Soneva Fushi

Soneva was an amazing experience. We have been to other 5 star resorts in the Maldives, but this was so special. It has this familiar feeling, you feel completely at home. The nature is beautiful. The coral reefs was beautiful. The snorkeling was amazing. Great scuba diving club. Special dining experiences.
The staff was incredible. So friendly and service minded and yet you felt at ease and at home.
We just loved,loved, loved it, and we will be back next year, and the year after….

Dear AndreaF531,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your heartfelt experience at Soneva Fushi.

We are truly humbled by your generous commentary on our services and hospitality, It is a joy to read that you thoroughly reveled in our rare experiences and embraced the positive vibes on the island.

Our hosts are the backbone of our business and your recognition is their greatest reward. Thank you so much.

To enjoy more of such unique experiences, the team and I look forward to welcoming you back to Soneva soon.

Best Regards,

Gerhard Stutz,
General Manager
Soneva Fushi

Simply incredible. No words can describe this place. Our second time at Fushi and so nice to see the same people. It is paradise on earth and there is no review that could do it justice.
We had a water villa this time and it was lovely.
Thank you to everyone there who makes this place so very very special!

Dear Maverick0501,

Thank you for choosing to stay with us at Soneva Fushi recently.

It is indeed great to read that you had an indelible stay with us.

Our hosts are the backbone of our hospitality, and to receive your generous commentary is their greatest reward. Thank you so much.

It is a joy to learn that you thoroughly revealed in the cozy comforts of our water villa.

The team and I look forward to welcoming you to our sunny shores soon again.

Best regards,

Gerhard Stutz
General manager
Soneva Fushi

I wanted to extend my deepest gratitude for the extraordinary experience I had during my recent stay at Soneva Fushi Island. The natural beauty of the island, combined with the impeccable service and dedication to sustainability, left me truly awestruck. Each moment was filled with wonder and relaxation, and I cannot thank you enough for providing such a blissful retreat. Soneva Fushi will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to returning soon.

Dear pikaq2024,

Thank you for taking the time to share your joyous feedback.

It is lovely to read your heartfelt experience.

We are overjoyed to learn that you had a beyond memorable time with us and enjoyed our picturesque island , the enticing culinary diversity, the unparalleled service standards and everything else on the offer.

The team and I cannot wait to welcome you back to our sunny shores soon again.

Best Regards,

Gerhard Stutz,
General Manager
Soneva Fushi

Soneva Fushi is the best resort on this planet, period. I felt the same way after our first visit last year and our second trip has only solidified this feeling. We’ve already booked for 2025. As mentioned, our last stay was so amazing we had to come back, this time with our 6-month old daughter who we travelled all the way from Canada re-experience this magic island. We stayed for 8 nights in December and arrived from a 6-night remarkable stay at Soneva Jani that we thought would be hard to top. I’ve decided to focus my review on the unique and truly memorable aspects to our stay. Our biggest concern going forward is how the stay we just had could ever be topped in the future. Warning, long review incoming. Here were the most amazing aspects of our stay:

1/ Villa 10 “The post card view room” - We were upgraded to a 2-bedroom Crusoe Suite with a pool. This room was absolutely amazing and had a ‘post card’ style view looking out to the water, which was framed by palm trees and a hamock. After having an incredible stay at Soneva Jani staying over the water, our beach style villa at Soneva Fushi was such a nice compliment. Some things that really stood out: totally secluded jungle vibe, expansive private beach area, private gym and steam room, the outdoor washroom was insane, and the double story doors that looked like they’ve been designed to perfectly match the trees that surround the villa. Specifically with our daughter, the extra space of the 2-bedroom was amazing and the large couches inside and outside gave us ample room to have her roll around. This villa will be in our memory until we get the chance to come back!!!

2/ Michelin Star Dinner Journey at Out of the Blue… WOW!! We had the opportunity to try an experimental dinning experience and visit 3 Michelin star chefs at different locations within Out of the Blue. This was the best dinning experience best of our lives! We got to experience: So Hands by Chef Akira for 5 Omakase courses, Once Upon a Table with Chef Jacob Holsmtrom for 3-courses and finished of with So Bespoke with Chef Hiroshi for an additional 4-course at the breathtaking tapianki table. Each meal was unique and remarkable. This is something that I would highly recommend you ask to do if you get the chance, you will not be disappointed!

