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TRIPADVISOR - MAXIM - 6 Jan 2019 - - - Great Service and Awesome for kids - - - We returned last week from Zilwa and my family can’t wait to go back. There are many pictures on the web showing the entrance to Zilwa - the true life experience is even better. The Zilwa approach to reception was the best we have experienced of any hotel, irrespective of the star-rating. Before the visit, we had some concern about the beach and reports of sharp coral. Initially when we arrived, we didn’t think there was cause for alarm, but shortly realized that water shoes are indeed safer. The flip side of this is that the very coral that affects the beach comes from a big coral reef that has created a large protected bay. This is great for beginners learning watersports, as the water is quite shallow. The more advanced can venture further out. The kids club has hourly structured activities, even allowing parents to have a quiet dinner if you arrange in advance. The buffet is extensive, catering for most tastes, but the on-site speciality restaurants provide extra variety. Advance booking is essential for speciality restaurants. We met several competent F&B staff, but Bhundhun and Arvind stand out consistently. NB: if you need to go out for a tour, there are many operators that come to the hotel, but maybe check out Basing Hill Tours just outside the Zilwa gates. Simla and Rakesh provide a very personal touch. (https://tinyurl.com/yb3as2ml)
The staff put service at the top of their list, but more importantly, for us at least, created a personal connection with each of the family members. Thanks Tessa for making this special for us. Thanks Eka for keeping the room spotless during our stay. Special thanks to Vanessa, Melissa and Waliza. In terms of entertainment, there are times when Zilwa punches above its category. Carla and Jeffrey are always encouraging people to get active and involved. However, arranging for Father Christmas to arrive in a sea-plane and bring presents to the kids on the beach is going to be hard for any other resort to beat - my kids will never forget this. Beyond the facilities which we found to be mostly super clean, there are a number of people that went beyond their role to create a special connection. Thanks to Vinay, Satyam, Vanee, Sheila, Soodhana, Arnaud, Alison and Yannick. Sincere thanks to Arvind for recognizing us while off-duty at a bus-stop far from the resort and helping us get into the right bus - this was far beyond our expectation from Zilwa staff.
The rooms look a lot better in person than the pictures posted and are very functional.