Pullman Maldives Review (All-Inclusive Resort): Is It Really Worth It?

The most generous all-inclusive resorts in Maldives – what does that even mean? In this review, we’re going to break down what it’s like staying in the Pullman Maldives all-inclusive resort to help you decide if it’s worth it.

Since we chose Maldives as our honeymoon destination, I know how overwhelming it can be deciding between so many different resorts.

We were prepared to splurge a little to get a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and wanted everything to be perfect. It took us a while to decide on our selection criteria, but eventually decided that we wanted an all-inclusive resort so that we could eat and play freely.

Read on for our review on various aspects of Pullman Maldives, including the location, facilities, dining, and activities. Before that, here’s a spoiler alert – this getaway might just be the cure to your travel bug!

Hotel Review: Pullman Maldives Maamuta All-Inclusive Resort

We stayed in Pullman Maldives (5-star resort by Accor) for 4 nights during our honeymoon, and it was one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever had.

We paid for it out of our own pockets and had really high expectations of Pullman Maldives – so rest assured this review will be fair. At the same time, we were sensitive to anything that wasn’t ideal, which I’ll also talk about.

Is Pullman Maldives worth it?

Yes, it’s totally worth it! Pullman Maldives has spacious rooms, a ton of activities, amazing food, and top-notch facilities you can enjoy as part of its all-inclusive benefits. It is also relatively new since it was open in 2019.

We rate Pullman Maldives an overall score of 4.3/5, and highly recommend it for anyone considering a special vacation.

Here’s a quick summary of our detailed Pullman Maldives review.

		If we had to choose one thing we..
	Score (out of 5)	Loved	Wished could be better
Location and Transfer	3	House reef	Long transit time
Lobby and Check-in experience	5	Welcome drinks and island tour	Could be faster
Rooms	5	Spacious with open-air shower	Noisy boardwalk outside
Service and Facilities	4	Access to golf cart	Sometimes slow response
Food and Beverage	5	Selection of 80+ wines	Mediocre coffee
Activities and Excursions	4	Free guided beginner snorkelling	Some had limited frequency
Style and Character	4	Emphasis on food, fitness, and fun	Not much wow factor

Location and Transfer: 3/5

Depending on your flight schedule, the location and transfer process to get to and from Pullman Maldives might feel a little long.

How to get to Pullman Maldives?

After you arrive at Velana International Airport in Male, a Pullman Maldives representative will lead you to the transfer lounge for the 55-minute flight onward to Kooddoo Airport. After that, you’ll take a 15-minute speedboat that brings you to Pullman Maldives.

How far is Pullman Maldives from Male Airport?

Pullman Maldives is 230 miles (370 km) away from Male, in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll of South Maldives. Our transfer time between Velana International Airport in Male and Pullman Maldives was 4.5 hours in total, including the 2 hours we had to wait for our domestic flight.

We were too excited to feel time passing on the way to Pullman Maldives. It also helped that the transfer lounge had free WiFi and refreshments.

On the contrary, our transfer journey back to Male felt quite long because we had to wait for 1-2 hours in Kooddoo Airport without air-conditioning and any amenities. Of course there’s also the slight dread that comes with the end of your epic vacation.

Lobby and Check-in experience: 5/5

One of my favorite memories of Pullman Maldives was the moment we started to see the overwater villas. It was so exciting to see that the water is actually as turquoise blue as the photos show!

As we stepped out of the speedboat onto the resort’s welcome deck, a group of staff were present to welcome us with waves and smiles. Our assigned host took us onto a golf cart together with our luggages, and drove us to the main lobby for check-in.

The lobby was very inviting with its high ceiling and had natural breeze flowing through it. The couches were comfortable and immediately gave off the feeling of a beach resort. Our host brought us some welcome drinks as we waited, which was such a nice touch.

During the check-in, they explained to us that we needed to book activities and certain restaurants a day in advance. We weren’t really aware of this before our trip so it was a bit surprising, but not a big deal since we had 5 days here. They handed us the schedule for the week to help us plan our time on the island.

After the check-in, our host took us on a mini island tour on the golf cart as she explained the different facilities and places we could explore on our own. Finally, she brought us to our overwater villa and gave us a quick tour of the room which wrapped up the amazing check-in experience.

