Another day, another resort in Maldives! After spending already two weeks in Maldives, it was time to board another seaplane. The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo just recently opened its doors and we were about to check out and review this brand new resort in Maldives.
Late November 2018 I spent just over 3 weeks in paradise staying in some of the best hotels in Maldives. In total I have now stayed in over 15 different Maldives resorts. Perks of the job of being a professional travel blogger, but extremely grateful to do this for a living. A trip to Maldives is like no other beach holiday and if this is a dream for you to come true I would strongly recommend you to chase that dream.
Similar luxury resorts in Maldives I have visited are: Anantara Kihavah, Lux South Ari Atoll, Kanuhura Maldives or Shangri La Villingili.
There are countless Maldives travel ideas and resort to choose from and no, not all Maldives resorts are the same. There are so many different hotels and all of them are unique in its own way. But to find the best place to stay in Maldives we do compare them. Location, luxury levels, service levels, privacy, remoteness, price level, value for money, old vs. new, activities, social aspect, dining, etc. I can come up with loads of aspects in where Maldives islands are disparate.
In this review I will highlight the brand new Maldives resort Westin Maldives Miriandhoo, another amazing addition to the wide array of luxury hotels in Maldives.
Location Westin Maldives Miriandhoo: Baa Atoll
So where is this amazing resort in Maldives? The Westin Miriandhoo resort is located in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 2011, the only in its kind in Maldives. Because of its biodiversity and unique marine life the UN protects, researches and develops the Baa Atoll. There can be found numerous species of coral and wildlife. Close to Westin Maldives Miriandhoo you can snorkel with manta rays and whale sharks, spot dolphins all year around and when you are lucky even see a blue whale. Although I was visiting this paradise in November, the end of the manta ray season, I was still able to spot manta rays on my trip to Maldives. No need to tell you that scuba diving in Maldives is world class.
How to get to Westin Maldives Miriandhoo
When you book a Westin Maldives room online, you will also need to pay mandatory taxes and fees. These are almost the same as the room rate, so I am sure you are curious what that means. These extra costs are the transportation cost.
There are two ways to get to Westin Maldives Miriandhoo: seaplane and domestic flight.
Domestic flight
Domestic flights depart from the Male International Airport, from the domestic terminal, a 100 meter walk. After you go through customs, a representative from Westin Maldives Miriandhoo will escort you to your check in. A 30 minutes flight will then take you to Dharavandhoo Airport where a private speedboat of Westin Maldives will pick you up and drive you in 20 minutes to the resort.
Costs: 375 USD per person for a round trip inclusive of all taxes.
Seaplane transfer
At Male International Airport you will be picked up by an airport rep, who assists you with your seaplane check in. You will then be transported to the seaplane airport about 5-10 minutes drive from Velana International Airport. Westin Maldives Miriandhoo has a lounge where you wait for your departure and then you fly directly to the resort. The seaplane will land at the resort and as soon as you step off the plane you get your welcome drink and a refreshing cold towel.
Costs: 475 USD per person for a round trip inclusive of all taxes.
If your budget for a Maldives holiday is a little less then have a look at these resorts: Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Kurumba Maldives, Kuramathi Island Resort or Kandima Maldives, Adaaran Club Rannalhi.
Check in
Unlike other resorts in Maldives where you have to sign a bunch of papers and settle things in a reception area, the check in is performed in the villa.
Your personal villa host will escort you to the room and will brief you shortly about all the opportunities the villa has to offer, you then put two signatures on a paper give him or her your passport and they will leave you alone to admire your villa.
Upon check in at the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo I was welcomed with a bottle of sparkling wine, a basket of fresh fruits and some sweets.
Wifi
There is very good wifi available in the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo. All rooms, public areas, like fitness and wellness, water sports, reception and restaurants have a strong wifi signal. The signal is strong and the speed is fast enough to stream Netflix, etc. This is not the case in all Maldives resorts. Often the best places to stay in Maldives have the shittiest wifi connection. Therefore I normally always advice people traveling to Maldives to buy a local sim card at Male Airport. For $25 you get 17GB 4G speed and every island has a 4G signal.
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo overwater villas
Not all Maldives water villas are the same and the new Westin Maldives Miriandhoo property is another confirmation of this. These contemporary style water villas are designed by a Milan based company called Peia. They have been inspired by the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Everywhere around the resort the shapes of the ocean comes back into the design.
