Lily Beach Resort and Spa - All Inclusive

I stayed in an overwater villa at Lily Beach Resort and Spa - All Inclusive for five days in September. The room was very spacious and comfortable. The house reef quality was excellent. There were quite a few free activities arranged, so for casual snorkelers, there's absolutely no need to take a boat out to see other reefs. Our main reason for coming here was to see whale sharks, but we went on three paid excursions and didn't see any.

Hygiene: Clean. Facilities: Average. Environment: Good. Service: The vibes restaurant kept disturbing me, asking if the food was good. It felt like they were hinting for a tip, which made me uncomfortable.

This was our first time in the Maldives, and we chose an all-inclusive family-friendly island. I feel like we made the perfect choice! They have Chinese-speaking butlers; ours was Gloria, who helped us book activities, confirm details, and answered all our questions promptly. We never had to worry about communication. If you're a warm, outgoing social butterfly, the staff will be even more enthusiastic about interacting with you! The snorkeling experience was superb. We stayed in two different room types, and both offered great snorkeling right outside our door. We saw so much diverse marine life, it was incredible. The activities were also fantastic. On the fishing trip, the staff went out of their way to help you experience the thrill of catching a fish. During the open-sea snorkeling, if we encountered any difficulties, they'd stay right by our side and constantly encourage us. My impression of this place just went up, up, UP!

The administrative handling was terrible. They messed up our personal information; if we hadn't proactively checked, our departure flight wouldn't have been booked in time. Furthermore, even after knowing our international flight arrival time early on, they waited until after the free cancellation period had passed – and even just a week before our check-in date – to inform us that there would be no transportation available to the resort upon arrival. They then demanded that we arrange our own accommodation near the airport or suggested we change our flight. On top of that, they refused any refund for the first night's stay that we couldn't use due to their staff's incompetence, and didn't even offer a basic apology. On the day we were finally able to check in, we were left waiting at the airport for over an hour before staff picked us up to arrange our seaplane check-in. Another couple was also waiting for a long time, looking completely lost. From booking to check-in, there were countless email communications, but in the end, it all amounted to ineffective communication. In stark contrast, when we transferred to another resort later, everything from check-in to check-out and even departure from the international airport went incredibly smoothly. The experience was the complete opposite of what we had at Lily Beach Resort. This stay was extremely disappointing. If it weren't for the Maldivian ocean, this resort would be utterly worthless. The staff's efficiency and their arrogant attitude were utterly laughable. The buffet food quality at the resort was also quite mediocre.

Maldives is incredibly beautiful, and the snorkeling is amazing. I wanted to be in the water every day! It's a place I'd love to visit again. The all-inclusive package was definitely worth it, with plenty of food and daily cocktails 🍸 – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options were abundant. The fishing excursion was a lot of fun too!

The overwater villas are more comfortable than the beach villas. You can snorkel directly from the overwater villas. For concerned mothers, be sure to bring a 50-meter safety rope, which is ideal for letting your kids snorkel safely from the villa. If your child can swim but has no snorkeling experience, it's essential to have them take a lesson with an instructor at the activity center before trying it out. The food is friendly to Chinese palates and also great for kids. Every night at 9 PM, there's a feeding session at the jetty, attracting many fish, nurse sharks, grey reef sharks, and stingrays – a real spectacle. For excursions, choose carefully. Shark and dolphin chasing tours only have a 50/50 chance of success, but sea fishing is still worth trying.

Super great hotel! This was our first time in the Maldives, and all our wishes were more than fulfilled. The restaurants at the resort are top-notch! We will definitely come back :-)

It was a truly wonderful experience! A big thank you to our Chinese-speaking staff, Gloria and Eva, as well as Ginas from the water sports center who expertly guided us during snorkeling. They were all incredibly diligent, patient, and responsible, providing excellent service. I will definitely be back again!