Nova Maldives

Colin Service

We spent a beautiful 7 days here with our two kids in interconnecting family rooms. The room layout and design are very well thought out and extremely light, airy and spacious. We could work, sleep, refresh and relax in all parts of the sunrise beach villa. Everything is where it needs. Wi-Fi is functional. We also enjoyed a tour of the overwater villas which had a huge bathroom. In general, we prefer the beach villas due to being directly on the beach and a little bit more land space to spread out and relax. Highlight is the cleanliness of the facilities and room cleaning; our room was cleaned during breakfast and again turned down at dinner. This is always very much appreciated on island life due to the sand issue being everywhere and in every corner. The attraction of this hotel is definitely the 25 minute seaplane transfer which was just a breeze. There is a noticeable difference in the snorkeling by the sunrise beach village than the sunset beach villas. We much preferred the snorkeling at the sunrise side. An abundance of sea life from sharks and turtles to rainbow colorful fish. Activities we enjoyed included the kayak rental, turtle snorkel and dolphin searching. Although we didn’t see any dolphins this time the boat journey around the Indian Ocean was just spectacular and chatting to the crew was just great to get some local insight. I am delighted that the hotel is locally owned and employing the majority of local staff but they really just need to drastically rethink their buffet style dinning. Usually we stay more than a week on the Maldives but this case with the kids it was only 7 nights. Any longer and I think the food would have drove us crazy. The only setback the island has is really the dining with the half board/all inclusive option in their Buffet restaurant. Here is where the international management aspect is really missing. The daily options are of course freshly cooked but very repetitive and lacking a varied of flavor. Breakfast is very satisfactory where everyone will find something. We also tried flames restaurant which was delicious and their teppanyaki and a very welcomed change to a monotonous buffet. The kitchen; They are trying really, really hard but they are working with weak quality food provided from management budget. For an international hotel you need an international food/chef. This must change drastically. Drinks prices are very reasonable around the pool bar 12-14$ for cocktails excluding taxes. Kadek (from Bali) at the teppanyaki restaurant and host at the main restaurant was outstanding and showing us our table in the main restaurant. Anggi who cooked breakfast omelet every morning with a smile. Alisee is just remarkable person providing above and beyond service. In general the staff are friendly and professional however there were a selective few who were really proactive in providing above and beyond service. Bar area was very welcoming where there was table tennis, snooker, board games, afternoon snacks and cinema. Their gym faciltiy is absolutely wonderful! A very solid hotel with some aspects being excellent. The food just lets the experience down completely and the staff do a marvelous job. Onsite management is very much appreciated to be able to talk to.

hanan salah

I had an incredible experience at Nova. The staff, especially Shems at the front desk and Chef Ali, were truly exceptional. Their hospitality and service added an extra layer of enjoyment to my trip. The attention to detail and friendly atmosphere made it a memorable stay. Highly recommend- truly the soul place!

Russell Tanaka

My wife and I had an incredible time on our honeymoon. The house reef was great for snorkeling. The food was lovely at all of the restaurants. We were able to swim with both manta rays AND whale sharks. Unforgettable experience and would love to come back

Valerie068

(SECOND PART OF THE LONG REVIEW.... :))) (....) I also particularly liked the Banyan Tree in the middle of the island, it's really atmospheric. They also organized an event introducing us to the Maldivian culture with a great variety of delicious local delicacies. I found this particularly great, as this is only emphasized in a few Maldivian resorts - but now we could learn something new about the culture of our beloved little islands in the Indian ocean. Such a great idea! Referring the house reef: It is very rich in fish! You can see sharks on every corner. It's like swimming through an aquarium! Beautiful! Unfortunately, the corals are no longer happy. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being in the water every day and looked at the cute fish. Another highlight was our shoot with Sidhra! We were able to take amazing photos that are a wonderful memory of this wonderful island for a long time to come. Sidhra is really such a lovely person - just like everyone else here at this place. She gave me such nice compliments and we both just love her photos! She gives very good instructions and knows the best spots on the island. I can only recommend a shoot like this. She is so talented! Sidhra takes great photos, has a great eye for beauty and I wish we had done another shoot. :-) We changed to the water villa with pool for two nights. I cannot recommend that enough. What a luxury!!! And how beautiful a villa can be... sooo huge. And the sea is perfect for snorkeling. We took some great photos and I would love to go back there again. Really, an absolute dream. I can't describe it any other way! The cocktails were tasty, and the nightly entertainment was generally enjoyable, though sometimes a bit loud and long. Our bungalow was far enough away, though. So we did not needed to experience it if we did not want. Haydi's dance performances were definitely a standout – she's not only beautiful but incredibly talented and so kind. Omg, you are a queen, girl!! Oh, I also must mention the diving school! We did two dives and were so happy! Both diving instructors were great, but unfortunately, I only remember Tanja by name! She was so nice and sent us all the videos that were taken with her GoPro while diving because ours was broken. For free! That was just so friendly. She was sooo nice! And what can I say: On our second dive we encountered huge manta rays! Completely unplanned! It was pure luck, and I am so grateful for it. And thanks to Tanja we even have it on video. Incredible! We also went on a whale shark excursion. While successful, the crowded spot was a bit disheartening for us as animal lovers. I'm sorry that the review took so long to publish. But I hope I've been able to describe most things and give my perspective. Everyone at this resort goes really above and beyond to ensure guest satisfaction. It was an incredible experience, and I would book this island again in a heartbeat! Thank you so much for giving us such unbelievable, wonderful memories that will last forever… *wiping away my tear of happiness* … I hope you guys are all fine and maybe we will see each other again… All the best wishes to all of you!!! PS.: If you want to know more, I am gonna upload tons of pictures about my trip on my travelinsta: @mermaid.traveling

Julia Kryuchkova

Can a 5-star hotel change bed linens only once in 10 days? Can a 5-star hotel have the entire island enclosed with protruding walls made of dead construction stones, in several rows, creating a labyrinth with strong currents, making it impossible to reach the reef? The surface of the water was filled with debris for all 10 days. Nowhere in the Maldives in 12 years have we seen such horror. Beach villas are very close to each other, with an approach next to the technical area, emitting sewage smells, laundry scents, and noise from machinery behind an ugly fence. It's a very dirty, noisy island lacking privacy. On water villas, even adults find it hard to open doors, posing a danger to children. There are constant vibrations and audible sounds from neighbors. The jacuzzi smelled like sewage. Freshly squeezed juices are not available for breakfast, only for an additional cost, and they are made from unripe fruits. Gluten-free options are limited to breakfast, and lactose-free is not available at all. If you don't eat fried food or want something steamed or al forno, they might bring it once, but after 30 minutes, they forget about you. Be careful with the billing; they might try to overcharge you. The hotel manager, Albo, left the most unpleasant impressions. Thanks to Victoria for her attention. I do not recommend this hotel. I wouldn't give it more than 3 stars. Today we moved to the Diamonds hotel, which is cheaper than Nova, but it's beautiful and pleasant. Finally, we are in a good, normal hotel where everything is for the guest.