SO/ Maldives

From arrival to departure, the staff and crew of the SO/Maldives curate a beautiful stay. Airport/Arrival: An Airport GEM (Guest Experience Manager) will greet you and get you situated to wait for any other guests before ushering you onto the boat. The boat staff are super friendly, there is WiFi available on the boat and it's a fairly quick trip. Upon arrival to SO/, you will meet you GEM who will be there to assist you with reservations, excursions, bikes, turn down, etc. We had the absolute pleasure of having Mohamed Ashraf as our GEM. He was gracious, kind, helpful with a real understanding of hospitality. He effortlessly guided us through our week, giving us helpful tips on when we should schedule certain things (or reschedule!). He set us up with a WhatsApp chat so he could check in with us daily. We really appreciated his attentiveness and we're really grateful that we got to know more about him, his family and his daily life. You will be lucky if you get him as your GEM! Rooms: We were in Villa 107 and there is a true "WOW" factor when you walk in. The rooms are everything as advertised and probably more. Closet and storage space is spacious, the mini bar is well equipped. The pool is nice to have but having the ability to enter the water right from your villa is priceless! We saw a lot of wildlife right from our room - including eagle rays, sting rays, parrot fish and more. We also often saw the famous Maldivian Flying Fox cruising by. The view from the bed is almost infinity pool like in that when you open the blinds, all you see is that beautiful turquoise water. You could get used to waking up there. The housekeeping team is also on it - I like a lot of ice in my water and after a couple nights of requesting ice in the room, the staff would just leave it for us. They extremely accommodating and very quick with requests. Some notes about the villa types: 300s - Unrestricted ocean view Odd 100s (for the most part): Ocean view but you can also see Crossroads Even 100s: Ocean view & also view of Male - you will be closer to the reef to snorkel though right from your villa Dining: Chef Kam's culinary showcases are SUPERB. I am not a huge breakfast person, and I literally woke up every morning excited to get to breakfast. The buffet has everything you could possibly want (including probably 15+ types of honeys alone) and it's all delicious. Our package came with the in-room pool breakfast and we decided to pass on it because we didn't want to miss an actual breakfast. Mahudhee was typically our server in the mornings and he was an absolute delight to chat with each morning. We really enjoyed learning more about his snorkeling and scuba adventures at various islands and he was genuinely excited to hear about what we saw during our scuba trips as well. He was super attentive - hospitality at its finest! We really enjoyed everything we ate at Lazuli. The pizza is SO good honestly. The Taramasalata as well - the only thing it could use is more chips with the dip itself. We asked for more and they were delivered right away. Do stop and chat with JoJo at the bar - he makes excellent cocktails and always delivers service with a smile. Hats off to Chef Vuthy at Lazuli! We opted for the half board package (breakfast + dinner with one happy hour drink at Pavilion). We were happy with the package that we chose; and actually grateful for an excuse to go over to Pavilion in the evening. Dominic who is the SO/ bar manager has crafted some very unique and delicious cocktails. We shared many stories and laughs with him and Sophie at the bar. We appreciated their warmness and generosity. You will likely split your dinners between Citronelle (where you have breakfast) and Hadaba. Unless it is a buffet at Citronelle, the menu is split between east and west influences which I really appreciated/enjoyed. The lobster was definitely a favorite! We ate at Hadaba twice and were really pleased both occasions. We got the lamb shawarma which ended up being a little too much food but SO delicious. The halloumi was also excellent. Badre was our server both nights and what a character! He is excellent at his craft, deftly handling his tables and requests while still having time to stop by our table to crack a joke and tell us more about his life and experiences in Dubai and otherwise. Tootie, Maya and Ryan were also on the service staff that helped our trip even more memorable. View on the GEM team went above and beyond for me not once but twice during our stay when I asked him to assist me in getting some change for some larger bills. The emphasis at SO/ is on hospitality and an elevated level of service and it shows. Many of the staff have experience working at the Ritz Carlton and that is also apparent. Excursions/Activities: Boxey and his team who head up activities both at the SO/ and outside was so helpful setting up our dive trips. The dive shop operates from Crossroads and so they would come pick us up in the mornings. Boxey also coordinated getting our paperwork and certifications to them so we didn't have to worry about it on the day of. We snorkeled pretty much around the whole atoll and there are lots of little fish in the small corals on the Male side. We also saw a number of things in the little channel and under the bridge - my husband even saw a pipefish (related to the seahorse) under the bridge on the right side on the rocks. The spa was beautiful and very relaxing. The vanilla/chamomile/purple tea (I'm 100% getting those ingredients wrong) was delicious! I'm never one to turn down a photoshoot especially in such a beautiful place and we were really happy with how the photos turned out. Icaru was our photographer - truly gifted and also made us feel comfortable/have fun with it. We had the trip of a lifetime and honestly can't wait to confirm! Our literal only suggestion would be to have more bikes/baskets on the bikes themselves. A big thank you again to Mohamed Ashraf, View, Dominic, Badre, JoJo, Sophie, Icaru, Mahudhee, Ryan, Chef Kam and everyone else who helped us create memories that will last a lifetime on this trip. We are SO/ Grateful! Read less

Our first visit to the Maldives and SO Maldives lived up to every expectation, the level of service and staff attention is beyond compare, add to this the most picturesque turquoise waters filled with fish and stingrays; and white shell beaches where crabs walk in hundreds The facilities and amenities are superb, the luxury of the stay was unprecedented. We would like to make special mention of some of the people that added to the trip - Oksana (Ahsan), Efro and Marsha, our GEM. We absolutely loved the way these gorgeous people made us feel - welcomed, unique and very special. The laughs were real, the smiles were heartwarming ❤️ Cam, the head Chef and his team created exceptional handcrafted dishes; and you would find in a 5 star restaurant but on an island which is amazing. Special thanks to General Manager Oreste and the best “amus” we have ever tasted ❤️🥰☺️ Read less

This is my husband and my first time to the Maldives and the experience was made beautiful by the SO team. From the time we docked at the hotel up to the day we left, the service was impeccable. The rooms were gorgeous and very well maintained. We opted for the All Inclusive plan which was great as it covered all meals and free flow drinks. The food was excellent at Citronelle and Hadaba and portions were huge. The staff made you feel so warm and at home with their genuine hospitality. They always went out of the way to chat with us and share with us stories of their lives. Special shout out to Ahsan, who was our G.E.M for the stay. He was always very obliging to our every request and replied at all times of the day, he made sure we were always well taken care of and we really appreciated him. We definitely look forward to going back to SO/ Maldives, the whole experience was way beyond 5 stars for sure! Read less

We had an amazing stay at So/ Maldives! The variety of activities offered kept us entertained throughout our entire trip. The rooms were stunning, beautifully designed and very comfortable. I must give special mention to the exceptional service provided by Viu, who took care of our group. Viu went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect—from organizing our snorkeling trips, booking boats and restaurant reservations, to even taking care of the smallest requests we had. No matter if it was late at night or early in the morning, Viu was always on standby, ready to assist with a smile. Truly excellent service that made our stay unforgettable! Read less