My daughter certainly did not remember her first trip to Maldives. I suppose, no 3-month old baby can! Even though the Maldives resort, Taj Exotica that we stayed at, did everything possible to make our stay comfortable. She would remember her second trip to Maldives for sure. This Maldives beach resort review of Hard Rock Hotel would help illustrate why she is unlikely to forget her second trip.
This was our first international trip post pandemic. The first sight of the turquoise water when we reached the Hard Rock Hotel and my daughter promptly decided she would spend the next 5 days in a swimsuit! The pool area at this Maldives beach hotel added to her decision as well.
Destination Maldives
It was Maldives, so we were expecting a the blue azure ocean and the white sandy beaches. We were expecting luxury environment with each Maldives beach hotel on its own private island.
And having a resort on its own small island certainly helped to ease our COVID fear since different islands provide a way for natural bubble and social distancing.
When we were whisked away from the airport in the hotel catamaran and the first view of the luminous water and the white beach of the beach came in sight, it was heaven. Checked all expectations! Tropical paradise indeed.
Maldives beach resort review: Stay at Hard Rock Hotel
Hard Rock hotel is part of Crossroads, Maldives first multi-island destination. This Maldives beach hotel is situated on its private island but connected via a foot bridge to The Marina, a boutique shops and beachfront dining experience area. Nearby is SAii Lagoon, another Maldives beach resort on a different island, also connected to The Marina via a foot bridge. This unique destinatioin plus just a 15-minute boat transfer from Male makes it an advantageous location for families.
From spacious rooms and family suites overlooking the beach to beach villas and overwater villas, there are all sorts of options for couples and families to choose from at The Hard Rock Hotel. We stayed at the Platinum Overwater Villa with an ocean view. The bathroom was as enormous as the bedroom itself and then, there was a large deck area. There was a sofa bed in the room which made for a comfortable sleeping arrangement for my 10-year old daughter.
We enjoyed the private deck and the ocean view each evening. The lounge net over the water proved to be as comfortable as the sun loungers! You could opt for the Platinum Overwater Pool Villa at Hard Rock Maldives beach hotel where the lounge net is replaced with a plunge pool.
Maldives beach resort review: Food at Hard Rock Hotel
We had some reservation about being part of a multi-island destination resort. Would it have the private luxurious feel of a Maldives beach resort situated on its own private island? We needn’t have worried. Access to the Marina Crossroads gives you so many restaurant options that no other Maldives beach resort by itself could give.
There are 2 restaurants located on the Hard Rock island itself. Sessions where we had breakfast each morning and a buffet dinner one evening. The memorable one is The Elephant and the Butterfly, a Latin American cuisine restaurant next to the hotel pool area with direct access to the beach.
What stole the show for us are the world-class beachfront dining options at The Marina.
It was our first visit to Ministry of Crab and the steep prices do justice to the fresh crabs served. The crabs are flown in from Sri Lanka each day! Our server took pains to demonstrate how to use the special knife and extract the crab meat easily. My daughter couldn’t get enough of Hard Rock Cafe burgers and enjoyed the American favourites as much as the crab. We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant one afternoon and tried a Thai bistro another evening. So many cuisine options at this Maldives beach resort!
Maldives beach resort review: Activities at Hard Rock Hotel
The beach and the poolside will take up most of your time. Not a bad deal at all! Every afternoon, there is a group activity like Aqua Gym in the pool and it’s fun. There is yoga every morning and beach soccer and volleyball every evening. Hard Rock Hotel Maldives also has a full-fledged spa with different treatment packages.
For the more active, there is a Water sports and Dive Centre located at The Marina. I scheduled a dive to a nearby area one morning. Even though the corals are bleached, it was incredible to be able to dive post COVID. I chased a couple of turtles and was happy with whatever fish variety we managed to see.
As a family, we got some kayaks to practice in the lagoon area. You can make free use of snorkelling equipment, kayaks and pedal boats. The Centre also has good equipment including knee-boards, wakeboards, jet-skis, sea bobs, banana boats, fun tubes which is chargeable.
What puts a smile 🙂
Definitely the access to The Marina at Crossroads, with its fine dining experiences and boutique shopping options. The shop at the reception area of this Maldives beach resort features memorabilia from famous rockstars and it’s fantastic to have a look around.
Recommended for families?
Absolutely! My daughter loved all the time splashing about in the pool area and trying to snorkel near our Overwater Villa. There is a Kids’ club with different activities for ages 3-11 years and for teens 12-17 years old. So whatever be the ages of your kids, rest assured, they would be taken care of, if they get tired of the pool area. There are also babysitter facilities available at the hotel.
Contact
Website: Hard Rock Hotel Maldives
Email: rsvn@hrhmaldives.com
Tel: +960 665 1400
Maldives is heaven for a luxury beach getaway, be it for couples or for families. Check out some of these best beach resorts in Maldives recommended by travel bloggers.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Pin it for later!
________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. We paid for our stay at Hard Rock Hotel, Maldives in full. As always, all opinions are my own.
Have you ever visited Maldives? Which was your favourite resort experience?
Subscribe to Zest In A Tote Digest, my monthly newsletter, for travel tips and inspiration.
Join me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook as I share my travel experiences.
