My family and I recently spent two weeks at the Barcelo Whale Lagoon Maldives. We had an overall very pleasant experience from the moment we were picked up by a hotel representative at Male airport until we left the island. The resort is located at the bottom edge of the Ari south Atoll, and it takes about 30-minute seaplane flight from Male International airport. The resort opened in September 2023, and everything is brand new and very well maintained. The rooms are spacious and cosy, the island is very clean, the staff is always looking after the guests to accommodate any special requests. The resort offers different types of accommodations: beach villas with/without pool and water villas. The resort has two pools at the opposite edges of the island, three bars (Magical, Breeze and Sea Salt) and two main restaurants (Sea Salt – buffet and Aqua – à la carte). Food is also served at the Magical and Breeze bar. The All-Inclusive package is all together very good, besides food and beverages (minibar is included) it also comprises one hour per day rental of paddle board or kayak. The resort also offers complimentary snorkel gear for to the guests. Despite the vegetation is still pushing and shade is lacking in some spots, the island is beautiful and very well maintained. Some stretches of the beach are the best I have seen in my many visits to the Maldives. Especially the portion ranging from the Aqua to the Sea Salt restaurant is simply stunning. The food quality is good but without any wow effect, the food selection is perhaps a bit repetitive, but the chefs and the restaurant staff were always very kind to accommodate any special requests which is particularly helpful for families travelling with children. A special mention goes to Swapnil, Malini and Gracia. The cocktail and beverage selection are very good as well as the quality and their presentation. A special mention goes to Aryan. The entertainment is very soft, I really enjoyed the live music both at the Breeze bar and at the Sea Salt restaurant, but other nights were a bit boring… A special mention goes to Robby, a real globe trotter who takes care of sports, teen’s club and struggles to make your stay at the resort unforgettable. He is a very energetic and charismatic person; he will always approach you with a big smile and goes out of his way to involve guests in various sports and recreational activities without ever being pushy and creating a family a**osphere. I would strongly recommend his acquagym class in the morning or a beach tennis / beach volley session in the evening. It has been a real pleasure to meet him. I definitely recommend the Barcelo Whale Lagoon Maldives! We are looking forward to our next stay there.