The Nautilus Maldives

This is the first time we have ever written a review but my goodness is it well deserved. We had the MOST AMAZING 12 night stay at the Nautilus in the Maldives. There really are no words to describe how wonderful a stay at this paradise island is. From the moment you step off the plane you are swept away & looked after impeccably. The wonderful Nappe was our house master and we couldn’t have wished for any better care and attention to detail. He was the perfect combination of professional and kind. The exceptional levels of hospitality didn’t stop at Nappe either. Every single member of the hotel team was incredible. Often when you visit somewhere there are one or two standout individuals that make your stay extra special but on this trip it was impossible to do so because EVERYONE was so outstanding in what they did! That is a huge credit to the general manager Adan and the hotel manager Nizam who personally ensure every guest’s stay is second to none. Their leadership somehow manages to foster in everyone a sense of perfectionism and a dedicated work ethic, whilst also maintaining a genuine spirit of joy and satisfaction in a job well done. Everybody you speak to you’ll find absolutely charming as they almost effortlessly deliver to the highest hospitality standards. The ‘unscripted dining’ for meals was a delight too. It provides true relaxation with the freedom to choose when, where and how you wish to eat. No pressure to make breakfast on time or dress to any code or even for the kids to wear shoes. Another benefit of no set times for meals is that guests do everything in their own time, so no mad rush or busy periods in the day. Only at sunset cocktails do guests tend to congregate and enjoy a brief moment together. At most other points, for us, it felt like we were on our own private island - such bliss! ALL the food is SENSATIONAL too. Huge compliments to the chefs & pastry chefs that make it just so. We also ordered ‘off menu’ once or twice and every culinary challenge was relished by the team. Another incredible feature of the island is the world class spa, which is a real credit to the spa manager Meena. Every morning my wife walked bare foot along the beach with the turquoise sea lapping at her toes and went to yoga. The yoga studio at the spa is beautiful and you look out to the sun dancing on the ocean whilst you do it. The yoga teachers were fantastic. They finished with an inspiring sound bath & my wife developed a little ritual of going for a swim in the sea upon her return. My wife also had quite a few treatments there, which she can confirm were the BEST a spa lover could experience. Again, it is impossible to single-out names as ALL the beauty technicians at the spa are absolutely incredible at what they do. We noted from the spa manager that they all have over 10 years experience, which is evident from the level of experience they create. The other feature of the island which we love, is that it is truly a ‘bare foot’ is

We have recently returned from a two week trip to The Nautilus. The original booking was to split our time between an over water villa and a beach bungalow . In the end we decided to stay with the former as we were comfortable and didn’t want the disruption. The CIP arrival process at Velana , whilst not exclusive to the Nautilus (but is included in the resort’s tariff) is superb. You are met from the steps of the plane and escorted to a CIP lounge which deals with all your immigration and luggage formalities. The process is very fast and if you book the exclusive Nautilus plane you can expect to be at the island within 40 minutes. We actually had the entire plane to ourselves which was a novelty! We had a full management greeting at the arrival jetty and Mira ,our very kind butler, escorted us around the small but manicured island. Everything you would expect for a 5 star resort is in pristine condition. You receive a contact form before arrival as many reviewers have already commented on regarding pillows, mattresses ,allergies and even down to the temperature of the swimming pool. We had a few hit and misses on the food. It is expensive and items starred on menu’s are surcharged so you expect something special. We had such an experience at Zeytoun which was below par. The chef rectified this on the next night with a beautifully seasoned and cooked porterhouse! The dine anywhere, eat breakfast anywhere concept is well known to the Nautilus and it is pretty cool. By and large though we vacated our room so that it could be serviced by Allam. You very rarely saw him but whenever we came back to the villa it was spotless, fridge replenished, ice bucket full…incredible. For medical reasons I was unable to dive but we did snorkel on the beautiful house reef. They have a cocktail 1/2 hour every evening at Naiboli where you can meet other guests but there won’t be a lot because it is a small and private island! Last shout out for Mira who was wonderful. Friendly and discrete but always on hand. He noticed that my wife didn’t like the a/c light on which was bothering her sleep. Next day all lights were taped up. That’s attention to detail. It is an expensive resort but they look after you very well and you will struggle to want to leave.

Had the most beautiful family holiday at the Nautilus, everything was simply perfect. The villas really are WOW with no expense spared in creating a home from home , food and service excellent in all restaurants , and every member of staff is friendly , attentive and professional, special thanks to our housemaster Siyam who took care of us so well. The highlight of our trip was swimming with the manta rays at Hanifaru bay , which is unforgettable and should not be missed. Thank you to everyone at The Nautilus and hope to visit again soon.

This is such an amazing place! We stayed in a beach residence and being able to wake up and walk straight on the beach was heaven. I want to give a special shout-out to the staff for being so professional and amazing - especially Siyam who personally helped us with everything, he was so helpful and quite the social media/ photographer expert so thankyou Siyam ! We had a wonderful experience, amazing food, lovely service and such clean and well maintained living ♥️