3/ The Private Sandbank Breakfast - Soneva will set you up with any breakfast your heart desires and leaves you to enjoy the sunrise and breakfast in private. The sandbank is a magical location and to have gotten the chance to see the sunrise and have breakfast alone was incredibly romantic, peaceful, and beautiful.

4/ The Dolphins Sunset cruise - After an unsuccessful Dolphin cruise at Soneva Jani due to weather, we had an amazing experience on perfectly calm waters - it was another simply magical experience where we saw dozens of dolphins swim below the boat. We also got to enjoy sparking wine for a 10/10 sunset, which added to the experience. I will add both times we’ve been to Soneva Fushi we have seen Dolphins swimming around the island, so it’s a great location to visit if this is something you’re hopeful to see/experience.

5/ Asian Market Buffet - Set up on the Out of the Blue Jetty… UNBELIEVABLE!!!! As seen in the picture this was one of the most remarkable sights we’ve ever seen. The backdrop of the sunsetting and the lights from the food stations all along the jetty were amazing. Note: this isn’t the standard location for this amazing buffet night, however, if you get the chance to experience it, it won’t be something you will forget.

6/ Fresh in the Garden Romantic set up - Our barefoot butler had a large flower and candle display set up for us during our visit to Fresh in the Garden. It was a total surprise and really nice. The Soneva team went above and beyond to ensure the ambiance was perfect for a romantic evening, again adding to the “Soneva Magic” that will 100% keep us coming back.

7/ Sandbank xmas light up ceremony and xmas decorations - we love Christmas, Saeed our barefoot butler had our villa decorated for Christmas which included a Soneva style Christmas tree. It was amazing. The official Soneva xmas tree light up ceremony was done on the sandbank a few days before xmas and it was such a unique experience with the sun setting in the background. When we arrived back to the main island the entire breakfast area was illuminated with Christmas lights as well, it had a magical feel to the island. Highly recommended if you’re looking to experience the holidays abroad!

8/ So Hand and Chef Akira - Favourite meal, again! I am not sure what it is about his food but we have been dreaming about it since we left in May 2022. We got the chance to have two meals from him during out visit and we will be counting down the days until we arrive back in March 2025. Do not miss!

9/ The Den and Babysitting - We had the Family offer which included 2-hours of baby sitting each day at dinner. We had proactively let Soneva know that we would be using additional hours above and beyond the family offer (which was a reasonable cost / hour). I had provided our expected usage for babysitting ahead of time and they dedicated a single babysitter for our daughter which was very thoughtful. It allowed the babysitter to establish a routine with our baby, which allowed us to feel confident in our babysitter and get relaxed / into vacation mode sooner. Our baby sitter was, Riz. She was an exceptional baby sitter, who was warm, caring, proactive and constantly keeping my wife and I updated. She treated our daughter like family and was genuinely sad when we were leaving as she built a bond with our daughter. We had a very similar experience at Soneva Jani - this is clearly a focus for Soneva and they have hit it out of the park. Additionally, the Den and staff at the Den are amazing with the kids of all ages and it excites us to use it more during our next visit.

10/ Our Barefoot Butler, Saeed - Saeed is one of the best, if not the best, Barefoot butler at Soneva and was a huge difference in our stay last year and this year as well. It is comforting knowing that we have Saeed looking after us, he is always multiple steps ahead and proactively meeting our needs. He is the perfect blend of relaxed and professional which is the exact ethos of what you look for when you got to a Soneva hotel. I could go on much more, but he had a direct hand in planning/delivering each of these exceptional experiences I have written about above - they wouldn’t have happened without him totally focused on us having the best possible experience.

11/ the breakfast and food in general - Soneva Fushi has the best breakfast in the world. Period. Additionally, the overall food quality was spectacular from start to finish. Every meal regardless of location or venue is one that we will think about and crave as we head back home. This again is a staple for Soneva branded hotels.

