Canopus Retreat Thulusdhoo

WARNING – DO NOT BOOK WITH CANOPUS! We had been looking forward to our stay at Canopus Hotel for six months, when we finally got there after travelling halfway round the world. We saved money for a long time to come to Thulusdhoo, and we had an ongoing dialog with the manager of the hotel all the way through – everything seemed fine, but we did NOT receive any information about what we`d soon come to experience. We arrived in February 2024 for a 15 day stay, and we were asked to pay the full bill before check in – we found that a bit strange but agreed since we were tired after a 24 hour trip to get there. Everything seemed fine when we were doing the payments but trouble started soon after – no wonder why they wanted all our money up front. We crawled our way over about 100 cats (and their inevitable smells and legacies) to get to our room in order to get a sought after shower and a much-needed rest. It was very disappointing to find a room in a condition far worse than what we expected from the information we were given, and what we think is fair to expect from what we paid – but again – we can manage to enjoy our rest and recuperation time in the Maldives in a not so good ( to say the least) room but as the holiday went on it became unbearable. As soon as we laid down on the bed for a stretch before lunch, they started to do some building work next door that sounded more like demolition – it was crazy and this went on throughout our stay. It was basically impossible to be in our room between 0700am and 630pm. We measured the noise to nearly 130db. We came to understand that the building they were building next door (a ten story concrete block) was done by the owners of Canopus. After shaking off the first shock we went to the beachfront restaurant, just to get the next sad disappointment. We didn’t even get the menus in our hands before eyebrows were raised – bulldozers and big diggers rolled back and forth on the beach moving big rocks and building a seawall. It was not possible to go for a swim out front and it was a noise so bad that we just left our table. The fact that the managers of the hotel, that we had been in running dialog with for six (6) months, did not ever mention ANY of this. What a disgrace! If you for some reason end up going here, bear in mind that: 1. This is a construction site. 2. The management under-communicates and twists the truth. 3. The other guests I was talking to shared my concerns. I was very kind in my complaints towards the staff, but I was not met with the kindness and understanding one would expect from a hotel. I could go on and on but it would be superfluous. The treatment we got and the facilities we “lived” in for 15 days was a degrading experience, and you should avoid this place at any kost. The place has dangerous noise, possible falling objects and bulldozers driving in-between tables and sunbeds. The fact that we did not get ANY information about the place being a con

Lovely quiet hotel right on the beach, friendly staff and good food for the area. Clean rooms, air conditioning and drinking water available. I stayed at this hotel at the end of May/beginning of June. I chose the hotel from the pictures and did not know what awaits me, but it was nice to see that the reality is beautiful, just like the photo. Cats are loved here - there are a lot of them everywhere in the common area. the hotel has an all-inclusive option, you can also order from the menu. For an island, the food is good. if you expect a rich variety of food and alcohol, then no. if you are going to surf at the best surf spot in the maldives, this is a great choice.

Nice and confy rooms, good decoration and location, but...There is a surprinsingly large comunity of cats in the hotel, roaming at the restaurant, on the couches, counter tops and so on. All these cats pee... so a stinky cat urine smell is the hotel scent specialy and sadly very present at the restaurant and reception area.

Lovely large room with balcony overlooking the beach. Delicious healthy food. Breakfast great. Staff organised pick up /back to Male. Local ferry worth checking out instead of motor boat. A lot of cats at the hotel if you like cats. Great place for surfers.

We absolutely loved the hotel and the people that worked there. They have a wonderful restaurant and it looks very nice both inside and outside. I would fully recommend everyone that wants to visit Thulusdhoo this hotel!

