Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru

9.2

Wonderful

135 Guest reviews

9.2

Wonderful

135 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness9.6/10

Service9.4/10

Comfort9.6/10

Condition9.2/10

location10/10

Neighborhood9.2/10

Amenities9.0/10

Great service and lovely rooms

Excellent resort

The hotel location on an island is very wonderful and it is close to the airport.

This property is wonderfully situated with beautiful beaches and a fascinating reef to explore. Lots of activities available and the staff are very attentive and helpful. Dining options are very good and there’s a feeling of luxury and exclusivity from the moment you arrive till the moment you leave . Would definitely go back and recommend to others!

Must visit!

Beautiful resort complimented by amazing staff and hospitality. Simply the ultimate dream holiday destination.

Lovely setting, great staff , tasty food and very relaxing place to spend a week

The resort provided just what we need to disconnect and recharge. 4-days in paradise. We booked a beach villa (sunset view) with private pool as well as all inclusive and this combination provided everything we needed. For transparency if you are susceptible to heat/humidity please note that the bathroom is open thus gets very hot and humid. Do request a floor fan ahead of your arrival to help offset the humidity. The staff are great and will provide. I do recommended this resort and will return in the future.

Friendly staff going above & beyond. Very clean. Nature obsessive. Fantastic food and leisure

Hospitality began the moment we stepped out the airport terminal until we were back to the terminal again for our return flight home. Great service throughout our stay! The team was super friendly and helpful! Great job! Definitely a 5-star resort to relax and rejuvenate.

Very pleasant and refreshing experience in the Maldives. Small island but easy to access to all the facilities it provides.

Yana and reception staff, thank you for your efficiency. Our stay was very short, we will be back. Thank you

Everything at the resort was better than I I hoped for. Resort was clean. Staff was excellent and food was very good

Hassam who worked for Banyan Tree, Very kindly did a fantastic photo shoot for me around the Island. He did an excellent job very professional. Many thanks Hassam You made my holiday the best with those fabulous pictures.

Great, relaxing and lovely staff. Great diving spots nearby. Reef around the island has been greatly affected by climate change . The resort places great effort to help corals recover and other marine conservation activities.

Unforgettable Experience

What an amazing stay. I can’t express how amazing this place was. From the daily sting ray sightings to the outdoor bbq dinners we had an spectacular time!

Great island

Super amazing service!!

Very quiet island but also a real lack of facilities and there are much better islands in Maldives to enjoy your hard earnt holiday . Only one restaurant which was well below average and boring with very limited options and a big left down for a Banyan Tree property No swimming pool a shock You can find much nicer for same money and we left early and went to another island which was a genuine 5 star for similar money

Staff was really great, I would definitely recommend staying there for everyone

Very friendly staff that go out of their way for you

Love the resort and everybody there. Also love the idea of eco friendly and saving the environment. Respect.

The place was relaxing. Highly recommend if your are looking for a place to relax. The water was clear and the room facing the beach was amazing. Everything feel very private. All the staff was really nice. Also get to see the stingrays everyday the staff will feed them. One thing that can be improve is the gym. Overall I would definitely go back and recommend this place.

No swimming pool. too hot to be on the beach watching the kids as no parasols to protect you from the sun. no bar service on the beach. Only one restaurant after 10 days the food was boring and only 3 star quality and choice. Villas need a referb in bad condition. This is not a five star resort I would say 3 star at the best. Every one was in bed by 9.00pm which says it all absolutely nothing to do, no one to talk to no music in the bar nothing.

Awesome experience Great resort and perfect villa location for sunset and sunrise Friendly staff Will revisit again

Surprisingly, what stood out to me more than the pristine white sand beaches and the beautiful villas was the staff! Harish gave us such a warm welcome and Riyaaz was extremely caring. Rajesh at the restaurant cooked us unique delicacies everyday to surprise us. The buffets were so extensive and one could see no corners were cut. Ali was courteous housekeeper who made sure our room was always inviting. Moosa and Farhaz at the restaurant were so caring. Talal at the marine centre was witty and professional teacher. ( I took snorkelling lessons). The sting ray feeding was magical. The property strives to reduce waste. Loved it!

