Hotel Review: Pullman Maamutaa Maldives, All-inclusive Resort
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- We have been recommending the Pullman Maldives resort for a few years thanks to an ongoing amazing deal on Luxury Escapes. As an Accor hotels property, we had always felt confident in the quality based on our experience in the Gaafu Alifu atoll of the Maldives. We were so excited to finally have a chance to experience the resort for ourselves and bring you the details you have all been looking for.
In the review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know:
00:00 - Pullman Maldives Intro
00:45 - Pullman Maldives Location
02:26 - Pullman Maldives Lobby & Check in
05:22 - Pullman Maldives Rooms
09:13 - Pullman Maldives Underwater Aqua Villa Suite!
10:06 - Pullman Maldives Service
12:31 - Pullman Maldives Dining
17:07 - Pullman Maldives Facilities
21:28 - Pullman Maldives Style
For the full written review, check it out here:
www.voyagerguru.com/hotel-rev...
Pullman is located in Gaafu Alifu atoll, the deepest atoll of the Maldives. With its depth brings incredible marine life, plenty of fantastic reef sharks and beautiful islands. Located a 1-hour domestic flight from Malé, Pullman sits on a beautiful natural island with beautiful, lush foliage, sand walkways and stunning beaches. The property is quite large at 18 hectares and even has one of the only natural lakes in the Maldives.
The rooms at Pullman are fantastic. Even the most basic Beach Villa sits at over 2,000 square feet with beautiful indoor and outdoor living spaces.
We had the opportunity to stay in an Ocean Pool Villa facing a direct sunrise view. At 1,775 square feet, the pool villa features a stunning, private outdoor patio as well as a bedroom and outdoor bathroom. As you enter the villa through a private gate, you access the outdoor covered patio complete with an L-shaped sofa and comfortable sitting chair. The pool extends outwards towards the view and has two comfortable chaise lounges next to it with an umbrella. There is a small dinette outside next to the outdoor shower and access via ladder to the lagoon.
We also had the opportunity to spend a night in one of the two Aqua Villas. The Aqua Villas are the underwater suites that feature an above-water suite with a king bedroom, full separate living room, large primary bath, outdoor patio with pool as well as the underwater bedroom. At 1,219 square feet, the room is impressive on its own but is truly magical below the lagoon. The underwater bedroom is stunning with a small coral garden that attracts a variety of fish including lion fish, sharks and tropical reef fish throughout the day and night.
All of the bars and restaurants have the same beverage menus. We would love to see them incorporate signature drinks at each dining venue to spice up the options a bit. Also, it is required to have reservations at any a la carte dining restaurant for dinner. I would recommend going to the restaurant directly to make reservations as the front desk often said the outlets were full, when in reality they sat very much empty. It seemed much easier for guests to make reservations at the restaurants themselves. If you do arrive on night 1 and are told the dining outlets are full and you must go to the buffet, I would recommend checking around at the restaurants first just in case there is an open slot. This will no doubt be tougher in high season, but worth checking in case guests abandon their reservations in favor of room service. That being said, the dining options were excellent and we did love the variety in health-focused options across the board.
Overall, we absolutely loved our experience at Pullman. We have been recommending this resort for years and will absolutely continue to do so, particularly with the value of the offer on luxury escapes that has been consistently bringing them new business. While there are certainly areas that, if fixed, would bring them to a five star experience, the price is frankly unbeatable for the quality of the resort.
If you're looking for our Destination Guide on the Maldives, check it out here:
www.voyagerguru.com/destinati...
So check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Have you been to the Maldives? What was your favorite hotel?
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Come travel with us,
Maren Engh & Max Jallifier
#luxuryhotelreview #luxurytravel #beautifulhotels
Wow all the different colors of blue and turquoise of the water is just amazing ! 🤩Also love the artisan week idea ! Great video !
The sandbar side of the island was our favorite! The beach was beautiful! And the local artists were such a cool addition to the trip 🥰
@@VoyagerGuru that would be my favorite too!
Amazing review! This resort looks so beautiful! Maybe one day we will get to go!
Thank you so much!!! That means so much to us!! And also YES!!! You have to go!! Couples trip?
