Property: Sun Siyam Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort Maldives
Room Type: Grand Water Villa with Pool
Date of Stay: September 2020
Blogpost: travelingfoody.com/2020/10/12...
We stayed at the Sun Siyam Olhuveli for 3 nights in September 2020. We’ve visited the Maldives a few times already, but this was our first time in this resort. We were a bit worried since we were traveling in the middle of the pandemic and were unsure how safe it was in the Maldives and the resorts. It’s worth noting that all the resort staff we interacted with wore masks and kept a safe distance from us during our stay. Physical distancing was also observed in the resort restaurants, and I think it also helped that most activities in the resort are open air or outdoors. We felt comfortable and safe during our stay.
What I liked:
Good value - Sun Siyam Olhuveli offers a great value for the price, and we had an excellent stay. The airport transfer experience was easy and seamless, our villa was beautiful, and the resort was very well-maintained. If there’s one thing that stands out, I would have to say it was the service. The level of service we received from Mausoom and Dilshan was outstanding, and the rest of the staff were very warm and welcoming with a smile. Yes, there were also some minor misses, but if you can overlook those, then you’ll have an amazing time!
The outdoor space - 2 sliding doors open the villa to the outside deck, which had an amazing ocean view. The patio had 2 sun beds, a couch, a pair of chairs and a small table. Of course, the icing on the cake was the plunge pool which was a good size and well maintained. There are also stairs that go down to the water, if you would like to take a dip in the ocean. Keep in mind that the water is quite deep, especially during high tide, so wear a life vest if you’re not a good swimmer. We saw a few species of fishes, sting rays, and even some small sharks (harmless) from our deck.
What I didn't like:
Bathroom - There was a weird smell in the toilet on our first day, which I believe was due to the drain. We sprayed the floor with the douchette and the smell went away. The shower was also very slow to drain during our stay.
Some facilities were closed - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the main island’s bars and restaurants were closed during our stay, except for the Sunrise Bar, and water sports center. We went to the Sunrise Bar a few times to take a dip in the pool and the beautiful resort lagoon. We also visited the water sports center.
It was OK, I guess...
The food - We had our meals at Malaafaiy, which is an open-air buffet restaurant. The food selection varied with every meal, which helped since we were going the buffet for all our meals for 3 nights. The presentation was very nice, though the quality of the meals also varied depending on the dish. Some were very good and some…not so much.