First and foremost, I want to thank Nasrullah, who is hands down one of the best managers I’ve seen. He cares deeply about his staff, the property, the guests, the experience, the Maldives, and is focused on doing what is right. If there’s an issue, he’s not afraid to admit that there’s something wrong, and without wasting any time, immediately focuses on how to make it better. Because of this management style, the staff is just as amazing. Patrick, the GM, is also always around, just like Nasrullah, making sure everybody is having a great time. Now onto the details:
The property is spacious, lots of space, nice breeze, proper health checks are made, rooms and public areas sanitized properly, and if there’s any concern, staff is always willing to help. Once you’re on the island, you’ll notice nobody wears a mask, and if you’re comfortable this way, feel free to do the same.
We had the B&B option. Breakfast and dinner, some light snacking for lunch– we were always happy with the amount food. Miss Olive Oyl and Tom Yam are always great options. The marina has a couple restaurants to check out. Only some of them are open due to COVID, but the ones I’d recommend are Kebab & Curry (Indian) and Kin Kao (Thai). Ministry of Crab is good too, but overpriced for what it offers. We went to Hard Rock Hotel once for a buffet which could have been much better. Likewise E & B was also good, but overpriced.
The water-sports center can accommodate for every activity. I went on about 10+ dives. Unfortunately, the area is mostly for beginners. There are advanced diving spots, but a lot of the divers are beginners, so you rarely get to go to them. There are amazing hook diving/strong current spots. Come prepared. I was surprised at how crazy some of the currents were!
I’d like to send a shout out to some of the staff that were amazing to us the 17 nights we spent at the hotel. There are so many names to list, so I’ll just basically say everybody who works the pool, breakfast and dinner at Saii. The front desk staff deserves recognition too. Our room attendant, didn’t get his name, did a fantastic job with daily service. Absolutely perfect. Every day felt like coming to a brand new room. Thank you again to Nasrullah for providing us with a complimentary upgrade based on the availability at the time. We had to extend a couple more days because our flight changed, and they kept us in the same room, made it extremely easy. We were devastated to leave. It was definitely our highlight of 2020.
We hope to come back soon again with much more family members. The marina, once fully open, will provide so much entertainment and activities. The property has a little something for everyone. If you want to relax, it’s perfect. If you want to party a little, you can do that too. If you want a nice family getaway, this is the spot. If you want to have an unforgettable honeymoon, go right ahead. You will not be disappointed.
What makes SAii special is not that it’s perfect. There is no property in the Maldives that is perfect. Every place has its ups and downs, and everybody is trying to be a little better during this tough time. It’s the fact that SAii staff and management does everything they absolutely can in order to make sure you stay happy and leave happy.
The fried platter at the pool, and the fusilli option at Miss Olive Oyl are great! Ice cream is really good too. Probably had a couple scoops every day!