Yes! I love that idea!
Excellent review, I’ve watched a ton of different formats for resort reviews. By far the most detailed and HONEST which I appreciate. Currently booked here for an October visit, but was also looking at the Hideaway Beach Resort. As you mentioned both have trade offs especially around inclusive plans. I’m mostly think about the location of north vs. south Atolls where hideaway might have less rain being in the north.
Hi Michael! Thank you so much for your comment :) We really appreciate that! It really is a fabulous resort :). So honestly, I wouldn't choose based on weather because there's really no stable weather patterns right now in the Maldives. It seems to be very unpredictable. Hideaway is one of the most northern resorts in the Maldives (right near JA Manafaru) and that atoll in general is way less trafficked- there aren't many hotels up there at all! You will pretty much only see a few boats passing by on their way to JA or local islands but it's so stunning up there. It feels a lot like what the Maldives used to be- totally untouched. The lagoon at hideaway also looks nice.
Some things to consider with Hideaway: It's not a fully all inclusive property and when I look at their menus there are a lot of asterisks so I would go through their menus on their website and see if that's ok with you (which it very well may be, but worth looking at) and there are more restrictions because of that. It is also very unclear on the luxury escapes deal what restaurants you have access to to begin with, so I would probably call the property and ask what outlets you have access to before committing, because it would suck to be told you can only go to the buffet, for example, when you show up. I would also clarify what alcohols are available on the all inclusive to make sure they do offer what you are looking for in the plan as none of their public-facing menus show the all-inclusive list, just the priced out options.
Overall, you definitely can't go wrong with the Maldives, but make sure you know what's included in the Hideaway deal before committing. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to DM me on instagram @voyagerguru or email me at team@voyagerguru.com :)
Very truly and honestly describing.
Thank you for your comment! So glad you enjoy the video :)
Great video guys. Stayed at the emerald maldives in 2021 and loved the luxury all inclusive package that they did, which is similar to pullmans. Definitely gonna visit pullman soon. Thanks
Thanks so much, Surya! Yea the two are pretty similar - the only main difference in the plan is emerald had this amazing wine program but otherwise, super comparable!
@@VoyagerGuru right . Loved the emerald experience and one of the reasons was the wines to choose from with great someliers.
100% agree! Such a great unique feature!
It is our last day here at the Pullman Maldives after spending 6 nights here. This review couldn’t be any more accurate. I have to agree with everything that has been said. The only thing that has changed since the review has been published is that they now provide water at kooddoo airport! The thing that stood out for us was how much you get included as part of the all inclusive aspect including free snorkelling gear and free kayaks and so much more.. Thank you to both of you guys for the honest and accurate review!!
Hi sameer!! Thank you so much for your comment!! First of all, thank goodness they now offer water!! Such a long journey without that. Hopefully they find a way to do a nice cold towel in the future.
So glad you had an amazing time!! Enjoy the final day and safe travels home!! -maren
Where have you booked the transfer from Male? Or is it included in the hotel price?
Dude. You guys are awesome
Hi Mike! Thanks so much! You’re awesome!
Thank you for this comprehensive review. No butler service is a big turnoff for a Maldives resort!
Thanks so much for your comment! Yes, it’s definitely a requirement for 5 star service for me and certainly something they could improve upon in the future. For the right price, this is a great resort but once you start looking at ozen Maadhoo or some similar high end all inclusives at the same price point then I’d book that instead.
Very detailed introduction. I only went there last week.The service is very good,but the food is not good enough.😊
Thank you so much for your comment! That's good to know about your experience- were there particular outlets that you did not love the food at?
Wonderful review, really appreciate how comprehensive and fair your reviewing style is. Based on your review, I am totally adding Pullman to my Maldives wishlist - the ocean life, dining, wine list, and the resort’s style and island’s beauty… just wow! One question about the lagoon off the ocean suites - are there live corals and lots of marine life, and did you get to see a lot of fish from the deck? Thank you !
