Best Hotels in Van＇gaaru, Maldives

My husband and I visited to celebrate our anniversary, a dream trip that took years of savings. We love the Marriott brand and the JW seemed like the perfect place after months of mind boggling research (there are SO MANY resorts in the Maldives). I’ve stayed at Ritzs and St. Regis and Four Seasons at other locations and really appreciate the attentive service and attention to detail, but this place blew them out of the water. We had quite high expectations and we were blown away. Of course the resort is gorgeous - glittering water of every shade of blue and green imaginable and beautiful beaches and buildings. But what struck us most was the staff. From the second our sea plane landed, we were doted on - I was hesitant with having a “butler” because I am a no fuss kind of person and would rather die than someone wait on me. But the staff here was so genuine, helpful, and chatty without being overbearing or intrusive…which is an extremely difficult balancing act. I reached out to the team early in our booking to review the process and they kept in touch very efficiently and answered a ton of my questions. I didn’t realize just how “full service” it would be! We literally didn’t have to do anything! From the moment we landed at the airport, someone was there to greet us by name and drive us to an off site lounge in the sea plane terminal (wifi in the van, and the huge lounge was gorgeous and relaxing with snacks and drinks and very comfortable chairs, also wifi). We waited an hour or so for our seaplane to take us to the resort. Once we landed at the property, there was a huge team of people waiting on the dock for us with a welcome drink, playing drums, clapping, and introducing themselves. It was like out of a movie - they whisked us off to our overwater villa and let us get acclimated for a few minutes and then delivered our luggage. They offered to unpack for us but we declined. Our butler gave us his information and arranged a tour of the island for us in the morning. We texted him anytime we needed anything and he promptly assisted. Our room was gorgeous, and they decorated our bed for our anniversary and provided wine and a welcome cake as well. There was always tons of water in the room to stay hydrated and no wasteful plastic! We really loved the conservation initiatives. The shower was great, plus we had an outdoor shower! Also - whatever water filters they have were amazing! My hair so so light and soft! If in any doubt - go for the rate including breakfast. It’s an amazing buffet of delicious food for all cultures, and you can eat lagoonside with views of the sharks, fish and rays. The coffee and fresh juices are delicious, and we were able to try so many options to fuel up for the day. Eggs to order, dim sum, fresh fish, yogurts, pastries, bacon, rice dishes, paratha, charcuterie, pouridges, salads, tropical fruits, cheeses, etc. we didn’t eat lunch most days because the breakfast was so good. The property is SO QUIET and