Park Hyatt Maldives Review: Paradise found at Hadahaa

After our 2 day epic journey to the Maldives that included a stopover in Milan, we finally set foot on the tiny island Hadahaa that is home to the Park Hyatt Maldives. This paradise is one of the best resorts in Maldives. We had read enough glowing reviews to know that we were going to have a fabulous time and our expectations were very high. We were not disappointed. In fact, the wonderful staff exceeded our expectations and treated us better than any resort we’ve ever visited. We felt like royalty while we were there. Whether it was sending someone to our room to get our bottle of sparkling wine from our mini fridge to getting a buggy to drive us to our room at the end of the night, they went above and beyond to make us comfortable and relaxed on this little slice of heaven called Hadahaa. I’m dreaming of being back there as I sit at home and write this Park Hyatt Maldives review. If you’re looking for top resorts in Maldives, you must check out Park Hyatt Hadahaa.

When you arrive, your host greets you at the boat and either takes you to the Dhoni for check-in or takes you directly to your villa. The Dhoni is built to look like an upside down traditional Maldivian fishing boat and serves as a recreational room for the resort. It holds a variety of games and comfortable seating areas perfect for lounging and relaxing.

We arrived late at night so our host took us straight to our villa. As Hyatt diamond members, we were welcomed in our room by a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and a bowl of fresh fruit. There were also glasses of iced tea and little jars of snacks waiting for us- olives, mixed nuts, and chocolates.We quickly made ourselves comfortable in our gorgeous villa and got a much-needed good night of sleep, eager to explore the island once the sun rose. Photos and reviews of the 3 different villa options (Park Hyatt Maldives Park Villa, Park Hyatt Maldives Park Pool Villa, and Park Hyatt Maldives Water Villa) are available in separate articles linked above, but here’s a quick glance of what they look like. The Park Villas and Park Pool Villas are the same except for the addition of the private plunge pool seen below for the latter, and the Park Water Villas are perched above the Indian Ocean with unbeatable views.

On our first morning, we made our way to The Dining Room for the bountiful and delicious breakfast. We were glad that we did not opt for the Park Hyatt Maldives all inclusive plan. We were so full after our complimentary breakfast that we didn’t eat again until our complimentary cocktails and canapé at sunset.

For our foodie followers, check out Free breakfist fit for a king at Park Hyatt Maldives for photos and descriptions of each of the fantastic dishes we ordered for breakfast. The open-air restaurant has tables inside, but the best spot to eat is outdoors under the shade of the canopy.  We enjoyed our breakfast on the terrace with jaw-dropping views of the infinity pool seemingly flowing into the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

We were greeted by our sweet host Natalia at breakfast and she showed us around the luxury resort after we enjoyed our gourmet meal. The island has a very private feel since it only has 50 villas. Even being at full capacity during the very popular Valentine’s week, it never felt crowded.We could not believe how many picturesque and cozy spots for relaxing there were all over the resort. It is a photographer’s dream, and we were on cloud nine over the gorgeous views everywhere we looked. We took hundreds of photos in the week we were there and it was really hard narrowing down to the ones we used in our articles because there were just so many good shots. If you aren’t already following us on Instagram and Twitter, we post many photos of our travels every day so please follow us for more great pictures.The main pool area is stunningly beautiful and surprisingly uncrowded. Each time we swam in the pool, we shared it with only 1-2 other guests, and we never had to hurry to secure a lounge chair.

The bar is adjacent to the main pool and The Dining Room and is equally beautiful and inviting. The ambience was intoxicating and romantic, and there were many cozy spots to enjoy a drink with your loved one in the relaxed lounge atmosphere. We made new friends at the bar while enjoying our free evening cocktail and canapés, another excellent perk for Hyatt Diamond members. We smoked hookah with a billionaire whose private family yacht was anchored at the island for a few days. We met a professional basketball player who made Bertaut (who is 6’6) look like a dwarf and a well-known travel blogger whose articles had inspired us to visit this resort. Hanging out at the bar always guaranteed a fun evening and good conversations with people from all over the world, which is something we love about traveling.The bar extends down to the beach, where they host the Manager’s Cocktail Reception on Saturday nights. It is set up with chairs, bean bags, and romantic cabanas perfect for cuddling and watching the sunset. This was another great spot where we sipped our complimentary cocktails and nibbled our canapés while watching the sun sink into the ocean.

The beach on Hadahaa is one of the most beautiful we’ve visited thanks to the unbelievably vivid shades of the Indian Ocean, which varies from sea green to bright turquoise to deep ocean blue. Bertaut had fun playing around with his brand new drone on the beach, until it suddenly disappeared into the ocean. Read Adventures of a drone in the Maldives: From above the treetops to under the sea for more about that, but here’s one of my favorite drone shots of us on the beach.

