we just got back after spending four days in the maldives and we had a fantastic time. at the start of the holiday which we booked through etihad holidays, our flight was delayed due to bad weather so we got to male very late and had to be taken by speedboat to kuda huraa instead of landau. on stepping into the arrivals,we were met immediately by a four seasons staff who explained that it was too late for the seaplane to fly us to landau so we will be spending the night at kuda huraa.
from then on we were treated like royalty nd whisked off by speedboat to kuda huraa and placed in a lovely 2bedroom water villa. the next day after a very delicious breakfast we were taken by seaplane to landau.
kuda huraa is great but its beauty pales in comparison to landaa. we spent the next 3days having a very active but relaxing time. everyone was great and i would like to say a special thank you to Ahmed at the dive centre, salman and babu at the reception, the guy that cleaned our room, the guys at the blu restaurant and cafe landaa, the guys at blu beach,the staff at the airport. basically everyone in both kuda huraa, landau giraavaru and male airport.
we had a marvellous time and we hope to come back for a longer stay next time.

Well well well...
As a hotelier myself for Resort Holidays I usually prefer Four Seasons, they usually make me proud of my occupation. I mean they are good.

It was our second trip to Maldives, 1st was to O&O Reethi Rah in 2006 beacuse the other Four Seaons was closed (tsunami) and Landaa were under construction. Many Four Seasons staff were in O&O so it was a very good expreince overall.

This trip was for our honeymoon after 5 years we were going back to paradise and it was for our honeymoon. This time I made my choice on FS Landaa Giraavaru.

To say at the beginning when I left Landaa I was satisfied and I was upset to leave but I will tell you all details even some annoying ones.

1.Airport Transfer
We were flying in from Zurich Switzerland and our plane made a 1 hour delay, we were welcomed by FS staff checked in to our Sea plane transfer and taken to FS lounge in sea plane airport area, well Four Seasons promises no waiting time should exceed 2 hours. We had to wait for 3 hours in the lounge. Maybe it was becaue of the stupid delay but we were tired jetlagged and abit annoyed.

2.Check in
Well typical Four Seasons, professional, warm, respectful and very fast. we were checked in to Beach Villa with pool (the room number is secret because I am going back there in a week I want the same villa).

3.Villa
The Villa was nice, ok in size small compared to O&O but warmer more cosy. Overall I loved our villa, I mean from the bed to to the ocean it was 35 steps. I counted it come on what else you can wish for.And the house reef right in front our villa was perfect, colourful and full of life. The bathroom was perfect, TV, IPOD dock dvd player coffe machşne all working AC was good. Outdour shower was good if you dont mind some ants. Privacy was perfect, I mean the angles and plantation was done very right so you cannot be seen from nowhere. this aspect was much much better than O&Oç

4.Service
What can you say about Four Seasons service? impeccablei or flawless or wonderful
The guys overthere are true hospitality people, they work hard. The staff was great. there are many local Maldivians are working but they were also great, Four seasons train thier staff very well. they were fast, accurate and responsive except the Russian receptionist at the SPA but its one little thing it can happen...

5.Island
it is a big island comparing to Maldives standards, but all natural nothing artificial, so it feel great, around in 1 hour you can walk around it, there was buggy service but really it is much better to walk around. I mean we walked everywhere, also our villa had very good location but in general it is great island. O&O island is huge are 90%percent man made. ;So Landaa was much better.
House reef pn both sides of the island was lovely, anybody who would not dive will start diving in Landaa.

6.Food and Beverage
Well it is as good as it can be in a location like this, you are in the middle of the ocean far far from everywhere, as a hotelier and a restaurant person the food was good, products were fresh and drinks was good. Dont expect the food from a michelin star restaurant but it is very very good resort food. 5 different restaurants, italian, arabic, grill, tepenyaki and main.
Grill and tepenyaki were our favorites. Reservations are highly recommended. Tepenyaki chef was local guy I beleive he will have very succesful career.
Overall it was perfect, F&B people very responsive. if you want to organize a special dinner or smt they are very easy to reach.

7. Services

Dive Center is a great place, you can rent fins masks and snorkels for free to keep for the entire stay, the dive shop was very very good considering the location. The staff and dive masters very professional, Nitrox dive is avaiable. Marina reseearch centre was great if you have kid it is even better, you can donate some money and build your own reef and watch it how it grows by time from the internet. I mean it is just fascinating!!( Iam 2 starCMAS and PADI rescue diver). The dive equipment was very good.

