and colorful fish. The tables around the pond were always the most popular seats.
If you prefer dining à la carte and right on the beach, make sure to dine at least once at Raabondhi Restaurant. With its beautiful ambiance and tasty food options, this Mediterranean seafood restaurant didn’t disappoint! To start our dinner, we received amazingly fresh smelling towels which already put us in a relaxed mood. The service and the whole dining experience at Raabondhi were excellent and the staff was very attentive. Most importantly, the dishes were absolutely delicious. Everything we picked – starters, mains, and desserts – was a culinary joy to the senses, even the bread basket and the accompanying dips were superb!
If you fancy tropical drinks, mocktails, and cocktails, the 24-hour Boli Bar right by the pool (which also features a small swim-up bar throughout the day) is the place to be. It is also the liveliest area of the resort as it hosts live music, evening events and cultural shows. If you look for lively nights, you should also try out the resort’s Fun Pub. As the name suggests, you can enjoy live music, play some billiards, show your karaoke talent or simply dance the night away.
The Staff
Whenever we had contact with the resort staff, they were welcoming and friendly. No matter if it was at the spa, the watersports center, the reception, or the restaurants. Also, the gardeners who were taking care of the resort’s jungle vegetation always had a smile on their faces and greeted us when passing by. For us, the staff is always an important factor when on vacation and the staff at Royal Island Resort & Spa definitely made us feel like home.
Activities
Royal Island Resort & Spa has an endless selection of recreational and leisure activities. This includes typical activities such as playing a few sets of tennis, indoor badminton, or volleyball as well as different watersports and excursions.
While we usually go for non-motorized watersports activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding, we opted for adrenaline-fueled motorized fun this time. First, we took a jet ski out for about 30 minutes and were cruising around the island which was lots of fun. The next day, Carsten tried out jet blading (his first time ever) and had an absolute blast, which he said was also due to his amazing instructor.
Popular excursions at Royal Island include dolphin safaris, snorkeling excursions, and local island visits. As we were staying just 20 speedboat minutes away from the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Hanifaru Bay, we joined their exciting Manta excursion. While we already knew that there were sightings of 30+ mantas that morning, this excursion turned into a breathtaking trip of a lifetime and one of the best things we did in the Maldives. After a few seconds in the water, we were already in the middle of everything! The mantas were displaying their skills, dancing and playing around, and devouring the planktons around us. Our professional guide always put us in the best place to experience these gentle giants of the sea from up-close. It was simply magical and I can’t wait to get back to Hanifaru Bay one day!
Spa & Wellness
We also went to the resort’s spa, the Araamu Spa, which offers classic treatments with international and local influences including Ayurvedic treatments, various massages, anti-stress facials, and body scrubs. The spa also features a sauna, a steam bath, and a jacuzzi.
While we usually pick spa treatments that involve some sort of back, neck and shoulder massages, we tried out the 50-minute foot reflexology massage at this spa because I had a back injury. The spa staff really did an amazing job! Their massage technique was exceptional and really put our muscles at ease. We finished the treatment with a 30-minute bubbly bath in a beautiful setting including flower petals and some wine. It was such a wonderful spa experience that we can highly recommend!
Sustainability
As the entire Villa Hotels & Resort group strives towards minimizing their environmental footprint, they have implemented numerous nature-friendly sustainability initiatives, conservation programs, and action plans to preserve the natural island locations and marine life.
One of the many practices is that Royal Island Resort & Spa produces drinkable water on the island and uses only refillable glass water bottles to effectively reduce plastic in the resort and on excursions. They also harvest and utilize rainwater and incorporate water saving devices.
As Royal Island is located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Baa Atoll, beach clean ups and ocean clean ups happen on a regular basis as well as reef care and maintenance by the dive center. Moreover, their operation is entirely paperless, so all training materials and forms are digital.
Recently, Royal Island Resort & Spa was awarded the International Environmental Green Key Award for their environmental commitment and sustainable operation as one of the first to hold that eco-label in the Maldives.
Conclusion
Royal Island Resort & Spa is a great choice if you are looking for a beautiful natural island paradise in the biodiverse Baa Atoll. The resort is very close to Hanifaru Bay, which is one of the best spots in the world to snorkel with manta rays. The highlights of the resort for us were its excellent spa, the fantastic specialty restaurant, the beautiful lagoons around the island and the amazing watersports centre. The resort is a great location for couples, friends and families who are looking for an affordable Maldives vacation with traditional luxury (not ultramodern luxury) and Maldivian charm. We can definitely recommend staying here!
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