The overwater villas are not the standard wooden bungalows here at Westin. Obviously completely new and in a very elegant and contemporary style. As soon as you open the front door you look out over the ocean as the floor to ceiling windows make it look super spacious. In fact the overwater suites are almost 200 sqm. (2,200 sqf.). Probably the biggest overwater villa in Maldives I have stayed at. The outdoor patio comes with a private pool and an outdoor shower, two sun beds and a dining table and a ladder into the ocean.
The way overwater bungalows are designed guarantee you full privacy and unobstructed horizon views. When staying in your villa you feel like you are alone in the resort, a great feeling.
Our villa was on the sunrise side and I do prefer that over the sunset side to be honest. Waking up in the early morning watching the sunrise in complete privacy with such nice warm temperatures is heaven. Around sunset time Im always out and about anyway. My prefered side on the Westin Maldives island is the east side.
The Westin overwater suite can be divided into 4 different compartments as there are 3 sliding doors. There is a relaxing corner with a huge flatscreen and a glass floor to peak into the ocean, a dining area, the bedroom and closet and the bathroom. I told you the Westin Maldives overwater villas are huge!
Cool addition to the rooms at Westin Maldives Miriandhoo is a juice press, something I had not seen before yet at any resort in Maldives. Fresh oranges included!
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo restaurants
Breakfast
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo has a buffet breakfast with loads of a la carte options. Without exaggerating I think there are more than 30 breakfast options on the menu on top of the buffet options. I tried all the healthy stuff and it was absolutely delicious. Im also a big fan of juices. You can ask any kind of juice as there is a juicer available with ginger, carrots, beetroot and many more vegetables and fruits.
Hawker
This beach side restaurant is a feet in the sand dining option, complete with bean bags if you prefer. I mostly went there for lunch and loved all the asian dishes like pad thai, chicken satay, etc.
One of the things I loved most about the Westin Maldives were the healthy juices they had on the drink menu. I tried many of them, but the one with papaya and passion fruit was my favorite.
Island Kitchen
This is the main dining option on the island and also where breakfast is served. The food menu for lunch and dinner were the same. The building is very airy and semi open. During the day there is plenty of space to hide from the sun and in the evening you can dine at the pool side.
The Pearl
This overwater fine dining restaurant has the best location. Although sunset might just be a little early, the views from here are fantastic. When you are hungry at 18.00 already, you are more than welcome. The Pearl is not open for lunch and is a Japanese restaurant serving the most delicious sushi and Japanese specialties. A 5-course dinner is $100 per person. We got to try a plum wine as dessert wine and it was amazingly good.
Sommelier
One of the friendly Westin team staff members is a very skilled sommelier. This lovely guy from Sri Lanka came up with the most amazing wines to try. He knowns all the wines by heart, has great recommendations and seems to have traveled to all the wineries personally. Loved his background stories with every glass he served.
I was trying to drink less and go to the gym more, but I failed. The wines were too good to deny, my company too much fun and the atmosphere of dining under the stars too good to leave behind.
No dress code
None of the restaurants at Westin Maldives require a certain dress code. The island vibe is spread out all over and even when you go dining the Westin team wants you to feel comfortable. If that is in shorts and a t-shirt you are still very welcome everywhere on the island.
Public pool
Although my overwater villa was equipped with a private pool there also is a big public pool for all guests at the sunset side of the island. If you feel like swimming laps that is easily doable, the pool is about 20 meter long.
Officially the pool closes at 18.00, around sunset time, but I watched the sunset from the pool multiple times that week and chilled in the pool until 19.00 and no one would care.
House reef
You are able to go snorkeling on both sides of the island or if you are adventurous you can snorkel all the way around the island. It will take you a little while but there is enough to see. On the west side of the island some other guests saw eagle rays and turtles. I tried my luck on the east side of the island, but did not spot anything extraordinary.
Wellness
Heavenly! No other words needed. We got to experience the wellness and had our massage in the couple room. This massage room is an absolute winner and the most romantic spot on the island. The floor to ceiling glass windows let you overlook the ocean. There are unobstructed views from the hot tub and if you open one of the doors you can hear the ocean.
Gym
Staying fit while traveling is something I really value and therefore a good gym makes me happy. But the gym at Westin Maldives Miriandhoo made me more than happy. Apart from being very well equipped it was very spacious, there was super friendly and helpful staff and it has the absolutely most beautiful gym view ever! Can you believe it?
