Last Updated on June 25, 2022
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is one of the premiere resorts in the Maldives. With stand-out jaw-dropping features such as Ithaa Underwater Restaurant and the uber-luxurious Muraka Residence. That’s not all the Conrad Maldives offers though, with beautiful blue waters, white-sand beaches, and excellent dining and drink options, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island makes a case for the perfect Maldives resort. Look no further if you want to spend the ultimate honeymoon, romantic trip, or family vacation on a dreamy tropical island with excellent food, friendly service, and stunning turquoise waters.
We spent 3 nights at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, enjoying the turquoise waters and eating as much food as we could in order to compile this Conrad Maldives review to help you decide if the Conrad Maldives is the right resort for your next trip to the Maldives. Note that during our stay in October 2021, the villas on the adult-only Rangali Island were undergoing renovations so our review focuses on everything located on Rangalifinolhu, the main island.
Disclaimer: We booked and paid for our stay at the Conrad Maldives ourselves, however were provided with an upgrade and meal package courtesy of the resort. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and as always, all our opinions on this Hilton Maldives property and Conrad review are our own. Please note that some of the links in the below article are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase. Click here for the full disclosure statement. Thank you for supporting the businesses that support us!
Table of Contents
Conrad Maldives Location
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is located on a private island in the South Ari Atoll. The South Ari Atoll is approximately 68 miles (110 km) south of Male. Everyone arriving in the Maldives will initially fly into Male International Airport. From here, you will then take a 30-minute flight on a seaplane to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.
If you’re visiting the Maldives for the first time, the whole arrival process can be quite intimidating. It’s a bit of complex organized chaos which always seems to work. It can be a stressful experience, especially if your incoming flight is delayed, but in reality, it will all work out and there’s nothing to worry about. Check out our Maldives for First-Timers Guide for all of the in’s and out’s of how traveling to the Maldives and the private islands works.
The Conrad Maldives actually offers multiple ways to arrive, however the most common method by far is arriving by seaplane. There is a mandatory charge for this part of the Maldives experience, similar to nearly all other Maldives resorts. The cost is $590 USD (incl. tax) per person for roundtrip airfare, and it will be included as part of your final hotel bill when you check-out.
Alternatively, if you arriving after dark there is the option of first taking a domestic flight from Male to the nearby Maamigili Villa Airport, where the Conrad Maldives will then pick you up for a short speedboat ride. If you averse to flying in smaller planes and don’t mind splurging, you also have the unique option of a three-hour luxury yacht charter.
The Conrad Maldives is also unique in that it is actually three connected islands. The main island, Rangalifinolhu is where you will find most of the villas, restaurants, and all other amenities. On the opposite end of the bridge that includes the seaplane dock is Rangali Island. This island is adult-only and features more beach and water villas, and adult-only infinity pool, and further dining options. Lastly, there is a separate island that houses the staff quarters, which is connected to Rangalifinolhu. The Muraka Residence is located halfway between these two islands.
Conrad Maldives Arrival
When you clear Maldivian Customs & Immigration, grab your bags and head outside the airport. You will be met with hundreds of representatives from different hotels, all waving their resort’s sign in the air. Look for the friendly Conrad representative, or if you’re not able to find them you can ask a representative from a different hotel to help you find them. The Hilton property representatives from the other Hilton resorts in the Maldives would be your best bet. The Conrad representative will take you through all the steps to get on your TransMaldivian Airways flight.
After checking your luggage and obtaining your boarding pass, you will be driven in the private Conrad Maldives van to the Conrad Lounge at the seaplane terminal. You can wait here for your seaplane flight, and they have a comfortable sitting area with drinks and refreshments provided.
Once aboard your TransMaldivian Airways flight to the Conrad Maldives, there’s nothing to do except sit back and enjoy some of the best seaplane views in the world. You’ll fly over countless atolls with their turquoise waters, as well as other resorts with beautiful overwater villas. Flying on TransMaldivian Airways is an experience that never gets old. We go through the full experience of flying with TransMaldivian Airways in our Maldives Travel Guide.
