Luxury Travel

Review: Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island

July 7, 2023

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Wednesday newsletters all the time characteristic a resort or flight assessment.

I lately loved an great vacation within the Maldives. During my journey, I didn’t keep at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani – my favourite resorts within the Maldives (I’m going again although in 2024) – however I attempted out some new, ultra-luxurious and fabulous resorts. Read my journey studies right here:

Today: Review of Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island

Surrounded by the sapphire seas of the Indian Ocean, Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island is a secluded sanctuary devoted to all issues luxurious. The intimate resort is positioned on the northernmost tip of the North Malé Atoll and is well reachable by a 60 min speedboat experience or 15 min seaplane flight. Each of the 67 expansive villas incorporates a personal rooftop terrace, infinity pool, and 24/7 butler service. The overwater spa gives signature rituals impressed by Ayurvedic custom. The resort’s shocking panoramic structure and calming interiors are the work of Singaporean design studio, Miaja, who’ve created a sublime up to date ethos in concord with the pure setting, echoing fashionable Mediterranean stylish. Activities starting from yoga courses and underwater pictures excursions to a beachside splash park guarantee a rejuvenating keep for everybody.

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island options in my prime 10 checklist of the greatest luxurious resorts within the Maldives.

Have you ever stayed at Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island? If so, what was your expertise? Leave a remark.

In this assessment (extra information and pictures beneath my YouTube video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uGJa2Zho9o

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island is positioned on the northernmost tip of the North Male Atoll, which can also be dwelling to the capital of the Maldives (Male) and the nation’s important worldwide airport. Its proximity to Male International Airport ensures a fast and easy switch course of after friends arrive within the Maldives, with the choice of both a fast 15-minute seaplane flight or a 60 min speedboat journey. While simply accessible, the property can also be one of many resorts positioned the furthest away from the airport which may nonetheless be reached by speedboat, so it feels very distant and peaceable (opposite to the resorts nearer to the airport that are affected by the sounds and sights of airplane site visitors). The resort lately launched an ultra-luxury boat – the Gulf Craft 48 VIP – for its transfers, setting a brand new commonplace in visitor switch experiences within the Maldives. The boat options seating upholstered in plush leather-based in addition to an opulent out of doors VIP lounge – the right spot to absorb the breath-taking native environment and panoramic views on path to the resort.

Jumeirah Maldives is positioned on the tiny pure island of Olhahali, which ticks all of the packing containers of a sun-kissed tropical paradise and ranks among the many most photogenic and idyllic islands within the Maldives. The resort’s pristine white sand seashore is dotted with dozens of palms bushes and lapped by azure, clear waters that are wealthy of marine life. The island just isn’t very huge, which has the benefit that friends can merely stroll between their villas and the resort’s amenities (24/7 buggy service is offered as properly). At the guts of the island is a village sq., centered round a banyan tree and comprised of recent one- and two storey buildings, which home many of the resort’s public areas: a welcome pavilion (the place check-in and -out is completed), café lounge, gelateria, dive middle, watersports middle, jewellery, two boutiques (one for males and one for girls), and two eating venues (every one coming with its personal pool; extra on that beneath).

Jumeirah Maldives’ up to date structure and soothing interiors are in concord with the pure setting and echo fashionable Mediterranean stylish. Created by Singaporean design studio Miaja, the elegant resort fashion disrupts the Maldivian mould by changing conventional thatched villas with over-sized, penthouse residences and minimalistic white constructions, each on land and overwater. A visible feast of nautical varieties and tones, the resort’s exterior design blends superyacht panache with a vibrant South Beach pulse. Interiors of the villas are equally stunning. Bathed in pure mild with outsized home windows framing the verdant flora and palm fringed seashores or the dramatic sweeping ocean views, the décor harmoniously connects friends to the pure setting, creating a chilled and optimistic vibe. Textured partitions, native artworks and handcrafts mixed with Jumeirah Group’s signature design parts create a way of purity and ease amid natural environment.

Jumeirah Maldives options 67 seashore and overwater villas in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, all providing panoramic views of the dreamy lagoon and the huge Indian Ocean. The resort’s beautiful villas are among the many most spacious within the North Malé Atoll, and are both tucked away within the island’s lush tropical vegetation (seashore villas) or positioned alongside one of many two overwater jetties that stretch out into the turquoise waters (overwater villas). During my vacation, I stayed in a Water Villa with Pool, which was positioned on the resort’s jap jetty. The spacious villa featured a separate dwelling and bed room, which each opened to an expansive with personal pool and a shaded cabana. The outsized rest room was geared up with a standalone bathtub and {couples} rain bathe and likewise featured a small out of doors, walled backyard with an out of doors bathe. The villa additionally had a big roof-top terrace with a lounge space to absorb the sensational panoramas and to take pleasure in each sundown and dawn views.

