West Sands

The Maldives are beautiful and offer nearly pristine beaches and seas. This property is very close to the beach. A Thai restaurant, Sealavie, with delicious food is a short walk away.

I read the great reviews about this property and made a reservation. I sometimes wondered, however, if I stayed at the same property. The bathroom - and thus the rest of my room - smelled like a public toilet: mildew and a powerful disinfectant. When I mentioned this to the staff, a deodorizer was used to temporarily cover the smell. The room was musty and the refrigerator did not work. There was no ocean view from the room, as advertised. Breakfast was very basic and I was not offered warm food or coffee. On the first morning, a guest at another table offered me her omelet. I have never experienced the need to accept food from strangers. On the second morning, some other guests were able to order fresh coffee, so on the third morning of my stay, I was finally able to have fresh coffee. The property had arranged a round-trip boat transfer from Male to Ukulhas on my behalf. While it is not the fault of the property that the boat company preys on tourists, there were no hotel staff available when I checked out on the morning of my departure back to Male. A staff person had told there would be breakfast which was not true; I had also been told staff would be available at check out. I waited until nearly the last moment to go to the dock area, and I instead hurried there carrying my luggage, explaining to the boat crew I had already paid the property for the return transfer but no staff were on duty at the West Sands. Fortunately, I was allowed to board the vessel. I do NOT recommend this property.