The Conrad Maldives Resort has a seaplane platform that is uniquely located in the middle of the bridge between the two main islands at the Conrad Maldives. As you descend toward the island, you’ll get some more amazing views of the beautiful waters here that surround the islands of the Conrad Maldives.
As the seaplane pulls up to the dock, be prepared for a warm and friendly welcome to the Conrad Maldives from the staff. You’ll be greeted by a waving welcoming committee, and then will be escorted into the waiting area on the dock. Your luggage will be taken away and you will be provided with a delicious fresh coconut welcome beverage.
As we arrived during COVID-19 times, safety precautions were taken. A PCR test is required to arrive on the island, whether you arrive directly from your international flight (where your initial PCR test to get on the flight and enter the Maldives is all that is required) or if you arrive from another resort (where you will need to take a PCR test at that resort before arriving at the Conrad Maldives). Additionally, the Conrad Maldives can organize PCR tests for your departure while on island. At the time of our stay the cost was $150 USD, plus taxes, per person. Additionally, all staff are wearing masks throughout the resort, however masks are not required to be worn by guests.
Check-in was completed quickly, and the layout of the resort, dining options, and other amenities were all explained to us. We were then taken by golf cart along with our luggage to our villa!
Conrad Maldives Rooms
The Conrad Maldives has a wide variety of resort types available, depending on your budget and preferences. No matter which room type you are staying in on the island you can expect daily housekeeping as well as a daily turn-down service. Bottled water is included complimentary and is replenished each day.
Beach Villas
The beach villas of Rangalifinolhu Island offer a beautiful private sanctuary for your vacation. They line the outside of the majority of the island, and impressively manage to offer incredible privacy, but also be bright and full of sunshine. During our stay at the Conrad Maldives, we stayed in a Deluxe Beach Villa with Pool.
The villas feature an outer wall for privacy, and you enter the villas outdoor courtyard area, before going through a second set of doors into the villa. We were immediately impressed by the high ceilings and huge windows which let in tons of natural light. The room is incredibly spacious with the main entrance area featuring a desk for working and Nespresso coffee machine, to help keep jetlag at bay, whenever it hits.
Stepping into the main area of the room, the hugely comfortable King-size bed is surrounded by a large sitting area, and has a make-up table and mini-bar area on one side, and a large closet on the other. The bathroom is also large and bright, featuring a rainfall shower, Japanese style toilet, and an outdoor shower in the courtyard. This area of the courtyard also has a beautiful covered daybed for relaxation outside.
On the beach side there is another small terrace with lounges and your very own private pool. From what we saw, there are a number of different pool sizes and shapes for the beach villas throughout the island. You then have a short private pathway that takes you to the beach, where you’ll find your numbered beach chairs with an umbrella awaiting you.
As mentioned above, the room includes a Nespresso coffee maker with a decent selection of coffee pods. You’ll also find complimentary bottled water, and fully stocked amenities in the bathroom.
There are other beach villas available which offer more features or more bedrooms, if needed. Furthermore, a great feature of the Conrad Maldives is that they also have smaller day-use rooms if you arrive very early in the day before your room is ready, or if your seaplane flight leaves in the evening and you need to check-out of your room. The day-use rooms are basically a slightly smaller Beach Villa, and still include a full bathroom, bed, relaxation area, and terrace overlooking the beach. These day use rooms are provided if available.
Water Villas
The Conrad Maldives has a few different types of water villas available, depending on what you prefer. There is a mix between Water Villas that face sunrise and sunset. Some offer 1 or 2 bedrooms, and they all offer either a private pool or private jacuzzi at your water villa. They are all beautifully designed to maximize the views you have out over the water, and of course feature direct access to the ocean from your deck.
