Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives

We returned from Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa in March after a fabulous week spent on this beautiful island. On arrival in Male we were promptly brought to our sea plane & what an experience ... it’s was literally stunning. On Arrival were greeted by the team and offered refreshments and cool towels. The first thing that struck us was the water .. crystal clear with fish and baby black tip sharks swimming around in abundance. The ultimate all inclusive is amazing which not only cover your food & drink but 5 boat trips, spa treatment, afternoon tea, mini bar ... literally everything ... which was a real winner for us. The food was exceptional especially the Thai & Italian. Finally it was the STAFF that made this resort stand out for us. A big shout out to Pinto, Corin, Rubel, Joi & Bell who we felt went above and beyond to deliver an amazing customer experience. Thank you Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa for making our first trip to The Maldives so special ... we will defiantly be back. Gerry Moran Read less

We had an excellent time at the resort. We booked the sunset pool villa which came with the club experience. Senthil the club manager went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. I loved that everything was included and we didn’t have to worry about much once there. We did pay for a meal in order to have dinner on the beach. It was yummy. The only reason I’m giving a 4 star instead of 5 is because it was really hard to speak to someone before we made or reservation and the rooms although beautiful could use a bit of an update. Although, to be fair I knew this before booking the property. Again we had a wonderful time. We also got to see the whale sharks which was amazing and included! We also got couples massages which were also included. After much research we are very very happy we chose this resort as our first maldives experience. Read less

We absolutely adore to travel and have always had the dream to visit the Maldives. Given that there are far less expensive island destinations to visit, we had always considered the Maldives to be part of our ultimate travel bucket-list. In December last year, I received the biggest Christmas gift surprise from my precious husband - he had decided it was finally time for us head to our ultimate dream destination, the Maldives, opting to only reveal which resort upon our arrival by sea plane. I had often watched YouTube videos of the Maldivian experience and lived each moment from a distance, wondering if reality was anything like the videos - now our the time had come, and in March this year our much-anticipated journey finally began. Oh boy, this was no marketing ‘hype’ - what followed exceeded every expectation! The sea plane experience was beyond any adrenaline rush I had ever imagined, and flying over the idyllic islets and blue waters was like a "Photoshop" dream. As the sea plane descended, I saw the the exquisite water villas, and it was revealed - the Centara Grand island resort come into view - I immediately knew that our Maldivian dream was now a reality. Arriving at Centara Grand immediately left us speechless – and the goosebumps seemed to remain with us during our entire time on the island. The staff gave us a warm welcome, full of heart, and this already made us feel special. Our hostess, guest relations manager Lark, was simply out of this world, and personally escorted us to the Club area for our VIP welcome and check-in, complete with scented towels, welcome drinks and a remarkable beach setting. We were also so pleased that our villa was ready ahead of the official check-in time, and we had been assigned the Villa we had requested. Our welcome set the tone for the rest of our experience - the staff at Centara Grand really made our holiday top-class. Every single manager, butler, waitress, bartender, housekeeper and leisure staff exceeded our expectations. The Club staff were simply impeccable - I was literally in tears to say goodbye to them when we left. Senthil, the Club Manager, stood out for us - an impeccable man with a heart of gold, a fantastic sense of humour, and attention to detail. His signature response was always “The answer is Yes!”, which just says it all. He saw to our every single need and took the time to truly get to know you personally as a guest. Krishna and May were also fabulous - their smiles, personal touches, perfect service and most of all kind caring ways will remain in our hearts forever. These staff are just an example of what truly makes Centara Grand so unique and special. The activities and boating outings were also highlights for us - once again the staff added to the enhancement of each experience and adventure we went on. From getting to know us as individuals, the attention to detail of our needs and requirements, and most of all making sure we enjoyed every activity is to be applauded. On one particular day we were fortunate to take a private charter trip out to try and find the elusive whale shark. We were unlucky not to find him, however our guides still went out of their way to give us a surreal experience – swimming with manta rays and an “up close and personal” experience with a sea turtle. They even helped capture the perfect shots with our GoPro, ensuring we capture what was an epic and thrilling day out at sea. The resort itself is simply exquisite. If you are fortunate enough to stay in an Sunset Ocean Pool Villa, your Maldivian experience will likely never be topped. The house coral reef is literally right outside of the Villa - to walk down your own set of stairs from your water villa directly into the ocean and be greeted by such a vast array of magnificent sea life is what the Maldives is all about. Many other resorts may have gorgeous water villas, but often their coral reefs are rather a far swim out - so just spoil yourself and have everything right at your feet whenever you so wish. And the sunsets – well, what can be said after what has been seen – out of this world. The villa facilities and amenities were truly 5-star. The aircon provided the perfect room temperature each time we came from a long walk in the tropical heat, and we could sleep perfectly comfortable at night. The bathroom boasted a huge free-standing bath, and even the toilet area had a view of the perfect blue waters of the ocean. Perfect bed and linen, wide open spaces, well stocked mini-bar fridge and coffee area – everything we could want and need. What was deeply touching were the exquisite turndowns done by our housekeeper Rajib – works of art made out of palm leaves, flower petals etc. to ensure your day ended with a touch of magic when you returned from dinner each and every evening. It took our breath away! One of our biggest surprises at the end of each evening, while we were relaxing on the extra comfortable villa deck chairs after a stunning dinner, was the stars up above. We felt like we were one with the stars and universe and have never seen the galaxies and stars so clearly, and vividly. Our food experience was also more than expected - presentation, variety and deliciousness across all of the restaurants. Both the Thai and Italian restaurants provided exceptional a la carte options, but even the buffet restaurant was fantastic. The thoughtful touches with rice art and messages on our table each night never ceased to surprise and delight us! Our favourite dining option, of course, was that of The Club – true fine dining experiences, with daily menus for lunch and dinner, that truly entice and excite – we ended up choosing the Club more often. We would return to Centara Grand just for the food and to have it presented to us by the legendary Senthil, perfect Krishna and precious May! Entertainment at night was always a thrill, whether we were chilling at the bar playing bingo, dancing to the traditional Maldivian Band or simply playing a game of table tennis – all while the waters splashed below us. We did not spend as much time at the main resort pool, however it was also rather splendid – instead we tended to spend time in our own stunning private villla pool overflowing into the sea. Another highlight was the Centara Spa - the reception area and welcome are top class and our massage therapists were out of this world - a a heavenly experience within a relaxing setting. The Centara Grand beach and surrounds make for the best photo memories - every corner of the island is photo worthy. We have photos and video footage that are truly holiday brochure ready! Whenever one speaks of “picture perfect” or “postcard worthy” – we will think of Centara Grand! Although we wish we could remember all of the staff, we do want to mention two special people who went the extra mile - Belle at Reception (we kept asking her “do you ever sleep?!”) – she showed genuine care to assist us, and Lax at the Aqua bar who was always checking on us. True assets to the team at Centara Grand! We will also always appreciate the help from Riaan Drever, the General Manager. Riaan leads his team by example and ensures that quality of the overall experience is maintained. One can see why the staff are so happy and love their work. Riaan, and manager Deer, were also there to provide reassurance during the last part of our stay, when there were concerns about how we would return home amid the COVID19 outbreak. Riaan, Deer and the team worked tirelessly to help all the guests with changes to flights and travel arrangements. Sensing the anxiety of their guests, the team even arranged special beach dinners, lifting our spirits and ensuring that our holiday remained magical. We particularly enjoyed the Centara Grand house band – they need to be applauded for their exceptional talent, versatility with song requests and most of all leaving one with memories to treasure forever. When it did come time for us to depart, in true Maldivian style all of the Centara Grand staff made for the most memorable farewell - dressed in perfect white with true heartfelt smiles, waving us off to the waiting sea plane. That moment will stay with us forever and we get tears of joy each time we revisit it. Thank you, Centara Grand! You went above and beyond to give us our ultimate bucket list – so much so that we decided to not cross it off yet, and to return as soon as we can! - Bianca Crawford Read less