Personalized service in the paradise

Great location in-between islands, about 25 minuets speedboat trip from airport. Welcome tea with iced towel was refreshing and helps sickness from the waves. Private beachfront villa is the best choice with its personal pool and a warm massage pool. The in-villa dining was not expensive with all kinds of options, kids and vegetarian friendly. One restaurant and a bar on the island could cover all your needs. Their steak from the grill was nice and juicy. Staff was friendly and helpful. Room was cleaned twice a day, including the open bed service in the evening time. Daily stingray feeding was free and interesting to see. Sheesha and cocktail of the day could enrich your relaxing experience. Absolutely cannot miss the signature Banyan Tree style massage. This island could be the best norkeling and scuba destination because it does not have the environment pollution from the water villa. Honeymoon package is valuable to choose. Some activities like dolphins trips, night fishing, water sports and so many more could be a lifetime experience. Recommend for honeymoon couples or those who looking for fully relaxation from heavy pressures

The room was perfect and the staff were great but the food could be a little bit better

WONDERFUL PLACE.. GO, IF ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME.. GO MORE IF YOU ARE WISE.

Beautiful reef and room with private pool!

We chose Banyan Tree because of its eco-friendly policies, proximity to Male airport and reviews mentioning a great house reef. These factors made our holiday wonderful, as we snorkelled every day at the beautiful reefs on Vabbinfaru and the sister island, Angsana Ihuru. We took a trip Night Snorkelling which featured glow-in-the-dark plankton, and a snorkelling trip to Turtle Reef where we saw 13 turtles – amazing! We also enjoyed the ‘Marine Talk’ as it gave us a good chance to learn more about the conservation work happening at the resort (coral planting, shark research etc). Service and the villa also made the trip really enjoyable. It was our anniversary and the staff surprised us with a gift and a rose-petal message on the bed. There are no water villas at Banyan Tree but the trade-off is that you get a private pool, Jacuzzi and beachfront area/ garden with your villa, which we loved. The beachfront rooms are just in front of the oceanview rooms. You pay more for a beachfront room but the oceanfront room has more privacy. I felt that the ‘all-day dining menu’ was a limitation and would have instead preferred more themed buffet nights to increase food variety. This is because as a vegetarian, I ended up ordering the same (admittedly delicious!) curry every day. My husband and I both have dietary requirements, which the staff were great at remembering and offering alternatives if available.

Would go back but only for the Spa and Nature

Older property in the Maldives but is well maintained. With an older property you expect the staff to be well trained but this was not the case for the main restaurant staff. They were unfriendly to the point of being rude/indifferent. Basic manners was lacking e.g. thank you, you're welcome etc. It didn't exceed our expectations nor did it meet them for a 5* category hotel. The Spa was out of this world. The food at times was bad e.g. a beef curry that I had reminded me of when I was a student and ate frugal meals which came out of a tin. Basic food like burgers were great. We would go back but just for the Spa and nature. Iris and Faris from reception were engaging and professional. The location is perfect as you don't need a sea or domestic plane transfer.

It was a wonderful, quiet, and peaceful island. every thing was excellent, the hosting, food, room cleaning, spa, water sports center, and staff all was excellent.

Memorable honeymoon

Amazing place Friendly staff Excellent get away from everything

A week in paradise.

Can’t under stand what anyone could complain about. This place is 5 star all the way. We had a joyous week there and didn’t want to come home.

Getting away from it all

Great getaway! Maldives is magical. This hotel has a sister hotel with a free shuttle so you can explore two islands

Amazing for a pure getaway

It is an amazing island for the people who want a getaway and complete privacy.

Adventure or Relaxtion- BT Vabbinfaru delivers!

We have stayed twice at BT Vabbinfaru and the beauty of the resort coupled with the consistently high level of service, friendliness & warmth of the staff has exceeded all of our expectations twice over. The advantages include the great location, only 35 minutes speedboat ride away from the airport ( no hanging around for small seaplanes, luggage restrictions and long waits at the airport)) but far enough away not to have city views of Male. The great house reef is perfect for shore diving and great for snorkelling. The cleanliness of rooms, which are well appointed with decent strength hair dryers that can be plugged in near to mirrors, well stocked fridge, mini bar and room safe. Romantic ambiance with 4 poster beds, mosquito nets & fragrant oils that are burned as part of the evening turn down service. The seclusion & privacy of each rooms hot tub & plunge pool. The temperature in the plunge pool was perfect, refreshing but not icy cold. The temperature in the hot tub can be controlled by guests own selection. Fluffy white towels & big green beach towels, no sign of wear or tear. Excellent maintenance throughout the property and well tended garden shrubberies & flowers throughout the resort. The Spa is a Banyan Tree speciality and well worth the visit. on both of our visits, special offers have been available for morning treatments. The food is varied, fresh & tasty. Lastly, the staff at BT Vabbinfaru make this resort truly memorable and worth revisiting!

Very nice hotel and great staff

We spent our 7th anniversary at the Banyan Tree and it was such a blast. We expected the rooms to be a little more spacious tho as they appeared in the pictures. But that didnt affect any of the fun.