The location of the water villas on Rangalifinolhu Island is at the northern end, near the Mandhoo Spa and Restaurant. There are additional water villas located on Rangali Island that were undergoing renovations during our visit to the Conrad Maldives.
The Muraka Residence – The Ultimate in Maldives Luxury
The Muraka is possibly the most impressive villa in the whole of the Maldives. In a class of its own, The Muraka starts at $10,000 USD per night, however once you see what it includes, it definitely deserves a spot on everyone’s bucket list. The Muraka experience begins before you even get to the residence. The Muraka features a private seaplane dock, because of course you would arrive on your own seaplane. However, if not, you will be escorted by private boat directly to The Muraka. Here you can experience a 24-hour personal chef depending on the rate. Regardless of the package, the Muraka guests experience a 24-hour butler team and one of the most exclusive residences in the world.
The Muraka’s above-water level features two bedrooms, an extremely impressive master bathroom, expansive living and dining room, and large outdoor terrace, with pool, facing the sunrise. Additionally, there is a private gym, smaller sunset deck, and impressive bar display, all spread over 5,923 sq feet (550 sq meters).
Taking the steps down the spiral staircase transports you to another undersea world. Below the ocean, The Muraka features a king bedroom with bathroom and 180-degree views of the undersea world. The bedroom area has an expansive curved roof that allows you to lay in bed and watch the undersea world go by, along with a separate sitting area. The bathroom features floor-to-ceiling glass windows complete with coral views, tropical fish, and the occasional reef shark.
The Muraka Residence at the Conrad Rangali Island is truly impressive. As The Muraka Residence sleeps 6 adults and 3 kids it is perfect for the discerning family traveler, or for a group of friends looking to experience the ultimate Maldives getaway.
Conrad Maldives Amenities
When you go to any resort in the Maldives it’s important to consider all of the amenities available on the island because you don’t have the option of heading somewhere else if you’re bored. Luckily, the Conrad Maldives has lots of options to keep you busy, for those times that you don’t feel like relaxing.
Complimentary Amenities
The Conrad Maldives Resort has a number of amenities available on the island to keep you busy throughout your stay. The main pool area is located at the southern tip of Rangalifinolhu and has a large pool surrounded by lounge chairs. The second pool is located on the adult-only Rangali Island and is unique in that it is over the water.
The Conrad Maldives Resort also has a gym which is available 24/7 and located upstairs from the boutiques, near the check-in area on the main island. No need to worry about missing out on the epic island views while in the gym as its second-floor location affords beautiful views out over the island and of the stunning turquoise waters.
For families staying at the Conrad Maldives Resort, there is a Majaa Explorers Hub which has daily complimentary activities for kids staying on the island.
One of the great things that the Conrad Maldives Resort includes is complimentary snorkel equipment. You can pick it up at the Dive Center, which is located upstairs just behind the check-in counter. The staff will help you find the right size gear, and then you can keep it for the duration of your stay. There are also lifejackets included in the rooms, specifically for snorkeling. The house reef is located on the southern side of the main island, but it does have waves and extremely shallow areas to be avoided.
Alternatively, you can snorkel on the north side of the main island as well. You won’t find the complex corals, but you will still see plenty of fish swimming by, reef sharks, and during our stay, a school of thousands and thousands small fish that we could snorkel through.
Additional Available Amenities
As mentioned above, there’s both a dive center and water sports center on the island. You can arrange a multitude of different dives and dive certifications, including night dives. The water sports center also rents jet skis, windsurfing boards, or you can arrange a boat trip for sightseeing, snorkeling, water-skiing, and more. They also offer guided trips for sailing, fishing, and diving.
If you’re looking to really up the relaxation factor on your Maldives vacation, the Spa Retreat and Overwater Spa have all of the typical spa treatments available. What makes both of these spas unique are the beautiful locations over the water.
