Meliá Whale Lagoon Maldivas

Hotels
Barceló Hotels & Resorts
9.1 (19 reviews)
South Ari Atoll , Machchafushi , mv

Facilities

Health or beauty spa nearby
Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
Safety deposit box
Ironing service
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Stunning location
Friendly and attentive service
Cons:
Only stayed for 8 nights

Categories

Cleanliness
9.49
The staff cleaned the villa twice a day so everything was super clean.
Service
9.46
The staff was the best experience with personalized attention and excellent service.
Location
9
20 minutes from Male by seaplane with a clear view of the ocean and great access to marine life.
Room Quality
8.95
Facilities and water villas are modern and new, providing a comfortable stay.
Amenities
8.88
Excellent amenities with various activities available, though not specifically mentioned.
Value for Money
8.94
Enjoyed all-inclusive options with no unexpected charges.
Food and Beverage
8.99
Variety and quality of food received high praise, with special dietary needs accommodated.
Overall Experience
9.05
Unforgettable experience; guests expressed strong satisfaction and intent to return.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-06 11:33

Property Description

Luxurious Beachfront Accommodation
Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives offers a 5-star experience in Machchafushi with stunning sea views and top-notch amenities.

Unparalleled Facilities
Enjoy the outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and garden during your stay. Benefit from room service, a 24-hour front desk, and free WiFi throughout the property.

Comfortable and Modern Rooms
Relax in well-equipped rooms featuring a desk, flat-screen TV, air conditioning, and a private bathroom.

Book your stay at Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives for a truly unforgettable experience by the beach!

Important information:

Please share your flight details with the property at least 8 days before your arrival to secure your seat(s) for a transfer.
Any guests arriving in international flights after 16:00 will have to arrange their own accommodations for the first night with their own expenses and travel to the resort the next day, also note that guests departing on international flights earlier than 09:00 will have to depart the resort one day prior to reach the international airport on time.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 12:00 PM

Location

Guest Reviews

9.1
Based on 19 reviews
Cleanliness: 9.49
Service: 9.46
Location: 9
Room Quality: 8.95
Amenities: 8.88
Value for Money: 8.94
Food and Beverage: 8.99
Overall Experience: 9.05
A
ALINA couple ro
10
2026-03-04 via Nuitee
R
Richard family_with_children gb
9
Paradise island with amazing staff
Pros:

The food offering was excellent and the staff were all fantastic. Our water villa was lovely and the cleaning staff did a great job of servicing the room regularly.

Cons:

The equipment in the Teen club could be renewed and improved - mainly the pool cue and the table tennis equipment.
The wine offering was pretty poor and good be improved slightly for little extra cost. They could also offer some more wines by the glass (for a fee) rather than just have a by the bottle list.

2026-02-26 via Nuitee
S
Slonovschi couple ro
10
2026-02-25 via Nuitee
I
Isabella couple ae
9
2026-02-25 via Nuitee
M
Milena couple bg
10
Excwllent
Pros:

Everything was great, the staff, the food, the villa, perfect place for full relax.

2026-02-22 via Nuitee
D
Denis couple ru
9
Очень хороший отель
Pros:

Отличный отель, сравнительно новый и еще не успел "устать" - свежая мебель, сантехника, и тп. Отлично кормят, выбор большой и разнообразный. Раз в неделю день суши. Мы брали виллу на воде, она просторная, с балконом и спуском в воду, лежаками, ванной, большой кроватью. Виды - супер! Снорклинг советую только со стороны ресторанов, по другую сторону скучновато. Видели скатов и даже большую черепаху. Очень приветливый персонал. У нас было все включено (не премиум) - его вполне достаточно, в премиум входят только некотороые марки алкоголя + скидка в ресторане. Также нас бесплатно свозили на снорклинг и подарили 1 ужин в ресторане в рамках пакета. В аэропорту нас отправили в бизнес-лаунж от отеля. Лететь до острова от Мале примерно 35 минут, на лодке не добраться.

