Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Review of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

BusinessClass.com review by Jason Eckhoff

For those craving an authentic Robinson Crusoe experience with an endless azure blue horizon and a white sandy beach fringed with palm trees, then this architecturally significant resort on North Huvandhoo, close to the equator, might be an ideal choice. Located far from the other well-trodden atolls in the Maldives, the small, sleek and sophisticated Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers just 51 luxurious villas: 33 land villas and 18 water villas that sit over the ocean.

There are four restaurants and a bar – The Dining Room serving an à la carte international menu, The Island Grill for regionally inspired dishes and The Bar for sipping cocktails or long, iced drinks overlooking the Indian Ocean - with private dining offered in select locations around the island for those who want the ultimate in seclusion. The Chef’s Garden Treehouse is an innovative plant-based culinary adventure and Koi@ The Drift offers Japanese cuisine.  For pampering, there is The Vidhun Spa with five couple’s treatment villas, offering Dhivehibeys-inspired massage, skin care and wellness rituals. The Spa also houses a 30-metre swimming pool and bubble pond, the other 44-metre freshwater infinity swimming pool being located near the beach. There is also a Fitness Centre, a yoga studio and Blue Journeys PADI 5 dive and activity centre offering access to some of the most incredible dive sites in the world. The Activity Centre offers a range of tailormade excursions, dolphin spotting, equator trip, traditional fishing and picnic on an uninhabited island.

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Location

7/10

Just 55 kilometres from the equator and 400 kilometres south of Male - the capital of the Maldives - the secluded Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is located on Huvandhoo Atoll, one of the largest and deepest natural atolls in the world.

Arising from a Maldivian family’s deep love for Hadahaa’s untouched, natural state and pristine beauty, Park Hyatt Maldives was conceived to embody the spirit of barefoot luxury and authenticity melded with rich cultural history and sustainable conservation. 

Set apart from the more populous atolls of the north, transfers are easily arranged by the resort and involves a domestic flight with Maldivian Airlines to Kooddoo Domestic Airport on the North Huvadhoo (Gaafu Alifu) atoll which takes about an hour to an hour and a half depending on the route taken and a short speedboat trip of around half an hour for the final stretch of the journey. Helpful Hyatt representatives are on hand for the entire transfer process.

Accommodation

10/10

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers 51 luxurious villas, 33 on land and 18 of which are built over water. Privacy is assured with the land villas nestled within tropical greenery giving direct access to the beach. With streamlined modern furniture in spacious rooms with high ceilings open to the rafters and floor to ceiling windows, each enjoys a restricted palette of cool crisp whites balanced against dark tropical woods with touches of burnt orange. Villas also feature a private deck with table, chairs, sun loungers and an indoor/outdoor garden bathroom with terrazzo bathtub, rain shower and twin vanities. The Deluxe Beach Pool Villas additionally offer a luxury plunge pool with semi-submerged sun beds and an outside cabana with table and chairs with the two Bedroom Beach Pool Villa featuring a second bedroom with two single beds and a separate bathroom. The infinity pools in the villas are the stuff of dreams!

All the elevated water villas are sensitively positioned to offer expansive ocean views out to the horizon from the private deck outside and individual access to the coral-filled waters below with the Sunset Pool Villas featuring a private freshwater plunge pool and outdoor cabana.

Each villa features a personal home entertainment system, digital media hub, in-room iPad with interactive resort compendium, flat screen televisions, DVD and CD players, four bottle of complimentary water daily and coffee & tea making facilities.

At 895 square metres, the Hadahaa Overwater Presidential Residence is one of the finest villas in the Maldives. With 24-hour butler service, private chef, 85-inch television, gym, outdoor barbecue, 3-bedrooms, 3-bathrooms, whirlpool on a private terrace, private infinity pool and direct access to the House Reef, this Residence is truly special.