Bad water, not the greatest bathroom, no WiFi , kind short tempered staff, noisy water pump all night Otherwise great food , very good location

My review is about ocean view room and not about the hotel personnel who were good. Hotel staff tried to do their best solving my multiple problems. Ocean view was great! However room and hotel needs a lot of improvements: 1) showerhead needs replacement. Water was barely running through it and it was very hard to take the shower. Staff tried to clean it but It didnt help. So we had to remove showerhead to be able to take a shower. 2) showerhead is fixed at the ceiling and this makes it very hard to wash your body if you want your hair to stay dry. It would be much better if there was a second showerhead with a hand grip. 3) there were no shelves in the shower. So we had to either keep shampoo and conditioner at the floor or keep it at the sink far from the shower. 4) part of the sink dissolved because of salty water and looked bad. It needs replacement as well. 5) towels and bed sheets were yellowish with some stains. Looked dirty. Also per hotel policy they change them once in 3 days. However new towels and sheets were pretty much the same. 6) there were some bugs and insects in the room. One day we woke up in the morning and found a lot of red dots from bug bites on the body. I believe that were bed bugs. We changed the room and new room did not have bed bugs but we were already scared and inspected the bed every night for new bugs / insects. Sometimes actually found them. 7) Mattress is very firm and uncomfortable. 8) Breakfast is the same everyday and consists of eggs, toasts, pancake, cake and some fruits. After couple of days it gets very boring. Also fruits did not look like they were freshly cut. 9) There were a lot of cats at the hotel, not in the rooms but downstairs at the cafe and near the beach. Sometimes those cats might be annoying. Especially if you have an allergy. 10) There were a lot of mosquitos and other insects at the cafe and outside of the hotel. Must have antimosquetos spray. 11) Ocean in front of the hotel has lots of rocks and corals. Very hard to enter and exit the water without coral shoes. We ended up going into bikini beach despite having hotel chairs at Canopus. 12) No TV in the room despite advertising it. 13) If you pay by credit card they will charge you extra 3.5% commission. Overall I think price of the hotel does not match quality of rooms that you get. If you want a good hotel stay at Samura or Methouse. If you want to save some money stay at Batuta ocean view or any other place. Also please note that my review does not refer to hotel staff who were great and helped us a lot!

We stayed at Canopus retreat and it was absolutely wonderful. When you see the pictures of a tropical island resort, they do not come near enough to describing the beauty. Canopus is amazing. Our room was like a tree house, with a large tropical tree which provided shade and privacy. All the conveniences were there air con etc.. The room was large and the bed very comfortable. The lagoon is about 30 meters from the door. The real treasure here are the people. It’s a “locals” island, so if you stay here, your will be lucky to meet the local people. The staff at Canopus were just brilliant! Giovanni and Barbara are people who know everybody, and can get things organised and help you. Their staff are brilliant too. I cannot recommend this retreat enough. We can’t wait to go back!!

I am fortunate to have found Canopus last minute and was so relieved that this was actually my hotel when I checked in! It is beautiful! By far the best guesthouse on the island, with a stunning beach and views of cokes and chickens. The entrance with the board racks, chill area with books and other small touches, cats sleeping in the shade, make it feel like home. The outside area has a beautiful hammock, beanbags, and loungers so that once you finish your morning surf or snorkel and have eaten a delicious lunch (their restaurant is excellent and good value for money!) you can have a siesta under the trees and watch the world go by. The owners, Giovanni and Barbara, both came to meet me at Malé as they didn’t want me to travel alone on the ferry. Both are such lovely people, kind and caring, and they work hard. Being alone whilst traveling makes you more observant of the daily workings of accommodation, and I saw how well they treated their staff, always present in the front reception, busy in the kitchen, or generally being friendly and helpful to their guests. In the evenings, they always make an effort to dress nicely, to be there and chat to guests over dinner and connect with each person individually. They feel like a long lost uncle and aunt. I wish that my Italian was better so that I could hear their life story and learn how they came to be in the Maldives running this beautiful guesthouse. The staff are all lovely, polite people and special mention must go to Zia, Babu and Joy, but there are others whose names I did not get who were equally friendly and always ready to help (the room service man.. I didn’t get your name sorry! ) and the kitchen staff who make superb pizzas, poke, salads, and curries as well as Maldivian specialities. Oh amd the brownies!! Beware.. once you have had one you will be addicted! They are delicious! The room was perfect, mine was a basic room so no view - but I was only there to sleep as we have paradise outside! AC worked great, simple but beautiful room design, and perfect bathroom. Snorkelling gear is free, and there is a surf shop down the road if you need to rent boards etc. All in all, very grateful to have stayed there amd already planning my next visit, as I am sure many guests are. A true home away from home.