Thank you so much for your comment! It’s a great property with a very good all inclusive! There are fish around the ocean suites for sure, but because it gets so shallow at low tide it’s not always the best spot depending on time of day. That being said if you swim or pop in around the aqua villas, that is a great spot where we saw so many sharks and fish (09:40 in the video) so there’s definitely a lot of sea life around! You’ll definitely have no shortage of fish life around! Similarly, there is a house reed for snorkeling that’s a hit deeper. Hope this helps!
@@VoyagerGuruthis is really helpful, thank you for your feedback!
Of course anytime! If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at team@voyagerguru.com
Omg! Max and Maren I completely forgot that I subscribed to your page🤦🏾♀️
Im so glad I found YOUR MALDIVES VIDEOS!!!!!
Planning to go next November and there is no other travel review that I would other than yours. So excited to watch all of your Maldives content.
Do you two have a top 3 resorts?
Hi Yolanda!!!! It’s so good to hear from you!! How was your Costa Rica trip a few years back???
Also YAY! The Maldives is amazing you will love it!!!!! We have a lot of favorites in different price points but top three with no budget cap is probably: Milaidhoo, anantara Kihavah and JA manafaru. Best all inclusive currently is probably still ozen life Maadhoo. If you want some help, dm me on instagram or email me at team@voyagerguru.com - we have some great partnerships there with perks/deals! - xx Maren
Maren, you remember?!!!! Yes, Costa Rica was February 2020 right before the world shut down. Costa Rica was amazing, we loved it! We've been so many places since then and approaching our 10 year anniversary and I'm so glad I'm back on your page😊.
I will definitely email you, thanks a million!
@yolandawilkerson5218 of course!!!!! Omg 10 years!!! Congrats so happy for you ❤️❤️❤️
Really a great and super comprehensive review. Loved it and super excited to visit here in December. Quick question, the resort calls out a no drone policy but I see a lot of people who visit here fly drones including a lot of youtube reviews. In reality, if it is not affecting anyone's privacy, do you think there is any risk to carrying a drone there and flying?
Hey there! Thanks so much for your comment! And so glad you found the video useful :). It's a great question- so we did get special privileges, however, I would recommend asking the hotel if you are allowed to take it off from one of the far beaches. They may have certain time restrictions but that's usually how hotels end up allowing guests to use a drone. I would reach out via email but worst case bring it with you and ask on property. I hope this helps!
Thank you for the awesome review! Question - was shampoo, conditioner and body soap included in the rooms or is it something we need to pack?
Hi there! Great question- yes absolutely - everything is included and they offer toiletries like shampoos etc as well as a-tips, cotton balls, nail files and more! You won’t need to bring any of that :)
Great review!
Just wondering if you feel like the common areas of this resort can feel too crowded at times? Are there always many people eating at the restaurants all the time? And in the main pools of the islands?
Thanks so much for your comment! There’s a lot of different types of hotels in the Maldives and I’d definitely consider this to be a fun social vibe in general. There were never so many people that you wouldn’t get a seat somewhere - the main pool on the beach was the most “busy” in that that’s where the DJ was and people were pretty social and friendly. We always found a seat without issue. There was never anyone at the overwater pool, that seemed to be the more “chill” quiet pool.
In terms of restaurants, I would say make reservations, but we never felt like it was too bad. I can imagine over big holiday weeks there are more people around in general, but overall there were enough spaces that it never felt overly crowded. The most popular restaurant will be Souq oven so I recommend booking that when you get there but we didn’t have any issues with booking.
The nice thing in the Maldives in general is many of the rooms have private pools so many people spend their time in their private villas and the island is rarely overly crowded :). Hope this helps!
Absolutely, thank you!
Anytime!! Happy to help
Amazing review again. Now waiting for your review on other properties you went to like Ozen Life Madhoo, Cora Cora, Park Hyatt.. and do you have any plan to go to Taj Exotica?
Thank you so much!! Really appreciate your comment! Stay tuned for this weekend :)!
Taj is definitely on our list and we have plans to return to the Maldives early 2024 so hopefully we can make that happen :)
@VoyagerGuru Sure, looking forward to weekend..asked for Taj Exotica as my parents staying there this December in expectation of great time.. 🙂
Coincidence, watching Voyager Guru Heritance Aarah review while replying to comment on Voyager Guru Pullman review 😀
haha!! that's amazing!!! Enjoy watching :)
We went to Pullman in '21 when it re-opened during covid. Great Resort, awesome all inclusive package. My wife and I are planning to go back to the maldives. Do you have a favorite all inclusive resort that you recommend?
