This is part one of a two-part mini Hilton tour of the Maldives we did earlier this year. Part two will be published next week.
First, we spent five nights at Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, followed by another five nights at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. It was interesting to stay at two quite different Hilton resorts back to back.
Having visited the Maldives a few times before, I wouldn’t say we are experts, but we are not novices either, so we have a good understanding of exactly what to look out for. We adore wildlife and sea life, and our two favourite types of holidays are snorkelling in the Maldives and Safari in Africa.
Opened in 2022, Hilton Amingiri is one of the newer resorts in the Maldives that comes with the bonus of being just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé Airport, so for those who are nervous about a seaplane, this would be a fantastic alternative.
Having previously stayed at another Maldives resort that involved a mammoth journey to get to (Outrigger, which is now closed), the short transfer was appealing, particularly with two young children this time. That said, we wouldn’t want to be too close to Malé either. Part of the appeal of the Maldives is feeling like you’re on a remote island, so there’s a balance to be struck.
In this post:
Getting There and Arrival
On arrival at Malé Airport, we were met by Hilton’s representatives and taken to a shared waiting area before boarding our luxury speedboat. Everything was well organised with regular updates on our departure time, but thankfully there was very little waiting around, and once onboard, refreshments were provided during the 20-minute boat journey.
We received a warm welcome on the island, and our host took us on a buggy tour before showing us to our villa. First impressions were very positive. Everything looked immaculate, and despite being a relatively new, man-made island, it already had a lovely natural, tropical feel. We were off to a great start!
Our host was also easy to contact on WhatsApp throughout the stay and was always happy to help. Something we find so useful when staying in resorts, and quite honestly, I do not understand why this isn’t standard when checking into all hotels these days.
Our Beach Villa
We stayed in one of the resort’s one-bedroom family beach pool villas, which came with a private pool, private beach space and direct beach access. The villa was modern and beautifully decorated, with natural wood and neutral colours.
The bedroom was surprisingly large, with a sofa area at the end of the bed. Hilton had set up a single bed for our son and a cot for our daughter on either side of the main bed. It did feel a little tight at times, but this is to be expected with two kids, and as you’d expect, we spent so little time inside; it really wasn’t an issue.
Storage-wise, I would say that it was just about enough for a family of 4. Any less and it would have been too tight; however, given most people staying in these rooms are probably couples, I would say it’s more than enough.
The best bit about the bedroom, in my opinion, wasn’t the lovely vaulted ceiling but instead the view out to our pool and the sea from 3 sides of the villa.
The bathroom was another favourite part of the villa. It was huge, with a freestanding bathtub, double sinks, floor-to-ceiling glass doors overlooking the greenery and private pool.
There was also separate indoor and outdoor showers. I particularly liked the green walls and wooden finishes.
Hilton had also made an effort with the welcome treats, including personalised biscuits for the children and a lovely arrangement on the bed.
Outside, the private pool was surrounded by hedging, making it feel very secluded.
There were two loungers on the sand beside the pool and a path leading directly onto the beach. The pool water was a really comfortable temperature, thankfully, as it was used a lot.
We even had a floating breakfast one morning, which our son loved, well, until Eugene accidentally flooded it, which we all found funny. Whilst they look great, personally, I find things like this quite impractical!
Trying to eat while everything floats around the pool isn’t quite as relaxing as you might think, but it was fun to try for sure, and as mentioned, our son loved it.
There was also a swing outside, which looked great but was a little hard to sit on initially, as it felt like it was tilting forward. We reported it via WhatsApp, and by the time we returned, it was fixed and much more comfortable to sit on and enjoy.
Bikes were included with the villa, and Hilton had fitted child seats to ours in advance, which was a nice touch. We used them quite a bit, although the island is small enough to explore on foot, which we did some days.
Overwater Villas
For comparison, I asked if we could look around the ever popular overwater villas and our host was more than happy to show us around.
For obvious reasons we chose a beach villa, but water villas are particularly appealing and if we were to travel without kids I would probably split my time between a water and beach villa as we did in 2019 when we first visited the Maldives.
These feel exceptionally spacious, which is probably to do with the open-plan nature of the villas.
Restaurants and Bars
We were pleased with the choice of restaurants, particularly as we were staying for five nights and like some variety. We won’t go into depth on individual food choices, which are subjective and the review would be too long but instead we’ll focus on service and quality of food.
Before arriving, we were asked to make all our dinner reservations in advance. This was a bit of a puzzle, as not every restaurant opened each evening, and we wanted to fit in an à la carte night at Habitat, the resort’s main buffet restaurant. We’re not particularly keen on buffet dinners, so having this option was a bonus. After a few tries, we managed to lock down an itinerary with the help of Guest Services via email, who were very responsive.
