Holiday Village Retreat

After a month visiting local islands in the Maldives, this was the only stay where the service left us so badly disappointed. We had contacted Bary several times after booking to confirm our reservation and arrival details, but when we reached the port, nobody was there. I had to call. Bary eventually came and said he'd overbooked, so we waited at a restaurant while he tried to find us somewhere to stay. The replacement was a very low-quality guesthouse, several levels below Holiday Village Retreat, and its nightly rate was much cheaper. When we told Bary we weren't happy with it, he said he'd look for another place for the rest of our stay. I followed up several times that day, but by evening he said everything else was fully booked. We searched nearby islands ourselves and found a suitable place on Mathiveri. The owners confirmed they had space, but Bary wouldn't pay for it, saying it cost too much. The difference was about $40 a night. We moved the next morning and paid for the new accommodation ourselves. We couldn't leave the same day after waiting until evening for Bary to find another option. He eventually agreed to cover the one night we'd spent at the Bodufolhudhoo guesthouse he'd put us in, and to refund what we'd prepaid through Agoda. I suspect this happened because we'd booked far ahead, before prices rose, and Bary wanted to keep guests paying more and send us to a cheaper guesthouse. We lost a whole day trying to get suitable accommodation. Other reviews describe similar cases. If I could, I'd rate this place minus one star. Even one star feels too generous for this kind of service. It felt like a real fraud.

Our food was still supposed to be served at Holiday Village Retreat, but we've never eaten so badly there. The island itself was a disappointment too. It's one of the smallest, and it didn't seem prepared for tourism. We were told the day before arrival that the resort was full and we'd have to stay at a neighboring bed and breakfast instead. That was a considerable downgrade, though they made up for it with three free excursions. Looking at the price afterward, the stay wasn't worth it at all.

We were traveling on a tight budget, so with so many expensive hotels around, we chose this hotel on a small island. We liked staying among the locals, who were approachable and accommodating. The food was great, and the beach was quiet with few tourists. Photos were taken in September 2018.

We came for dinner and really enjoyed the fresh, tasty seafood and fish buffet. The terrace was lovely too, with all its trees and decorations.