THE FACTS ABOUT FOUR SEASONS RESORT MALDIVES KUDA HURAA

Maldives

The common criticism of Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is that its rooms bear little relation to those in the five-star group's other hotels. The cheapest lack the square footage of the Balinese resorts, the decor is tired, and the bathrooms don't have the usual expanse of marble. Yet this Maldives stalwart remains a favourite for the simple reason that it is a hotel with a heart, namely the free-form infinity pool looking out towards the reef, where children can play safely in the gently shelving, shallow waters. There is good people-watching, too, without too much saccharine honeymoon action. Unusually for the Maldives, families mix with couples. Neither group swamps the other, and children are kept permanently occupied. Activities include table tennis, cooking classes, and guided reef snorkelling organised by the Kudamas Club, open from 8am to 6pm every day. Families with older children tend to eat at the buffet-style restaurant; couples and those whose younger children are in the care of babysitters (at a reasonable US$3 per child per hour) patronise the two à la carte restaurants. Accommodation also caters well to all parties: for families there are 12 beach bungalows, with pairs sharing a wooden deck and plunge pool; couples can retreat to the 38 water bungalows positioned off a long jetty at the more tranquil end of the island. What is conspicuous about the resort, without boasting the flashiest rooms in the Maldives, is its standard of service. Staff are professionally easy-going, clearly graduates of the Four Seasons' exacting training programmes. Resort activities are also plentiful, including an excellent, full-service watersports centre, diving facilities and the recently launched Four Seasons Explorer, the first five-star catamaran in the Maldives. The 22-berth vessel has sleek, all-white leather interiors and is proving quite a hit: when a well-known rock star couldn't get a bed at the hotel proper last Christmas, he took the boat instead. Other extracurricular diversions include The Island Spa, accessed by small dhoni launch from the main jetty, which has an experienced staff and five thatched-roof therapy rooms featuring oversized, sunken bathtubs big enough for two. The hotel is on the fringe of the resorts grouped around Malé, a 30-minute speedboat ride from the airport. On the arrivals side, sea traffic is busy; on the pool side, boats are rare. It is this sort of happy balance that makes Kuda Huraa the most down-to-earth of the five-star resorts. BEST FOR Couples and families wanting an unpretentious, beach-resort holiday. Room to Book For families, the Kuda Huraa Beach Villa, which has two bedrooms, a big living area and a private plunge pool. For honeymooners, the four Navaranna Water Villas, each 153 metres square, which have empty views of the Indian Ocean. BOOKING DETAILS 00 960 444 888; fax: 441 188; email: reservations.Maldives@fourseasons.com; www.fourseasons.com/Maldives. Doubles from US$350. The One-Week Package Beach bungalows from from £1,562 in low season, £1,998 in high season