Villa Park Sun Island Resort, Maldives – Hotel Review
Villa Park Maldives, formerly Sun Island Resort & Spa, is one of Villa Hotels & Resorts’ three five-star resorts in the Maldives and situated in the South Ari Atoll. Villa Park Sun Island is one of the biggest properties in the Maldives. The large island boasts a lush tropical environment, shady palm trees, white sandy beaches, and a pristine turquoise lagoon. In this hotel review, I am going to highlight the resort’s features as well as our personal experiences. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
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
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, is located on the edge of the stunning South Ari Atoll, close to the famous South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA). This area is one of the best locations in the Maldives to see whale sharks which come to the atoll all year round. The island itself is about 1.6 km long and about 500 meters wide, making it one of the biggest resort islands in the Maldives. To get to the resort, you have to take a 20-minute domestic flight from Velana International Airport.
The Transfer & Check-in
Coming from their five-star sister property Villa Nautica, Paradise Island Resort & Spa, we arrived via speedboat at Velana International Airport and were greeted by a Villa Park Sun Island airport representative. He directly brought us to the domestic terminal for our flight to Maamigili (the island next to Sun Island), took care of the flight check-in procedure and led us to the Flyme-Lounge (our carrier) where we waited for our departure with drinks and snacks.
Once we arrived at the local airport in Maamigili, we hopped on a quick 5-minute shared speedboat transfer to Villa Park Sun Island. As the resort, airline, and local airport are all owned by the same group, the whole transfer process went very smoothly.
Although we arrived with a big number of other guests, the check-in process at the resort was done quite quickly. While sipping our welcome drinks, we got more information about the island and the planned activities throughout our stay. After that, we were brought to our room with a buggy.
The Property & Amenities
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, is one of the biggest resorts in the entire Maldives. In fact, it was the largest resort until recently, but is now the second-largest resort. On the other hand, this also means that there is lots to explore. What really surprised us though is that you can still have an intimate and luxurious vacation here, despite its massive size and the many people.
All common resort facilities and some of the not-yet renovated villas are built with the typical Maldivian architecture in mind – think thatched roofs, a lot of wood and a rustic traditional charm. This derives from the fact that the resort is open for more than 20 years already. However, some of the beach villas have recently been renovated, upping the style of the rooms and giving them an eye-catching, modern and stylish look which we really liked!
Arriving at the resort, you have to walk down a long jetty to the reception/lobby area which also serves as the starting point for all facilities as most of them are located in or around the resort’s main building.
The resort features 5 restaurants, multiple bars, and a coffee shop that all offer beautiful views onto the white beach and the blue water. It also features various indoor and outdoor sportsgrounds, a gym, and a watersports center.
In addition, you will find a spa with multiple treatment rooms, various small shops and one lagoon-style pool with a kid’s pool nearby. One thing we highly recommend is renting a bike when staying on the island. It’s not only a lot of fun to ride around the island with your bike but also necessary if you don’t want to rely on the buggy service or walk long distances from A to B all the time.
Ultimately, Villa Park Sun Island features some incredible photo opportunities such as different swings and hammocks spread all over the island, a beautiful palm tree alley and long sandbank.
The Rooms
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, has 462 villas in total which is an absolutely mind-blowing number. Most of the villas are located around the island right at the beach except their 32 Sun Villas (second row) and 68 over water villas.
As mentioned earlier, the rooms are slowly being renovated over time. Currently, the Deluxe Beach Pool Villas, the Beach Pool Villas, the Beach Villas with Whirlpool, and the Lagoon Beach Villas feature a stylish modern look. WiFi is complimentary throughout the resort and in the villas.
We stayed in a Deluxe Beach Pool Villa just a few steps away from the calm and clear lagoon and also had two palm trees in front of our villa which gave us tropical vibes every time we stepped onto our patio. Let me tell you more about our lovely room:
Deluxe Beach Pool Villa
The luxurious Deluxe Beach Pool Villas are the perfect villa if you want to have lots of space, a modern and colorful décor, a whirlpool, and a private pool for refreshing dips. The villa features about 170 square meters which includes the bedroom, the stylish bathroom, the covered outdoor whirlpool area, as well as the expansive outdoor pool area in front of the villa.
The bright and colorful room itself features a comfortable king bed, a small table with two chairs, a working desk, a minibar including tea and coffee, and enough space for your clothes and luggage. In the compact bathroom, you will find an indoor shower and two separate vanities which we always prefer over having just one.
There are also two outdoor areas: one small area behind the bathroom featuring the whirlpool and an outdoor shower, as well as the amazingly aesthetic veranda that consists of the private pool, two sun loungers, a seating area and another beautifully tiled outdoor shower. I truly loved every aspect of our villa!
The Restaurants & Bars
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, offers two main buffet restaurants, three à la carte restaurants, and a seafood barbecue grill allowing you to embark on a culinary journey. The resort also offers in-villa dining as well as special romantic dining experiences.
Maaniya Restaurant is Villa Park’s all-day dining restaurant and open for all guests of the resort. This entirely self-service restaurant is massive as it obviously has to cater to hundreds of guests simultaneously. They have a wide variety of food options and also some live cooking stations so you will always find something. However, we just came here for lunch when we arrived and breakfast when we departed the island.
We preferred dining at Southern Star (*buffet restaurant usually only available to water villa guests) right at the water close to the water villas. While their selection was smaller compared to Maaniya, they still had plenty of delicious options with a focus on Indian Maldivian dishes and excellent live cooking stations. The atmosphere was much more intimate and the food presentation was wonderful. Besides, the restaurant staff was amazing, very attentive and always up for a chat.