Exceptional eating experiences are a spotlight of consideration for the Jumeirah Group, who has infused the island expertise of its Maldives outpost with Mediterranean and Nikkei flavors, with two of their award-winning eating places, Shimmers and Kayto, for a very memorable keep:
- Delivering informal alfresco eating, Shimmers is open for lunch and dinner, serving Chef Roberto Rispoli’s beautiful delicacies. Located on the island’s dawn facet, Shimmers is comprised of an open-air, historically styled eating room (the one thatched roof pavilion on the island) and an adjoining up to date bar venue which overlooks the resort’s important pool and seashore membership. Shimmers and the pool space provide chilled vibes all through the day due to a resident DJ and common reside music performances, whereas the ambiance is stylish and tranquil at evening.
- On the island’s sundown is one other eating complicated, which homes two eating places positioned alongside an infinite infinity pool. One restaurant is Kayto, the property’s signature restaurant which serves Peruvian-Japanese fusion delicacies. Kayto options a formidable open kitchen that attracts the diner’s eye to the workforce’s culinary mastery. Next to Kayto is Glow, the resort’s all day eating restaurant, providing worldwide delicacies. Breakfast can also be served at Glow (a mixture of a buffet and à la carte dishes).

On the island’s southern tip sits Jumeirah Maldives’ intimate wellness middle, known as the Talise Spa (which is the wellness model of the Jumeirah Group). Open every day from 9 am to eight pm, the intimate spa has six overwater remedy rooms, which provide unfettered entry to wellness and rest with a variety of therapeutic and re-energising therapies. The latter embrace physique scrubs, massages, aromatherapy bathing rituals, and a Watsu session. The spa’s reception pavilion and remedy rooms are positioned proper over the water in view of the place the ocean currents collide. Alternatively, the spa workforce can even present personal spa therapies within the villa or within the recent air on the rooftop with the waves as a soundtrack. Besides its wellness middle, Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island additionally provide different well being and sport amenities, akin to a tennis court docket, soccer subject and an overwater gymnasium geared up with cardio and different train machines. Each morning, complimentary yoga is obtainable.

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island is managed by the Jumeirah Group, a member of Dubai Holding and proprietor of the Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts world luxurious resort portfolio. Jumeirah operates a world-class 6,500 key portfolio of 26 luxurious properties throughout 10 international locations within the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The group boasts a few of the most prestigious and well-known properties on the earth, from the long-lasting flagship resort and timeless pinnacle of luxurious, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, to its art-inspired dolce vita on the Italian island of Capri. The Jumeirah’s identify is synonymous with service excellence, crafting distinctive experiences for everybody who walks by its doorways. Beyond its properties and resorts, Jumeirah Group can also be devoted to vacation spot eating experiences. The group has over 85 eating places throughout its portfolio (together with Sal, KAYTO, Shimmers, Al Mare, Pierchic and French Riviera), together with three Michelin starred eating places – Shang High, L’Olivo and Al Muntaha.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island is a comparatively small island, so it doesn’t provide a number of selection when it comes to surroundings (particularly when contemplating an extended keep). It takes solely 10 minutes to stroll from the island’s northern tip (the place the workers village is positioned) to the island’s southern tip (dwelling of the spa). But though the island just isn’t very huge, it ranks amongst of probably the most photogenic and delightful islands within the archipelago, with a crystal-clear, deep-blue lagoon and luxurious white sandy seashore. And I assume that its small, intimate scale is strictly what a number of of the resort’s discerning friends are searching for.

One of the few small drawbacks for me is that Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island solely gives three eating places, so there’s not a number of variation with regards to eating, particularly when contemplating an extended keep of 1 week or extra. Glow serves Mediterranean & worldwide delicacies; neigbhoring Kayto Restaurant serves Japanese-Peruvian delicacies (and shares the identical house with Glow); and Shimmers is an informal seashore venue. That stated, meals throughout the three venues is great and of very top quality, and the resort has launched some themed dinner nights (e.g. Indian Thali dinner evening) to make its eating provide a bit extra engaging and variable.

The overwater villas options an superior fashion and characterize the very best of the Maldives with a contemporary twist. However, not all villas provide full privateness. For instance, my villa was positioned alongside a bend of the overwater jetty, so everyone on the jetty had a direct view of the villa’s terrace & pool (as you possibly can see on my pictures). It was not an issue for my journey social gathering, however I suppose this may be a difficulty for honeymooners and different {couples}. I counsel to ebook & request a villa with 100% privateness if that’s vital to you.

MY VERDICT

Location: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Pool: 9/10
Rooms: 9/10
Food: 8/10
Breakfast: 8/10
Spa: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Value for cash: 9/10
Overall expertise: excellent 8,7/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Save cash: get complimentary VIP perks when reserving through Virtuoso (e.g. room improve, every day breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, $75 USD resort credit score, a customized welcome amenity and card from the GM or Hotel Manager, enhanced recognition by VIP standing in any respect contact factors all through the visitor expertise, and complimentary a technique airport switch to suite friends).

Save cash: learn right here my ideas for getting the very best deal at a luxurious resort like Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island (and/or obtain many free perks).

Read my ideas for getting ready your journey in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The greatest climate within the Maldives is between January and April, which additionally means excessive season (with low availability and really costly room charges). The monsoon runs from May to October, peaking in June. It is price paying greater costs and sticking to the dry season as there’s nothing to do on a wet day besides drink, eat, work out or scuba dive. Especially November and December, which are sometimes labelled as dry season months, have been very unsettled in recent times.

HOW TO GET THERE

Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island is well reachable by a 60 min speedboat experience or 15 min seaplane flight from Male International Airport (MLE). Check the Wikipedia web page of Male International Airport for an up to date checklist of airways that provide flights to Male International Airport.

PHOTOS

Here’s a collection of pictures of Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island. To view extra resort pictures (together with breakfast, luch and dinner), click on right here.