Best Hotel In The World Maldives – 15 Best Luxury Resorts in the Maldives Planning the perfect beach vacation? Choose the best island resort!
If it deserves the label “postcard destination”, it has to be the Maldives. Imagine white-sand islands with tropical palm trees, strung like pearl necklaces on dreamy atolls, seemingly floating on turquoise seas. Better yet, think of them as the setting for some of the world’s best luxury resorts.
Best Hotel In The World Maldives
When planning a visit here, the vacationer is faced with a dilemma: Which luxury resorts in the Maldives will fulfill the promise of a perfect beach vacation? After all, few other destinations have as much choice as this one.
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We can’t claim to have the right answer for every traveler, but regular visitors should now be aware of what we dig up. If your idea of the perfect resort includes exquisite design, understated luxury and personalized service, if your best possible time includes extreme exclusivity and authentic experiences, then look no further: this list is for you. From simple island living to sprawling luxury playgrounds, these fifteen have one thing in common: they’re all the best luxury resorts in the Maldives.
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“It’s not easy to really stand out in the Maldives, one of the most beautiful resorts in the world. But Joali does it effortlessly.” — from our Joali Maldives review.
Quietly exotic and effortlessly sophisticated, Joali Maldives brings a distinctive brand of luxury to a destination that has seen it all. The resort emphasizes what is the essence of a luxurious experience, craftsmanship and service, brought to perfection.
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We love it for: the resort’s magical architecture, which includes a picnic hut the size of a manta ray or a wave-like welcome lounge.
Pro tip: The only difference between the two standard categories of overwater villas (apart from the price per night) is more space, ie an additional lounge and a large outdoor sun terrace.
At Jani, the philosophy and aesthetics of the Soneva brand come together to create an almost perfect escape resort. The resort is located on a large island and is surrounded by the endless shallows of one of the largest lakes in the country. The architecture and interior design are in keeping with the idea of a barefoot beach holiday, celebrating a dreamy white style, while seamless service makes every day special here.
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We love it for: Huge overwater villas, each with a private infinity pool and a movable roof over the bedroom (so you can sleep “under the stars”). Many villas have water slides – and they are a lot of fun!
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Pro tip: Be sure to visit the chocolate and ice cream shop, which is open from noon until late. It is free; You can come here as you like!
Alternatively, book through Soneva Jani: Tablet Hotels | Expedia | See what others think on Agoda or TripAdvisor. Photo © Soneva
“Lamu has all the elements of a perfect vacation, not least the true luxury of a barefoot resort, presented in a pure atmosphere of carefree relaxation.” — from our Six Senses Lamu review
Our regular readers will remember that we are big fans of the rustic chic concept of Six Senses. After a recent visit to Six Senses Lamu, we concluded that the chain’s Maldivian outpost is perhaps the best example of a philosophy that perfectly blends beautiful remote locations, eco-friendly living and uncompromising luxury.
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We love it for: Our absolute favorite thing about this resort are the stunning ocean water villas – spacious, with innovative features and designed in a style that perfectly matches the feel of a paradise destination.
Pro tip: All guests have bicycles. And if you are a returning guest, or if you book a Laamu Water Villa category and above, your bikes will be personalized with wooden name tags. Nice touch!
Alternatively, book Six Senses Lamu via: Tablet Hotels | Expedia | See what others are saying on Hotels.com or TripAdvisor. Photo (including lead shot at top of article) © Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spa
Soneva Fushi was the first resort created by Sonu Shivdasani and his partner Eva, a power couple from the hospitality industry and the driving force behind the idea of a luxury barefoot holiday in nature. Soneva Fushi is the original desert island in the Maldives – it practically invented the “castaway” fashion all by itself.
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Seriously eco-friendly, its understated, intelligent luxury makes hotel stays a magical experience. Moreover, Soneva’s no-new no-shoes concept is not just on paper, as you will likely be walking barefoot the entire stay. we did
We love it: Villas, many designed in the “treehouse” style. This beautiful place surrounded by greenery. Plus, Soneva Fushi has a full-fledged night sky observatory!
