12 May, 2024

Maagiri Hotel Review

The original plan for our stay in the Maldives didn’t include a stay at the Maagiri Hotel in Male. Our journey began with our arrival from Colombo at Velana International Airport in Male at about 2:00 pm. After clearing customs and immigration, we stepped outside, where a representative from our intended hotel greeted us and escorted us to the Seaplane Terminal. Once at the Seaplane Terminal, we found ourselves caught in an endless wait.

Eventually, we boarded our seaplane at approximately 5:30 pm, expecting to take off shortly. However, rather than heading out to clear water to take off, we circled back to the airport. Our pilot decided it was too late to take off, as we would have arrived at our resort in the dark. Landing in the dark was not feasible.

Faced with this unexpected hiccup, Trans Maldivian Airways had to arrange overnight accommodations for us and eight other passengers. Thus, we were transferred to the Maagiri Hotel. Our time at the hotel was brief with a scheduled pickup at 4:30 am the following morning.

Location

The Maagiri Hotel is located on the front row of Malé’s northern waterfront, providing views over the Indian Ocean.

Services Offered

The Maagiri Hotel offers a range of facilities, including:

Parking and Transportation: Given its central location, the hotel provides convenient parking options. For those arriving by air or sea, transfers can be arranged directly from the airport or jetty to the hotel.
Business Centre: For business travellers, the hotel offers a fully equipped business centre with high-speed internet access, meeting rooms, and secretarial services.
Dining and Café: The hotel features Peak Restaurant that has panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Faru Restaurant offers buffet-style meals. For a more casual setting, Coffee Curve on the ground floor serves a variety of light snacks and beverages.
Spa Services: The hotel’s spa offers a variety of treatments ranging from traditional Maldivian massages to modern therapy techniques.
Additional Amenities: Other amenities include a fitness centre and concierge services.

Accommodation

Maagiri Hotel offers Executive Suites, Junior Suites and Premier Rooms. We stayed in a Junior Suite.

As we had a Junior Suite, we had a separate living area to the bedroom. Our room was comfortable and the large windows provided views of the ocean. The room had the amenities you come to expect in a hotel like this. Amenities include air conditioning, high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV with international channels, minibars, and coffee/tea making facilities. The bathrooms were well-appointed with toiletries.

Room Service

When we arrived in our room, it was about 8 pm. So rather than eating at one of the hotel’s restaurants or going out, we decided to order room service. The room service menu had several options, including international and local cuisines.

As we had an early morning start (we needed to be back at the Seaplane Terminal at 6.00 am), the hotel arranged a take-away breakfast including fruit, juice, boiled eggs and sandwiches. As we needed to check out so early we were not expecting breakfast and this was a very nice gesture from the hotel staff.

Service Provided by the Staff

The service at Maagiri Hotel staff was exceptional. The staff went above and beyond due to our circumstances and the short notice of our arrival. We received great service from the reception, ports and room service staff.

Recommendation

Considering our circumstances, our stay at the Maagiri Hotel, while short, was comfortable. I would recommend the Maagiri Hotel if you intend to stay in Malé.