OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli

It was a wonderful experience staying at the oblu helegeli ; the staff and the entire management has been very accommodating and ready to help . The hospitality is great with always smiling faces . Thanks a lot for the lovely experience . Thanks Lisa , Madhu , Ajay , Huzefa , Vikas , Nihaan Stay blessed and keep smiling . Imran Chauhan

This was my second time in the Maldives this year, and my girlfriend's first time there ever. Helengeli is smaller than other islands/resorts at which I've stayed, but it was just big enough to feel private and secluded. Of course, the fact that they are operating at only about 30% capacity also makes a difference. The staff was reliably friendly and helpful. Amazingly, everyone seemed keyed in on our plans, activities and needs, even though there is no "butler" there to take care of all that. Instead, they seem to rely on their app and a well-attuned staff that must check what's going on for each guest with regularity. The weather wasn't perfect, but the house reef did provide excellent, if somewhat difficult, snorkeling opportunities. The current can be quite strong. The rooms were of a decent size, though not nearly as big as the ones I was just in at Ayada Maldives. They were generally in good shape, though there was some wear and tear (tiles off on our pool, umbrella that was broken, etc. The room was kept clean and stocked at all times by a great housekeeping staff. What I did find a bit off-putting were the regular reminders about the prices for things that weren't part of the all-inclusive package. I understand that some guests may be surprised to find that there are things that aren't included and may need those reminders, but when a guest makes it clear that he knows and doesn't care, then the resort should just quietly add in those extra expenses with a planned sign-off at the end of the trip. I'm not sure why sandwiches at Helen's aren't included in the meal plan, but I was ok with spending a few dollars on them when we missed lunch in the main dining room one day. Also, I saw a difference in the personal relationships between the staff and guests from this all-inclusive compared with an island which wasn't. On my prior stay, some of the waitstaff really got to know our likes/dislikes and needs. Those people regularly got tips when I signed for meals and at the end (in cash). On Helengeli, it was much more of a group effort, which meant we didn't really make a strong connection with anyone (Ibee was very good, though even there, he might have taken our order at a meal, and then others served us). Not a real complaint, just something we noticed. The food was consistently good and plentiful, though everything was a la carte during COVID. Presentation was always top notch. We highly recommend the Asian Special on any of the menus at lunch or dinner. That was typically the most tasty choice. We also got to make our own once, with the cooking experience with chef Nimal. The dive shop staff were particularly friendly, helpful and understanding.

Beautiful island with excellent reef. The staff very friendly.Barmen are very nice, make delicious coctails, specially teckila boom))) Will definitely return once again.Best place for snorkeling and diving.