Just off the breathtaking beach, with tables sitting on the sand is the Island Grill, which is open only for dinner and serves regionally inspired dishes locally sourced. We did not eat in the restaurant but enjoyed the chef’s romantic private dinner on the beach for Valentine’s Day, and his food was wonderful. The Island Grill provides a seafood buffet and a beach barbecue once each week, as well as a menu with a nice selection of seafood and meats from the grill.

During our tour of the island, we checked out the fitness center but never made it back since we preferred to get our exercise in the beauty of the outdoors snorkeling and swimming. For those who are dedicated enough to work out on vacation, there’s a nice selection of weights and equipment to keep those bodies toned and swimsuit ready.They also have a yoga studio and offer complimentary sunrise yoga and sunset yoga twice per week at the main pool. We intended to go but somehow were always busy doing something else when it was offered (like sleeping in, getting a massage, or having cocktails-also very important on vacation).Next to the yoga studio is The Spa Vidhun, where we enjoyed a chocolate body wrap and massage as part of a Valentine’s Day package. If you are curious, check out our article linked above about that unique and unforgettable experience. The spa pool never had anyone at it when we were there, so it would be the perfect spot to take an afternoon nap or do some reading without any distractions. It is available for anyone staying at the resort, regardless of whether you use the spa.

We mentioned that we went snorkeling for our exercise, which is one activity that is a must-do while on Hadahaa.  Hadahaa is the best island in Maldives for snorkeling. Their coral reef is one the best in the Maldives, and actually has the greatest coral cover in the nation. We snorkelled on our own, but some prefer to have a guide, which is available for a fee at the resort’s activity center. If you don’t know how to swim but want to snorkel (like Bertaut),  you can rent a life jacket. Check out this first time snorkeling for non-swimmers guide.

Blue Journeys is the resort’s PADI 5-star Dive Center and they provide guided snorkeling as well as scuba diving programs for all experience levels. It’s also another cozy spot to flip through the books with information about the coral reefs and species of fish that can be found in the Maldives.We preferred to stay on the surface of the house reef since you can see everything from there, but for the more adventurous, we heard the scuba diving is phenomenal. Hadahaa’s house reef boasts 1,200 species of fish and 250 species of coral and is magical to explore. We spotted thousands of fish, an octopus, several reef sharks, and a sea turtle while snorkeling. I also found Nemo swimming around some colorful anemones. We have hours of snorkeling footage filmed with our GoPro camera that we may someday get around to editing and posting. Bertaut captured the photo below of me snorkeling with his drone before it vanished.

A final stop on our tour of Park Hyatt Maldives is the guest services lounge and library, where you can swing by if you need anything. I stopped by for calamine lotion to soothe a painful sunburn, and they offered to have me seen by their resident doctor if needed (which was not needed, but was comforting knowing they had a doctor should the need arise). In the guest services lounge they have a telescope for stargazing, computers and printer, satellite television, Internet access, movies, books, magazines, and CD’s you can borrow. They even have a research section on the history and evolution of the Maldives. We attended a brief presentation by their marine biologist with that information and it was very interesting.It was so hard to say goodbye to the exceptional staff at Park Hyatt Maldives and leave such a beautiful and relaxing island. When it was finally time to go, we were given a warm send-off by the managers and sped off in the boat for the first leg of the long journey home.They have a practice of sending at least one manager to meet guests when they arrive and leave the island, and then stand there waving at you until you can no longer see them. Just one final example of the exemplary customer service and royal treatment at this resort. Here we are with the General Manager Mariano Sylvestri and the Director of Operations Pravin, who were both wonderful and always made sure we had everything we needed and more.

Conclusion of our Park Hyatt Maldives Review

We are friendly people and tend to get to know staff at hotels when we travel, but we’ve never felt so taken care of by hotel staff anywhere else. We will definitely return and think it is the best luxury resort in the Maldives. If you are considering a Maldives honeymoon, this is the best place to stay in Maldives because it is so incredibly romantic and secluded. *Update- we are scheduled to return in February 2018 and are counting down the days!

You are probably thinking that we were given some sort of freebie or discount in exchange for writing this review, but unfortunately we aren’t that cool yet. 😉 This trip was entirely on our dime (well, mostly on our Hyatt points and Hyatt Reward stays actually) and we have nothing but the highest praise for Park Hyatt Maldives. We hope you make it there too, because it will be an unforgettable dream vacation in this paradise on Earth. Check out how to plan your dream trip to the Maldives from The Jetsetter Diaries with hotel options for every budget. Of the top hotels in Maldives, this is your best bet if you have Hyatt points. Many of the popular bloggers who are masters of travel hacking come here on points, so you should too! If you liked this post, please share it and pin it for later. If you would like to get our tips to travel like a millionaire, please sign up for our email newsletter.

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