Absolute Peace and Tranquility

The Maldives in general have been on my list for years. My only disappointment was in waiting so long! The Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru far exceeded my expectations in the warmth and kindness shown from everyone on the island. Everywhere you go your greeted with a hello, good morning or good evening. Not sure if it's just the culture of the Maldivians or the Banyan Tree's hiring expertise, but it's sincere and perfect!. Our main waiter Lamir was so accommodating that you could have just taken away the menu and ordered from your heart's desire! Anything we wanted and most of the time he could read our mind! Oh, and the Executive Chef, Benoj created masterpiece dishes that exceeded the best meals I've experienced anywhere in the world! The breads and pastries were as if baked for a god! Texture and palatability were superb! This royal service started with the manager's greeting at the dock with personal attention through check in complete though our excellent personalized service from our house hostess, Lamir. Seriously, no one missed a beat on our entire one week stay. Sometimes it was almost embarrassing when the service personnel would see you coming and run to their station to greet you! Never have I experience such detail to service and I can without any hesitation recommend the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru for anyone seeking peace and tranquility in one of the most beautiful surroundings anywhere in the world. A special thank you to the juice bar and omelet bar tenders as well.

Excellent choice for a relaxing holiday

A great resort made even better with an excellent crew. Great care and attention at all times. Well trained staff who are always gracious, helpful and polite - from hotel GM right down to the folks cleaning the surroundings. From the front desk, to the restaurant, the spa and the marine centre. Also the pristine beach, water and sea-life made the experience even better. Nice comfy rooms with good ambiance and a great view of the ocean (and sound) Thank you for making our stay memorable and will come back for more

Nice place, hidden costs annoying.

Pastry chef perhaps needs to up his game as pastries at breakfast tasted a bit stale. Not including the transport charge from the airport to the island when there is not other way to get to the island is basically a rip off, 180 USD per person as a mandatory hidden cost for a 25 minute boat ride is outrageous in my view.

Nice resort very friendly staffs. Near to airport.

It's good experience I will visit it again ASAP i fell very comfortable in island. Many thanks for everything

Nice beaches, facilities and staff

Really relaxing, we enjoyed a lot. It was fun, facility is well maintained

Outstanding service, feeling home

Me and my wife spent 5 days at Banyan Tree, early check-in and late check-out. We have been very well accommodated and taking care off by a very customer focused staff. Rooms are private with a small pool and jacuzzi for the evening and straight on a lovely beach. Hotel is connected to ihuru island with a shuttle speed boat every 2 hours. We got an excellent snokerking experience in a hotel who has a special care on environment and sea life. Special thanks to Mr. Habib, very experienced and very kind person, Mr. Axel, the GM for his focus on the details and leadership of his team and Fauzan for his cool and care attention to our requests. We got a transfer to Baros island to pass the journey there and discover other beaches. This was my best holidays ever!!!

Everything was great except the very bad wi-fi

Peaceful for couple

Good hotel environment. Dinning room service manner could improve by not speaking local language upon walking from customer table. The gesture makes customers feel uncomfortable as if we did something wrong.

beautiful maldives

the island is obviously beautiful but everywhere in the maldives is... Amazing points - Water and beaches are beautiful - hotel is expensive but not as a few other 5 stars hotels I've been in before in the madlives - short boat ride from Male to the island its about 20 mins - the beach villa that we stayed in was great because of we had a toddler so its a step out to the beach Negative points - Hotel staff look overly worked and tired and not always in the mood - hotel doesn't offer WIFI everywhere expect bar and rooms - No kids club or child care services - Only one restaurant and second option would be a bar close by - Island is too small so if you're going for more than 3 days not much to do - Food quality is average or less not fancy for a 5 stars hotel - No jetski activity

five stars

Great staff excellent chef weather is hot but tolerable.excellent care for gluten allergy.top caring staff

Great Stay

Great stay

superb stay

Superb 4 night stay, enjoyed a guided night snorkeling trip where we swam with black tip reef sharks. The house reef had two resident turtles we snorkeled with each day. Meals and beverages were very good. Customer service was excellent. We will return to the Banyan Tree.

Tip Top Service

Great beaches, wonderful snorkelling, beautiful resort. Sumptuous food, out of the world service. Absolutely perfect, if the price is within reach!

super helpful marine center team

I went boat diving with the Banyan Tree marine center, I loss my underwater camera in the 2nd dive when got into water. After 1 hour dive and surfaced at different location, the team helped to navigate on the sea where I jumped into water. It was really a miracle they were able to find my camera floating on the sea! I truly believe this is an unforgettable experience and my heartfelt appreciation to Ali and his team.