Cons:

Очень маленький и скудный спортзал - всего 1 гантельный ряд (до 20кг), турник и кардио зона (дорожки / велосипеды / груша). Виллы на воде (особенно рассветные) находятся рядом с местом взлета/посдаки самолетов, и это очень громко. Самолет может прилететь в 6 утра, либо раньше. Берите беруши. Показалось странным что в главном ресторане нет холодильной зоны - все десерты, йогурты и тп стоят в тепле. С вилл особенно не поснорклить - сильное течение и смотреть особенно нечего. Также у нас было раннее отправление и нам предложили завтрак в контейнерах с собой - положили только пару маленьких булочек и кусочки ананаса. Уборка так себе, но она два раза в день - берут количеством а не качеством, в целом ок.

2026-02-13 via Nuitee
J
John couple gb
10
2026-02-08 via Nuitee
S
Schauffert couple br
10
Estrutura e local paradisíacos com atendimento de excelência!
Pros:

Hotel maravilhoso com instalações incríveis e equipe muito proativa, simpática e bem treinada. Além da comida deliciosa do resort, o local é paradisíaco. Amei tudo e voltaria sempre se pudesse.

Cons:

Nada. Tudo impecável.

2026-01-23 via Nuitee
A
Amaro couple mz
10
2026-01-12 via Nuitee
H
Honorio couple mz
9
A paradise
Pros:

Verry beautiful

Cons:

They have to improve on the cocktails

2026-01-11 via Nuitee
L
Lisa couple at
10
2026-01-10 via Nuitee
S
Sergei couple ru
9
2026-01-08 via Nuitee
L
Leandra solo_traveller ch
10
2025-09-13 via Nuitee
S
Sergei family_with_children ru
8
2025-08-25 via Nuitee
S
Sen couple in
10
Wonderful experience of Maldives at Barcelo Whale Lagoon resort!
Pros:

This was our first trip to Maldives and our first stay at a Maldives atoll resort, and Barcelo Whale Lagoon was outstandingly amazingly great experience!! The resort is new so the facilities and water villas (we opted to stay at a Sunrise Water Villa) are modern and new. The staff cleaned the villa twice a day so everything was super clean.
Access to the resort is about 20 minutes from Male by seaplane (Trans Maldivian Airways).
We got a clear view of the ocean and the breaking waves and the crystal clear water from almost any part of the resort. We had requested a quiet location and for the duration of our stay, we woke up to the sound of lapping waves and the gentle waft of wind. It has been the most relaxing stay ever for us. In one week we saw black tipped reef sharks (mostly in the early morning), sting rays and so many fishes, from the water villa balcony, the walkway and while snorkeling.
The staff was the best experience so at the risk of writing a long review, we want to thank a few of the staff who made our stay an unforgettable and beautiful experience.
First our thanks to Borja and his team for creating a great resort experience and for being a wonderful host!
Marco and his excellent team of chefs kept us and all the other guests well fed and attended to all special dietary needs. Thank you!
Special thanks to Pavan who heads the hot kitchen for going over and above the required level of service to ensure our delight!
Hawwa and Naahil (Japanese speaker!) at the reception made us feel comfortable all through out the stay.
Charles and his team of kitchen staff and service staff who ensured a great stay including Nadheem (superb lobster bisque soup!), Maaidh, Nazeel, Rejin (Rejin Special cocktail!), Shiwani, Sita, Ristya and Balu, Ibrahim, Mithun, Suresh for taking great care of us at the Breeze bar and Sea Salt restaurant. The Mandara Bali spa with Fitri, Pande Sri, Kirana and Rani was amazing!
Thank you for the great memories! We will be back again!

