Soneva
Despite their sun-drenched status as a tourism destination for the past 50 years, the Maldives haven’t been on U.S. travelers’ vacation radar for that long. The archipelago nation has made up for that in the last decade or so with a near-constant stream of new eye-catching resorts and what may arguably be the world’s best hospitality. Every major hotel brand in the world has built a bungalow in the sand—or over the water. To date, more than 180 resorts dot the Maldives’ lush atolls.
Nearly every resort offers things like overwater villas, secluded beaches, and water-based activities, yet each private slice of paradise is as unique as a grain of sand. I’ve been to one-third of the country’s resorts, and for this list, I’ve highlighted properties for every kind of traveler, from the family-focused to the foodie, the romantic to the budding marine biologist. Here, in no particular order, are 15 of the best luxury resorts in the Maldives right now.
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Soneva Jani
Image Credit: Sandro Bruecklmeier
Award: Best for wellness
Soneva Jani is the kind of resort where you pinch yourself when you arrive and shed a tear when you leave. Sister property to the much-loved Soneva Fushi, Jani has 61 sprawling overwater villas (each with a private waterslide) jutting off a three-mile-long private island. Everything is on offer here from over a dozen world-class, health-focused restaurants, two free ice cream and charcuterie rooms, a legendary kids’ club and “your wish is our command” service from your Barefoot Guardian. All these things are good for the spirit, and its cutting-edge spa, Soneva Soul, is good for, well, everything else. The team here delivers an encyclopedia of sublime services, from Ayurvedic massages to 24k gold facials.
From $2,381
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The Nautilus
Image Credit: The Nautilus Award: Best for doing absolutely nothing
With no clocks and no schedules, this Baa Atoll oasis is the perfect place for couples to reconnect while doing as little or as much as they want. This laid-back property has just 26 bohemian-style villas, with beaded chandeliers, macramé wall art, and bright colors, curved around a small private island. The setting is ideal for morning strolls and romantic sunsets spent sipping champagne by the nautilus-shaped pool. Its “anything you want, day or night” ethos opens your vacation up to magical experiences like caviar and pancakes at midnight, private fireworks shows, or picnics at a castaway sandbank. The Nautilus’s overwater Solasta Spa also specializes in couples’ treatments, including a range of blissful three-hour Spa Journeys that target issues like stress or immunity.
From $2,320
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.Here
Image Credit: .Here Award: Best for multi-gen travel
.Here is the latest resort to open in the Maldives, and it’s one of its most extravagant. Split between two bite-sized islands, Nowhere and Somewhere, the sister resort to Finolhu, a Seaside Collection Resort has just nine multi-story villas, each with three to five bedrooms. These villas are so large that they span the entire width of the island; one side on the beach and the other on stilts above the cyan-colored sea. Each is designed by London-based Muza Lab, known for resorts like Greece’s One&Only Aesthesis, with bursts of brightly colored bedrooms, seashell artwork and the largest private pools in the country, featuring glass-bottom panels. Most meals are organized at one of the villa’s multiple dining tables or at its overwater restaurant, Safar, which crafts signature dishes from dozens of countries around the globe, including lobster thermidor from France and green curry from Thailand.
From $13,000, minimum three-night stay
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Gili Lankanfushi
Image Credit: Sakis Papadopoulos Award: Best for Robinson Crusoe vibes
A short speedboat ride from capital Malé makes Gili Lankanfushi one of the easiest resorts to reach in the country. Its no-fuss location after a long plane ride, plus its “no news, no shoes” policy, have made it a honeymooner go-to for decades. One of the pioneer resorts of barefoot luxury with sustainable practices, Gili’s 45 open-air, thatched-roof villas were built from repurposed materials and the island has long had a zero-plastic policy. But even Robinson Crusoe couldn’t dream up the world’s largest standalone overwater villa. This massive four-bedroom abode is 18,000 square feet (!) with a cinema, library, indoor gym, private spa, its own two-story waterslide, and a pool big enough for a backyard.
