Summer Island Maldives Hotel

We stayed for three weeks at Summer Island Resort, split between a beach bungalow and a water villa. Overall, our experience was excellent. The island itself is stunning, peaceful, and clean, with some decent marine life to enjoy while snorkeling. The rooms were spotless, well-maintained, and offered everything needed for a comfortable and relaxing stay. Most of the staff were courteous, professional, and genuinely went out of their way to make us feel welcome. A special mention goes to Munaho, the supervisor, and Sana from Samuga Restaurant. Munaho is one of the most professional and kind managers I’ve encountered during my travels. His commitment to guest satisfaction, his manners, and his work ethic were truly outstanding. He embodies everything a future general manager should be. Sana, who served us almost every day at the restaurant, was always smiling, polite, and attentive. Although his section of the restaurant didn’t have the best views, we always chose to sit in his area purely because of his exceptional service and warm presence. We would also like to acknowledge Munir and Tamil from housekeeping, who kept our rooms in excellent condition throughout the stay and were always pleasant and efficient. Ali at the reception was also consistently friendly and helpful—always greeting us with a smile and making sure our needs were met. The resort fully deserves its 5-star rating, though a few small improvements could elevate the experience even further: Including more toiletries in the rooms would be appreciated. Better lighting around the island during dinner hours would enhance the atmosphere and safety. Breakfast juices could be of higher quality. Signage to discourage guests from feeding marine life or stepping on coral would help protect the ecosystem. The dinner menu, while diverse, could be more inclusive—on several nights, up to five dishes contained wine or alcohol. As Muslim guests, this was limiting, though we were reassured that non-alcohol versions could be prepared upon request. That said, I must also share a personal incident that left a lasting impression—unfortunately, not a good one. On our final day, with a flight at 7 PM, we quietly packed two toast sandwiches from breakfast to take with us. To our surprise, a waitress approached and told us that this was not allowed. What made this more surprising was that it wasn’t even her section—she came over from another area to correct us. After a three-week stay and spending over $7,000, being stopped for something as minor as a couple of toasties felt disheartening and, frankly, embarrassing. I’m well aware of buffet rules; I travel often. But many resorts show flexibility, especially for long-staying guests, and especially on the day of checkout. What made this worse was seeing other guests regularly take food openly, sometimes even to feed fish—yet no one seemed to intervene. To his credit, the restaurant manager handled the situation professionally and even had the sandwiches sent to our room later. But the initial moment had already left its mark. Dignity matters, and this experience made me feel diminished after what had been a nearly perfect stay. So while I rate this resort five stars for the overall experience, I regret to say I will likely not return. Sometimes it’s not the value of what’s denied—it’s how it makes you feel.