Habitat
Habitat is the island’s main restaurant and where breakfast was served each day. We were impressed with the selection and quality on offer. Alongside the buffet was a small à la carte menu, including avocado toast with poached eggs, which we particularly enjoyed. Our eggs were always cooked perfectly, and the quality was consistently good.
We loved sitting outside on the terrace overlooking the water, and breakfast never felt particularly busy.
We also ate here for dinner on an à la carte evening. The service was always top-notch, and the team here couldn’t do enough for us and our kids. Another nice feature was watching the sharks swimming beneath the restaurant.
Origin
We ate at Origin, one of the resort’s more upmarket seafood restaurants, a couple of times. Origin is an overwater restaurant in a prime location overlooking the sea and looks out to sunset. It has an adjoining bar which is perfect for pre-dinner drinks; however, it’s adults-only, so we couldn’t try it out on this occasion.
Our first visit was on the evening we arrived, when the travelling and jet lag had caught up with our son, who promptly fell asleep at the table! The staff were friendly and accommodating, which was much appreciated.
We had a very enjoyable bottle of wine and a local white fish each, which was served fine dining but cooked to perfection.
We enjoyed both evenings, although on our second visit we had to move inside when it started raining. Again, the staff handled everything well and found a table for everyone swiftly.
Aura
Aura is the resort’s poolside restaurant and bar. We enjoyed a nice, relaxed lunch here every day and a dinner one evening.
Some of the food highlights were the salmon poke bowl for lunch and particularly the sushi at dinner. Being honest, service could have been a little more attentive in this particular restaurant.
There was live entertainment by way of either a DJ or live band; we thought both were fantastic. The DJ at lunch added a really nice background vibe instead of turning the pool into an Ibiza party and the band was great, so much so we bought them a drink and gave them a tip to show our appreciation.
Beach Shack
We also had dinner at Beach Shack, which has a small number of tables set up directly on the sand. It’s a lovely setting and really synonymous with what you would expect in the Maldives. Think sunset, toes in the sand, a glass of wine, all whilst a live band is playing in the background and eating lovely food.
A classic surf and turf restaurant that offers a very good selection of seafood and steaks as well as other options.
I would highly recommend the charred pineapple ice cream for dessert.
Sip and Eden
We visited Sip, the resort’s tea lounge, a couple of times, including for the complimentary afternoon drinks offered to Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members during our stay.
It’s a lovely spot, although the 3 to 4 pm drinks hour seemed a pretty impractical time. At that time of day, we still want to be on the beach or in the pool.
One frustration was the drinking water situation. After spending time at the water sports centre, we wanted some water but were directed to Sip, where we had to purchase a bottle for around $20 inc. tax. Given the temperatures, this seemed excessive, and some feedback I have fed to them is that they really should have freely available water at all important locations, especially by the water sports.
As mentioned earlier, we didn’t visit Eden, the adults-only champagne and gin bar, as we had the children with us. It looked fantastic, though, and we were a little jealous of those enjoying a child-free drink overlooking the water!
Food and Drink Prices
As you’d expect in the Maldives, prices were high. Two cocktails could easily cost around $60, a bottle of water with dinner was around $20, and even a scoop of ice cream cost $10! Yes, a single scoop.
The wine list was extensive, but we’d have liked to see more familiar favourites, including a wider choice of Californian Chardonnay. That surprised us a little given how many American guests were staying at the resort.
It’s worth noting that the island uses iPads for menus across most restaurants. We would definitely prefer to have a proper menu.
Overall, though, we were very happy with the dining options. There was plenty of variety for five nights, and the à la carte evenings at Habitat were a welcome alternative to a buffet. The food was generally of a high standard and the service usually very good.
Beaches and Pools
One of the things we really liked about Hilton Amingiri was the beautiful beaches. The sand was pristine, with very little coral washed up, and the water was generally calm. There were also plenty of quiet stretches where you could feel like you had the island to yourself.
The resort has a large main pool next to Aura, which was a lovely temperature. It’s made up of funky shapes with sunken seating areas inside it, which is really cool. It also had a smaller, shallower side which was great for our toddler.
It never felt busy, but we did feel they could do with adding a few more sun loungers by the pool and main beach. We never struggled to find one, mind you.
We generally prefer spending time on the beach, but there wasn’t much of a setup for this anywhere on the island. Given how lovely the beaches were, it would have been nice.