A couple additional notes:

Soneva Fushi Staff and GM: I read a lot of travel blogs where people are concerned with who is leading a resort, as they typically have a big impact on the experience. The current GM Gerhard Stutz has clearly made a phenomenal impact on this already amazing resort. Remarkably, we actually noticed the service level has been elevated since our visit in 2023 (which is pretty hard to believe considering where the base line is). It was great getting to know the GM and his decorated global background running hotels and working at a Michelin star restaurant. I can’t wait to see how he continues on with the amazing Soneva Fushi culture and we’re excited to return in 2025.

Baby/Infant Amenities: Travelling half way across the world with an infant was an intimidating task. However, Soneva has everything that you need including: Crib, baby monitor, high chair, baby bath, change station, baby cleaning supplies, sanitizer, unscented baby cleaner, bottle warmer, for purchase: there were diapers, wipes, and the baby formula of your choice (make sure you let the reservations team know in advanced). All of these supplies reduced the burden on us to bring some of these items with us which was really nice (plus Soneva’s complimentary laundry service makes things very easy with an infant). Throughout our stay almost every staff member remembers our daughters name and was asking about her when we would be without her. It really added to the fact that the staff simply care about their guests.

Reservation Team: The reservations team was a sore spot for us during out last trip. As others have provided feedback on they don’t match the Soneva brand and were often difficult to deal with. This time was totally different and if I had a most improved part of our experience it would be with the reservations team. They were prompt, flexible and overall operated with a much more professional manner. Special call out to John and Shaibaan who really raised the bar.

Dear ryanmS8860YL,

Thank you for choosing to return and stay with us at Soneva Fushi.

I have shared the glorious feedback with our teams and your generous commentary on our resort and hospitality has indeed made our day.

It is a joy to read that you that you enjoyed our spacious yet cozy villas, the jungle vibes, the time at the breezy sandbank, dolphin watching, the Asian Market buffet, FIG dining and all the diverse culinary offerings.

I am further happy to read that you had a special Christmas with us and thoroughly reveled with the family. Our Den hosts were glad to take care of your daughter.

Soneva is rare because of its hosts and each one of them is deeply humbled by your generous commentary, especially Chef Akira, Chef Hiroshi, Saeed, Sid John and Shaibaan. Your recognition is their highest reward.

I consider myself privileged to be a part of such a dynamic team. Thank you again.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to pen down such detailed feedback, as it really motivates us to do better and better.

The team and I look forward to welcoming you and the family to our sandy beaches soon again.

Best Regards,

Gerhard Stutz,
General Manager,
Soneva Fushi

doubtfully I can add much to all the glorious reviews, but this place is one of a kind. unfortunately most of 5* hotels see luxury as one gets to order a montrachet and sit through a long michelin dinner and the bathroom is tiled with carrara marble. on top of it they try to give some motto of "where dreams happen" or smth along these lines, but ultimately it just some nonsense you paid a marketing department to create and it means nothing.
soneva couldn't be further away from that. when they say "home away from home" they truly mean it. the word "no" just doesn't exist. any request that I've ever heard was met with genunine enthusiasm. the guest is the focus. period. and this is not intrusive at all. you can do everything or do nothing and just relax. it is also very visible that the staff is very well looked after and that sustainability is a core value.
this is my 7th time at soneva andI'm definitely coming back.

Dear Ksenia,

Thank you for being an ardent Soneva enthusiast. Today, with the manifold options around for our guests to visit, we feel deeply humbled when they choose to return to us.

Sustainability sits at the core of everything we do, and your appreciation motivates us to do even better, Thank you so much.

We are beyond delighted to read that you thoroughly enjoyed yet another stay and look forward to returning. The team and I cannot wait to welcome you back.

Soneva is rare because of its hosts and indeed they go beyond their means to make our guests feel at home. They are deeply humbled by your kind recognition.

To enjoy more of such unique experiences, we await your return to our sunny shores soon again.

Best Regards,

Gerhard Stutz,
General Manager
Soneva Fushi