We holidayed here for our honeymoon. The first week we had a luxury beach villa with pool and the second a sunset over water villa. On the day that we were due to leave there was a suspected case of Covid-19 and the island was put on lockdown. This was 5am but when we went to reception to find out our options there was a member of staff from every department, dressed , bright and ready to answer all of our questions. The testing was done quickly and was negative thankfully. The information given at all times was transparent, direct and informative. We managed to arrange another flight but this meant staying another 5 days. There was no charge and the resort looked after us in the same fantastic way they had for the first 14 days. The resort manager Riaan Sinclair Drever was available at all times to answer questions. The team at this resort treated us like royalty. By the time we departed there were only a few of us left and our departure saw us have a send off from every member of staff who lined the walkways and a traditional drumming band accompanied us on the Dhoni boat to the seaplane. I cannot thank every single person enough for our wonderful stay. Islam and Munna our wonderful housekeepers. Lax in Aqua Bar for always having just the right drink ready. The entire team in The Club which was an experience the like of which we have never experienced before. The food in every outlet was perfect. The setting was perfect. We will definitely be back again and are hoping it will be in March 2021. Once we did leave we were looked after beautifully by Fayaz and the team at Male airport. They stayed with us right up to check in to ensure we didn't have any problems. Finally our visit to Centara was made possible by the absolutely fantastic team at Angelfish Travel. Jo you were such a comfort to me on that Sunday when we were trying to arrange another flight. Thank you so much for going several extra miles. Read less