Conrad Maldives Dining
No matter where you are staying in the Maldives, you can’t just leave the resort to head out for dinner. That’s why the dining options at Maldives resorts are so important as you don’t have the flexibility of a typical vacation. Luckily, the Conrad Maldives includes a wide selection of excellent dining options to keep you very well fed during your stay. Given the nature of dining in the Maldives, the Conrad Maldives Resort offers a few different meal plan packages to best suite your needs for your vacation.
Meal Plan Options
It pays to do some research on the dining options available at your selected Maldives resort beforehand, and incorporate that information into your decision of where to stay in the Maldives. At the Conrad Maldives Resort nearly every paid room rate will already include breakfast, however for those that do not, including stays booked with Hilton free night certificates or Hilton Honors points, the buffet breakfast is offered for those with Hilton Honors Gold status and above.
The Conrad Maldives also offers options for select packages that include dining credits or the option of half-board and full-board dining packages. There is very little information on the cost of half board and full board online, so be sure to reach out to the hotel if this is of interest to you. We think that any package option can generally represent a good deal because the individual a la carte prices are high, typical of Maldivian island resorts.
Atoll Market Restaurant
The Atoll Market Restaurant is the primary dining place, and only buffet option, on the island. It is centrally located just off of the main building and pool area. The Atoll Market has wonderful design elements such as soft sand floors throughout, allowing for a barefoot dining experience. Basically, if you are wearing shoes anywhere at the Conrad Maldives, you’re doing your vacation the wrong way! You have the option of dining under the covered areas or outside amongst the frangipani trees.
The Atoll Market breakfast buffet is expansive to say the least. From left to right, when looking at the buffet area you will find freshly baked breads and pastries, a customized omelet station, and a multitude of warm breakfast options including eight different global cuisines. On the right hand side you will find the Asian inspired dishes as well as a made to order option. In the middle of the buffet area there is a ‘cool zone’ refrigerated room that includes all of the meats and cheeses, fruit options, desserts, and a juice bar.
Needless to say you won’t go hungry dining here for breakfast. You can also order barista prepared coffee drinks, hot or iced, to complement your meal. We found the quality of the breakfast food to be very good for a buffet, and really appreciated the selection they had on offer.
The Atoll Market closes for the day, but reopens with another spectacular buffet for dinner. The evening meal options are just as extensive with a wide selection of freshly baked breads, homemade pizzas, more warm meat, fish, and vegetable dishes than you can count, a made to order pasta station and made to order rotating Asian specialty station. In the ‘cool zone’ you will find extensive options to create your own salad, as well as freshly prepared sushi, a fruit station, and all of the desserts on offer. We really enjoyed sampling the wide selection of foods they had on offer, and always recommend saving a little bit of room for dessert!
Sunset Grill Restaurant
The Sunset Grill is a must-eat destination for your stay at the Conrad Maldives, with the restaurant set 164 feet (50 m) out over the water. The restaurant is as-described, one of the best places to catch the sunset at the Conrad Maldives. Dining here is a special experience, because not only is the food fantastic, but the tables are situated out away from the restaurant and closer to the water to bring the Maldives to you. Getting to the Maldives is a long journey and expensive no matter where you are coming from, so you want to maximize your time near the water and taking in the views. This is where the Sunset Grill really shines. It is the first overwater restaurant in the Maldives!
The Sunset Grill serves specialties from land and sea, expertly prepared and delivered to your waterside table. The main courses at the Sunset Grill were outstanding. We sampled the sea bass and beef tenderloin, which were both cooked to perfection. Service from the restaurant manager was also outstanding and made for a night to remember.
While eating, don’t forget to look out over the water. We saw multiple types of fish and reef sharks swim by as we dined.
Mandhoo Spa Restaurant
The Mandhoo Spa Restaurant is located on the opposite side of the main island from all of the other restaurants, as it is located on the overwater walkway to the Spa and overwater villas. The Mandhoo Spa Restaurant has a unique concept featuring organic ingredients and a menu arranged into the five elements with specific tastes, temperatures, and textures designed to affect the body, mind, and spirit in different ways. The menu items are also specifically designed to energize, nourish, detoxify, relax, and fortify the body.