Rooms: 5/5

Choosing the perfect room was important for us because it’s where we will hang out most of the time, especially in between outdoor activities. Hence, we chose the Ocean Villa (without a pool) which I knew was going to be amazing based on reviews I read.

Here are the different types of rooms available at Pullman Maldives, sorted from cheapest to priciest:

Room Type	Room size (Sqft)	Prices from (USD)
Beach Villa (no pool)	2,152	1,109
Ocean Villa (no pool)	1,722	1,212
Beach Pool Villa	2,583	1,573
Ocean Pool Villa	1,776	1,676
Ocean Pool Villa (Sunset)	1,776	1,882
Family Beach Villa (no pool)	2,906	1,882
Ocean Pool Suite	1,991	1,985
Family Beach Pool Villa	3,229	2,088
Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa	6,243	2,912
Two-Bedroom Ocean Pool Villa	4,736	3,530
Aqua Villa (with pool)	2,152	3,943
Four-Bedroom Ocean Pool Retreat	15,866	18,110

Beach Villas are on the island, while Ocean Villas/Suites are overwater rooms. The best thing about the Pullman Maldives rooms is that they are really spacious. In fact, the smallest rooms are the Ocean Villas that don’t have a pool, and based on our experience it felt really big.

As for the location of each villa, the Ocean Villas are typically in the same cluster connected by the oval-shaped boardwalk, and Beach Villas on parts of the island. The larger rooms like the Ocean Pool Suite and the two to four bedroom villas are located nearer to the amenities on the Sunset side.

We chose the Ocean Villa which didn’t include a pool because we had direct access to the sea anyway. It also had a glass floor panel that let us observe marine life from our room which I was really excited about.

Our Ocean Villa experience

I especially love the bathrooms, with island bath tubs and both an indoor and outdoor shower. Between the room and the bathroom, you also have a closet space together with a vanity area.

Outside on our Ocean Villa deck, we had a suspended hammock in place of a pool which we used to lounge and stargaze outside. There was also an open air living space and sun beds to enjoy the ocean breeze. Honestly, it was so much space and I wish we had more time to hang out in various parts of the villa.

Now for the fun part where a ladder takes you straight into the ocean! Thankfully there was enough space between the Vilas such that we didn’t feel like we were invading anyone’s privacy when we swam in front of our room.

If you’re worried about the reef sharks, let me tell you that they refused to swim under our villa whenever we went down to find them. As soon as we went back up, we saw them again – so okay, message received.

Note that there aren’t any safety barriers on the deck, so be careful if you’re stepping out at night. If you prefer to be on land, the Beach Villas also offer great value-for-money.

Service and Facilities: 4/5

As for getting around the island, you could request a golf cart pick up by calling the reception and letting them know where you want to go. It’s also really convenient to have this option because you may not be familiar with the location of various amenities yet.

The waiting time is expected to be 15 minutes, which was reliable most of the time. If you prefer to have your own way of getting around, bicycles are available for rental (for a fee) as well.

There’s no butler service as far as I know, even for the premium rooms, but we didn’t have much issue contacting the front desk for anything we needed. This included booking our dinner reservations, activities and general enquiries.

There are 2 pools, 6 restaurants and bars, a fitness center, dive center, watersports center, and a spa.

Pools

The main pool is located on the beach, beside a restaurant and next to a volleyball area. My favorite time to be here is at sunset, where the pool water reflects the sun’s hues. You could also have a poolside lunch here and order a drink from the bar.

Alternatively, you can find an infinity pool on the other side of the island. It is also just outside a restaurant, though we didn’t use it because it was felt smaller than the main pool. However, it makes an excellent backdrop for breakfast in the morning.

Fitness center

We always look forward to a good gym, and although there weren’t any squat racks in Pullman Maldives, they had premium gym equipment that felt new. You could also grab a bottle of water and a towel which are complimentary for use.

You can play a round of tennis (reservation required) and even rent a bike to get around the island. I heard there’s also an outdoor beach gym which sounds interesting but we didn’t get around to seeing it.

Dive and water sports center

If you’re thinking of learning to dive, Pullman Maldives has a 5 star PADI certified diving center. We’re not really keen on diving so we didn’t look too much into this.