As of now you can book complimentary personal training at the Westin Maldives. There also is a sauna and steam cabin available.
Castaway Island - Little Brother Island Miriandhoo
The Westin Maldives resort consists of two islands, one of them being a deserted green little jungle as for now. It is just off shore from the resort island, about 5 minutes by boat. At the moment there is no development, just an unspoiled little paradise. In the future they want to start using the little brother island for day trips and other fantasies guests may have. Imagine staying on a deserted island? The Westing Maldives has the opportunity realizing your dreams. We got dropped off there to roam around and explore the little brother island ourselves. The island is as pristine as it gets. Bring your snorkel equipment, the water is the clearest you will ever see and there is plenty of life below the surface.
Because of the tick vegetation and the mosquitos it is almost impossible to penetrate the island, but a walk around is already totally worth it. So untouched, so pristine, it is hard to describe.
No drone policy
The Westin Maldives has a strict no drone policy. Flying drones is not allowed to guarantee full privacy for all its guests. At the little brother island it is possible to fly your drone.
Activities
Isn’t a Maldives vacation boring? A very standard question I always have to answer. Definitely not! A trip to Maldives is on average not longer than about 7 days, and trust me before you realize your Maldives holidays are over. Apart from relaxing, enjoying, soaking up the exclusive Maldives vibe and dining there are a bunch of activities to do.
Just like any other resort in Maldives the Westin Maldives has a water sports and dive center. They rent out the equipment for wakeboarding, jetskis, etc. But also organize day trips. I went on a turtle snorkel trip which was absolutely fabulous. A relaxing boat ride took us about 45 minutes away from the resort into the Baa Atoll where we jumped into the water. The reef was shallow and full of life. Trying to find turtles was not really needed as they were everywhere. In total we saw over 10 turtles!
Although there was quite some current this trip was for all levels of experience. An experience guide was at all times with us in the water and the boat was always nearby keeping an eye on all the snorkelers. We were only with a total of 6 guests. It was the most laid-back snorkel trip ever and we were so lucky to see a bunch of marine life. We even saw some dolphins in the distance on our way out.
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo price
One of the most important things about a Maldives vacation is how much it is going to cost. Value for money is absolutely a factor that makes me rank one resort higher than the other. In my Maldives reviews I always keep in mind the value for money. Westin Maldives Miriandhoo is not the most luxury resort in Maldives but the value for money is outstanding. I have the feeling that because of all the new resort openings in Maldives price levels are going down and for us costumers that is a good thing.
A Maldives holiday still is expensive and expect to pay around $1,300 per couple per day. That includes your room, domestic transportation and food & drinks.
I checked the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo prices for you for a random week in April 2019.
Westin Maldives overwater suite with pool: $950.
Island suite with pool: $1,100.
The above prices are including the domestic transfers (seaplane) and taxes!
I don’t need to tell you that I like overwater villas more than island villas. Overwater villas are so iconic to Maldives and so unique in its kind that if I was to book a trip to Maldives I would always go for an overwater villa.
Check out even more pictures and the actual prices for the by you preferred dates below.
Price restaurants Westin Maldives Miriandhoo
When I said that you are about to spend $1,300 per couple per day at Westin Maldives Miriandhoo that included dining with moderate alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol in Maldives is expensive and expect to pay at least $10 for a beer, wines and cocktails are double the price. Per person I reckon you spend about $150 per person minimum for lunch and dinner. A burger costs $40, pastas and pizzas $25, meals from the grill about $60, salads cost $25.
Like in all Maldives resorts you will have to pay tax (12%) and service charge (10%) on top.
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo review
All in all you can imagine I had an absolutely fabulous time staying at the Miriandhoo Island. I felt enormously privileged being on of the first guests every to experience and review Westin Maldives. There was all time and space to meet the team personally, which made a deep impression. The ambition of the resorts and the Westin team are captivating and I am sure with such a jewel they will surely succeed. Their contemporary style is totally different from other Maldives islands. The Westing is unlike any other resort and value wise definitely among the best hotels in Maldives.
Thank you for keeping up with the Traveltomtom adventures. May you have any questions about the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo or any Maldives resorts leave me a comment. If you have an even bigger budget then have a look at my Soneva Fushi review or the Naladhu Private Island Resort.
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