Reviews of Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives 5 stars
South Ari Atoll, 20209 Machchafushi, Maldives
#2 of 2 hotels in Machchafushi
Guests' ChoiceReview score
Based on 6 hotel reviews
Score breakdown
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Cleanliness
9.8
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Comfort
9.6
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Location
9.5
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Facilities
9.6
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Staff
9.7
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Value for money
9.2
Showing 1 – 6
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Reviewed: 11 June 2025
Klaudia
Australia4 reviews1 helpful voteSuperbCan't find anything.
Everything was just amazing.
Stayed in June 2025
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Reviewed: 7 April 2025
Vesselin
Bulgaria11 reviews6 helpful votes“A great place with some issues.”The first villa we got was great, except that it was right next to the facility they were burning the garbage. We didn't realise it the first 3 days, probably the wind was favorable. But on the fourth day we woke 2am to an extremely bad smell, combination of waste dump, plastic burning and gasoline smells. And here comes the staff to the resque, the moment we asked they moved us to another villa without the problem. However villas from 119 up to 126 were probably affected. Another issue with the general area, the coral above 5m is all but dead, there was severe bleaching. I'm a diver and to see really healthy coral you need to either move to the other side of the atoll or dive below 8m.
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.
Stayed in April 2025
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Reviewed: 26 September 2024
Khaled
Saudi Arabia90 reviews14 helpful votes“Waoderful place”Lovely place, helpful staff, wonderful views and crystal water
Stayed in September 2024
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Reviewed: 17 June 2025
Veronika
Slovakia35 reviews24 helpful votesDisappointingWe 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.
Stayed in June 2025
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Reviewed: 11 February 2024
Jeanette
United Kingdom59 reviews4 helpful votesExceptionalThere are no comments available for this review
Stayed in February 2024
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