Amilla Maldives Resort

We typically do a trip for our wedding anniversary and this year we chose Amilla a Small Luxury Hotel of the world booked directly via the Hilton app. I used 750k points for this and secured a Water Villa in the range 300. When I booked this back 7 months ago I next day received a comprehensive email from the hotel - asking for flight details and reasons for visit, this was managed by the team very well and we were told it being our Anniversary 11/11 we would be honoured with a complimentary bottle of champagne and then a meal on the beach to celebrate our love. Literally worth hundreds of $$ and really welcomed - so THANK YOU Amilla! Also provided links to Menus - its worth looking at - I decided no more than doing B&B and in the end that worked out the most cost effective due to a bit of food poisoning I suspect 5 days into trip and I couldn't eat or drink much at all for 3 days. Having Landed on our BA flight from London in the morning we were picked up in the new T2 arrivals hall and taken to a minivan where we had to go to the old T1 to drop luggage off for checkin on the sea plane. The staff from Amilla took care of everything and then took us to the seaplane terminal (a first for us on 9 trips here) and on the third floor entered a very peaceful lounge. We were asked to install the Amilla App - scan passports and we were checked into our room! Wonderful use of that time. We were able to have a drink, recharge phones and look out over the Marina where all the seaplanes take off. within 20 mins taken down to the seaplane - tightly packed and 35 mins later landed in the BAA Atol next to Amilla. The views from a seaplane were amazing and soon amongst the clouds we couldn't see much and I nodded off. Within 20 mins at the Amilla Dock being welcomed to the island with another couple, one very nice aspect is a buggy turns up and they have our name on the back of it, the Katheeb Ammaty introduced himself, exchanged WhatsApp numbers so we could let him know what we needed and throughout the week he was a pillar of support to us. We were whisked for a very short tour - most of the restaraunts and BAA bar are all in a small strip next to the swimming pool - Tessera (greek) Bolero (Italian) EAST (Indian) Fresh - Breakfast only (Jo's Pizza) and then there was the Beach bar further along the sea front which had the best beach (near the Dive Centre) with next to no coral in the sea floor. Ammaty took us to the Villa - needed to drain me of $2150 for the seaplane transfer first and then explore the Villa. It was a big positive from me, it was a very decent villa size (we have stayed in a few water villas including the 2 bed at Saii Lagoon and if you recall Shangri-La Villingilli - very large water villa there). But This was enormous - Lounge with all the cabinets for TV and Bose 5.1 surround system - 100's of on-demand free to watch videos as well as comprehensive Bar and Water/Drinks/Spirits/Wine and Prosecco in full half size fridge hidden in a cupboard. walking towards the deck was a large array of door and windows that led to the Bedroom, a low wall (headboard end) of which behind was the bathroom and literally enough wardrobe space to park all your clothes from home there (if the seaplane would accept all that luggage). I think I counted 8 double wardrobes. Also another TV, plenty of space to park suitcases (a really well thought out villa) and really important separate toilet with its own door that became very important later in the holiday. The open plan bathroom was nice - large open shower and a shower outside on deck too of course. Didn't use the bath at all apart from drying clothes! Outside there was a pool - two loungers with the best comfortable mattresses (I had a sciatica issue arise 2 days before we flew out) and a large daybed the far side. Also a smallish dining table perfect for eating outside in private which we did a few times. We had a sunset view so from the villa could watch the sunset - but Also did frequent the Sunset Bar at the arrival Jetty for the 2 for 1 drinks at 1730-1830. Below that bar was the Japanese restaurant that isn't open most nights so book early (as we missed it) So we met a lot of really nice staff - Ammaty our Katheeb - one of a kind gentleman - very kind and caring and looked after us but when he wasn't around our Villa Manager was Rahat - this man is world class in terms of care and attention to us and the villa, he helped me when he was about with my leg and couldn't do enough to make sure we were comfortable. Two member of staff that make this resort AMAZING. Then when we were on the beach we met Kauser - now my wife is a bit of a beauty queen and loves pictures of herself and Kauser mentioned he had some good ideas for pics on the beach and with her new iPhone created a Buch of pictures I know she will cherish for life - and again because I was struggling with mobility I couldn't be active in taking 50 pics (I am an ex wedding photographer) for her. Kauser hosted us and looked after us when we were at the beach club, must admit we used Jo's pizza for lunch - man probably the best pizza (Indian Ocean) we have consumed in a minute - absolutely wonderful. We did use the spa - usually I find the value for money of a spa in the Maldives quite low mainly because I know I can get a similar massage near me very cheap but having struggled with this sciatica we were introduced to Kattia in the spa - She was Visiting Wellness consultant - she offered me a discount and 90 mins of "fix me up" and it was wonderful. It didn't fix the trapped nerve but certainly helped me get more mobile and gave me a great massage to relax and chill out. Wherever you go and what ever you do Kattia Thank you and Be Well! Breath! Each day was a bit same - Bike to breakfast (two bikes provided with room number and name) breakfast by the swimming pool, great service! bike back to room, it was always cleaned by the time we got back! go out on the deck and chill - use the pool - use room service for a Nasi Goreng for lunch then go to beach and chill there, bike back to villa for a refresh before drinks in Sunset Bar or go straight out for the dinner. Themed nights - Maldivian based and Sea food based were available. Go back to villa and watch some Movie (would be great to have a telly outside but we used our iPad :)) and sleep in - no kids no rush - breakfast was available til 11am so brilliant! F&B at Amilla was more competitively priced than at previous places we had visited - generally speaking Maldives costs have risen substantially so I am pleased to say this was pretty good - although Air Manta flights are pretty pricey! So would I recommend - yes, the staff are brilliant, resort is clean and well cared for - one thing for you Hilton Honours users though SLH do not offer Hilton Honours points for F&B Spend - my last trip to Hilton Amingiri in March yielded me 150k points on $6000 of on resort spend but I got zero at Amilla and I would have hit Diamond with just 10k points. In thinking back couple of other points Biking around resort was very dangerous on some corners too much sand - cut my ankle on one such incident so please consider doing something about that. Also one thing I have seen is Managers Drinks, me and my wife have been to probably 50 good resorts and hotels globally now and we travel a lot and always enjoy a conversation with the General Manager, to date the GM at Seychelles Labrize was one of the nicest we met and chatting to him about the Hilton Group was always of interest as was visits to various Mandarin Oriental and Shangi-La chains. We were on the sunset side of the watervillas - at the end of the holiday we biked to the end of the pier by and it was amazing to see dolphins swimming freely - the sunrise side are very close to the reef edge so might be worth getting one of those villas if you're a keen snorkeler (I am not more rather liked a beached whale)