If you want to dine à la carte, there are four specialty restaurants to choose from. Al Pontile is the resort’s overwater Italian restaurant which is located at the end of the jetty and offer indoor as well as al fresco dining with a breeze. If you want to taste Asian delicacies, opt for Sun Star, Sun Island’s Thai restaurant. Like Al Pontile, the restaurant is surrounded by the ocean and offers a wraparound deck if you prefer dining outside. There is also an open air Teppanyaki grill right next to the Southern Star restaurant, which is quite unique as Teppanyaki usually happens inside.
What we can definitely recommend is dining at Zero, which is situated in a beautiful lush jungle setting. We enjoyed our all-natural lunch on a private platform in the treetops, which is only accessible via a hanging bridge. The restaurant has a rather small but sufficient menu. All the dishes we had were amazingly delicious and super fresh! The homegrown salads come right from their hydroponics garden. We had such an incredible and unique dining experience here! Tip: If you dine here, bring a strong insect repellent as there are many mosquitos due to the jungle location.
There are also a few bars scattered across the island. The main bar, Mekunu Bar, is located near the main building and next to the pool area. It is the main place for all evening events and cultural shows. Sunrise Bar is located near the Q watersports center, allowing you to have a drink at the beach and watch people be active. If you visit the putting green, you can also have a drink after your round at the Golf Bar. Ultimately, you can also visit Vani Coffee Shop right next to the arrival jetty which serves coffee, alcoholic beverages, mocktails, cocktails and snacks.
The Staff
While staying at Villa Park Sun Island, the staff we had interactions with was nice and friendly. Due to the large size of the resort, not all staff you casually pass by will greet you but that’s understandable with the large number of guests on the island. What really stood out to us was the restaurant staff at Southern Star and Zero. They were absolutely incredible, lovely to talk to and very attentive. Also, the guest relations staff was fantastic. If they manage to implement this high level of service throughout the whole resort, this would enhance the hospitality even more.
Activities
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa offers endless island and water-related activities as well as experiences and excursions. You name it, they have it. There is truly something for everyone at the resort.
If you prefer being active during your vacation, you can burn some calories at the fitness center in the main building or visit one of the various sport courts such as squash, badminton, volleyball, tennis, and more.
At the watersports center you can rent various motorized and non-motorized equipment. Options include but aren’t limited to kayaks, catamarans and stand up paddle boards as well as seabobs, jet skis and jetblade if you are looking for more adrenalin-fueled activities. If you want to see the underwater world from up-close, you can head to the PADI-certified dive center.
The resort also offers many different excursions, including dolphin safaris, snorkeling trips, fishing excursions, and visits to a local island. They also have a semi-submarine and a glass-bottom boat.
We opted for the private big game whale shark trip as swimming with these gentle giants was on our bucket list for so long. The trip also included two other stops to snorkel with manta rays and turtles. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky to see any mantas (but that’s wildlife, you have like a 50/50 chance and never know what you’ll see), however, we spotted a turtle during the second snorkeling stop. The third stop was the whale shark area. Unfortunately, we were a bit late to the party. When we found a whale shark, it was already chased by a huge number of people from other tour boats and also the guides from other resorts were blocking the view all the time for other guests. So, everyone was “fighting” for a place to at least see this majestic animal.
We would have loved to see a better education and organization for swimming with whale sharks in this area, but we understand that the resort cannot influence what other tour boats and guides are doing and how they behave. Still, we managed to get a few impressive glimpses of this gentle giant during the 15 minutes of snorkeling which was truly magical (if you blend out all the other people around you). We really would have loved to spend more time snorkeling with the whale shark, as it was one of the most unforgettable experiences we had in the Maldives.
Spa & Wellness
When being on vacation, we always love to spoil ourselves with a spa treatment. That’s why we also visited the Araamu Spa at Villa Park Sun Island. This wonderful sanctuary is nestled in a lush Balinese jungle setting and offers a sauna, steam bath, and various treatment and massage options.
While Carsten went for a 50-minute full-body massage, I had a 50-minute Royal Honey Facial (because I could not have a massage due to a back injury). After the treatments, we had a relaxing 30-minute herbal flower bath for two. As we went to the spa in the early evening, we could enjoy the bath after sunset in a magical setting with flickering candles around the bath tub. This was such an unforgettable experience to experience the spa in the dark. We can highly recommend it!
Sustainability
Like all Villa Hotels, Villa Park Sun Island Resort & Spa is very passionate about sustainability and takes it very seriously. Therefore, the resort has many practices in place to protect and preserve the fragile environment. In order to reduce their carbon footprint and to produce clean and renewable energy, rooftop solar panels have been installed on all major buildings. This helps them save hundreds of thousands of liters of diesel and CO2 each year.
Moreover, Villa Park Sun Island cultivates produce in its own hydroponic gardens (tropical fruits, vegetables, herbs) that is served in the resort’s restaurants. They also focus on sourcing local produce only from local farmers and fishermen. Plastic bottles have been replaced by refillable glass water bottles and all plastic waste is donated for recycling together with a non-profit organization.
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, was also awarded the Maldives Leading Green Resort at World Travel Awards 2022, the International Environmental Green Key Award for implementing sustainable policies and actionable plans as well as Luxury Eco Resort in the 2021 World Hotel Awards. Congratulations!
Conclusion
Villa Park, Sun Island Resort & Spa, is a 5-star resort in the beautiful South Ari Atoll and belongs to the largest resorts in the entire Maldives. Therefore, the resort offers endless options of things to do, restaurants and experiences. Nonetheless, we were positively surprised that you can also spend an intimate, luxury vacation here despite the island’s large size as everything is well spread over the island. Villa Park Sun Island is a wonderful choice for couples, honeymooners, friends, and families who are looking for an unforgettable Maldives vacations with wonderful experiences, a great selection of different dining options and a lovely Balinese-style spa area. We can definitely recommend staying here!
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