However, their website mentioned that you can see up to 13 species of sharks if you go diving, including the rare Spinner shark. There are 26 dive sites in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, which sounds like it will be a really exotic experience.

This really amused me, but you can also join the PADI Mermaid program here which even comes with a certification. It is open to everyone starting from age 6 and above, including both men and women.

The water sports center is where you’ll start various activities like kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, or jet-skiing (for a fee). It is located right at the beach, which reminded me of Thailand or Bali for some reason.

Spa

The Pullman Spa offers all kinds of services in order to provide guests with a holistic experience. For example, you can get a massage, a customised facial, or a manicure/pedicure. Although the spa services are not included in the all-inclusive package, it’s the cherry on top of a trip to the Maldives.

It’s the ideal place for a relaxing experience, as the spa atmosphere is design to be calming. Imagine yourself looking out to the shallow blue water as you wait for your treatments. However, it can be a bit pricey given that it’s in a 5-star resort.

Food and Beverage: 5/5

This was my most anticipated part of our stay at Pullman Maldives, and I’m glad my expectations were met. There were several restaurants and bars, and we wanted to try every one of them after hearing the positive reviews.

The all-inclusive benefits included food and beverage throughout the day, whether that’s a midday snack at the bar, or a wine selection to go with your dinner. Within the room you also have selected house pours (wine and liquor), and a fully stocked minibar that gets refilled twice a day.

We also had a complimentary champagne on the first day when we arrived, which was a really nice touch that we enjoyed with the gorgeous sunset. Throughout your stay, you’ll have access to the selection of 80+ international wines no matter where you’re dining at.

Restaurants and bars

Besides the Melange, both Souq Oven and Phat Chameleon require reservations so that they can allocate enough resources to each location.

You could also make arrangements for a special destination dining experience at additional cost. There are several private dinner locations you can choose from as well, depending on the occasion.

Phat Chameleon: Vegetarian gourmet dining with a garden-to-table concept. We happened to order dishes that they were on the more “creative” side. For example, we had a dish with Inoki mushroom with chocolate sauce, and “Tomato Water” which was essentially a soup. Overall, this was my favorite restaurant.

Souq Oven: Italian cuisine with overwater views. We really love the fresh tuna tartare and the crabmeat fettuccini. This is also where you’ll find a huge wine storage display as you walk in.

Sol Rising: Overwater cafe and poolside bar just outside Souq Oven. We had breakfast here most of the time because of the thoughtful menu options. You may also see people participating in sunrise floating yoga sessions in the pool.

Melange: All-day buffet-style dining with international cuisines. The first dinner we had was Surf and Turf night at the Melange, and we were delighted to have lobster and steak to welcome us. We also had breakfast and lunch here which met our expectations overall.

The Hub: Poolside bar just outside the Melange. We had lunch here as we were lounging at the main pool, and ordered a pizza and cocktails. This is a great spot for a hot and sunny day.

Saffron Affair: Casual tapas and cocktail lounge with sunset views. Enjoy a happy hour sunset moment here, where you can lay in the suspended hammocks with a drink in hand. The chilled canapés was decent, so we helped ourselves to seconds (actually thirds too).

Activities and Excursions: 4/5

The all-inclusive benefits at Pullman Maldives includes some activities free of charge.

• Yoga sessions
• Beach Bootcamp Workout experience
• Pullman Fit Trail
• Marine Biologist talks and nature walks
• Snorkeling equipment rental
• Guided house reef snorkelling
• 1 hour daily of stand-up paddle boarding, wind surfing (if qualified), or kayaking
• Diving immersion trial (pool)

Do note that some of the activities require you to call and make a reservation in advance. Unfortunately we were disappointed when we showed up for the sunrise yoga floating class but didn’t get to join because they didn’t know to bring boards for us.

If you’re looking for optional paid excursions, you can consider a private sunset cruise, jet skiing, diving, big game fishing, and other motorized water sports. To plan your budget, check out their excursions menu to see what else is available.

Does Pullman Maldives have a house reef?

Yes, Pullman Maldives has a house reef that you can access from the beach on the sunset side. That’s also where the guided house reef snorkelling sessions are held.