Great location and friendly service staff

Great coral reef surrounding the island and great for snorkeling. Hotel staff are friendly and offer excellent services which make it a wonderful holiday for our family.

Great beach resort.

It is a great hotel with a wonderful beach. The service was superb and the food was excellent. The staff was very attentive and friendly and they really make the guests feel at home at the resort. It is a great holiday experience and a memorable one for our family.

A really surprising bad stay

Do not expect to get anything you are paying for. You will be disappointed the moment you sit in the main lobby after their traditional before and after picture. We did the before, but we skipped the after, because we left the hotel one day prior to our original departure date. When we reached the room, we were amazed by the small size of the accommodation. The finishing are what to expect from a 3* hotel. You are overwhelmed by this persistent humidity smell, ok you re in a tropical country, but we have been to other resorts, in Maldives, and it didnt happen there. On the back side, you have a tiny pool, half the sized of the one described on the website room floor plan, and on the front, the deck on which you imagine to have a perfect nap over water (like on floor plan again), is really short. And when you reach the tip, just look right, then left, and you ll see your beautiful neighbors enjoying the sun. You can even hear their discussion. So if you are about intimacy, forget about it, and we are only talking beach side, wait to check your intimacy in the outside bathroom.Regarding the food, its the same option on daily basis, y you have the "maldivian buffet" which is pretty much what you ll eat every day. Its a typical again 3* hotel buffet, if not worse. You will see at the end of the meal, employees using the buffet after you, no pblm with that, but, whether direction is really generous with their team, or you re food is just not that 5* food. & there is plenty more..

V friendly hotel staff, nice Villa, average food

The good side first. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Plenty of activity to choose from. We had sandbank wedding ceremony there, the dinner was very delicios with local lobster and fish. The hotel staff made us feel that they treasured as much as we did. Villa was spacious, with full range of utilities and supplies (love their extensive choice of tea). The bad (or not so good) side. This resort seemed to be one of the a Mainland Chinese favourite in the Maldives, so breakfast and lunch buffet served were not what we had expected. E.g., no salad during breakfast, soggy pre-made pasta were served at pasta station during lunch (where the chef just stand there). We stayed at Angsana Ihuru, which is a sister hotel, and their breakfast choice was much better and up to "international" level. Set dinner at the evening, though, was suprisingly tasty.

Best property you will ever be in

Best property on earth, it is peace of heaven in there. Staff were the most professional and friendlier especially , Ziad, Abdullah, Nadeem , Waheed & Khalil, these are the names that I can recall now, most of the staff has been there for minimum of 7 years , so you can imagine how professional they are. We had an amazing time in there, relaxing environment, lovely weather and sea, and don’t forget the lemon ginger ice tea yummy yummy... I would really recommend this property to whoever is looking for the best experience of their life. Thank you so much Banyan Tree vabbinfaru management & staff for the great hospitality and professionalism of doing the work beyond what is expected, way to go and keep it up Regards, Alaa

Ideal Island for private honeymoon

We lived in villa #41. It's very private. As we came for honeymoon, we were extremely pleased with privateness and loneliness of the villa. Island is small, and we met neighbours only during dining. Happy with that as well. Me and my wife will remember this nice island hotel as our best memories!

Beautiful place, very good hotel, excellent staff.

Banyan tree maldives

The setting is absolutely beautiful. The snorkeling amazing. The hotel is getting old, but I would recommend it due to the reef surrounding the island. If one does not like snorkeling, go somewhere else.The food is very ordinary. This was my second visit and but would go again for the surroundings.

Détritus sur la plage Fourmies dans les chambres Service bas de gamme

Amazing experience

Price is

Purtroppo le informazioni non c’erano in italiano

Very good resort Staff are very nice They made our stay wonderful Will be back for sure

Les villas sont très belles ainsi que l’environnement qui est parfaitement entretenu. Le personnel est très réactif. Le rapport qualité-prix est très bon.

C’était parfait comme d’habitude. On va revenir pour la quatrième fois très prochainement. Un grand remerciement à Monsieur Habib qui nous a traité avec beaucoup de soins, très très appréciés.

einfach nur paradiesisch

wir waren 11 Nächte an diesem wunderschönen Ort und können das Hotel wärmstens empfehlen: + komplette Barfussinsel + Essen ist hervorragend + viele Fische / wunderschönes Riff direkt auf der Nachbarinsel mit kostenlosem Transfer + Service / die meisten Mitarbeiter sind schon viele, viele Jahre dort und ein top eingespieltes Team + wunderschöner Stil der Villen, natürlich gehalten Um noch ein Level höher zu erreichen hier noch kleine Mini-Details zum Verbessern: - beim Roomservice fehlte bei 6 von 9 Bestellungen immer irgendetwas - beim Frühstück muss man gewisse Sachen selber holen, wie Wasser (könnten auch ohne Problem die Angestellten, anstatt rumzustehen) - Smoothies werden am Frühstück nur auf Verlangen und Extrakosten serviert (12 Dollar pro Smoothie) - Allgemein ist das Essen eher teuer