Pro tip: One thing that comes in handy when traveling by seaplane is noise-canceling headphones. Of all the headphones we tried, we can recommend the Sony WH1000XM3 as the best. Adv
Alternatively, book Soneva Fushi via: Tablet Hotels | Expedia | Agoda | See what others are saying on Hotels.com or TripAdvisor. Photography (including the lead shot at the top of the article) © Soneva
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“[St. Regis Maldives Vomuli Resort] with its modern design against the pristine beauty of the secluded lagoon. – From our review on St. Regis Vomuli
St. Regis Maldives Wow with stunning architecture designed by Vomuli Wow Architects. The Singapore-based design studio created a number of striking, almost abstract structures and buildings for Wommuli – such as a whale shark-inspired bar or a lobster-shaped spa. The bold architecture of the resort also extends to the guest accommodation, especially in the sharp silhouettes of overwater villas. The villas have generous sun terraces with private plunge pools – best captured in this video on our Instagram page.
We love it: In addition to the design of the resort, the cuisine at the St. Regis Maldives Vomuli. It was a real highlight of the stay.
What you need to know: The center is quite remote. You can get here from Malá by seaplane in 40 minutes.
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Or St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort reservation via: Expedia | Agoda | Hotels.com | See what others are saying on Marriott Bonvoy or TripAdvisor. Photo © Marriott International
Gili Lankanfushi is one of the best water villa resorts in the world. Located on a beautiful coral island surrounded by a brilliant blue ocean, this classic Maldivian highway is the epitome of “barefoot” luxury. It offers a peaceful experience with an intimate atmosphere, luxury and uncompromising standards of service and finely refined design.
We love it for: The famous villa on stilts has a real wow factor. We had a romantic bedroom, a beautiful sun terrace and a roof terrace where we spent the night in a specially built gazebo standing in a wide shallow space. Sleeping under the stars was amazing.
Pro tip: If you want to make your stay special, book one of the separate villas. They are located on the edge of a coral reef, far from the resort, and are almost islands of their own, accessible only by boat.
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Our Instagram Photos: Don’t miss some of the shots we took at the resort, including photos of our villa above and below the water, or these photos from our sun deck and this sunset! And have you heard of bamboo bicycles?
Alternatively, book Gili Lankanfushi through: Expedia | Agoda | See what others are saying on Hotels.com or TripAdvisor. Photo © HPL Hotels & Resorts
One of our recent trips to the Maldives wouldn’t be complete without a stay at the COMO Resort, which we’ve been looking forward to ever since it opened in 2015. Our take? We would always choose the combination of peaceful atmosphere and colorful nature of Maalifushi.
“Malifushi is all about peace and quiet and as such is as peaceful a place as you will find.” — from our COMO Maalifushi review.
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We love it for: This island smells good thanks to Shambhala, COMO’s own line of high-quality cosmetics, delivered to the bathroom. And COMO Shambhala Spa was as good as we expected!
Pro tip: The water villas on the west side aren’t super private on the sun deck, as the occasional snorkeler can wade in the shallows outside.
Alternatively, book COMO Maalifushi via: Tablet Hotels | Expedia | Agoda | See what others are saying on Hotels.com or TripAdvisor. Photo © COMO Hotels & Resorts
We could have stayed at One&Only Reethi Rah for a month and never been bored. With plenty of attractions, extravagant style and an elegant atmosphere, the five-star Rethi Rah is like a cross between an exclusive country club and a tranquil spa resort. This place feels like a millionaire’s playground.
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We love it for: The beach pool villa we stayed in. Luxurious, elegant and offers plenty of space inside and out. We also spent a few days in an overwater villa, but preferred the beach by the sea.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the spa. The treatment was one of the best we have had. We recommend a 2-hour session to fully appreciate the thing.
Our Instagram photos: The water villa where we stayed for a few days