Whilst this is a man-made island, you wouldn’t necessarily know. It has beautifully maintained and landscaped gardens everywhere, with the entrance to the spa being my favourite, and we didn’t see a single mosquito during our stay!
Amingiri Spa
One of my favourite places on the island was Amingiri Spa. From the beautifully landscaped entrance, surrounded by lush tropical greenery, to the stunning overwater treatment rooms, they’ve really created something special. It feels like a little tropical oasis.
One particularly cool feature is the glass floors in the treatment rooms, allowing you to watch marine life swimming beneath you.
I opted for a wonderfully relaxing full-body massage before being escorted to a peaceful relaxation area overlooking the Indian Ocean, where I could sit back with a glass of water and enjoy the view.
It’s these little touches that make the experience memorable.
By the spa is a very well-equipped gym (that I did not use) and a salon in case you wanted to get your nails or hair done whilst there.
Kids’ Club and Activities
Hilton Amingiri is particularly well suited to families, and the kids’ club was one of the better kids’ clubs we’ve experienced.
Krakengiri Kids’ Club has very modern and large indoor and outdoor areas, with plenty of toys, games and organised activities for kids of all ages. There’s also a little splash pool that families can use at any time. The kids’ club offers an excellent range of complimentary activities, although some special experiences, such as pizza making, may carry an additional charge. Rumour has it, it’s the biggest kids club in the Maldives!
The staff were fantastic with our son, who was nearly four. They made a real effort to get to know him and encouraged him to join in, although he wasn’t particularly keen on being left on his own. They always seemed genuinely enthusiastic about having the children there, which really impressed us.
One of his favourite activities was making his own pizza, which he (and we) thoroughly enjoyed on the beach one evening during sunset.
Another big plus for families is that children under six stay free when sharing their parents’ villa. The resort also offers complimentary meals from the children’s menu and free speedboat transfers for under-sixes, making it a particularly attractive option for families with younger children.
Water Sports and Snorkelling
The water sports centre offers a range of activities, including complimentary non-motorised water sports.
The team were also brilliant with our son, even spending time helping him look for shells on one occasion.
One thing worth mentioning is that Amingiri doesn’t have an established house reef, so snorkelling directly from the beach is a little limited. The resort is working on developing its marine environment, but it’s worth considering if snorkelling is a priority.
We noticed quite a difference at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. However, the sea was also rougher, whereas we appreciated Amingiri’s calmer waters with young children.
One highlight on this beach was when a ray swam right up to the shore whilst we were all playing and hung in the area for 30 or so minutes.
Sunset Dolphin Cruise
Sub-Oceanic runs the dive centre here, so we booked a sunset dolphin cruise, which was one of the highlights of our stay.
We’ve seen dolphins several times during our travels, but this was one of our best sightings. There were huge numbers swimming alongside the boat, and it was fantastic to watch. We were all so excited and we felt like we were in a fairytale. Calm waters, beautiful sunset, dolphins swimming around the boat and a glass of champagne. Does it get better?
As said, champagne was served on board, making it a lovely way to spend an evening. We’d definitely recommend it.
Hilton Honors Points
For those looking to redeem Hilton Honors points, Amingiri is certainly worth considering. Reward nights typically start around 130,000 points per night.
We spoke to quite a few American guests who had booked using points, suggesting availability is generally good, even during peak season.
Hilton Honors Silver, Gold and Diamond members also benefit from a fifth night free on eligible reward stays. At 130,000 points per night, that’s 520,000 points for five nights instead of 650,000.
Given the eye-watering cash rates in the Maldives, this could represent excellent value, although food, drinks and transfers still need to be factored in.
Conclusion – Would We Return?
We thoroughly enjoyed our five nights at Hilton Amingiri and were genuinely impressed by what Hilton has created here.
Being honest, we had a few concerns prior to travelling about being so close to Male at a man-made island but I’m so glad we took the plunge. No regrets!
Despite being a relatively new, man-made island, it feels beautifully established, with lush tropical surroundings, pristine beaches and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.
The villas were excellent, the dining options varied and the staff generally fantastic. The short speedboat transfer is another huge advantage, particularly after a long international flight.
We would happily visit again, potentially even using Hilton Honors points given the attractive redemption opportunities. Whether you’re travelling as a couple or with children, Amingiri offers a lovely balance of luxury, relaxation and convenience without feeling like a large, commercialised resort.
It’s certainly somewhere we’d recommend considering for a Maldives holiday.
This stay was undertaken in collaboration with Hilton. As always, our review reflects our own independent experience, with Hilton having no editorial input or approval over the published content.
