Meeru Maldives Resort Island

Excellent opportunity for photography, soothing, peaceful, true feel of nature, co-operative staff, children-friendly

We had a wonderful experience in Meeru beautiful resort and meals delicious especially à la carte experience, all staff throughout the resort were courteous and helpful and did everything to make you have a special time . Although the house reef is quite far out , there are several areas within swimming distance to see plenty of fish around the coral . We are fairly active and found the sports facilities great around the resort tennis , padel and also the pitch and putt was fun .

This is an amazing island and after my 4th visit would return in a heartbeat. Transfers by boat was smooth and well organised. The welcome to the island by the sound of drums was lovely. We stayed in a waterfront villa and in my opinion is the best, straight off the front porch into the sea. The view was spectacular. It’s comfortable and plenty of storage. Food was great, plenty of variety and something for everyone. Staff, well I can’t praise them enough. Always polite and friendly. They can’t do enough for you. Would highly recommend this island as it never ceases to impress me.

An honest review. Room - Great Service from staff - Great Facilities - good Safety - very poor WiFi - very poor Cleanliness - great in places Entertainment - poor This resort has many positives but also many negatives that left an overall feeling that we feel fell short of the expected. Whilst I sympathise with the extra strains and pressure posed but the current financial climate I did not appreciate this being the excuse for us having to wait over 3 hours to be picked up for our transfer. Upon further discussion with the head customer service rep in reception i made this point, that whilst there is challenges they face ultimately it was the hotel who took that decision to make us wait 3 hours for other guests to arrive and only provided a lukewarm warm bottle of water each in a stifling airport. So not the best of starts, which was glossed over and ignored upon our arrival. I would add that I was informed prior to arrival that guests can expect to wait up to an hour for transport to arrive, 3 hours took the piss. Eager to enjoy my honeymoon I put this to one side, the room was great, the view from the rooms are incredible, even if the camera sitting right outside our private balcony was a little intrusive I was assured that it could not see us, although better position and thought perhaps could be taken, this was only a small thing and unique to the room we stayed in. The outdoor bathroom was lovely, the jacuzzi however was a different story. Whilst great to enjoy we found the controls unresponsive and unable to turn the temperature down, the temperature reported was definitely not close to what it actually was and it took 2 days, 2 calls to reception and 3 visits from staff to actually get it working. We was offered a room upgrade to apologise and this was appreciated however upon correction we preferred to stay in our room as the view was so good. All in all I would say the room was as expected and desired once the jacuzzi was working. The service from the waiting staff, chefs, bar staff is exceptional and probably the main asset of this resort. Very quick to learn your room number and always on hand for more drinks and food whenever it was asked. The chefs at dinner having conversation was a nice touch, even if on one occasion it seemed a little intrusive, it was done so out of good intentions. The food at all of the restaurants was great and we could not fault a single meal. It is worth noting that in old information/travel sites the resort shows as having two all inclusive packages however this is not the case. The all inclusive package was great and provided good quality and choice. Safety was a big issue in my opinion and would attribute as to why I probably wouldn’t return to this resort. On our 3rd night our key for the room didn’t work. Whilst annoying because we were in room 342 and at midnight (almost the furthest away from any reception) this is not something which can be foreseen, however it led to me walking halfway down the walkway to use an emergency phone to ring reception. I was very annoyed to find that the phone had no dial tone and did not work, with no signage or tape to indicate that the phone was out of use. After walking another 200meters or more to the next phone I was able to contact reception who then came to resolve the issue. Whilst in our scenario this didn’t cause any issue, it did alarm me that this is not being given a daily check by staff, after all should that have been a real emergency it could make all the difference. On our final night we were informed we had to be in reception by 5:30am, upon walking to the reception it was raining and very dark, which was the perfect time for no lights to be on for more than half of the walkway. Whilst I appreciate that an issue may have occurred, you would expect security and reception to use their cameras and resolve the issue or put measures in place to ensure safety. Having come out of a bright room and attempting to walk down a narrow unlit walkway was definitely not appreciated, and neither was our bags sitting in the rain for 25 minutes at the request of the hotel who then were late to collect. There are two pools. Both of which are clean and well kept. The adult pool on the water jacuzzi villa side is more sheltered from the wind and we found it to be a little too warm during the day and so regularly went to the pool by the dhoni bar and enjoyed the comfort the breeze brought. The only downside