COMO Maalifushi is a stunning resort located in an incredible atoll in the deep south of the Maldives and we were so excited to experience a resort in an area that there are no other resort properties. It’s been on our bucket list for a long time so read on to find out everything you need to know before you book!

Location: 5/5

It’s a rare day to find a seemingly empty atoll in the Maldives, but COMO Maalifushi is lucky to be the only resort in the entire Thaa Atoll. While there are dozens of inhabited islands in the atoll, the boating traffic is minimal and the views untouched. It really feels like the Maldives of 20 years ago with limited boat traffic and no other hotels in sight, with the exception of one failed project where the seaplane landing dock is located.

The flight to COMO is about 70 minutes and it is located in one of the furthest atolls south in the Maldives. The flight to the resort is stunning as you pass over beautiful atolls, many of which are not yet super developed beyond south Malé. We stopped at one other resort along the way before landing about a mile from the resort in the beautiful Thaa Atoll.

Lobby & Check in experience: 4.5/5

Lobby and check in starts the moment you land in Malé from your international flight or another resort. After customs and baggage claim, you will locate the guest service representative with the COMO sign outside the baggage claim. From there, they will take you to check into the seaplane and escort you to the Manta Air lounge in the seaplane terminal to await your flight to paradise.

The manta air lounge is a beautiful space with ample seating, a balcony and snacks & non-alcoholic beverages. Your seaplane wait is typically between 1.5 hours and 3 hours and depends on weather and other guests.

The flight to the resort is stunning and you are greeted by your butler and front office staff on the short boat ride to the resort dock. From there you are greeted by a coconut and taken by buggy to your villa for an in-room check in.

The entire experience was overall very pleasant, easy and professional. We were checked into our stunning Water Villa overlooking the private island across the channel.

Rooms: 4.5/5

COMO Maalifushi offers a selection of villas, ranging from spacious beach villas, overwater villas and residences. The smallest villas are the beach suites, averaging just over 1,000 square feet which makes for a comfortable space for any couple. We were checked into a Water Villa, which is the higher tiered overwater option, sitting at 1,292 square feet. It features a spacious living room with a sitting area, dining set and minibar as well as a separate bedroom and spacious bathroom. There is a large vanity area behind the king bed alone with a nice open closet space with ample luggage space. The bathroom features a sunken bathtub, double vanity, indoor and outdoor shower as well as direct access to the large terrace with a swimming pool, two chaise loungers and the covered lounge bed,

The toiletries are COMO Shambala spa amenities and have a lovely scent. The minibar includes complimentary coffee and tea as well as water and a couple of home made snacks. The minibar prices are quite high with red and white wine coming in at $70 before taxes and service. Gummy bears and other snacks are $14 each.

The rooms are spacious, comfortable and very quiet. While the lighting and technology is quite old, we loved the elegant design and tall ceilings. The pool deck was our favorite place to spend the day overlooking the spectacular private island.

One thing to note is that the water does get extremely shallow during low tide due to the location on the edge of the atoll. It gets particularly low on the water suite side, where at the lowest point of the tide leaves the lagoon completely dry.

Service: 4/5

Overall, the service is a bit hit or miss at COMO. The resort was running at very low occupancy so the services and available activities were extremely limited despite the high price point of the resort. While some of the staff were excellent and extremely service oriented, we did find a percentage of the staff were quite jaded and lacked the refined service you often find in this price point. In the environment the Maldives is experiencing these days with an over abundance of luxury hotels in a race to the bottom when it comes to price, the high priced resorts have a responsibility to be a step above and provide true 5 star service experiences across the board, like you find at Milaidhoo, Anantara Kihavah and the like. We unfortunately found the service a bit lacking overall from both housekeeping and the butler service. With just a dozen guests across the resort, there were no special moments or in-room amenities and gift, no check-ins from the butler and no surprises at dinners or meals as you often do find at other resorts. Turndown featured nothing interesting or special at any point, including the last night – not even a note to say goodbye.

In direct opposition to the disappointing service overall, the service at the private island experience was exceptional. The staff in charge of the day were fantastic, particularly our waiter, or day-butler. The refinement and attention he exhibited was excellent and it made the private island experience an absolute must do (more below in facilities). 

Dining: 4.5/5

COMO Maalifushi offers 3 dining outlets onsite and we had the chance to try them all so we will detail our experiences below.

