The Maldives is unlike any other destination.  The resort you choose will dictate the success of your entire holiday.  With other destinations, the hotel is simply a room for you to store your belongings and to sleep. You dine at outside restaurants and do activities around the destination. In the Maldives, the resort is not just the room but the entire holiday.  There are characteristics you can research yourself such as the resort style, villa design, resort restaurants and available activities. More importantly however, it is the unseen characteristics that you cannot find anywhere unless you have actually been to the resort, for example the resort atmosphere, food quality and service.  It is these unseen characteristics that really differentiate resorts.

How do you get access to this information then?  You could go directly to the resorts websites. This is their place to advertise after all.  I have people come to me and ask me why there is a price difference between one resort and another, when they both say they are luxury 5 star resorts. Over the last 21 years, we have travelled to the Maldives at least twice a year, staying at the resorts we have chosen to sell and visiting some we decide not to sell.  We only sell resorts that truly reflect the star level we have labelled them at and are priced accordingly. I am lucky enough to say that since starting Extraordinary Escapes, I have spent over 60 weeks in the Maldives.  Price difference can also come down to some resorts not including critical components in the pricing like transfers but unless you have been doing this every day, you may not realize they are not included.

You could research on Traveller Review sites.  What I say to anyone who ask me about relying on Traveller Reviews is that it is always good to see consistent comments about a resort however I advise people that any Traveller Review is an entirely subjective opinion written by one person.  You have no idea who this person is and what their pervious travel experience has been, what their likes and dislikes are. What one traveller can see as the ideal holiday experience can literally be another traveller’s nightmare.  For example, sending a family to a quiet resort with no family facilities, could lead to a bad review for this resort. When a couple visiting this same resort could write a review of a lifetime. While Traveller Reviews are not incorrect, they are simply subjective.

Recently there has been the Social Media boom and with this there has been the trend of the Digital Influencers visiting and promoting exotic destinations.  Can you rely on Digital Influencers and what they have to say? I believe their job title summarizes it.  They are digital influencers paid by the resorts to promote them via social media platforms and influence the public.  It is the modern-day version of the Travel Section of the Sunday Paper.  Every resort should be advertising of course.  People should recognize that Influencers are an advertisement for the resort.

As a lawyer in my younger years, I have trained my Extraordinary Escapes’ Consultants to base their advice to clients purely on facts.  We ask each individual client what they are looking for from their Maldives holiday and what is important to them.  I tell my Consultants, what I see as the perfect resort for me, is not the perfect resort for my sister and the same applies to each client. Its about having the knowledge and expertise to understand what each client is looking for and then matching them with the right resort or resorts.

It comes down to knowing the intricate details about each resort that you cannot find online. For example, for me on a Maldives holiday, if I am not snorkelling every day at least once a day, I would be disappointed.  I therefore need a resort with an outstanding house reef.  These are the things that you cannot know unless you have been to over 30 resorts and snorkeled at each resort to compare each house reef.  Resorts even ask us for information on other resorts when we visit them.  Knowing the Maldives surf season and the surf resorts, knowing the Manta Ray season and best location, knowing that every resort changes its rates on different dates which could mean thousands of dollars difference in price is all imperative information for our clients.

We work very hard to maintain our extensive knowledge of the Maldives and the luxury resorts.  We also endeavour to provide our clients with the same luxury service they will experience at the resort from the time they contact us at Extraordinary Escapes. Now with so many luxury resorts to choose from and so much information available, our goal is to provide our clients with all the facts they need and assist them in choosing the perfect resort for them.  From family resorts, to couples’ escapes.  From wellness retreats to active adventures.  There is a luxury resort in the Maldives for everyone and Extraordinary Escapes’ experts are there to curate the perfect Maldives luxury holiday for all of our clients.