Adaaran Prestige Vadoo is situated just a 15-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport, making it an easy stopover property at the right price. Adaaran features 50 overwater villas, 3 restaurants and a nice, natural beach. The property first opened in 1986 and offered the first overwater structure in the Maldives, making this a very historic property in the Indian Ocean.  Adaaran Prestige Vadoo does offer decent value with its all-inclusive package for the right price, that includes premium spirits and some activities, making it a mid-range option for those prioritizing convenience over exclusivity.

Location: 3.5/5

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo’s location, once considered its greatest asset, now tells a story of the changing landscape of Maldivian tourism. When it first opened in 1986, the resort was truly a secluded island escape, offering guests a true sense of paradise isolation with pristine views in every direction. The 15-minute speedboat proximity to Malé was considered an ideal balance – close enough for convenience but far enough to feel worlds away from civilization.

Unfortunately, over the decades, the surrounding area has experienced significant development as the Maldives tourism industry expanded (enter: the mega complex of Crossroads and the expansion of Malé, the capital. What was once uninterrupted ocean views now includes views of neighboring resorts, increased boat traffic, and seaplane traffic. The development has diminished the sense of pristine isolation that once defined the Vadoo experience. This encroachment represents a broader pattern across the Maldives, where the drive for tourism growth has sometimes come at the expense of the very seclusion and natural beauty that initially attracted visitors. Despite these challenges, the resort still offers relatively quick access to Malé and maintains its own beach area, though guests seeking total seclusion might be disappointed by the resort’s proximity to other developed islands.

Lobby & Check in experience: 4/5

The arrival experience at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo begins at Velana International Airport, where guests must first locate the hotel’s dedicated booth among the many resort desks lining the arrivals area. This can be slightly confusing for first-time visitors, as the airport is busy and the booths aren’t always clearly marked. Many properties do hold up signage on arrival so do a quick scan before proceeding to Booth #B3. Once you’ve found the Adaaran representatives, they check your booking details and escort you to the speedboat dock or the waiting area. We did end up with a 35 minute wait so we sat in the pizza bar because it had air conditioning. They did not offer water or other amenities but water is available for purchase.

The speedboat transfer takes approximately 15 minutes. Upon arrival at the resort’s jetty, staff members greet you with cold towels and welcome drinks, which was a lovely welcome in their air conditioned bar.

Before formal check-in, guests are taken on a brief tour of the property by the butler assigned to your villa. This walk-around highlights the compact nature of the island – it takes about 10 minutes to circumnavigate the entire resort. Most of the walkways are inside the island and pass by the staff areas and back office facilities.

An important note: be sure to bring your wallet on this tour. Adaaran requests payment information during this initial tour, which can catch guests off guard. We had left all our bags in the bar during this tour and the staff seemed very confused about how to handle it.

After the tour, we were offered to be taken to our villa but we opted for a quick bite in the bar. During check-in, guests are assigned a personal butler who is meant to assist with reservations and special requests throughout the stay. However, our experience with the butler service was somewhat disappointing – our assigned butler wasn’t particularly informative or friendly, offering minimal assistance beyond the basics and lacking the warm hospitality one might expect from a luxury resort.

Rooms: 3.5/5

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo’s villas are all overwater and we have to admit, very spacious. They are noticeably dated overall with stained cushions, mismatched furnishings and a generally dated style, but they are very comfortable. At approximately 1,000 square feet, these villas offer ample room to move around, with high ceilings that enhance the sense of space as well as two sofas on either side of the interior that face the bed. The interior features dark wood furnishings and neutral tones. The living areas are comfortable, but it is worth noting that the blinds in the room are not blackout so bring an eye mask if you’re a light sleeper.

The bathroom layout is interesting as it features a glass floor section allowing guests to observe marine life below with a hot pink sofa adjacent. The rear balcony features an empty jacuzzi tub that you can fill yourself, though based on the speed of the faucet, it likely takes some time. Despite the somewhat odd layout, the bathroom is well-sized and stocked with Elemis toiletries, adding a touch of luxury.

The minibar is great. It’s very well-stocked and fully included in the all-inclusive package with wine, beer, water, sparkling water, sodas, tea and coffee. There are a few snacks as well like Pringles and some chips. These are replenished daily.

The exterior deck, while providing direct access to the ocean, shows its age with weathered wood and basic furnishings. The “plunge pool” is disappointingly small – more of a dipping spot than an actual pool. Despite our “Sunset Villa”, we found it impossible to actually view the sunset from our villa. Looking at the layout of the villas, there are very few true sunset facing villas.

During our June stay, we experienced pretty rough seas that caused water to splash onto the deck and the walkways so it’s something to keep in mind as the resort does not have any breakers in the water to prevent some of the rough water. However, the villas do benefit from positioning that offers ocean views rather than facing the less attractive industrial areas of the capital and the Crossroads complex.

Service: 3/5

The service at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo falls short of the luxury experience promised by its marketing. While most staff members are friendly, there’s a noticeable inconsistency in service quality and attentiveness across different areas of the resort. On the positive side, Dining service was generally quite excellent at the main restaurant, with well-trained and servers and bar tenders as well as friendly staff willing to make you happy. The butler service, which should be a highlight of the premium experience, was particularly disappointing during our stay.

Our assigned butler provided the bare minimum from start to finish and that seems to be the general trend. For instance, when we asked about activities around the island, he told me to walk around and ask versus finding out himself.