Excurcions done the recreational team was good I mean there is dolpfin watch, turtle snorjkel, fishing private yacth charters, we did many of them all was good.

Housekeeping was vey good. very polite and very adadtive I mean after one day he knew when to come when not to come was perfect.

Laundry was good. internet was working properly.

8. Sleep quality.
I will bw honest I dont sleep easly and my sleep is very light but I had my wife with something she also confirmed. first of all as I told you before the ocean is just a few steps awat which means at night you will hear it, well some might like it can find it motivating to sleep in my case I needed 2 days to adjust.

The real issue was the sea plane. well the hotel has 2 sea plane platforms one is at perfect location almost far from all rooms in the property, but when sea gets slightly rouch they use the other one, which was right in front our villa, I mean when this twin engine bay takes off, you will hear it, when it is 0700 in the morning it might wake you up. as ı said it is not everyday or everytime but can say often. this sea plane issue is a probleb almost for all beach villas which are on the south side of the island. but to be honest after 3-5 nights you also get used to that. This was by the way the most annoying part of the property for me. but to realistic, to reahc there you need seaplanes and those plane gotta land somewhere and they are laud.



10.Value for money,
Well its a very expensive place. I mean Four seasons are generally expensive but because of the locaiton and its properties it slightly more expensive than others. plus you gotta have everything from the hotel since you are on a small island. As I said since the beginning of the review, everything is great, working well, professional staff, but it all comes with a very high price tag, if it is ok for you the Landaa is one the best resorts to have holiday.Everything is very good and everything is very pricey.

Dont forget at Landaa for everything you pay %10percent service charge is added to when you a price for anything, scuba dive, food, laundy, food whatever always add %10 percent so you wont be shocked at checkout.
PS: it means you dont need to tip...

I made my reservations by self every email I wrote was answered in 24 hours max 48 hours with apoligies. As I said its a great propery with wonder staff charging very high rates for every service in the hotel. BUT DRINKING WATER IS FREE

We just arrived back yesterday. We took paradice twice package and spent the first 3 days at Kuda Huraa. The first thing my wife said when we landed at Landaa was, thank god we stayed at Kuda Huraa first because the beauty of Landaa is unbeliveable.
Positives:
1. Amazing staff, really exceptional from the Directors down. The Director took the time to come introduce himself and ask how our stay was.
2. The food was exceptional to a certain degree, in that if you dont like something you tell them how you want it made and they make it (amazing services all around). We had lunch every day at the Italian resturant the pizza and salads are divine. We wanted to eat desert but never had the chance as we where so full after each meal.
3. The room. Was exceptional, worth every penny.

Now lets get to it, you have read all the other reviews here is where it matters (this goes for both four season resorts)
Its worth every penny and you save in all the little things the others charge you for:
1. At the airport and I am talking as soon as we stepped into the lounge the staff from the resort where on hand, everyone else had to wait untill after they cleared the luggage collection. The airline had somehow missplaced our luggage since we where the only persons on first class but they where later found. To our suprise when we arrived at the resort they had clothes for us.
2. Take full board and dont bother with figuring out how much you will spend, it is also worth it even if you skip the lunch on some days, you make up for it at dinner.
3. The Spa, for me as a male I was a bit hesitant but ended up having 4 days of spa treatments. With out the Spa you missed out on the whole holiday.
4. Departure was also very exclusive, I mean we had a private car to the airport and the staff checked us in. We didnt see this service with anyother hotel. I am so glad that I didnt book with Six Senses or Jumeriah.
Mr. Alwazir

They found out that it was my wif's birthdya and had a table set up on a sand bar under a small tent for us for dinner and a small bar set up next to it and had a bottle of champane for us they made a special cake for her and gave her a present. and we had our own waiter just for us for the whole night. They did not charge us anything for this and we had not told them that it was her birthday. They had picked it up from her passport.
Be careful on your billing they charged the approximate amount to my bill upon arrival and they the actual amount upon departure so I was double billed. I had to work with them and Americal Express to get this cleared up.
If you are taking a late night flight back home take advantage of the dinner and airport transfer package at Kuda Huraa. The sea plane has to leave before dark and if you have a midnight flight you would be a this small airport for 5 hours with nothing to do. For $240 you can stay at Kuda Huraa and have dinner anywhere and use the pool etc and take their speed boat to the airport at the right time for your plane