Over the last decade, I’ve been lucky enough to stay at 60 hotels in the Maldives. I’ve visited natural islands and man-made archipelagos, from north to south, in high season and low. I’ve floated in infinity pools, lounged on beaches and snorkelled through house reefs. I’ve stayed in overwater villas, underwater suites and sprawling beach residences, in the process meeting an amazing array of aquatic life, from microscopic glow-in-the-dark plankton to minibus-sized manta rays and hundred-strong pods of playful dolphins.
This is one of the world’s most aspirational destinations, with YouTube videos of the top resorts garnering millions of views, but the vloggers won’t tell you what I will – which hotels are actually worth your money and why. Let’s dive in.
The best of the best
Soneva Fushi
The barefoot luxury OG
Soneva has three resorts in the Maldives – Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret – all of which can be considered the best of the best. But if I have to choose one, Fushi has a lot more facilities than Secret and far superior marine life to Jani.
It’s also the resort I’ve returned to more than any other in the country (five times) and where I’ve made some of my favourite Maldives memories – zip-lining to fine dining, aqua-gliding from a yacht in search of dolphins, staring at the Rings of Saturn from the observatory, watching The Hundred-Foot Journey at the outdoor cinema in the company of the film’s director Lasse Hallström. There’s just one glitch in the form of a fairly developed neighbouring island that sometimes breaks the paradisical spell.
Villas from £2,474, B&B
Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi
Style and substance
Although I tend to prefer smaller islands (this one has been expanded to around 2.5 miles long), I was easily won over by the Waldorf. Its villas are some of the most opulent I’ve encountered, including at entry-level, all with large private swimming pools. Facilities are hard to beat: tennis and padel courts, a beach club laced with lagoon-like swimming pools and a spa with hydrotherapy circuit. The dining is dazzling – I still dream about the Ledge’s buttery wagyu katsu. If there’s one caveat it’s that as a semi-artificial island, the marine life is quite sparse compared to its natural counterparts.
Villas from £1,285, B&B
Kudadoo Maldives Private Island
The ultimate all-inclusive
Kudadoo is an all-inclusive that promises “Anything. Anytime. Anywhere.”. I took the slogan as a challenge and filled my days with private yoga sessions, jet ski safaris, hours-long spa rituals, sunset dolphin-spotting cruises and gourmet dining. No corner was cut; every experience was readily available and on par with the world’s best hotels. There are just 15 overwater villas and while the woody Japanese design may feel too simplistic for some, I think the pared-back look blends perfectly with the tropical surroundings.
Villas from £2,500, all-inclusive
Milaidhoo
Laid-back luxury
This little Maldivian-owned resort isn’t pas flashy as some of its neighbours (Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru and Anantara Kihavah) but that’s what gives it its charm. Spacious white-washed overwater villas are surrounded by swimmable seas filled with vibrant marine life – not as common as you might think – and come with crescent-shaped LED-lit infinity pools that twinkle at night, as well as welcome bottles of Ruinart champagne.
I appreciated that there was no annoying music by the main pool, with most guests choosing to snooze or read books instead, and while my spa treatment wasn’t hugely memorable the food certainly was, including Maldivian fine dining.
Villas from £2,040, B&B, including seaplane transfers for two
Amilla
Cool and caring
There’s so much to love about Amilla, from the splendid house reef with its own blue-hole underwater cave to the resort’s inclusivity policy that ensures every guest is cared for whatever their challenges and abilities. The modernist villas are larger and more stylish than most in this price bracket and there are more free activities than is usual too – tennis, art classes, kombucha-making, yoga, the list goes on. It’s also a joy to stay somewhere that doesn’t feel corporate so I’m hoping the rumours of a Meliã takeover aren’t true.
Worth the splurge
Conrad Rangali Island
Underwater haven
Many first-time visitors to the Maldives assume that you can see all of the country’s marine life at any old resort but the Conrad is actually one of only a handful of places where you can encounter all of the big pelagics – manta rays, whale sharks, dolphins – as well as turtles, reef fish and corals all in one place. You don’t even have to get your feet wet, with manta rays regularly appearing at night under the bridge that connects the two islands. There’s plenty to keep you entertained on land too – lush beaches, super restaurants, a tip-top spa – even if the overall design is a bit old-fashioned.
Villas from £702, B&B
Six Senses Laamu
Turtle-tastic
During my last stay at Six Senses Laamu, I got a late-night call from my butler to inform me that a bale of baby green sea turtles were about to hatch on the beach. I joined a bunch of other guests rushing to the shore in their pyjamas to watch the adorable reptilian tots propel their tablespoon-sized bodies towards the vast Indian Ocean. Magical. It takes longer to reach Laamu (anywhere between one to two hours from Malé depending on whether you opt for the seaplane or a domestic flight) but the wealth of marine life and untouched location make it absolutely worth the journey.
Villas from £708, B&B
The St Regis Vommuli Resort
On point
If you’re looking for somewhere special to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points, you couldn’t do much better than the St Regis Vommuli (more than 50 per cent of guests are cashing in reward stays). The mix of clientele gives the island a chic international vibe matched by delectable food and faultless service. I’ve seen better house reefs though, and couldn’t help but be distracted by the unsightly new seawalls that have been installed to protect the beach from erosion (a result of global warming).
