01 July 2023

This resort DESERVES its own blog and it’s definitely one for the families! The Hard Rock staff made our transfer to the resort easy, meeting us in arrivals and grabbing our luggage and ushering us through the airport to the dock where we waited for our speedboat for about 15 minutes. Once on board and we were offered cold towels and water as we zipped into the resort in about 20 minutes to the 5-star Hard Rock resort. We were warmly welcomed by staff on the jetty waving and then taken by buggy to the reception area. While waiting for the husband to handle check-in, me and my daughter, Mackenzie walked around the open deck, sipped our welcome juices and checked out the Hard Rock Boutique – where they gave us all free flipflops made out of sustainable materials (still using them now!). Next, we hopped back on to buggy to be taken to our Gold Beach Villa, which was bright and colourful and super spacious for the 3 of us. It featured a King bed and a roomy sofa bed for our daughter. The villa led straight out to the beach and we had a beautiful view in a lagoon. Separated from other villas bushes gave us some privacy and our section of the beach was only shared between about 8 villas and was empty most of the time. The room includes the standard amenities with a few extras – Rock star style. They brought an amazing Fender electric guitar and amp for my 4-year-old (yes, I had a mini heart attack) but she enjoyed strumming and acting like a miniature Jon Bon Jovi. The room had an awesome sound system and the bathroom was larger than expected with a free-standing tub, walk-in shower and an island double vanity that divided the room making it easy for all the family to get ready. Within a 5-minute walk, we could reach the pool and lagoon beach. The pool is HUGE and has the fantastic feature of a shallow area (about 1 foot deep) allowing me to sit on my sunbed, cocktail in hand while my little one could play safely and splash around. There is a fantastic spiral slide at one side of the pool (adults loved it too!) and a swim-up bar at the opposite end. To the side of the pool was the main lagoon beach with comfy beds and clear water which meant it was easy to transition from poolside to beachside throughout the day. The Roxity Kids Club is possibly the best kids club I’ve ever seen. The club itself is large with an outdoor area with a Montessori-style wooden playground and interactive stations for the kids to enjoy. It also has several “pods” such as a theatre where the kids could be performers as well as a music room filled with full-size instruments such as drums and keyboards – great for little rock stars. Their activities rotate throughout the day and the list is massive! Cooking, pool games, martial arts, wizard masterclass, Zumba, visiting the Marine Centre and so much more. Mackenzie loved it all! Every day she presented me with new crafts and silly stories of what she had got up to. They also have a teens club with activities suiting an older crowd including aerial gymnastics & martial arts – all delivered by world-class athletes. There is also free classes every day where you can go try out and learn something new. This was a great addition to the activities and provided us with a good giggle while we tried out the aerial hoop and trapeze – a once-in-a-lifetime moment! The main buffet restaurant had a wide range of offerings and was super tasty! It is situated on the beach with indoor and outdoor seating. Each night there was different entertainment such as singers, performers and bands, and on one evening the beach was decorated which is great for the kids to investigate. We dined at Mr Tom Yams, the Hard Rock Café & also Miss Olive Oyl and they were all beautifully designed and offered fantastic food! The “Stand Outs”… - Hard Rock is built for families and a fun time, from the décor to the activities offered. A great resort for kids of all ages - Due to the location of the island getting there is an absolute dream. Perfect if you have young kids and want to get to the resort quickly - The kid’s activities are vast and outstanding – it honestly blew my mind! No bored kids here… - The number and mix of restaurants keep the dining and atmosphere varied and the quality of food is perfection - Amenities for toddlers & babies are amazing – the resort offers stairgates, baby monitors, sterilizers, pack & plays which I thought was amazing. They also have nappies, wipes, kids' body washes and all those little things that we may forget but are so essential! All available on request - There are also rooms & studios available as well as villas which offer a more affordable option - The staff are just so lovely – they are interactive with the kids, welcoming and more than happy to help - The island is large enough to feel spacious and private when in your room but small enough to walk around meaning if we were staying on our island we didn’t need to use a buggy unless visiting the SAii or the Crossroads area The “Not-So-Good”… - The Hard Rock is on a man-made island so there is little coral attracting sea life. We did snorkel and see some fish but if underwater marine life is your thing, you will be disappointed. Not one for the divers - Due to the island not being naturally occurring some areas of the beach were rocky and not that pristine white sand/blue water experience you would expect from the Maldives. However, the main lagoon area by the pool was perfect What you need to know… Situated in the North Male Atoll, The Hard Rock is situated on one of three man-made islands (yep that’s a thing!) joined by a wooden walkway. Connected to the SAii Lagoon resort (of which Hard Rock guests can use the facilities) and a beautiful marina called Crossroads which features a selection of varying restaurants from their signature Hard Rock café to Miss Olive Oyl (highly recommend for breakfast) as well as the Marine Discovery Centre or the Maldives Discovery Centre for learning a little more about Maldivian life. Hard Rock guests can dine at all restaurants in the Saii Lagoon resort & Crossroads to mean that you can eat somewhere different for each meal. (half board, full board or all-inclusive basis are available alongside B&B). This is also where the dive centre is located as well as a variety of boutiques and also a minimart for snacks and all those forgotten essentials.