Please read this important message: You should avoid staying at this property to prevent being robbed.
Firstly, the environment is very noisy. Some of the rooms face a busy main road, resulting in noise from cars and motorcycles until 3 AM. Additionally, there is ongoing construction in the front. Another set of rooms face the opposite side, where another construction project starts around 7 in the morning.
I initially stayed in a room facing the main road for one night. However, I extended my stay for an additional night and requested to move to a room facing the opposite side due to the excessive noise. I moved to the new room at around 2 PM and handed over the keys to the staff, who assisted me with moving my luggage. Later, at around 10 PM, I went out for a walk and was approached by the receptionist who claimed that the TV in the first room was broken and demanded payment for it. I explained that I never used the TV and did not break it. Despite my denial, the receptionist insisted that I was responsible and informed me that I would have to speak to the manager the next day.
The following day, during check-out, I was waiting for my change when the property owner appeared. He accused me of breaking the TV and insisted that we resolve the matter. I reiterated that I never used the TV and that no one had mentioned it being broken when I moved rooms. However, he rudely interrupted me and stated that I would not be allowed to leave until I paid. I had a scheduled boat trip departing in 20 minutes, so I attempted to leave. However, they forcibly prevented me from leaving and threatened to involve the police.
The police arrived within 15 minutes, and we all went to inspect the TV together. It turned out that the LCD screen had internal damage that was not visible from the outside. The damage could only be noticed by turning on the TV. Despite this evidence, the owner still insisted that I pay him $350, claiming that it was my responsibility to thoroughly check and ensure everything in the room was in good working condition. It seemed that they would have tried to charge me for any broken item, even a kettle.
After conducting their routine checks, the police finally allowed me to leave after 2 hours without requesting any payment. Unfortunately, I missed my trip to the next destination, a resort, as the speed boat had already departed.
The owner's behavior was extremely rude, and when he realized he couldn't obtain any money from me, he instructed his staff to send copies of my passport, credit card information, and a letter accusing me of damaging the TV to various online travel agencies, the Tourism Ministry, and even my next destination.
This was the first time I experienced such a situation. Fortunately, being familiar with the Maldives, I was able to contact my friends for assistance, involve the police, and quickly resolve the issue. I can only imagine the trouble one would face if they were alone in a foreign country, especially if they didn't speak English well.
I strongly advise against staying at this place. Otherwise, you may find yourself threatened by the staff and the rude owner, who will attempt to rob you. Furthermore, they may expose your personal information publicly if they wish to do so.