Tai is the Japanese restaurant located on the overwater jetty and features both an a la carte menu as well as an Omakase menu. They open for sunset cocktails and live music before dinner and the setting is stunning. This is the only sunset bar on property and they are not open every night but if they are open during your stay, it’s an excellent venue with delicious cuisine. We did the Omakase menu, which was exceptional at $125 per person. The cocktails start at $25 per cocktail.

Thila is the main bar on property and serves food from the Madi menu. It’s a beautiful setting and we had lunch here every day. The cocktails are great and the food ranges from light, healthy bites to sandwiches, pizzas and catch of the day. The menu is sizeable and has something for everyone.

Madi is the main restaurant on property and offers an a la carte menu as well as speciality menus throughout the week. They do offer a Maldivian menu one night per week but there is no accompanying show. The food is great overall and the service generally was good until the restaurant became too busy. Breakfast is served in Madi and is very good. Every day they offer a continental buffet as well as an a la carte menu. They do offer fresh wellness juices that are chargeable, but one juice is available daily complimentary.

They do also offer in-room dining and we had the chance to partake in the floating breakfast.

Overall, the food is excellent and the drinks are excellent. It is a bit disappointing that they do not offer any Maldivian speciality foods for breakfast or lunch/dinner outside of the special once per week menu. The service and ambiance have a bit of room for improvement to elevate the service to match the high prices of the menu.

Facilities: 4.5/5

COMO Maalifushi has a lot to offer in terms of amenities for guests to enjoy around property. While the facilities are on the older side, they have an excellent selection of activities and facilities.

The pool and beach are are beautiful, with a stunning lagoon for swimming directly in front of the pool. They do offer pool and beach service with ample shade.

The Shambala Spa is one of the highlights of the resort and has excellent massages and treatments. The brand is well known for their wellness offerings and the spa is a great retreat on property. We both enjoyed our massages in the beautiful, large overwater treatment room.

The gym is located in the spa and has everything you need for a good workout. It overlooks the overwater spa jetty and features both a cardio and weights room as well as a yoga room. They do also offer yoga a few times a week outside in the yoga pavilion, which we really enjoyed.

COMO has a small shop with tropical attire, accessories and some souvenirs. They also sell yoga mats and similar Shambala branded products from the spa.

COMO does offer a number of excursions and we had the chance to experience the sunset dolphin cruise as well as the private island picnic. The sunset dolphin cruise was wonderful and we did see a large pod of dolphins. They also serve alcoholic drinks and some appetizers on the sail back to the resort. Straight after our dolphin cruise, we were able to attend the weekly management happy hour which was a great way to close out the evening.

We also did do a one-tank dive and it was excellent. The prices are quite high for a dive, but having the reef to yourself is a great experience since there are no other resorts in this area. We met another couple who spent the entire week diving with the resort and they specifically chose the resort for the diving so if you are interested in seeing amazing sea life, this is a great option.

The Private Island experience was the absolute highlight of our trip. COMO has a private island that has a beautiful beach as well as a nice lush foliage in the center. They have built a number of different areas on the private island, including a restroom as well as a picnic area. For the private picnic lunch, they even have a generator to charge devices if needed. We had a butler for the day who brought our picnic lunch and got everything set up for us. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a special experience. We spend the whole afternoon lounging in the perfect lagoon and dining on delicious food and wine.

Overall, the facilities are fantastic. We do hope in the future they add additional fitness classes and wellness related activities to take advantage of their reputation as a wellness resort.

Style: 5/5

The style at COMO is very elegant and yet low key and comfortable. The villas are large and spacious and the restaurants are casual with relaxing furnishings and music. We loved the main pool and beach area with its comfortable lounge beds and beautiful setting. The seating around the resort is comfortable and homey, from the restaurants to the chaise lounges.

Overall, COMO has a very refined robinson crusoe vibe and both the staff energy, music across the restaurants and design encourage this relaxed deserted island feeling.

Overall: 4.6/5

Overall, we really loved this isolated resort. While the service is not quite at the level that it should be at this price point, the spacious villas and complete privacy and seclusion of the resort make this a fantastic choice if you’re looking to experience the Maldives of the past. If you are looking for great rates and perks, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re considering this property or any other resort in the Maldives.