The Centara Collection, Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives

This 5-star resort in the Maldives exceeded all expectations. Everything was absolutely perfect, from the warm and welcoming service to the beautiful and well-maintained surroundings. The staff were incredibly attentive and always ready to help with a smile. The room was spacious, spotless, and offered a breathtaking ocean view. The atmosphere was peaceful and private, making it ideal for a truly relaxing getaway. The facilities were excellent, and the food was delicious with a great variety of options. It was an unforgettable experience, and we will definitely return in the future. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a luxury escape in the Maldives.

Spent 4 night here on my honeymoon and had the best time, I didn’t want to leave. The moment we stepped foot into the airport, we were well taken care of by the Centara staff. Our sunset club room was well taken care of by Hasan, who leave beautiful sand art in our room. The room itself and the view was simply stunning. The food at the restaurants were delicious, with the Italian and reef being our favourite. We spent everyday doing water sports, snorkeling from our villa (be careful when it’s low tide) and spotting black and white tip sharks from the crystal clear water all round the resort. Probably the clearest water I’ve ever seen.

It was truly amazing to be able to see such a beautiful underwater world right in front of the villa. Most of the staff were very friendly. I would especially like to express my gratitude to Mini, who helped us with check-in and check-out. The club room benefits were excellent. The drinks provided at the club were great, and the swimming pool was also very nice. Above all, it was wonderful to have direct access to the lagoon from the Club Water Villa. This is a resort we were 200% satisfied with.

Our stay at Machufushi Island was nothing short of paradise! The location is breathtaking, with crystal-clear waters and pristine beaches that make every moment unforgettable. The facilities are top-notch, offering everything you need for a luxurious and relaxing getaway. We thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling, it was an incredible experience exploring the vibrant marine life. The Italian restaurant deserves a special mention; the food was outstanding, and the ambiance added to the charm of the island. The hospitality of the staff truly elevated our experience. A big shout-out to Neeraj at the bar, a cocktail pro who impressed us with his creativity and service. DJ Roshan at the restaurant ensured we were well looked after and added a lively vibe to our evenings. At the reception, Vasanth and Minimol were warm and welcoming, making check-in and assistance seamless. And Sunny at the Italian restaurant, what an amazing host! The list of exceptional staff goes on, and each one contributed to making our stay memorable. If you’re looking for a destination that combines natural beauty, world-class facilities, and outstanding hospitality, Machufushi Island is the perfect choice.

Our family of 9 people, 5 adults, 1 teen and 3 kids aged 12 and below, had a wonderful and memorable stay at the resort for 6 days and 5 nights. The family rooms (Villa 10 & 11) were spacious and comfortable and best of all, were steps away from the beautiful house reef. The beach and waters were pristine as well. The staff at the resort were friendly and full of smiles. They made us feel welcome at every turn, tending to our needs. The kids enjoyed the kids club activities as well. It is mostly for kids under 10 so we appreciated the fact that they allowed the two older kids to join in. We did a private excursion for nurse shark and manta ray snorkelling and a group tour for the whale shark snorkelling. We highly recommend the private tour. The Best Dives guides helped the kids and slower swimmers so that everyone had the opportunity to enjoy the experience. The buffet breakfast and dinner at The Reef restaurant was excellent and opens earlier for dinner than the Thai and Italian restaurants. We would recommend heading down to the latter two restaurants 15 mins after they open to see if there are cancellations and whether they can accommodate your group. We personally loved the food and service at the Italian restaurant. The warm and welcoming atmosphere at the resort made our stay something to remember!

Our New Year trip to Machchufushi couldn’t have been any more idilic. We spent the most wonderful New Years Eve at the incredible Gala Dinner. Throughout our stay our room was cleaned to the highest standard by the fantastic Habib who also left us beautiful sand art most evenings. We stayed in a family villa with seperate bedroom for our children, which was ideal. As a family of two adults and two children (4 and 10) we snorkelled across the unbelievable house reef directly from our villa steps in calm clear waters. We watched and swam with rays, sharks, dolphins and turtles straight from the villa. Our children made use of the in room life jackets which was a great touch. The staff are just the most friendly and helpful that we’ve experienced across many locations around the world. The grounds are kept beautifully, the restaurants and buffet are world class. I cannot find a single note for improvement let alone a negative for our stay at Centara Grand Machchufushi.

The island is small, green, with an extraordinary reef. The staff is extremely friendly and eager to help. The buffet food is varied and tasty. However, the location itself is quite outdated. There are areas that need renovation, especially in the common areas. The kids' club is a downside, even though the hotel is extremely child-friendly. They only accept children aged 4 to 10... and the ladies there are quite bored.

We name this island "The Friendly Island". From the minute you are met from your flight, everyone is very welcoming and friendly. You expect this in a luxury resort, but other travellers we spoke to who'd stayed elsewhere in the Maldives commented on how Machchafushi takes this to another level. We booked two rooms, an overwater bungalow (we were upgraded from Reethi Muraka to Sunset) and a beach duplex. The overwater bungalow was enormous, we both commented we could live there! With a stunning bedroom with views directly out onto the turquoise sea and a vast bathroom with two sinks, a circular bath with sea views, a shower and toilet, the accommodation was enhanced by the large deck with steps straight into a coral reef at any tide. The beach duplex was also very large with two bathrooms and private views directly to the sand. The snorkelling here is among the best in the world, lots of turtles and black tip reef sharks as well as all the fish, even a huge ray. All around the island there are great spots to discover. The food is extraordinary, we went all-inclusive and were very very spoilt for choice and quantity of both food and drinks. Sarath the chef and Mark, Roshan and Riyad in the reef restaurant were very attentive and personable. The Thai restaurant was very good and the Italian excellent. Excursions are available and we did the manta ray snorkelling with much success, We didn't do the whale shark trip and we're glad we didn't as other travellers reported a lack of sharks. Matt in the watersports shop is very funny and engaging. I was impressed to see Nalin, the manager, circulating among the guests and asking if everything is okay on several occasions during out stay. We would definitely stay again.