From $1,550
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Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Image Credit: Ralf Tooten Award: Best for foodies
When there are a whopping ten dining options on the island, it’s hard not to stuff yourself silly. Home to the first floating Zuma in the world, Japanese is arguably the Waldorf Astoria Maldives’ most popular cuisine. But the Ledge, by Michelin-star chef Dave Pynt, is a close second with brontosaurus-sized pieces of meat and other grilled classics. Down the beach, at Yasmeen, Levante dishes served in an elaborately designed Arabian village shine, while guests at Terra enjoy caviar amongst the treetops in hanging bamboo pods. And that’s not even half of the resort’s dining venues—they’ll even craft a sunken-sand dinner for you on the beach.
From $2,789
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The St. Regis Vommuli Resort
Image Credit: Ralf Tooten Award: Best for the points obsessed
A long-time favorite for Americans looking to cash in on those precious points, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli is a once-in-a-lifetime stay. This Marriott Bonvoy property lives up to the elegance and sophistication of the brand, with clean timber interiors, neutral tones and pops of sapphire. But things get a bit whimsical when it comes to the exteriors. Its 33 beach villas are designed to look like traditional Maldivian fishing huts, and its 44 overwater villas like manta rays. Its splurge-worthy Iridium Spa resembles a crustacean with overwater treatment rooms acting as claws. And its famous Whale Bar, shaped like, you guessed it, a whale shark, serves the resort’s signature Bloody Mary and a daily sunset Champagne sabering.
From $1,420
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Kudadoo Maldives
Image Credit: Kudadoo Maldives Award: Best for couples
Bet you money you won’t see another soul during a stay at Kudadoo Maldives. This tiny, 15-overwater villa resort brings the all-inclusive concept to new heights with its motto: Anything, Anywhere, Anytime. A butler will attend to you and your significant other’s every need, from sunset cocktails on its private, deserted Dream Island to a marathon of sublime spa treatments to jet skiing around the lagoon—all included. One of the country’s most exclusive bookings, a stay here really does feel like the ultimate indulgence, with access to its 80-label wine cellar and a food free-for-all anytime of the day. But if you’re looking to surface from your Japanese-inspired overwater villa, ask your butler to book you a reservation at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. Located at its sister resort, Hurawalhi Maldives, this incredible underwater restaurant serves a three-course meal while sea life swims by.
From $3,922, all-inclusive
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Amilla Maldives
Image Credit: Amilla Maldives Award: Best for little ones
It’s hard not to embrace your inner kid on this lush tropical playground. Book a stay in one of Amilla’s unique Treetop Villas, and hover above the canopy in this super-luxe version of a treehouse. Hop aboard for a sunset dolphin cruise or an excursion to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Hanifaru Bay, where from May to November you can snorkel with manta rays. Little ones can spend time in Sultan’s Village, the island’s kids’ club, where activities like pirate treasure hunts, coconut painting, and disco nights keep them busy. At Javvu Spa, kids can indulge in treatments tailored to them, including a mini coconut scrub, a mini mani-pedi, and mini meditation sessions.
From $928
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Soneva Secret
Image Credit: Soneva Award: Best for privacy
The word is out about Soneva Secret, the latest resort from the trendsetting Soneva brand. Hidden in the far-flung Makunudhoo Atoll, it’s the area’s only resort, and with just 14 villas, it feels wildly remote—especially its two standalone overwater villas. Rustic-chic one-bedroom mansions here span a shocking 5,000 square feet and come with a private spa and gym, a private butler, a private assistant, and a personal chef. Although most people will never leave their overwater home, sociable guests can zipline to its restaurant, Out Of This World, or eat their weight in free island-made ice cream, cheese, and charcuterie in one of its dedicated rooms.