This was good news for us because we wanted to be able to snorkel without having to go on boat trips. Since the house reef was on the long side of the island, you could even spend the whole afternoon swimming along the drop-off.

It was our first time seeing how a sandy bed can quickly transform into a wall of colorful corals and fish. The snorkelling experience here was amazing and it felt like something we could only see on a diving trip. We even saw sea turtles! It made me feel like Maldives was a whole other world.

With Pullman Maldives’ proximity to the house reef, we were delighted to see rays, reef sharks, and fish within the first hour of exploring the island. They often swam below our villa, which was so fun to watch.

Style and Character: 4/5

Pullman Maldives gave us a good first impression with the warm welcome, impeccable villa design, and amazing Surf and Turf dinner. Throughout our stay, we could tell they emphasized fun and fitness. As much as possible they tried to provide a holistic and luxurious experience.

Since we were staying on the Ocean Villas, we mostly bumped into other couples. I don’t recall seeing many kids there, though the facilities would have been suitable for kids and teens as well.

Although there wasn’t much novelty factor in Pullman Maldives, it delivered on providing the ideal honeymoon experience that we were looking for. They respected the wildlife there and I could feel the staff’s enthusiasm as they pointed out stingrays in the water to us.

Pullman Maldives review: Overall score 4.3/5

If I could summarize the downside that stood out the most, it’s that free excursions were limited for those staying fewer than 5 nights. In addition, the reservatioan process for some activities made it slightly troublesome and required some advanced planning.

Considering all things, we were very happy with our stay there and would highly recommend Pullman Maldives in our review. We felt that the price we paid was fair given the all-inclusive benefits and quality of the rooms.

While we were researching and comparing various resorts, we decided that we wanted to have an all-inclusive experience instead of half or full board. Sometimes full board doesn’t cover everything, and we didn’t want to worry about whether certain meals and drinks were included.

It’s common for meals to cost an arm and a leg in Maldives just because of how inaccessible these luxury resorts are. Hence, it was indeed generous for Pullman Maldives to offer unlimited meals and selected wines across all their restaurants.

Additional Tips for our Pullman Maldives Review

Disclaimer: Please don’t rely solely on my tips as flights can be a complicated thing to give a general blanket advice for. Do check the latest guidance from Pullman Maldives when you make your booking, in addition to my review.

Looking for more suggestions and villa ideas in Maldives? Check out this article with the best Overwater Villas for a mid-range budget.

Aside from that, here’s a guide on how to plan the perfect Maldives honeymoon.

Tips for visiting Pullman Maldives

• Pay attention to tide warnings and schedules, and heed all strong current warnings. Call to enquire if unsure.
• Plan to arrive in Male’s Velana International Airport before 3:30pm as you will need time to transfer to Pullman Maldives on a domestic flight.
• Book your departing flight from Male a few hours after 6pm
• Take note of baggage size restrictions on the Maldives domestic flights.
• Bring seasickness medication if you know you may have some trouble on speedboats.
• Prepare lots of sun protection like sunscreen and caps, or you risk getting a burnt scalp like we did.
• Browse more information about Pullman Maldives on their website

Is it worth getting all-inclusive in Maldives?

Yes it is worth it – since the cost of food and beverage is going to be high in these 5-star resorts. Getting all-inclusive in Maldives will be the best way to enjoy it all without worrying about the price. In addition, you’re not allowed to bring your own alcohol into Maldives due to religious reasons, so you almost always need to pay extra for drinks.

I’m sure you can tell we had a great time in our Pullman Maldives review. Having enjoyed a carefree honeymoon, I’d say to go for the all-inclusive experience!

How many days is ideal for Maldives

Plan at least 4 nights, so that you get 2 full days to enjoy the activities, sunrise, and sunset.

If you’re trying to stretch your budget, consider doing 2 nights in an overwater Ocean Villa, then 2 nights in a Beach Villa.

What is the best currency to bring to the Maldives

Although the official currency is Maldivian Rufiyaa, you’ll only need USD at resorts and they can take credit card payments.

If you’re planning to visit some local islands, you can exchange some currency at the airport or in Male city.

I hope this Pullman Maldives review was helpful, let me know if you have other questions. You can reach me via email, Instagram or simply by commenting.