Paraíso

Existe um paraíso na terra chamado Banyan Tree nas Maldivas! Viajo há muitos anos pelo mundo e conheço muito dos melhores hotéis , mas,o Banyan Tree das Maldivas fica para sempre no meu coração!!Desde a chegado ao aeroporto , viagem de barco até ao hotel e a calorosa recepção na chegada ao hotel , foi tudo perfeito !! Na chegada a minha vila fiquei simplesmente apaixonada !! Quarto lindo ,cama , almofadas do maior conforto ! Casa de banho excelente aberta com vista e acesso direto à piscina e jaccuzi , onde disfrutei com a maior energia !! Paisagem do quarto paradisíaca onde conseguia ver o mar turquesa contrastando com areia fina e branca !Restaurante com pequeno almoço muito bom e jantar a la carte com comida e variedade fabulosa !!!Spa muito agradável , bar com vista sobre o mar !!! Muito mais poderia escrever de tudo tão maravilhoso que foi !! Recomendo o Banyan Tree a todos que desejem passar o melhor momento e inesquecível da vida !! AMEI

It was such a great trip. 5-stars Beach Resort with a Full-service Spa. Walk to Vabbininfaru Beach. Beautiful coral island brags ample white-sand shores, a colourful reef teeming with marine life. Staffs, Foods*, Activities,Villages, Everything was perfect. <*For Morning, lunch and dinner, there’s a choice of local and international cuisines. 4~6 times a week? In the evening, the set menu consists of a choice of four courses.> Especially we really recommend that you should do scuba diving you can watch many fishes, sharks & turtles! Enjoy! We will be back in next year : ) From Japan Kenta & Sakiyo Thank you so much

Beautiful island

島がおおきすぎず、遠浅の砂浜が広く、なによりturtleがスノーケリングで何度もみれました。きょねんにつづき2度目の滞在でした

ベットルームは冷房が効くがシャワーとトイレと洗面なあるエリアはオープンエアなので暑い。 虫除け対策しないと蚊が入ってきて刺された。 バスタブはないが庭にプールとジャグジーあるので充分。 ルームサービスの方に言えば水やタオルを多目にもらえたし、掃除も早い時間に済ませてくれるので助かった。 食事は1箇所のレストランでビュッフェかコースか行ってみてわかる。 いろんな味が楽しめたし静かで良かった。 サンゴの近くには魚がいたが特に桟橋付近にいろんな魚が見られて楽しめた。 ただ雨季の為か毎日風が強く波に流されてその場に留まるのが難しかった。 隣の島のアンサナイフルに行けるのは良かったと思う。

Location eccezionale, servizio di alto livello. Mix perfetto per un viaggio di assoluto relax.

Très bon hôtel

Quatre jours superbes à Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. Proche de l’aéroport et très calme. Très bel hôtel avec une belle disposition des chambres face à la mer. On a l’impression d’etre les seuls clients de l’hotel. Je recommande vivement.

Un coin de paradis

7 jours en all inclusive avec une villa sur la plage... vraiment top au niveau du service et de la beauté des lieux et des infrastructures Petits bémols... manque d’intimite des wc dans la sdb ouverte sur la piscine/jacuzzi et trop de jeunes enfants à notre goût quand le site dit ne pas accepter des enfants de moins de 12 ans Pour le reste c’est beau, magique et on a envie d’y revenir !

Good everything was great will highly recommend for an excellent holiday

paradis

le paradis existe, des poissons une plage magnifique

Séjour paradisiaque

Notre séjour fut parfait : une chambre magique, un personnel acceuillant et très agréable, une plage de rêve, des activités fort sympathiques. Un petit plus : l'accès aux restaurants de l'ile voisine pour changer un peu...

楽しい滞在でした。

ダイビングとシュノーケルを目的にこのリゾートを選びました。ドロップオフまでは少し遠かったですが、サンゴの養殖により少しずつサンゴも回復してきており、魚影はかなり濃くて楽しかったです。マダラトビエイやウミガメ、ブラックチップシャークなどの大物もダイビングのみならずシュノーケルでも見ることができました。隣のアンサナにも無料で送迎してくれますが、アンサナはドロップオフが近く、中華料理もおいしかったです。