LUX* South Ari Atoll

A genuinely incredible island. Beautifully and meticulously maintained. Lux manages to combine both a sense of privacy and intimacy, whilst also offering a wide variety of things to do: fantastic restaurants, activities, spa, water sports. But most impressive of all are the staff; their sense of warmth and happiness and by consequence the superb service that comes with it.

Amazing resort all around!!! We stayed here for our honeymoon for two full weeks. We stayed the middle two weeks of July and from my understanding that is rainy season/off peak season. Well, we lucked out because it only rained two of the fourteen days we were there. And given that it was off peak season, the resort wasn’t crowded and we had our pick at whatever beach chairs we wanted, whatever restaurant we wanted, and we had lot of face time with the staff and their undivided attention. I’ll start by saying we chose the all- inclusive option and ate at all of the restaurants/bars including those that weren’t fully all inclusive. We also participated in a few special dinners that were add-ons. Everything was amazing - the views, the rooms, the service, the food, and the staff. The views are absolutely stunning. Every morning we would see clear blue skies and every night we would see beautiful colorful sunsets. I took so many pictures of the sunsets. The water was so clear and there was so much sea life to see. Just while swimming off the shore of the Lagoon Bar, we saw a small shark, a manta, a sea turtle, and so many different fish. The rooms were spectacular. We stayed one week in the romantic beach pool villa and one week in the romantic pool water villa. The beach pool villa had so much space and was perfectly situated in the middle of the island with easy access to either side of the island. The water villa allowed us to have direct access to the ocean and was along the pier with access to two restaurants and a bar. The rooms were very clean and modern. The service was absolutely amazing. All of the staff went above and beyond to make sure we were having an unforgettable time on our honeymoon. They set up cute designs of coffee beans and sprinkles on our dinner tables to commemorate our honeymoon. They would bring us our favorite drinks to our pool chairs without us even asking. One staff member gave us a tour of the gardens and explained the different fruits and vegetables they were growing. The chefs were so hospitable and explained to us foods from around the world and made us different dishes to try out. One of the cleaning staff asked us if there was anything more he could do - truly a demonstration of willing to go above and beyond. All of the staff would say hello as we were walking back and forth on the island and were so friendly. By the end of our two-week stay, we had made friends with so many members of the staff. The food was absolutely incredible. We chose the all-inclusive option. While we’ve never stayed at an inclusive resort before and we have high expectations of food, we can say Lux far exceeded our expectations. The food was incredible. We ate at every restaurant and every bar, varying for lunch and dinner. All of the ingredients were fresh and there was so much flavor. My favorite restaurant was Senses and my favorite bar was Veli. We loved how all of the drinks were different at each bar/restaurant. The staff did an amazing job coordinating all of the various activities/events. Every few days there was bingo night or trivia night at Senses, which was so much fun. We won a dinner at a private table off to the side of East Market surrounded by the water. The staff also organized a Full Moon Dinner at the end of the island past Senses. This was absolutely my favorite night of the trip. The end of the island was set up with tables, lanterns in the sand, and lights and decorations. There was a musician singing and playing guitar throughout the night. There were maybe six or eight tables throughout the area - so it was very exclusive and private. We watched the ocean and the full moon as dinner was served to us and listened to the musician. The staff also organized a Maldivian night. It was so much fun! There was music and dancing and traditional Maldivian food. All of the guests got a Maldivian skirt to wear to the event. The last night of our stay, the staff had a seafood night at Mixe. It was fantastic. We got to pick out our fish we wanted to eat and watched them grill it. Everything was so fresh and delicious. We spent most of our days going from breakfast at either Mixe or East Market, to the beach at the Lagoon Bar or to the pool either at Veli or Senses, having lunch at either Veli, Senses, Beach Rouge, or Lagoon Bar, to walking around the island. It was very humid when we were there but it didn’t matter because it was truly an amazing resort all around. This was truly an unforgettable trip and honeymoon all because of Lux South Ari Atoll!

The stay at LUX South Ari Atoll was escape from reality that is much need. The island is just naturally beautiful with its turquoise water flowing to the deeper blue color that makes you forget the world around you. The differentiation factor at LUX is the staff. Their warmth and naturally friendly approach makes it feel home. If not done already, LUX must introduce some perks to ensure retaining such talent (e.g offering a family stay for expat workers so they can enjoy the beauty of the island with the family just as they make the tourists stay unforgettable). Some staff that I would like to thank for making the stay extra special are: • Rimaah, Zahir, Nasser, Rauan and Basil – staff working at the restaurants • Rushan – from the water activities • Naufal – from the reception • Shawkat – the buddy driver Still, LUX can work more on the WOW factor that resonates more with the vibes of the Maldives. For example, there is a Phone Home idea to call back home for free. With all the free calling apps today, I do not see the value of it. Also, there is a free coffee from the LUX coffee. While that seems nice, I would have loved a more Maldivian vibe, offering Sai Tea with gulha and keemia for example. The outdoor cinema and the library are some nice experiences. Overall, it is recommended that LUX revisits its WOW strategy embracing it with the Maldivians vibes as the nature of the Maldives is by itself astonishing. Also, when a pest control is scheduled, the residents needs to be notified. I was on the pool when suddenly the smoke and smell was all over the place and had to rush inside. Usually, the pest control is notified to the residents so residents stay inside for a while. This is from a Health & Safety perspective. Lastly, introducing an app for the place would make it easier to track buggies, check and book activities and share feedback for the specific stay . Overall, a highly recommended place. The room was well equipped, clean and spacious. As for the restaurants, they were all top notch with various different styles of food. Lovely attentive staff 😊

We stayed on our honeymoon. We were very comfortable because our resident butler was there to help us book activities and meals. Gatsby, Butler, was very kind to me. I'd love to see you again if I had the chance.

My wife and I went on our honeymoon. Some of the rice didn't taste good, but I think everyone has their own taste. Other than that, the service was great. I had a relaxing time with beautiful scenery. I want to go to play by all means if there is a timing again sometime