This is The Maldives Resort Families Actually Love
This Maldives resort works equally well for honeymooners seeking quiet overwater sunsets as well as families who need a water park, three restaurants and a kids' spa to keep the peace.
Centara Mirage Lagoon occupies its own private island in the North Malé Atoll – close enough to avoid the cost and logistics of a seaplane transfer, far enough to feel genuinely removed. Part of The Atollia by Centara, the resort brings a Thai hospitality sensibility to the Maldives formula: warm, generous and well-organised. With 145 beach and overwater villas, it is not a small property – but it has been zoned and designed cleverly enough that it rarely feels like it.
The 40-minute speedboat beats a seaplane on almost every count
The transfer from Velana is a 40-minute speedboat, running around the clock – which matters more than it seems when you consider how many international flights land in Malé at unsociable hours. A speedboat that runs day and night means you’re not sitting in an airport waiting for conditions to allow a seaplane. For families with tired children, or anyone who’d rather be horizontal sooner, the calculus is straightforward. From Melbourne, Luxury Escapes’ direct charter flight to Malé takes a connection out of the equation entirely and makes the whole journey feel less like an expedition.
The family overwater villas have a door between the kids and the adults
Most overwater villas in the Maldives are designed for two people. Centara Mirage Lagoon’s family configuration runs to 79 metres squared, with the kids’ bunk room behind a separate door from the main bedroom – a detail that sounds minor until you’re actually travelling with children and it isn’t. The terrace pool sits directly above the lagoon; rays and batfish are a common sighting from the steps. Sunrise and sunset orientations are available, and the difference in light and heat across the day is real enough to be worth thinking about before you book.
The Panoramic Lagoon Room – open-air bath, lagoon terrace – is the entry point for couples without children.
The water park keeps the kids in one place and the rest of the island quiet
The lazy river, water playground, kids’ pool and main pool occupy one end of the island together. That concentration is the resort’s smartest piece of planning – it means the overwater villa side stays calm. Families get everything in one place; couples and honeymooners can walk in the other direction and largely forget it exists.
Suan Bua is where dinner becomes an occasion
The Sailhouse runs buffet breakfast and all-day dining, and Acqua does Italian with a strong seafood lean. But Suan Bua, Centara’s signature Thai restaurant, is the reason to plan your evening. The kitchen doesn’t adjust for resort palates – the food is direct and properly seasoned, and the private banquet option makes it the obvious choice for an anniversary or honeymoon dinner.
One&Only… paradise, only better!
From day one, we were overwhelmed by the colors, the light, the air, the sea, and the incredible friendliness of the entire team. One&Only embraces you with a warmth and welcome unlike anything we've ever experienced. The exceptional comfort of the villas, the incredibly generous gifts each day, and the care, service, and cleaning are unparalleled. So many towels!!! It's truly amazing!
But we also loved their commitment to sustainability: everything in glass bottles filled with tap water, coffee without a filter, just a squeeze. All freshly pressed, homegrown, and not to mention the excellent food in all the restaurants!!!! Incredible.
We had absolutely no complaints; we ate everything, which speaks volumes about the high quality.
We especially grew fond of our host, Rasheed. He truly anticipated our every need; he's a wonderful person and very friendly.
What impressed us most was the absolutely fantastic TAPASAKE restaurant. We ate teppanyaki and were more than delighted by Mr. Teppanyaki, the head chef, who not only cooked beautifully but also had some amazing card tricks up his sleeve—the David Copperfield of the stovetop! We had a wonderful time, and it was a very fun birthday evening for me. Many thanks again for the delicious birthday cake in our villa.
We had a beach villa with a pool, where we could enjoy the sunset every evening, or we would go to the TAPASAKE lounge for a sundowner!
It was truly incredible. The empathetic friendliness of the entire team made us feel so comfortable throughout the whole week. Dear Mr. Tibaldi, you and your team give the resort a soul; One&Only is more than just an island.
My conclusion: Once you've tried it, you'll be hooked forever! We will definitely come back, we already miss this paradisiacal place and its people, and we've only been home for 2 days.
10.0
ANASTASIOS T.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is the right rating of the resort.As soon as we arrived at the airport, the luggage service was organized and professional for the Reethirah trip. The reception by the Resort Manager and the Staff was an unforgettable experience. The host, Hameed, a very kind person, was very helpful, gave a short tour of the facilities and then we arrived at the villa. The villa was the villa of our dreams. The food was worthy of our expectations. We only stayed for 2 days but it seemed that it was enough to feel calm.
