We stayed at Kihaa for 5 nights, from Tue Aug 23 to Sun Aug 28, in a Lagoon Prestige Beach Villa. TL;DR: Kihaa's best asset is its people, and the best person on the entire island is Hameed, our butler. The quality of the room is very good but the bathroom is completely outdoors and may be a turn-off for some people. The island views are fantastic. We didn't feel that there's really any appreciable difference looking from the oceanside or the lagoon side. Rain is a daily occurrence this time of year, usually (but not always) brief. The spa has a very nice and attentive staff with good technique, but the physical plant is not in the best condition - the jacuzzi, the steam room, and the sauna were all out of service, and the robes were one size fits some, making it difficult for larger people. The food was both a highlight and the most problematic part of the trip; we strongly suggest skipping all-inclusive and going with just breakfast included and do the rest al a carte, which is both a much better value and much cheaper. Hameed ------ Hameed, our butler, handled absolutely everything for us and took personal care of both me and my wife. He is a Maldivian and has a family in the islands. His life story and his dedication to hospitality and humanity is compelling, and I do feel my life will be forever better for having met him. There really is no service that Hameed could not provide; he was able to get me diet Coke when there was none in the mini-bar. He arranged 2 private lobster dinners for me and my wife, and served them to us personally. He made our spa appointments. We would text Hameed what we wanted for lunch or dinner and when we would arrive at the restaurant, and Hameed would order it for us and make sure it was ready ... and then he would show up at the restaurant to make sure everything was as we wanted it to be. Hameed also cleaned our villa whenever we asked. And when it started to rain unexpectedly, he showed up with umbrellas. And he danced with us and made us feel comfortable at the Maldivian dance night. In short, Hameed is the best person on an island of great people. Accomodations ------------- The Lagoon Prestige Beach Villa is a circular room equipped with the modern conveniences you would expect in a hotel room. It has one queen sized canopy bed in the middle of the room and a twin-sized bed in an alcove that we used as a shelf for our suitcases and stuff. There are two armoires, a table and chairs, and a long desk with a mini-bar underneath and a television on top, along with plenty of room to work if that's really your thing on vacation. Internet works well inside the villa. I can honestly say we never turned the TV on the entire time we were at the resort. The room has an air conditioner that you can control and set to any desired temperature. The bathroom is located outside behind the main room. There is a privacy wall, and the sinks, tub, toilet, and one of the two showers are covered by an overhang; the 2nd shower is located completely outisde for those who like that sort of thing. While this might appeal to some, I did not like getting up in the middle of the night from my 21° C room and walking out into a very 28° C steamy jungle just to go to the bathroom. Walking back into the air conditioned room after being in the hot outside was also a shock. And there are small lizards that crawl along the walls, which while they don't bother me, they might bother others. All that said, the room is clean (thanks to Hameed!), comfortable, and has the amenities you need. Food ---- There are really only two restaurants on the island, although they are building an Asian restaurant they hope to have open later this year. The first is the main restaurant with the buffet. The second is the steak house. The steak house is independently run, while the main restaurant is owned and operated by the resort. The majority of guests are on all-inclusive plans and eat in the main restaurant at the buffet every day, three meals a day. The food quality at the buffet varies widely but tends to be so-so. There is a live station where the chefs make something at each meal, and these options can be quite good. At breakfast there are fresh omlettes and pancakes. On the other hand, a lot of food is uninspiring and simply heated/cooked and put into warming trays with minimal efforts to enhance it. For example, at breakfast there are trays of boiled eggs, beef sausage (which are beef hot dogs), beef bacon (pre-sliced and heated), baked beans, cooked vegatables, and white rice. There are also lots of pastries which appear to be pre-bought but were of good quality. The fresh fruit was definitely an asset; the tropical fruits available are rarely seen in the US on a buffet or even the typical supermarket. Dragonfruit rules! Instead of the buffet, we recommend ordering al a carte for anything but breakfast. The restaurant's al a carte menu is made fresh when you order and it has some really good stuff on it, including a fresh cream of mushroom soup and a chicken quesadilla done Maldivian style that is really good and not what you'd expect. You can also go to the steak house for lunch or dinner, and the food there is first rate. It is also almost always empty, as the restuarant is not included on the all-inclusive plan. We got first class service and near instant preparation of our orders just because we were the only ones in the restaurant. And the food is GREAT. The ribeye, the carapccio, and the smoked and braised beef rib were exquisite, and the burger we had for lunch was one of the best burgers we have had. Finally, I want to mention the private dining options. In practice, just about anything on the menu at the main restaurant can be brought to your villa or even to the beach. Just let your butler know. They also offer 2 lobster dinners which vary according to the sides offered with a small difference in price. The lobster is the locally caught spiny lobster - please ask Hameed how they do that here! - and it is grilled with lemon butter. It is truly awesome. I could have eaten it every night. And Hameed set my wife and I up in the wine room, by ourselves, and brought us each course himself. A truly great romantic experience. While we were at the island, we met the chef that the resort has brought in to update its food and beverage options. He was a great guy and very interested in what we and other patrons had to say. If the resort listens to him, I think they will upgrade their food offerings pretty quickly, as they have most of the pieces of what they need to do a great job already in place. Spa --- My wife and I both like massages and spa treatments. The spa is built out over the water in a big round building divided into a waiting area, changing rooms, treatment rooms, and a sitting room over the ocean. We were able to get several services over the course of our time there: we both had 2 different flavors of full-body massages, and she got a pedicure while I got a reflexology treatment. The staff in the spa is extremely friendly and service oriented. However, the spa facilities were not as good as one would expect at a 5-star resort. The sauna, the jacuzzi, and the steam room were all out of order at different points in our stay. And the robes they had were one-size fits all, which don't really fit all and were way too small for me. And they didn't have the modern foot baths used in most places for pedicures; they were bringing heated water in a bucket. Still, it was a calm relaxing experience and I'd go back for another massage so I guess that means it's good, yes? Drinks ------ There are 2 bars on the island, both of which are staffed by good bartenders. Some drinks are included in all-inclusive plans, others are not. We weren't on all-inclusive, so we drank whatever we wanted. Alcohol selection was good if not complete, and drink prices were actually some of the best values on the island - $5 for a beer or gin and tonic! Other Activities ---------------- Lots of other things go on at the island. There's fish feeding every day, and it's a great way to see the sharks and the mantas along with a bunch of other fish. There is scuba diving and snorkeling along the natural reefs that surround Kihaa and the surrounding islands. There are movies and dancing almost every night and there are two big pools. We never ran out of things to do. We liked walking all the way around the island, which can be done in 20 to 30 minutes, and looking at all the surrounding islands, the boats, the reefs, and other beautiful sites of the Maldevian atolls. If you have things you want to do or need ideas, ask your butler - they know everything going on and can help you make arrangements. Conclusion ---------- Kihaa is a great place to visit and has great people. The facilities are good but not great, but more than sufficient for such a beautiful magical place. I'd highly recommend Kihaa for anyone to visit.…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.