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds amazing - what a great post COVID trip. And yes absolutely!! We have a few favorites - ozen Life Maadhoo was a good choice with a super flexible package and is an easy hotel to get to, also baglioni has been running great offers lately and is a quiet, relaxing resort. There are a few options depending on what you’re looking for - if you want, DM me on IG @voyagerguru or email me at team@voyagerguru.com and I can share some recs based on your price point
Loved the review as I am considering this hotel for my Maldives holidays. I am a vegetarian so having a veg restaurant is very appealing to me. Just a quick question… I see there are a lot os rock formations in the water compared to other beaches, that’s what’s putting me off. Is it really like that, so many rocks to swim?
Have you visited the Atmosphere Kanifushi? It’s the other one I am considering to go.
Thank you so much for your comment! Ah yes- it's a fabulous option and we loved the food at Phat Chameleon. It's not so much rock formations, it's primarily seaglass and coral. It's only on the east side of the island near the suites, to be honest. the rest of the island is spectacular, particularly the sunset side :). We have not been to Kanifushi yet, but we have been to their higher end sister property, Ozen Life Maadhoo. Kanifushi will be slightly less flexible than pullman as you have access to only 1 or 2 a la carte restaurants for your stay, but it is a beautiful resort. If you need some help deciding or booking, feel free to shoot us an email at team@voyagerguru.com :)
Thanks for sharing, are the ala carte dining is a part of all inclusive or do you need to pay separately?
Thanks so much for reaching out! yes, the a la carte experiences are all included (which is awesome!). If it helps, most hotels in the Maldives that are tagged as "premium all inclusive" in their names, usually have and include multiple a la carte experiences :). Let us know any questions you have!
Thanks a lot! Love your channel, it's sooo good. And appreciate your reply. Thank you for taking the time to reply unlike most other channels where the host don't respond to all comments. My wishes for your channel to reach great heights 💞
Aw thank you so much!! That means a lot to us :) don’t hesitate to reach out anytime!!
Greetings from India! I Just love your review!! Keep it up guys🙏🏻👍
Thank you so much! Really appreciate you watching :)
Hi guys, I'm headed there shortly. Flying out next Sat, Aug 12, getting there Mon, Aug 14 for an 8 day/7 night stay. Besides Pullman being a beautiful Resort, anything else you can tell me, any advice, Pros and Cons before I get there? I'm soooo excited!
And Thanks for always sharing your videos!
You mentioned the 50lb weight limit. Is that the total for each guest OR the total for each piece of luggage? Because I will have a large checked piece of luggage and my carry on piece of luggage and a backpack, as my trip will continue on to Seychelles for a week afterwards and from Seychelles to Mauritius for a week! Any information on the baggage weight limits would be appreciated!
That sounds like an incredible trip! We hope you have an amazing time. Definitely make sure you make reservations for dinner when you get there - they may tell you it’s full on night one but just go to the restaurants directly and there’s often a table available (rather than asking the front desk), take advantage of the vouchers - they provide a good value, we did the one tank night dive and it was amazing. The pool bar drinks were not very strong when we were there, if you ask them to make it stronger they will. The sand bank near Juliet is one of the most beautiful parts of the property - definitely worth exploring. It’s a great property to get lost in because the little sandy roads are winding and it’s very fun to explore. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, go to phat chameleon - it is fantastic!!
Enjoy!!
Wow your trip sounds epic! And it’s 50 LB checked so you should be fine - also when they do the check in they try to make it work and spread the weight out across the group
Will you guys be reviewing the Waldorf Astoria Maldives any time soon?
Thanks so much for your comment! It’s definitely on our list- hopefully we can go there on our next trip coming up!
Hi, we are booked for next November in a beach pool villa sunrise side. Would you say sunrise is definitely the best side?
