RAAYA By Atmosphere

Hamna Syed

My husband and I stayed at Raaya for our honeymoon and it was an incredible experience, despite it raining every day. This was our first time in the Maldives and we are blown away not only by the nature, but by the hospitality of the staff here. Everyone is so kind and so friendly. The staff love teaching you about local culture and cuisine if you ask them which is always so good to learn. They go above and beyond in every way to make sure your stay is nothing short of perfect. Dining options have been great, the breakfast buffet especially is fantastic. I love that they have different cuisines at all mealtimes. The resort has three restaurants in addition to the all-day buffet that all offer good dining options and enough variety to not get bored. Excursions and water sports are available every day and are so much fun, with highly skilled staff to guide you. We were lucky enough to see some dolphins and a manta ray on our jet ski trips! The spa is so serene, and offers private suites for couples massages. The resort also had daily activities that are a real value-add such as yoga, sound meditation, mangrove walk, etc. Housekeeping team is fantastic and quick to address any needs. All in all, I would highly recommend Raaya, largely because of how incredible the staff here are.

yeoreum park

Beautiful weather and well-managed environment allow us to see why Maldives is called a paradise on earth. There are not many restaurants, but the all-day dining menu has changed little by little, so it is fun to reserve restaurants with different concepts and eat them without getting bitten. In particular, Jibon of all-day dining, which was the most frequently visited, always welcomed with the best food and smile, and made the best honeymoon with special service until the last day.

Denis Chitov

Our stay at Raaya by Atmosphere was nothing short of magical. From the moment we arrived, we were immersed in a serene, green paradise. The resort is impeccably clean, with lush vegetation blending seamlessly into the modern design, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating environment. The accommodation is outstanding. The villas are brand new, beautifully designed, and strike the perfect balance between comfort and coziness. Every detail has been thoughtfully curated to make you feel at home while indulging in luxurious amenities. One of the highlights of our stay was the culinary experience. With a variety of restaurants to choose from, each meal felt like an adventure. The food is exquisite, offering a perfect blend of international and local flavors that cater to every palate. Every dish we tried was a testament to the chefs’ dedication to quality and creativity. What truly sets Raaya apart, however, is the exceptional staff and service. Every single team member we encountered was incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our stay perfect. Their warmth and professionalism were unmatched, and it made us feel like valued guests throughout our stay. A special highlight of our trip was our wedding ceremony, which was nothing short of a dream. The team at Raaya went above and beyond to make it an unforgettable experience. From surprise gifts to stunning room decorations and a special dinner, every detail was meticulously planned. We were deeply touched by their efforts to make this moment truly unique and memorable. Raaya by Atmosphere is more than just a resort; it’s a destination where luxury meets heartfelt hospitality. We left with cherished memories and can’t wait to return. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a perfect getaway!

Radek L

Let's start with positive comment. The location and resort itself is really amazing! Waiter in Italian restaurant named Amir I think was amazing. Lester as host was great. Food in restaurants excellent. Thats pretty much it about positive comments. Lets start with the bad side. Seaplane from Male to the resort supposed depart at 9:15am and take 45min flight to reach. Unfortunately everything looks only good on booking, we were stuck on the plane without AC and oxygen for at least 20 minutes, the flight was delayed and it took us in real time TWO HOURS to reach the resort, NOT 45 MINUTES. Customer service is below 5 star resort standards. Lady at the reception who pick up the phone, just cut me off when I asked to send for us any car to take us for dinner that we had booked in the restaurant on the other side of the island. It was raining very heavy! She said "go on the main road and wait for bus" then she hung up. IN THE END we had to walk all the way to the restaurant, not even one bus passed us on the way. The next day I called again for pick up when we were checking out, it was raining heavy again! She goes: "go on the main road and wait for bus" this is not what you expect paying for the most expensive water villa. Drag your luggage and stand on the rain with hope any bus may passby. Disaster. Restaurant time. Staff doesnt care if you are non smoking person, they will put next to you smokers and allow them to smoke while you eat, not even asking if you mind smokers next to you. We had to have uncomfortable conversation with another guests to stop smoking next to us when we eat, on top of that we are asthmatic people. For sure, we wont be back here and wont recommend that place to anyone. Huge disappointment.

Simon Longster

Our 13th Maldives holiday & 11th resort, we visited Raaya on an all-inclusive plus package for 10 days in October and had a really great holiday. Inevitably, comparisons are drawn between different resorts, so here are our thoughts. Our first few hours on the island were frustrating. We were extensively bitten by insects upon arrival and after 20+ hours travelling, being immediately taken on an island orientation tour by buggy without opportunity to freshen up or find some insect repellent was too much. Arriving at our villa, we found we had been allocated half of a two-bedroom Family Beach Villa - not the Beach Villa we had booked. Although very nice and well appointed, we found it lacked storage space (the door to the adjoining room having taken up the wardrobe space) and lacked privacy having a shared veranda. Consequently we felt compelled to take the option to upgrade to a Beach Pool Villa which alleviated the space & privacy issue. We loved our new room & plunge pool - so every cloud has a silver lining. Raaya is a big property but impeccably maintained with wide sandy beaches almost all the way round the perimeter. It's easy to find solitude and feel like you're alone on the island. Electric Buggys circulate frequently or you can walk or cycle round easily. Only opened in 2023, everything is contemporary and still looks new. Food & drinks everywhere on the resort were particularly good, in-room mini-bar included. The wine choice for an all-inclusive package was exceptional and really made a difference to our dining experience. The buffet restaurant offering was varied and we really enjoyed the Asian section but we did find that the food in tureens really wasn't kept warm enough. The menus at the speciality restaurants were good and we had some really very nice meals, particularly at The Village (1 x Dinner) and Ampers&nd (2 x Dinner, 1 x Lunch). The pool area was wonderful on a sunny day - comfortable and plentiful loungers, shade from the trees, umbrellas and canopies if required, good snacks & drinks, sunset views. The start of Oktoberfest lunch barbeque was a real highlight of our stay. But if/when a shower came along, there was really no where to hide and in this respect we found the resort lacked an informal covered area/bar near the pool - if only the Sports Bar had been where the watersport centre is...…. Ampers&nd was a fabulous venue although at times we found it a bit too formal - you really needed to be dressed & dry to go in. Come evening though, with dinner done and a DJ/Singer it really had an Ibiza meets Maldives vibe. Seb's Shack at the South-West end was very laid back and relaxing. Sadly though, both these venues, didn't quite get it right for sundowners. Ampers&nd facing north and the two jetties obscuring the sunset view from the Shack. We found Snorkelling at Raaya disappointing in comparison to many of the other resorts we've visited. The reef drop-off is just too far/inaccessible and out-of-bounds from the island. The daily organised trips are well run and enjoyable but it's just not the same as doing your own thing. But if you're happy with shallow water snorkelling in the Lagoon there were nice areas on the sunrise side. The resort runs an 'Island Host' system and an itinerary of restaurant bookings, complementary spa sessions & snorkelling/boat trips is given to you by your host after arrival. We found it inflexible and nothing we asked to change was possible so we just cancelled things. We really would have preferred to take our chances with availability and created our own schedule. Finally, the highest praise for Raaya, is for it's staff. They really were amazingly friendly and helpful. For us the standouts were Afzal who looked after our wine glasses extremely well, Cindy in Ampers&nd, Supun who seemed to appear everywhere and Nasru at Soaq Pool Bar. Some of the above sounds negative but we don't want that to be the take-away from this review. Raaya is a very nice resort and anybody who visits is almost certain to have a great holiday.