Villas from £1,506, B&B
Cheval Blanc Randheli
(Too) quiet luxury
Backed by LVMH, designed by Jean-Michele Gathy and frequented by Hollywood stars and royalty, this is hands-down one of the most luxurious properties I’ve stayed at anywhere in the world. The French-influenced food is sublime, the Guerlain spa a dreamy world of its own and the villas are positively palatial. Unfortunately guests tend to stay within the confines of their Indian Ocean idylls, so there’s not a lot of atmosphere.
Villas from £1,785, B&B
Great – but some niggles
COMO Maalifushi
Heavenly house reef
Perhaps it’s the peaceful Thaa Atoll location, complete with a separate castaway island. Maybe it’s the minimalist aesthetic or hearing nothing other than the whoosh whoosh whoosh of waves lapping above the extraordinary house reef. There’s something about Maalifushi that makes you slow to a sea snail’s pace – including the amiable staff, who were prone to forgetting room service orders, housekeeping essentials and pick-up times. All easily forgiven after a visit to the luscious spa.
Villas from £1,406, half-board
Alila Kothaifaru
Sea of stars
Although my beach villa was a good size I found the décor bland and the private pool too small for a proper dip. There are plenty of wondrous experiences to be found outside of the rooms though, from the massages in the treetop spa to fascinating visits to local islands to moonless nights splashing around in the bioluminescent waters that lap the beach (between May and October).
This is one of only a handful of Maldivian resorts with its own “sea of stars”, as well as long white beaches and a nice house reef. There are no motorised watersports – which I am thoroughly in favour of – but kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and snorkelling equipment are complimentary.
Villas from £737, B&B
Joali Being
Wellness wonder
This is the Maldives’ only luxury resort dedicated to wellness, with a ravishing Raa Atoll location and inspiring biophilic design by Turkish trendsetters Autoban. But, it’s hard not to baulk at the £10,000 price tag for the required minimum five-night stay, especially when you have to pay an additional £2,000 for your wellness programme, in addition to food, drink and seaplane transfers. If your pockets are deep enough, however, you’re sure to be bowled over by the extensive facilities and caring, personalised approach.
Villas from £1,968, B&B (minimum five-night stay)
W Maldives
Party above and below
The W has the best hotel house reef in the country, an underwater discotheque of turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, colourful corals and choruses of reef fish. Not only is it huge, wrapping around most of the island, it’s in astonishingly good health especially considering the damage caused by recent global bleaching events. Stick your head above the water and you’ll hear dance music pumping from every corner of the island. It drove me up the wall, but creating a lively party scene is what W does best and fans of the brand won’t be disappointed.
Villas from £760, B&B
Patina, Fari Islands
Design darling
This is one of the few man-made islands that I really love to visit (three times and counting) because even though the marine life isn’t up to much, the tropical modernist design is thrilling and it’s worth visiting just to spend time in James Turrell’s ethereal Skyspace Pavilion. Sensual dark-wood villas open to the elements and have dinky swimming pools on the deck alongside bathtubs (which are really too exposed), while the restaurants are as trendy as anywhere you might find in Paris or Hong Kong.
Villas from £1,007, B&B
Should do better
Jawakara
Island idyll
Crown & Champa hotels own some of the most generous all-inclusive resorts in the Maldives, including Jawakara, spread across two enormous natural islands with a seemingly endless array of activities, including two spas, padel courts and a nine-hole golf course. But it was hard to get around during my stay as the resort had run out of guest bicycles and shuttle buggies took forever to appear. The food was good but the buffet, where most meals are taken, felt repetitive after a couple of days.
Villas from £542, all-inclusive
The Residence at Dhigurah
Edge of the earth location
This more affordable escape is set on a spectacular natural island flanked by miles of silky white sands in the glorious Gaafu Alifu atoll that most ultra-luxury resorts would kill for. This just about makes up for the Residence’s lacklustre approach to service, which included a thoroughly disinterested spa therapist and a telling-off for asking to eat lunch at my poolside lounger before being marched to a nearby table. Best to hang out in one of the peaceful beach villas instead, flitting between your large private pool and the Indian Ocean.
Villas from £753, all-inclusive
The Ritz-Carlton, Fari Islands
Sterling service
This hotel has a lot to admire: sleek Kerry Hill design, superb dining, a wealth of facilities and excellent service. But those Instagram-famous circular water villas are small compared to the similarly priced competition and the water in the private pools is disappointingly shallow, barely waist-deep. As a man-made island there just isn’t a lot of marine life here either and likely won’t be for a long time despite the efforts of the hotel’s coral restoration programme.
Villas from £1,540, B&B
Gili Lankanfushi
Eco-luxury
I am a big fan of this resort and its sincere efforts to honour the environment with its Robinson Crusoe architecture, adventurous dining, all-natural spa and rustic-luxe villas. The surrounding lagoons with their shape-shifting sands are mesmerising too, but this castaway island is slowly dropping down the rankings as rampant over-development blights its once-serene location. 6am alarm calls now come from passing seaplanes, transfer speedboats whizz past day and night and stargazing is marred by football stadium-bright lights emanating from neighbouring local islands.
Villas from £1,070, B&B