Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives

Excellent location, great food, absolutely terrific staff. I can't emphasize enough how important was the staff friendliness and effort for my stay. The dive center was super, they are true pros and the added benefit of having TWO divemasters only for you as it happend to me twice cannot be overstated ! In general, not many divers come to the property while they have world class dive operation.

Everything was just amazing.

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.