Service & Facilities

9/10

Apart - of course - from that pristine, white sandy beach encircling the island, the hotel features two swimming pools: the main 44-metre freshwater infinity pool overlooks the ocean whilst the 30-metre Tranquility Pool and bubble pond is located within the shaded garden pavilions of The Vidhun Spa.

Enjoy a spot of well-deserved pampering at the The Vidhun Spa offering Dhivehibeys-inspired massage, skin care and wellness rituals. Vidhun means “to shine” and the spa’s goal is to let guests radiate good health. A winding pathway through the lush gardens leads to a serene space with five private thatched couple’s treatment villas. Each treatment begins with a mineral salt foot scrub and ends with a stay in the gardens, served refreshing herbal teas and sorbets. 

The 24/7 Fitness Centre offers a range of cardio and strength TechnoGym equipment with a range of free weights. There is also a yoga studio offering private yoga and meditation sessions for all levels of practitioner - either within this purpose-built facility, at the end of the jetty or in-villa.

The resort offers a state of the art golf simulator.

The Blue Journeys PADI 5 dive and activity centre offers access to some of the best dive sites in the world – Koodhoo Kandu, Viligili Kandu, Koodhoo House Reef, Nilhandhoo Kandu. Whale Shark Night Point and many more. The resort offers diving tours, scuba diving introduction, PADI certification, guided night snorkeling and reef exploration. The i-Acqua scooters are great fun!

For younger guests, there is sandcastle building, learning to kayak, junior scuba diving and a whole programme of activities, seven days per week every afternoon. Kids can indulge in activities that are interactive, educational and fun such as Coconut Tree Climbing, Kids Reef Talk, Junior Chefs, family friendly snorkelling and more.

The Activity Centre offers a range of tailormade excursions, dolphin spotting, equator trip, traditional fishing and picnic on an uninhabited island.  There is also a Castaway Adventure, a turtle quest with the resort’s marine specialists, star-gazing cruises, bespoke Maldivian island visits and fishing trips for big game fishing or reef fishing.

The resort’s crystal-clear lagoon – a few steps from the villas – features a vast coral reef with diverse marine life – spotted eagle rays, black tip reef sharks, lionfish, parrot fish, clown fish and many more.

Style

10/10

As is the way with the Park Hyatt marque, architecture plays a large part in the offerings of all its properties. With this Maldivian resort however, it goes that little bit further: it was planned, designed and constructed in an environmentally sensitive manner, focusing on preserving the coral reef and marine life, by being an ecologically responsible resort and being gentle on the earth.

Green elements included orientating the villas for rainwater harvesting with design elements including high rooves, cross ventilation, deep roof overhangs and window shading – perfect for a tropical climate and lending a particular style to the resort – practical as well as aesthetically pleasing.

It is unsurprising therefore to learn that the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was the first resort in the Maldives to adhere to the standards for Green Globe certification in the construction stage and resort operations.  Guest can consequently enjoy a carefree, barefoot escape, safe in the knowledge that their eco-credentials will certainly be enhanced among their friends and acquaintances back home following their visit!

Restaurants & Bars

9/10

There are four restaurants and a bar at the resort with guest options including both an all-inclusive and à la carte experience.

The main restaurant is The Dining Room which serves all day dining with an à la carte international menu served with a touch of Maldivian flair. This al fresco restaurant is the perfect place from which to gaze out over the sea whilst dining under the stars.

The Island Grill is set amidst lush tropical greenery with tables and chairs set on a blanket of fine white sand. The dinner menu offers Maldivian grilled dining with the freshest seafood or prime cuts of meat, designed with a variety of flavours and spices many of which are native to the region. An open kitchen allows guests to see the chefs at work on both the traditional grill and wood fired ovens.

The Bar - on land - offers the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sunsets whilst enjoying the cool sea breezes. Serving long, cool drinks and island-style casual cuisine on the pristine private beach, pool and gardens, guests can even join in a cocktail masterclass on the beach to make that perfect mojito.

