Showing posts with label Maldives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maldives. Show all posts

Friday, 5 August 2016

Personal service in paradise

One of my favourites among the paradise island resorts of the Maldives is The Residence.  I stayed in a lovely 2-bedroom beach villa there a few years back.  The resort is not just fresh and picturesque but they indulge you with very nice personal service.

This week I had my pleasure reflected by one of our customers, whose trip was booked at our Stavanger office in Norway.
My professional travel advisors make a point of asking clients for feedback after travels, and then pass it on to me. This is important information which assists us in advising clients and in helping us and our hotels to maintain perfection.

The Residence Maldives - great feedback.
Island 1 km long with rainforest, white sand and turquoise lagoon. And great staff.


I think this account of our client’s stay at The Residence is worth sharing on my blog too….

The Maldives turned out to be another FIRST for me. I have never been on an island holiday where the only thing to do is relax with so many nice people helping you to do just that!! No shops, no tours, no planning for the next day events and (within the out of season period) just a few people with no crowds or queue's!! It's really was a holiday where relaxation was at the top of the list for us with the help of the staff and we all loved it.

The villa was, of course, a real plus with its spacious pool and passing sharks (small) sting rays and all kinds of smaller fish.
Water villa - ringside seats for fish passing by
When the storm came in one night it was another new experience, winds making strange noises as it whistled across the sea and through the gaps in the sea villa. It could have been a little frightening if, as an Engineer, I had not noticed the concrete covered steel legged foundations. As it was, we all enjoyed the experience with the knowledge that if we did not get to sleep till late we could easily recover during the next day of total relaxation.


We all thought it would be difficult to beat our resort in the Bahama's but unlike that resort this place had really, really nice staff and no sand flies, horse flies or mosquitoes to bite you. The food was another bonus that put the edge on this place as a front runner. Just one day that got a little boring, that was when the storm ran into a second day and although it was expected we were not compensated until the evening when we went fine dining to a lovely sunset.


Rest of his mail is (humerously) about Singapore …


Raffles was a new experience for us and we enjoyed every minute of it. You do pay a heavy price for the name however and with the cost of living in Singapore on the rise, since our last visit, it was a good idea to try for a mortgage before using the mini bar in the room (joke.

Our client then moved on to Four Seasons Langkawi, staying in the Royal Villa, which got this great review in a new mail…


It seems that in the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi we found a luxury resort all to ourselves in the Royal Villa. We enjoyed a massive private pool, an incredible private beach, a massive lounge area with everything you want, a fantastic separate master bedroom suite, an impressive secondary bedroom suite, fantastic jungle areas with flora and fauna in many forms and masses of peace and quiet. There were many things to do outside of our mini resort but what we had inside held the magic of tranquility and peace and when you did decide to venture out, wine and canopies arrived in time to slow your departure and make you think of staying home. It was seen as a good sign of things to come as this was only the first day!!!!!!

Royal Villa at Four Seasons Langkawi
Many thanks to this client for his permission to publish his feedback. His expert travel advisor was Laila Ånestad in our Stavanger office. Or as our client insists; his Expert Holiday Dream Maker

For more about the Residence click HERE.


Four Seasons Langkawi click HERE.




Friday, 13 March 2015

Beauty, class, lifestyle...

One&Only Reethi Rah is famous for its beauty, class and lifestyle. The island was extended to create the most amazing paradise beaches, 11 long white curving stretches of sand lined by coconut palms. 




One of the beautiful long beaches


You can stay in a villa on one of those beaches, or nearby, perched over the water. We tried both types of accommodation. Our favourite was the Beach Pool Villa







Enjoying life

With our sweet beach friend

On a romantic and rather big tropical island...


Jungle and tropical flowers give the island a lush and natural feel. And there is lots to do – from tennis, snorkling, and diving to just enjoying the celebrated lifestyle with its choice of vibey restaurants, entertainment, DJs, wine tastings and lots of  smartly casual sun-blessed fashion to please the eye.

Reethi restaurant all day dining

Fanditha - sunset bar

Beach Club

Style and vibes on the beach

Andrew Jansson resort manager here at the beach club with us
    

KG Hjalmarsson  Dive master and the manager of the marine center. Great guy, very knowledgeable
  
The GM Mark Hehir and his wife Nhapa



Delights

Gracious staff

Management says goodbye

Leaving in this beautiful boat

Towards Male 50 mins
    
And when we arrive at Male we are met by this beautiful Reethi staff member, airport representative...

Ali Asvad

Always helpful welcoming and smiling. Thank you!



Tuesday, 10 March 2015

White Horse beauty

We spent a day at Cheval Blanc Randheli. Amazing. Feels like you are walking through a fashion shoot. The dazzling white sands and turquoise water you expect in the Maldives, plus the interiors you don’t expect - stylishly modern and adorned with artworks. Cheval Blanc is not new to the hotel fashion game – they already have two stylish resorts in the Alps and on St Barth.

Designed to soothe and delight the crème de la crème, the resort not suprisingly attracts celebrities and royalty.  

Its 45 villas are all vast, fresh  and cosmopolitan, each served by not one but two dedicated butlers/concierge.

The Maldives beauty you expect with a modern stylish touch
The white horse in another version
             Style and fresh clean sparkle...

The Spa


Entrance to the Spa


Eva Sitarz Director of Sales  and Åke in front of the spa

Main pool area


Fantastic pool and 4 bedroom villa on its own private island 

Everything that opens and shuts - the four bedroom villa

  

All villas have a great design...


Water villa



Sophisticated yet great for the kids...

Kid size


Kids Club - large pool and beach access

In line with the resort’s aspirations, you can order a bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc.


The best year for Cheval Blanc wine was 1947.  A few bottles are still on sale at USD 35000

 “Never say never again” ...

(As Sean Connery said while drinking Château Cheval Blanc in the 1983 James Bond movie.)

Friday, 6 March 2015

Snow in the Maldives

Now leaving the remarkable Velaa Private Island. A fortune was spent to make this island into the ultimate hideaway. It is all very tasteful – no gold and diamonds flashing except for those its elite clientele have left in their safes back home.

Part of the costly tab is that Velaa offers facilities not usually found in the Maldives like a golf academy, squash, and a covered tennis court, along with a full watersports centre, a spa with a snow room and extraordinary Cloud 9 reclining pods, four top quality restaurants and a wine cellar, and accommodation that is simply designer ... 

Some of my snapshots...

Tropical beauty



Well-being


Entrance to the spa


Cloud Nine - cloud-shaped reclining treatment pod by Klafs & Sha

The only snow in the Maldives - all for beauty treatments at the Spa


Plenty of sparkle when it comes to pools, beaches and turquoise water...






Signature restaurant Aragu


Dinner at Aragu with GM Igor Dolezel and marketing manager Alexander Kharabadze


In front of the restaurant


Breakfast



Gorgeous water villas...




Our beautiful water villa


Normally I prefer beach villas - but I loved our big water villa...

Now for sporty stuff

Lush golf course

Tennis under cover
The people are great.

Our lovely waitress

Our new Italian friend Remy - a chef who makes fantastic food

And its butlers have been recruited from among the best employed all around the Maldives.


Management and our butler saying goodbye


Time to go...

Our seaplane waiting 

Beautiful scenic flight - 45 mins by seaplane to Male