Similar to the Sunset Grill Restaurant, Mandhoo also features outdoor dining out over the water, which really makes the dining experience special.
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant
Possibly the most impressive spot in all of the Maldives is the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant. This is the world’s first undersea restaurant, located 16 feet (5 m) below beautiful turquoise waters. To enter Ithaa, you will first check-in at the Sunset Grill, located overwater near the main pool. You will then be escorted across the boardwalk to Ithaa. You’ll be asked to take off your shoes before walking down the spiral staircase that descends beneath the sea.
Dining at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant is available for lunch and dinner only. Lunch is a set menu at $230+ USD per person from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM and dinner is a set menu at $330+ USD per person from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Expertly prepared wine pairings for the set menus are available.
Alternatively, if you just want to visit Ithaa for some photos and don’t feel like dining here, there are visiting hours as part of a Cocktails and Canapes hour between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday each week. The Cocktails and Canapes costs $85+ USD per person.
When underneath the sea at the Ithaa Restaurant you have the opportunity to see the beautiful diversity and brilliant colors of the local tropical fish, and you may also get to see a sting ray or reef shark casually swimming by.
Other Dining Options
Of course, you can also order room-service anytime of the day and enjoy a great meal on your terrace, or even have breakfast in bed. Note that in-room dining is not included in any of the meal plans.
The Rangali Bar is a popular place for lunch, snacks, and their evening happy hour. The Rangali Bar is located between the check-in area and the main pool and also features a live DJ. Just behind The Rangali Bar is the Cheese & Wine Bar open select nights of the week. Here you can enjoy beautiful imported cheeses paired with breads and wines by the island’s sommelier. In this main area of the resort, you will also find Ufaa, featuring flavors from all over the diverse Chinese cuisine.
Lastly, for snacks and drinks at the adults-only Rangali Island infinity pool, you will find The Quiet Zone.
Conrad Maldives Booking Options
With the Conrad brand being a part of the Hilton Maldives portfolio, this Conrad Maldives review is likely of interest to many Hilton Honors members. In particular, because the Conrad Maldives is one of the flagship Conrad properties in the world and an aspirational property for all Hilton Honors members. The Conrad Maldives is one of the top Hilton properties in the world, which means that a standard redemption costs 95,000 Hilton Honors points to redeem for a free night. Additionally, the Conrad Maldives is an amazing use of Hilton Honors free night certificates.
Paid stays predictably vary quite a bit with the high seasonality of travel demand to the Maldives. Low season rates can be found in the mid $500 USD with high season rates costing many multiples more. Upgrades to larger rooms or overwater villas come at a premium.
When considering between a points stay or paid stay, note that all paid stays do include breakfast, however points stays do not. Additionally to note, the resort does not charge a resort fee, but you will find a 10% service charge added to all items, which acts as a quasi-service charge.
However, if you are a Hilton Honors Gold or Diamond elite, you will have daily buffet breakfast included, as well as a special Happy Hour daily from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The daily Happy Hour was a great spot to have a drink on the house, with some canapes included as well.
You might also be able to score a deal by booking through a site such as Booking.com, check availability and deals for your dates here.
Conrad Maldives Review Conclusion
Choosing the right Maldives resort for you is incredibly important, as unlike other vacations there is no sightseeing or visiting a city, your resort choice is your vacation destination. The Conrad Maldives excels in many areas that make it a great choice for your trip to the Maldives.
The resort offers an impressive selection of delicious dining options, plenty of space for relaxation on their beautiful beaches, excellent service, and the opportunity for amazing one-of-a-kind experiences such as dining at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant or spending at night at The Muraka Residence. Overall, the Conrad Maldives is an excellent resort choice and you can be sure that you will have an amazing experience staying here. We were already planning a return trip to the Conrad Maldives before we even left!
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