6.0
Caius M.
For our returning trip to this hotel we were disappointed. However this hotel has many positive sides so let me rank them for you:
– to begin with, the location is really good. 45 mn from the airport is really practical and avoid you to take a seaplane and spend a night at the airport.
– rooms are very nice and comfortable and the hotel went the extra way to provides a lot amenities like sunscreen, hat, beach bag, soothing cream and so on. And yes the ocean view is amazing.
– the gym is just incredible. I never thought I would find so many new machines and equipment on an island . For those who wonder why it is important, when you visit during the raining season it is good to have an outlet to go rather than being stuck in your room.
– breakfast selection is impressive for an island and caters to all types of clients : Asian, Middle Eastern or European. You will definitely find something you like .
– service is excellent with all departments but it is the case all over the Maldives . Special mention to the beach team who is attentive to your every needs despite the searing heat in which they work.
But it is not enough for a luxury hotel of this caliber . I won’t dwell on the ongoing renovation that disturb your peace because the hotel alerts you in their website but they don’t alert you for the following
– when you arrive you are charged a deposit , not hold but charged . So if you happen to have some money left it will take 2 weeks to get your money back. This procedure is unique to this resort . Bearing in mind you pay your stay before arriving , your credit card works. So what are you going to do if you don’t want to pay for the extras during your stay . Swim back to the airport with your suitcase in tow? A simple hold should be enough.
– the most important issue is the food. You have a half board package but the portions for dinner are really small and the side dish is tiny if any. It makes you feel the hotel wants you to pay extra to have a reasonable dinner even I don’t believe it is the goal. Then at breakfast most fruits were not ripes and we had to ask them to replace them until it was done the following days .you got the amazing choice but the fruits are green! Fair enough everything comes from mainland or Dubai and you might have a bad batch but several days in a row is not an option . Better not to put anything than unripe fruits.
– when you are at the pool or the beach , you have to pay for your own water while in the room the hotel is very generous with the locally filtered water . Why not give clients a bottle of local water to begin with? I mean of course you can pay the 14 usd for a mineral water but a courtesy water to begin with would be appreciated.
It is the details which separates a luxury resorts from another and in this case some works needs to be done.
Having said that the management took note of our comments and hopefully when we come back next all the above points will have been resolved.
2.0
Aksandra C.
Very disappointing experience — definitely not what we expected
Our experience at Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon was extremely disappointing, starting from the moment we arrived.
The biggest problem was the lack of transparency. We were told that certain things were included in our package, which created a completely different expectation from what we actually experienced during our stay. Only later did we discover that several things were charged separately. If something is not included, guests should be clearly informed beforehand, not after they have already arrived and made decisions based on what the staff told them.
The way the information was communicated to us was particularly frustrating. We felt that we were being told one thing at the beginning and then faced with a completely different reality afterward. For a resort at this price level, this is simply unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the service did not make up for it either. From the beginning, we did not feel genuinely welcomed or properly taken care of. Instead of feeling like valued guests, we felt like we constantly had to question what was included, what we would be charged for, and whether the information we were given was actually reliable.
A holiday in the Maldives is a significant investment, and guests deserve transparency, respectful treatment and clear communication from the moment they arrive.
The island and the reef may be beautiful, but a beautiful location cannot compensate for poor communication, unexpected charges and disappointing customer service.
Based on our experience, we would not return to Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon and would not recommend it to friends or family.
Before booking, I strongly recommend asking for everything included in writing, including drinks, activities, transfers and any possible additional charges. Do not rely only on what you are told verbally at check-in.
The Candy Spa exists, and children take it very seriously
SPA Cenvaree covers the adult end: hot stone massages, facials, body treatments in a space that feels separate from the rest of the resort’s energy. The Candy Spa – for children under ten, with candy-print walls and edible treatments – is either the best idea in Maldives resort design or completely unnecessary, depending on who you ask. Either way, it runs for an hour and parents can reliably end up at the spa next door.
The reef is the reason the Maldives exists, and this one delivers
The house reef is accessible directly from the shore and is brimming with healthy coral and consistent fish activity – batfish, rays, the occasional reef shark drifting through. The guided excursions go further: nurse sharks, black-tips and manta rays with guides who clearly know where to look. The PADI dive centre handles everything from first-timers to experienced divers. After dark, the evening programme – fire shows, night shark sightings, guided kayak sessions – fills the hours between dinner and sleep without feeling mandatory.