The Chef’s Garden Treehouse is set above the ground and offers a 6 to 8 plant-based menu – ingredients are from the island garden and the atoll.

Koi@The Drift serves up delicious sushi, sashimi and tempura – authentic Japanese cuisine, washed down with a choice of ten delicious sakes.   

The Dhoni is the resort’s welcoming lounge and is a true architectural masterpiece in that its design is based on an upturned traditional fishing boat and was built by local craftsmen.

In addition to the restaurants and bars, the resort offers romantic private dining too with picnics on the beach, dinner under the stars at various locations around the island. It also offers culinary art masterclass sessions focusing on Maldivian cuisine.

Sustainability

From its inception, environmental and socially sustainable initiatives have played an integral part of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa’s operational culture. The resort dedicates its resources to protecting the unique and fragile environment of this extremely isolated and pristine tropical atoll where it is based.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa has collaborated with EarthCheck to monitor performance in accordance with a stringent internationally recognised approach. As the first resort in the Maldives to commit to the EarthCheck principles throughout the design, construction and operational stages, their commitment has been unwavering leading to the prestigious EarthCheck “Building Planning and Design Standard” certified status in August 2008. The resort continued improving their sustainability efforts throughout the years and was then awarded the Silver certification following by the Gold certification.

In 2017, they were audited by Green Globe and was also certified Gold for their practices. To ensure they monitor their efforts and strive for improvement, they have appointed a Resident Marine Biologist as the Green Globe Coordinator who is responsible for identifying environmental risks, recording and monitoring their performance through benchmarking whilst driving the environmental and social initiatives undertaken by the resort.

Special consideration is given to employing and empowering local residents and wherever possible, sourcing local and fair-trade products and services. The resort has formed a commitee of elected “Hyatt Thrive Ambassadors” to represent the different communities.

What We Love

  • Cuisine: The food is fantastic. The staff and chefs go out of their way to give you exactly what you want. Such a variety of dishes from around the world, something for everyone. The all-inclusive meal plan is highly recommended and comes complete with great Champagne. It keeps you happy during your vacation (or coconut with a straw - if that is your preference)! 

  • Freedom: True Barefoot Luxury. This luxury island resort really entices you to stay barefoot, even during all meals, during the whole stay. This fits well with the tranquility experienced at the resort. There are so few guests here, that the Robinson Crusoe effect kicks in. You can walk for a long stretch of a beach and be totally by yourself. You can actually walk around the island in 10 minutes – ten of the best repeated minutes of your life! 

  • Villas: The Deluxe Beach Pool Villas. These villas offer a fantastic experience, with large infinity pools right beside the most pristine, untouched white beaches we have seen in the Maldives.

    Jason Eckhoff
    CEO
    BusinessClass.com

What They Love

  • Environmental House Reef: Environmental and socially sustainable initiatives have been an integral part of our culture. We constantly strive to cultivate the value of eco-consciousness and improve our day-to-day sustainability practices with our efforts as we make a call for change. Surrounding the entire island is an all-natural 360° of the pristine house reef, kept in its natural state with live corals and an abundance of marine life. The preservation of our house reef not only sustains the rich marine life and protects their natural behaviour but also protects our island from erosion.
     
  • Journey to Island Formation: This is our home, and this is where our hearts are. We invite our guests for an interactive journey into the Maldives' heart and discover how these paradisiacal islands were created. To discover the real Maldives, guests embark on an exploratory adventure of the atolls and the rich biodiversity of their island inhabitants and the sea dwellers in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
     
  • Swim the Equator: Swimming across two hemispheres at 0°00'00.00N coordinates (the Equator) -  for most, this can only be a dream. For sailors, this was once initiation of seaworthiness of the closest resorts to the Equator and offers guests this rare opportunity of crossing the great circle and the chance to catch the fastest sunsets in the world as this is the widest part of the earth.

    Nikolaus Priesnitz
    General Manager
    Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

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