Kandooma Island Resort

When I talk to people about hotel brands, it’s easy to see people judge hotels by its brand. In most cases, it’s a good idea, but some hotels are in a completely different league than others within the brand. In the past, I’ve seen it with Hilton Seychelles and Sheraton Incheon which has close to Four Seasons level and much better than the usually Hilton and Sheraton hotels. On the other hand, I’ve seen Mandarin Oriental Manila, which in my opinion is far from the Mandarin Oriental quality. Kandooma Island Resort was in the Conde Nast Traveller’s Hot List 2 years ago as one of the new best hotels in the world, but it’s a Holiday Inn.

When I tell this story to people they find it hard to believe, but it’s all true. The truth about this hotel is that it’s managed by Holiday Inn, but shouldn’t be called a Holiday Inn. It’s a really nice hotel that deserved to be in the Conde Nast Traveller Hot List. I arrived with speedboat from Male and they run the transfer as any of the luxurious Maldivian resorts. You get a cold towel and a drink. The towel had a nice mint smell and is the perfect start of a Maldvian vacation.

I stayed in a duplex villa, and it was very nice. It had a very comfortable bed and a different nice design. The hotel also offered a welcome drink and escorted to the villa. Kind of run like an Intercontinental and with very good service. It’s very misleading this is a Holiday Inn. The best thing about this resort is the value. Excellent value and an affordable choice for people that want to explore Maldives, but can’t afford to stay in a Four Seasons but still wants to stay in a great hotel. A 10/10 for the value and an overall rating of 9/10 because it’s a lovely island with great staff and close to the expensive Maldivian resorts.

My opinion: Great experience.