Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Part II

Welcome to part two of my Park Hyatt Maldives review. For part one, follow the link here.

Morning dawned on the island, but thanks to the blackout screens on the windows it was still dark inside the bedroom. Stepping outside, it was a beautiful day with cerulean blue skies and turquoise water.

Taking a swim in the cool ocean was refreshing, and the view from the water outside our Villa was amazing.

After the swim, we casually headed over to breakfast.

Breakfast as a Diamond member was quite generous. You could choose any three items in addition to tea, coffee & juice. Here’s the breakfast menu.

While looking over the menu, a three tier platter was delivered every morning to the table that included fresh fruit, Maldivian tuna curry, and assorted pastries.

The cherry-almond-apple waffle with honeycomb butter was delicious.

I tried just about everything on the breakfast menu during my time on the island but after a few days I found a favorite – Rice vermicelli soup with reef fish and spring onion. It was delicious!

Breakfast for Diamonds redeeming points for their stay is complimentary, but if you are a Gold or Platinum member, it comes out to about $35 per person. Regardless of status, if you are on a paid stay, breakfast is included. Here’s a good piece about the breakfast costs and options from View from the Wing.

After breakfast, the beach beckoned again. There were padded loungers out front of the villa.

Snorkeling equipment could be rented from the dive shop, which is what I did. The turquoise water was sometimes a little cloudy and had some warm currents, but was still beautiful.

There were all kinds of fish to be found in the hotel’s house reef.

The deeper water led to a drop off, but the surrounding area was filled with sea life. I even saw a white tip reef shark!

After snorkeling, the plunge pool was wonderful for a quick rinse-off.

Our villa came with a friendly mascot – a fruit bat. He hung out (get it?) every day in the same spot around the same time, and chirped. Then he’d swoop around and away, off to enjoy a different place until the next day.

Walking around the island, there was a common pool that I hardly ever saw people swimming in. In fact, not all the villas were occupied when I was there so it was only occasionally I came across other people at all.

There was plenty of lounge chair seating, with umbrellas, cushions, and towels.

Being able to enter in the water at any place for a swim or snorkel every day was great.

There were a couple of places to enjoy lunch, one being next to the Dhoni which is now the reception area.

All of the restaurants had water that was purified onsite and put in environmentally friendly reusable glass bottles. These same bottles were provided in the Villas.

The hotel offered boat trips and special excursions, which could be booked for an extra fee. In addition, one evening there was a $75 all you could eat sushi night which turned out to be a phenomenal deal. Our friends joined us for the special evening, which was held halfway down the walkway of the over water villas.

We got to watch the guy cut and prepare the fresh fish.

We were also given carte blanche with the Piper Heidsieck.

It was an amazing meal.

Another night, we chose the private dining experience on the beach. To start, we enjoyed the “sundowner” cocktail and appetizers.

At a reader’s request, I’ve also included a picture of the menus and prices although it may have been changed up since our stay.

Watching the sun sink slowly beyond the horizon, we swayed on the gliders with our toes in the sand. An attendant came to greet us when it was time to be seated for dinner.

Our table for two had been set in a beautiful spot overlooking the calm ocean. The weather was perfect, with just a slight balmy breeze. As soon as we were settled in, our server came over to tell us about the special dining experience for the evening. Instead of a menu, he just asked each of us what our food allergies, likes, and dislikes were. The information was relayed on the chef, and a custom meal was prepared especially for us.

Talk about romantic! As we dined, the stars came out and got brighter and brighter. Looking around, the only other lights were a few dim, shimmery ones from the Villas over the water, and about a dozen lanterns that lit our table and path back to the main area. The food was delicious and the experience was incredible. When the meal was over, we walked back to our Villa bathed in the glow of the lanterns.

All too soon, our stay at the Park Hyatt was over the next day. Our host with a buggy came to collect our luggage first, and then us about an hour later. That way we could squeeze in one more swim! Then we took the boat back to the domestic airport, the plane back to the international airport, and we were on our way home.

Hyatt Category 6. 25,000 points for a free night, or 12,500 points + $150 Cash & Points redemption.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

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