From $2,621, minimum three-night stay
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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Image Credit: Four Seasons Award: Best for ocean exploration
This Four Seasons in the marine-rich Baa Atoll is rife with magical underwater experiences. Guests here fly in on one of their branded seaplanes, The Flying Boxfish or The Flying Triggerfish, painted to resemble each sea creature. Once you arrive at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, its marine activity team can deliver a Manta-On-Call phone that will ring when manta rays are spotted in nearby Hanifaru Bay. This glamorous resort also has a house reef teeming with fish, ideal for snorkeling around the island and a Marine Discovery Center. Led by a team of dedicated marine biologists, they educate curious vacation-goers on the resort’s fish breeding program, rehabilitate injured Maldivian turtles, and plant coral, all with the help of guests.
From $1,800
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Naladhu Private Island Maldives
Image Credit: Naladhu Private Island Award: Best for beach bums
Small and striking, this lagoon-laden resort is perfect for honeymooning couples and chilled-out guests who want an intimate beach vacation. It has just 20 private beach and lagoon villas (no overwater here), each with a pool, private beach cabana, and discreet butler service. Naladhu Private Island specializes in curating exclusive experiences, whether that’s a romantic outdoor movie night on cozy couches in the secluded coconut grove or a beachside dinner under the stars. Uniquely, the resort has a no-menu concept and a fabulous team of chefs who love a culinary challenge. When you feel like venturing out, amenities at sister resorts Anantara Veli and Anantara Dhigu are a pontoon-boat ride away.
From $812 -
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands
Image Credit: Patina Maldives Award: Best for art and design lovers
You wouldn’t expect to find a world-class art destination in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but Patina Maldives, Fari Islands aims to change that through an ambitious residency program, art installations throughout the property, and the star of the show, a James Turrell-designed Skyspace pavilion, Amarta. Patina Maldives partnered with the Artling, a Singapore-based contemporary art consultancy, to commission bespoke art that guests interact with during their stay. Of course, the resort itself approaches architecture as art with design from award-winning Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan’s firm, Studiomk27. The resort’s 90 villas were sustainably crafted from natural materials like 100 percent PEFC-certified engineered timber and designed with flat roofs lined with solar panels.
From $1,330
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Joali Maldives
Image Credit: Joali Maldives Award: Best for style and substance
Joali Maldives is unapologetically feminine. Its palatial villas are decked out in pops of pastel, emerald marble showers, rose gold finishes and artful details that make this lavish outpost a cut above the rest. The resort expertly blends immersive art installations, a decadent spa with a Turkish hammam and superb restaurants, including its signature overwater Japanese restaurant, Saoke. A gaggle of jadugars, aka butlers, and standout staff deliver warm, attentive service, like remembering your morning coffee order and your favorite tropical fruits. Psst. Its breakfast buffet is one of the best in the Maldives, with a cold room filled with charcuterie, salads, yogurts, and cheeses.
From $2,040
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Velaa Private Island
Image Credit: Velaa Award: Best for adventure travelers
It’s impossible to get bored at Velaa Private Island. This ultra-luxe resort has an overwhelming variety of activities, including some unique to the Maldives. It has one of the only covered tennis courts in the archipelago, a soccer field, a squash court, a climbing wall, and a Technogym fitness center. But perhaps most extravagantly, it has a golf “short-game academy” on the island from Spanish golf pro José María Olazábal, which provides swing analysis, a golf simulator, and coaching with PGA professionals. Its new Wellbeing Village focuses on holistic wellness, including a yoga and pilates pavilion and an Ayurveda wellness center. On the water, you can go on diving, snorkeling and fishing trips, or explore the island by jet ski, e-foil, or even a hoverboard.
From $2,500
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Six Senses Laamu
Image Credit: Six Senses Award: Best for conservation
The word “sustainability” gets thrown around in the luxury hospitality world—but Six Senses Laamu doesn’t greenwash. Instead of plucking seagrass from the sea bottom, like most Maldivian resorts, it lets it flourish to attract local sea turtles for tracking and monitoring. Its Sea Hub for Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) is an impressive center with interactive spaces dedicated to educating guests and local Maldivians about the local marine life. There are sustainability tours through its Waste to Wealth recycling and composting site; plus, its on-site garden supplies much of the produce used at its six restaurants, free ice cream bar, and spa.
From $1,443
