Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru

We chose Banyan Tree because of its eco-friendly policies, proximity to Male airport and reviews mentioning a great house reef. These factors made our holiday wonderful, as we snorkelled every day at the beautiful reefs on Vabbinfaru and the sister island, Angsana Ihuru. We took a trip Night Snorkelling which featured glow-in-the-dark plankton, and a snorkelling trip to Turtle Reef where we saw 13 turtles – amazing! We also enjoyed the ‘Marine Talk’ as it gave us a good chance to learn more about the conservation work happening at the resort (coral planting, shark research etc). Service and the villa also made the trip really enjoyable. It was our anniversary and the staff surprised us with a gift and a rose-petal message on the bed. There are no water villas at Banyan Tree but the trade-off is that you get a private pool, Jacuzzi and beachfront area/ garden with your villa, which we loved. The beachfront rooms are just in front of the oceanview rooms. You pay more for a beachfront room but the oceanfront room has more privacy. I felt that the ‘all-day dining menu’ was a limitation and would have instead preferred more themed buffet nights to increase food variety. This is because as a vegetarian, I ended up ordering the same (admittedly delicious!) curry every day. My husband and I both have dietary requirements, which the staff were great at remembering and offering alternatives if available.

Older property in the Maldives but is well maintained. With an older property you expect the staff to be well trained but this was not the case for the main restaurant staff. They were unfriendly to the point of being rude/indifferent. Basic manners was lacking e.g. thank you, you're welcome etc. It didn't exceed our expectations nor did it meet them for a 5* category hotel. The Spa was out of this world. The food at times was bad e.g. a beef curry that I had reminded me of when I was a student and ate frugal meals which came out of a tin. Basic food like burgers were great. We would go back but just for the Spa and nature. Iris and Faris from reception were engaging and professional. The location is perfect as you don't need a sea or domestic plane transfer.

Great getaway! Maldives is magical. This hotel has a sister hotel with a free shuttle so you can explore two islands

It is an amazing island for the people who want a getaway and complete privacy.