Hey Emma! That’s awesome! The sunrise side has less wind typically and honestly for sunset there’s a lot of excellent places to watch the sunset and have cocktails like saffron affair, which is fun because you can sit in the hammocks and enjoy it. The water is slightly nicer on the sunset side but I love sunrise side for the view of the sunrise and the windless afternoons by the pool
My Husband and I have been sitting around watching all of your reviews for days now haha, thank you so very much for the amazing detailed videos on each resort!
We are trying to debate between going to the Maldives or Bora Bora for our honeymoon (we're based in Canada) and were curious to ask you two - if you could only go to one and never get to visit the other, which would you choose?
After watching your reviews, we are currently debating between the Pullman Maldives and Le Bora Bora by Pearl (which would cost us the same after flights and accommodation).
Would love to hear your thoughts, thank you so much in advance!!
Hi Linda!! Thanks so much for your comment!! Gosh both are wonderful destinations!! So I would probably say Pullman will be cheaper because it’s all inclusive. They also include a spa treatment and a variety of activities so you could leave with a 0 dollar bill. Le Bora Bora will have some added expenses because they don’t do all inclusive the same way.
For me, I would say - how long are you going for? And what are you looking for out of your vacation? French Polynesia is for sure our favorite country so far from a culture and natural beauty perspective but the Maldives offers better value when it comes to hotels for a beach vacation. I’m happy to discuss pros and cons if you want to DM me on Instagram or email me at team@voyagerguru.com :) - xx Maren
We're planning to do our Honeymoon in August 2024 at Pullman's We watched your video already many times. Thank you for all the detailed descriptions. At the moment Emirates Holidays offers a deal with a free upgrade from Ocean Villa to Ocean Pool Villa. That's why we might book with them. My fiancé is wondering about swimming in the sea at Pullman's. What do you think about this opportunity and the beaches compared to other Maldive resorts?
Hey Ernst! Thanks for reaching out! The ocean pool villa is fantastic- the pools are great. The water off the villas on that side is really nice and very swimmable. The water on the beach has a bit more sea grass because of its location on the other side. If you want to swim off the bungalow, then you will have a great time. There is a bit of sea grass and coral on one side of the property so i would NOT book the ocean suites. However, the ocean pool villas are on the good side of the hotel. The all inclusive plan is fantastic and it's hard to beat. Some other similar properties are OBLU sangeli and Lobigili as they have a very similar all inclusive plan and are a bit easier to get to than Pullman for a similar price point. If you need any help, don't hesitate to DM me on instagram or email me at team@voyagerguru.com
Thanks so much for great review! We booked for November. We are thinking of 2-3 nights at Park Hyatt on top of 5 at Pullman, is it worth checking out?
Hi there! Thanks for your comment- that sounds like a fabulous trip! I definitely recommend a stop at Park Hyatt- it's in the same Atoll and super easy to get to from Pullman :). We get some great perks through Hyatt Privé if you're looking to book on cash, feel free to reach out to us with your dates at team@voyagerguru.com. Booking on points is definitely the best deal depending on time of year, even if you're limited to the beach villas.
@@VoyagerGuruThanks! We are planning to use points. Can you share how you arranged inter resorts transportation, how long the ride was, and how much it cost? I really appreciate your help! 😊
Nice!! That's a great value. A private villa for 30,000 points?? Insane!! So the hotels will take care of the transfer for you. What will most likely happen is they will do what they did for us: Pullman will transfer you to the "mainland" where the airport is and then Hyatt will collect you there at the dock and take you to the hotel. That's typically the easiest for the property. My recommendation is to contact both hotels and let them know so that they can plan accordingly. The transfer will take about 1 hour total. I would recommend asking Hyatt to see if they can pick you up at Pullman directly but depending on the sea conditions, that may be hard. The cost, I am not sure to be honest but depending on how you booked Pullman, it won't cost anything there since transfers are included on most of their deals. For hyatt, the transfer cost will likely be just over half of their stated transfer cost since you will not need 1 of the flights as you will just be taken via boat to arrive. It'll likely cost somewhere between 350-450 per person. I hope this helps!
@@VoyagerGuru This is very helpful, thank you so much!
Anytime!! Happy to help :)
Can you please give more informations on that vouchers you were talking about?