Cons:

There are no negative points at all. My partner will share her views in Japanese below.
ネガティブなポイントは特にありません。このホテルに決めた、主なポイントを日本語でコメントします。
1, 施設が新しい
ホテル選びをしている際に、"設備が古い"といったfeedbackが目立った。Barceloは2023年にOpenしまだ新しい。部屋も含め気持ちよく滞在できた
2, All Inclusive
これもまた他ホテルのfeedbackを見ると、All Inclusiveを選択したにもかかわらず、追加料金を予想以上に支払う事になった的なコメントがよくある。Barcelo滞在中、All Inclusiveで食事も海のActivityも十分楽しめた。
3, 食事が美味しい
基本、buffe形式で食事はinternationalといった感じ。世界各国の観光客向けに、毎日バラエティーに富んだ食事を提供するのは難しいだろうが、食事が毎回楽しみだった。寿司の夜もあった。Staffもフレンドリーで会話をするのが楽しかった。
4, 水上飛行機でマレーから約30分
マレーから最初に水上飛行機が停まるのがBarcelo。Barceloに停泊した後、他リゾートに向け水上飛行機はまた飛び立つ。当日の天候次第だが、日によっては波が荒くかなり揺れる。マレーから近くて何よりだ。帰りもマレーまで直行だった。

2025-08-13 via Nuitee
F
francesco couple it
10
Non vorresti mai ripartire
Pros:

Resort incantevole. Puro relax e vero all inclusive che non e' scontato. A noi sono piaciute moltissimo le ville Sunset dalla numero 220 a 238 perche' nella parte con spiaggia e mare migliore ( da cartolina )e piu' vicine al reef.

Cons:

Aver fatto solo 8 notti .

2025-08-12 via Nuitee
S
Suleyman couple tr
10
2025-08-06 via Nuitee
M
Mark couple ru
10
Pros:

Прекрасный небольшой остров. Половину отпуска жили в пляжной вилле, половину в водной. Плюсы пляжной виллы - быстрый доступ на пляж и к спокойному океану, наличие качелей. Водная вилла - больше про приватность и уединение. Очень большая и стильная. Но купались с нее мало, тк сильное течение и осколки кораллов на дне.
Вкусная и качественная еда в ресторанах, приятный персонал. Илеальная чистота везде. Отдых оставил много положительных эмоций

Cons:

Нет такого

2025-07-09 via Nuitee
V
Veronika young couple sk
4
Disappointing
Pros:

We recently stayed at this resort, and while the setting is undeniably beautiful, the overall experience fell far short of what one would expect from a 5-star hotel — especially when it comes to the food and service.The biggest letdown was the quality and variety of food. The selection was extremely limited, comparable to a 4-star hotel at best. The meals lacked diversity and creativity, and were absolutely not worthy of the price or the 5-star category. There is no cold room in the buffet area, meaning everything is left out at warm temperatures — sauces melted, desserts soft, and salads lukewarm. To make matters worse, the food was often undercooked. We were served half-raw chicken and hard, undercooked potatoes, which is unacceptable at any standard, let alone in a luxury resort.The service in the buffet restaurant was incredibly slow and unprofessional. After finishing a meal, it could take up to 30 minutes before anyone would clear the dirty dishes from the table. The restaurant staff seemed overwhelmed and poorly trained.While the hotel staff in general was kind and polite, especially when we raised concerns about the food, it was clear that the issues are due to poor management, not the fault of the staff themselves. Their hands were tied, and unfortunately, no real solution was offered.Another major disappointment was the lack of a butler, which is something we consider a basic standard in 5-star resorts. The overall service was weak, more in line with a 4-star property in every aspect — from kitchen to restaurant service.Additional downsides: the resort has no bicycles, and only one buggy available for guest transport. While the island is small and we personally didn’t mind (as we stayed in a villa close to the restaurant and bar), this could be inconvenient for many guests. A true 5-star resort should be better equipped.

2025-06-17 via Nuitee
K
Klaudia young couple au
9
Superb
Pros:

Everything was just amazing.

Cons:

Can't find anything.

2025-06-11 via Nuitee