Exceptional experience!
Nov 6, 2024 baodong c
This is the longest positive review Ive ever written but my stay at this resort is too good not to write about
It is my 5th time to Maldives & 2nd time at The Standard. Ive stayed at at least 7 different 5 star resorts in Maldives and The Standard is my no. 1 favorite.
LOCATION:
- If you are obsessed by the green turquoise color of ocean like…
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This is the longest positive review Ive ever written but my stay at this resort is too good not to write about
It is my 5th time to Maldives & 2nd time at The Standard. Ive stayed at at least 7 different 5 star resorts in Maldives and The Standard is my no. 1 favorite.
LOCATION:
- If you are obsessed by the green turquoise color of ocean like me then Raa Atoll, especially this hotel, is located at the best area for this. My 1st time was during dry season, my 2nd time was during rainy season, but the ocean color here was always breath-taking. The shades of ocean color in different atolls/ resorts do not look the same and this resort just has the best ocean color
- During my 2 times here, I stayed both on Beach Villas & Overwater villas, their views were both awesome!
FACILITY & EQUIPMENTS:
- Almost 4 years after my 1st stay, everything still looks brand new, the resort did a great job in maintaining their facility, furniture & items
- All bikes worked well
ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT:
- Everyday there are always many complimentary & paid activities to do. The main purpose of my trip was to advance my solo meditation practice so I did not do many of outdoor activities, but if you are an active & curious person, you will never get bored here. Even on rainy days, the resort still quickly replaces their outdoor activities with fun indoor ones
- Special thanks to Mikey for creating such fun dance classes every morning. His fire & light shows in evening were admirable to watch! He was always on time, enthusiastic, funny & talented! He had this ability to make everyone laugh & ẹnjoy, even if guests were just at beginner level. He did not make any guest feel left out! His classes were something I look forward to everyday! My favorites were Aqua dances & Latino dances!
- Huge thanks to Linus, my tennis coach! 2 days before my departure, I tried tennis for the 1st time in my life. My experience was sooooo good that I signed up for the 2nd session next day. Linus was so patient with me. He was very committed to helping me overcome my weakness in movement. He tried again, again & again different methods until I succeeded. Most importantly, he knew how to motivate & encourage me. He was very kind, uplifting & professional. I only regret I did not try tennis earlier during my 7 day stay!
- I like my guided snorkelling time with Unash! Thank you for showing me such a great time & making me feel safe! The underwater world of this resort was amazing!
HOUSEKEEPING:
- Cleanliness is 10/10 everywhere in this resort.
- In some 5 star resorts, housekeeping staffs were not as good as front office staffs in terms of interaction with guests. I had unpleasant experience in other resorts. But here, they were good on another level.
- Special thanks to Robert, it was a true pleasure receiving his huge smile every time I saw him. He has a back office job but a front office attitude: always happy, super smiling & asked me if everything in my room were okay. He was the best Housekeeping staff Ive seen in all of my travels around the world! He remembered well guests’ preference for in-room amenities & did not miss a day giving me extra requested amenity. Truly 5 star!
- One day, Ravi was cycling past me, he probably saw me looking very confused :)) on the walkway to overwater villas. He made a detour asking me if I was okay. I was actually waiting for someone passing by to ask for help with taking photos (I travelled alone), therefore, I had to praise him for his ability of recognizing a guest’s need just by a glance. Big thank you to Ravi for his great photography skills!
F&B:
- If you are on Intermittent Fasting 16:8 like me, the dining outlets here are ideal for you, especially their healthy food menu!
- The Nasi Goreng I had here was the best I ever had outside of Bali, so mouth-watering! The Japanese dishes followed authentic Japanese standard. Portion at BBQ Shark was huge. It was nice when the chef came out asking about guest’s experience
- The F&B manager Avinesh (not sure if I wrote his name correctly) certainly did a great job in training his team. Raya, Eemaz, Nissa were very friendly, hospitable & lovely. Special thanks to Basky & Sallu for taking photos for me. Sallu always has a big smile on his face whenever I saw him.
- Jennifer & 1 more breakfast hostess (sorry I forgot your name, so I’ll call you lady A) were always so kind, hospitable & adorable. Jennifer always asked me if I wanted coffee, with which type of milk. I told lady A only once my preference for table, she then every single day after that, gave me a table of my preference, even advised me which table to sit to avoid the harsh sunshine later. Little details like these make a big difference, especially for solo travellers like me, because when we are alone, we become much more observant. Even in some upscale 5 star hotel brands, some breakfast staffs look grumpy, like they hate their job, which is not nice since they are the first contacts guest meet at the start of the day. Jennifer & lady A were always a joy for me to meet every morning!
- Harri was the most smiling and cheerful F&B staff! It was so nice to talk to him! He worked in Dubai before so he certainly brought Dubai great hospitality skills to here
- Bavan was the super star of this department! He was extremely attentive to details, he made me feel genuinely cared for, in a professional way. He always double checked on me. In his presence, I always feel welcomed & not alone at all, it meant a lot to me! I saw how he interacted with other guests who were couples, families, kids, he made everyone happy. His attitude towards his job & guests was truly exemplary. This gentleman’s level of service is outstanding! I do not have enough words to describe his performance!
FRONT DESK:
- The welcomes I received from Thoriq & Shafu at airport were extremely good. The gentleman was very smiling, happy & helpful, I asked if they had pain killer for headache, he did not have but managed to find some for me. The lady was very friendly, gentle & communicative!
- Special thanks to my host Lew for taking care of me & arranging smoothly everything for me. She was always informative, helpful & fast in replies. In all of my stays at different resorts in Maldives until now, she was the most professional host I had.
- Hadil was truly the Star of Front Office! This lady has an ability of predicting correctly guests’ needs & offering to help, even before guests know they would need it! I only asked for A4 papers, she offered me papers, pen & paper pad. She & Naseef went out of their way to help me when I needed on different occasions. She might look serious but once you speak to her, you will realize how adorable & sweet she is! I wish I stayed longer so I could speak more to her!
- Paolo was such a sweet gentleman! He had an aura & a natural spirit to make guests feel at ease & happy. His big smile & positive energy are noticeable! You simply cannot ignore him. Thank you for teaching me some Arabic words!
- I only had some short interactions with Shahulan when he drove me on buggy, he was always smiling, hospitable & warm.
- The manager Naseef, the supervisor Shaan, Maaish, together with Paolo, Hadil & Mikey, were the funniest gentlemen & ladies. Thank you so much for all the laughters. Their humor was the highlight of my stay. The best part was how they could make jokes & laugh with you and at the same time, still remained very professional & respectful. Sometimes, when guests are very friendly, staffs could accidentally cross boundary. It was not the case with them. Their ability to be both entertaining & appropriate towards guests is remarkable!
- As funny as they are, Naseef & Shaan took their leadership seriously. In case of complaint, they would do tight follow-up to ensure guests’ satisfaction afterwards. So, if you are both very difficult & at same time low-key funny like me, you would appreciate these 2 gentlemen
RESERVATION
- Thank you Ms Nhieu for coming to the resort pier to bid farewell to me. Her hospitality, friendliness & big smile were rememberable!
For me, 5 star is all about exceptional service. Any 5 star resort can do magnificent decor, tasty food, excellent facility, etc…..but not all 5 star can provide world-class service. The Standard is although a new brand but it has proven to be on the same level with other upscale 5 star brands! I definitely will return to The Standard Maldives & recommend it to anyone! Thank you, once again, to every single name I mentioned above & to every single other staff that I might forget & not mention. You guys are truly amazing!
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