How do you get them? How many? What can you do with them? Every guest get's them? So for 2 people it's 2 vouchers? Or just one?
Thanks a lot :)
Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. Every guest gets vouchers for a few free activities - you can choose to do a scuba or a similar activity and we got to do a jet ski excursion. They are based on how many nights you stay so if you stay over a week you get more versus if you stay only 2-3 nights you won’t get them :)
Is there floating breakfast free !!
Hi there! Sadly no- floating breakfasts are chargeable at every hotel but some hotels do run specials for honeymooners so definitely check honeymooners packages if you are celebrating :) you never know! The cost is typically around $250
Wines , 🍸 wines or other alcohols is it free or extra? Can you give information please
Hi there! Yes, this property is all inclusive and they have a menu of cocktails, wines and beers that are totally free of charge. Their wine list was pretty extensive and you can see the menu here: www.flipsnack.com/mmkpmm/souq-oven-lunch-menus/full-view.html
I hope this helps!
7:15 At the tip of the pool, the neighbor can watch you shower.
True- I guess it's on you if you decide to shower outdoors in the nude ;)
The lagoon looks like a swamp 😭
Hey there! thanks for your comment! During low tide, that area of the property is definitely not super appealing. However, on the side with the water villas and main beach, it's absolutely beautiful and blue (as you can probably see from the footage of the sandbar). The area by the ocean suites during low tide does lose a lot of its water. I would personally recommend booking the over water villas, not the overwater suites and perhaps spending the leftover budget on a night in the underwater aqua suite :).
In general, though, there are pros and cons to every resort. what you give up on a part of the island here being meh at low tide, you get back in an amazing all inclusive plan, beautiful villas and delicious food. Rest assured too, at high tide, it looks beautiful
When is high tide season?
@@jeangaw6898 Hi there! The tide changes throughout the year and every day will see high tide and low tide. It's based on the moon so it will change throughout the year. You can see a tide forecast here: www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Thinadhoo/tides/latest
The lagoon doesn’t look very nice. This would really turn me off from this place and also the travel to get there😢
Hey there! Thanks for your comment! there are definitely parts of the lagoon that are better than others, particularly at low tide. The ocean suites sit on the most shallow water so they will have the least amount of coverage during low tide and more coral. That being said, everywhere has its tradeoffs in one way or another. While this might not be the most blue/coral free lagoon, the resort is excellent and has a very generous all inclusive plan. It also has amazing diving in the area! Other hotels offer amazing lagoons but have their own tradeoff (like sun island being a mediocre hotel on an exceptional lagoon or niyama having a stunning lagoon but literally no fish life for snorkeling). The good news is, there is something in the maldives for everyone depending on what you value out of a vacation :).
@@VoyagerGuru which place would you recommend in the Maldives out of all the places you visited? I am planning my first trip and I am all over the place
I totally understand! The Maldives can be quite confusing and stressful. If you want some recommendations of help planning, shoot me an email at team@voyagerguru.com with your dates and budget
In terms of absolute favorites so far with no budget in mind, Milaidhoo, anantara Kihavah, JA Manafaru are top of the list for sure but happy to help provide some options for you based on budget :)
@@VoyagerGuru We've been to Ozen Bolifushi last year and we absolutely loved it. However, the cons were - the in-villa pool wasn't heated, there wasn't much sea life around since it was an artificially made island. Apart from this, awesome place to be! We're planning another trip this year and I've been going through many of your videos and I was split between going back to Ozen Bolifushi and the Pullman. I see you've recommended Milaidhoo, Anantara Kihavah, and JA Manafaru. Are these better than Pullman?
@@shabbirnajmi3431 Ooooo sounds lovely!! yes, we have heard it lacks a good reef for sure. Those are some great options that you've highlighted. Pullman is definitely not going to be as "luxurious" but they do have WAY more inclusions so it really depends on what you're looking for. Milaidhoo, Kihavah and JA are going to be on the 5 star luxury side, though their all inclusive packages are similar to Bolifushi and if you don't go all inclusive, keep in mind that does add to your budget. I'm happy to help chat through options if you want to DM me on instagram or email me at team@voyagerguru.com :) - maren