I found in relation to the pools was that there was only one fixed umbrella at the adult only pool and none at the main pool with the only shade coming from the palms, meaning a game of musical sunbeds was often played if seeking shade from the sun. A little thing to be noted. The entertainment at the resort was very poor, however those providing what little entertainment there was were great. Whilst I can appreciate the atmosphere and desire from the resort to be island life and laidback, there is 4/5 bars across the resort, all of which played the exact same music at a whisper. It wouldn’t kill for one of the bars to be a little more lively to appeal to those of us who enjoy a little more atmosphere. The resort boasts a wide selection of sports facilities and games but makes almost no attempt to involve guests and it often felt like these were there mainly for those staff living on the island, which is no problem, however to arrange and advertise a couple games between guests would take little to no effort. Additionally the night entertainment was exactly the same each week and could do with some more variety. Additionally I would note that the resort often dosnt do as it advertises, with the app stating that the entertainment bar has live sports coverage of satellite channels. It did not. Not once. All sports were old replays and my ask to show the World Cup games was met with a straight refusal stating they did not have the rights to show them and should I wish to watch them I should do so from my room (where they could charge me for room service no less - so I opted to skip watching) . Disappointing considering their bold statement. Another guest informed me they had also asked about this and had even been emailed from the resort stating they would have live sports coverage, although I can only take them at their word, if so it only furthers the lack of getting that which you pay for and is advertised. I was disappointed that I had to remind staff on one occasion that the bar is open till 12 midnight and not 11pm like they were trying to suggest. We experienced this in the first 2 nights where the bars shut earlier than reported, and on the 3rd I decided to challenge this. Whilst we were 2 of 4 guests still using the bar and entertainment room for pool, I did not appreciate their desire to close early and trying to lie to me when I challenged them on this. Once I produced the app stating the closing times they took it upon themselves to turn off all the lights they could and make the bar look closed, it took me 10 minutes to then get a drink at an empty bar, which in an all inclusive resort was rude and disrespectful. I appreciate that most guests are in bed however I am somewhat of a night owl and on a European sleep schedule so would often be awake till gone midnight. Upon complaint the next day I was informed this would be looked into and I was happy that this was corrected and that a bar manager was now permanently around and this led to improved service and a better atmosphere. The half day snorkelling trip with the dive centre was great and led to us seeing turtles, fish a plenty and even a ray. Our sunset cruise was also great, and despite no sunset due to the clouds it quickly turned into a dolphin cruise with us tracking a pod of dolphins for 30 minutes which was a great experience. Guests staying in the over water accommodation can expect to see plenty of local sea life including black tip sharks and even stingrays on your walk in and out of your room. The overall facilities at the resort are good with toilets kept relatively clean and tidy, the walkways through the island were a little dirty at times but to be expected given the number of people and size of the island. The WiFi at the resort is abysmal, and in the room it’s pretty much none existent. Always dropping out, not working in multiple locations, speed that would make a dial up line seem quick. It’s clear that the hotel is using an old network infrastructure and seriously need to look at improving this to meet modern day consumers. My wife was eager to FaceTime our son, but was often left disappointed due to the poor service, and was left feeling anxious that in an emergency she might not be reached as the WiFi was often disconnected or connected and not working. The best area for service I found was in the dhoni bar, however given that the island seemed relatively quiet, I don’t envy the quests trying to get a connection when this island is busy. In conclusion. I would sum up that this is an average 4 star hotel only due to the service provided from staff in the food and drinks areas, it lacks the oversight of someone with a detailed approach to customer service from a management level and an initiative to get ahead of potential issues in order to make it to a 5 star or even close. The vibe we felt often at times showed a hotel that was trying to cost save and cut back on expenses citing issues with the war or management as being the cause of disappointments. In review I would not return myself, the attention to detail was at times lacking and the entertainment and WiFi were very poor, but the safety issues were for me are too big to overlook. For what we paid I think the value was left wanting for our own needs, but would say however for those guests wanting a calm relaxing holiday with good food and a detox from the digital world this resort would suit their needs.

​Vibe: No noise, complete serenity, and pure relaxation. ​Experience: Exceptional value for money and simply perfect in every single way. ​Highlights: Beautiful pristine beaches, stunning overwater villas, and outstanding hospitality.!