One of the biggest issues with Adaaran is the fact that they do allow day visitors to access the property. Due to its close proximity to Malé, this is quite common. That’s typically something we love to see for our clients, but it really only works if the island is large enough, and the infrastructure is large enough, to be able to handle the extra load. There are very few beach chairs, bar tenders, pool loungers and general space on the island to be able to support additional day visitors when the property is even half full.

In general, while the dining service absolutely tried to make up for the lack of 5-star service experience across the board, it’s ultimately a disappointment. Adaaran has a real opportunity to take advantage of having such incredible service-minded dining staff to make up for it’s unfortunate location near Malé.

Dining: 3.5/5

Dining at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo was generally good across all venues, though not particularly outstanding. The main restaurant, Farivalhu, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food quality was decent, offering a mix of international cuisines with an emphasis on Indian and Western options. We did have dinner here the first night and opted for the Indian dishes, which were excellent.

Kithajima, the Japanese restaurant, was overall quite good. They do have a set list of sushi items they typically offer and were super disappointing as they were pre-prepared. However, we realized you can slightly adjust what you want in the roll and they will fresh make it and it’s significantly better.

Dhoni Bar, the resort’s casual beach bar, offers cocktails throughout the day. It’s tucked beneath the trees and is shaped like a real Dhoni. It is closed during sunset and dinner. The snack menu was ok, though the burger was genuinely terrible and we would not recommend ordering it. Cocktails were well-mixed, though surprisingly, premium drinks like Aperol Spritz or Espresso Martinis were not included in the all-inclusive package – a disappointing limitation considering the resort’s pricing and positioning as a luxury experience.

Kakuni, the barefoot beachfront restaurant at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, offers a barefoot dining experience in the sand. The restaurant specializes in freshly caught seafood prepared with local spices and international influences, though keep in mind only very limited dishes are included on the all-inclusive plan. While the setting is undeniably romantic with its toes-in-the-sand concept and ambient lighting at night, we did not have a chance to dine at Kakuni during our stay due to it being closed most evenings. Kakuni operates on a reservation basis only and does not allow walk ins.

The Sky Deck Bar offers 360-degree views of the surrounding ocean and neighboring islands. The elevated location makes it perfect for sunset cocktails. It has the same drinks menu as the other outlets and you can watch fish and sharks swim by in the dusk.

A significant limitation of Adaaran’s dining program is the inconsistent inclusion of premium beverages. While the resort markets itself as all-inclusive with premium spirits, many popular high-end drinks like Aperol Spritz, Espresso martinis, and champagne are chargeable. This feels somewhat deceptive and can lead to unexpected costs for guests who assumed these standard luxury cocktails would be included.

Facilities: 3.5/5

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo’s facilities, while adequately maintained, fall short of the luxury standards set by its competitors in this price point in the Maldives. The resort’s gym is disappointingly small and poorly equipped, housed in what feels like a converted storage room with just a few basic machines and free weights. The limited space makes it challenging for more than two guests to exercise simultaneously, and the lack of modern equipment really diminish the motivation for fitness-seeking travelers.

The main pool, centrally located on the island, is nice but unremarkable. The pool area offers limited loungers, often becoming crowded during peak hours.

The beach loungers with shade structures are some of the better amenities on the island. Thoughtfully positioned along the natural shoreline, these pagodas provide comfortable seating and shade with easy access to the lagoon.

Evening entertainment at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo was surprisingly fun, offering a authentic glimpse into the different cultures who work on property depending on the evening. The resort hosts various performances throughout the week, including traditional Boduberu drumming sessions, live music, and occasional DJ nights at the bar and even Balinese dancing. While not elaborate productions, these shows and casual musical evenings create a pleasant atmosphere and provide a welcome diversion after dinner at the Dhoni bar.

The resort’s boutique shop has some knick knacks, souvenirs and sunscreen. It’s small but efficient and located next to the lobby.

The Mandara Spa at Adaaran is housed in the original overwater structure on property. The spa menu covers standard offerings including Balinese massages, facials, and body treatments using Elemis products. We did not have a chance to try the spa but the pricing is reasonable by Maldivian standards. They do offer deals on arrival that are worth checking out as you can save around 50% on treatments.

Style: 3.5/5

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo’s style is certainly outdated. The overwater villas, while spacious, feature dark wood paneling, dated furnishings, and an inconsistent design language that lacks the refined minimalism or thoughtful tropical elegance found in modern Maldivian properties. Perhaps most jarring is the resort’s central area, where staff housing and back-office facilities are prominently visible to guests with little attempt to conceal these operational spaces. Unlike other resorts that carefully design landscapes to shield utility areas, Adaaran makes little effort to disguise these unattractive industrial zones, with open views of maintenance buildings, staff quarters, and storage areas directly visible from main walkways. This unpolished core creates a disconnect between the marketed luxury experience and the actual aesthetic reality of the property. The outdoor furniture throughout the resort shows significant weathering, and public spaces lack the cohesive design vision expected at this price point.

Overall: 3.5/5

Overall, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo may be a good option for a short stopover at the right price. The challenge becomes when they are priced as high as some of the true 4 and 5 star premium all-inclusive properties near Malé. If you are looking at a deal for Adaaran Prestige Vadoo and would like our opinion on it, feel free to reach out at team@voyagerguru.com.