Creating a definitive guide to the best hotels in the Maldives is no easy feat. The archipelagic country sets the standard when it comes to superior island living, where overwater villas come as standard, privacy is a given, and natural beauty is all around. Boutique stays and lo-fi boltholes are a rarity. Instead, world-class hotels are spread out on their own private islands, nestling state-of-the-art spas and multiple restaurants amongst lush jungles, pristine beaches, and house reefs.
The new generation of Maldives hotels is taking this formula one step further. It’s not enough for villas to just be overwater anymore—waterslides are becoming de rigueur, spas dangle above lagoons, the classic pool bar has been outdone by beachside treehouse bars, and restaurants have relocated underwater. Steps towards sustainability are also commonplace, and most hotels have their own conservation projects and coral programs. Needless to say, the calibre of stays across the country is sky-high. And this is our definitive guide to the best hotels in the Maldives.
- Our top picks
- More editor-recommended Maldives hotels
- Frequently asked questions
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Six Senses Kanuhura
As you swoop into the Lhaviyani Atoll by seaplane, it’s easy to see why Six Senses was so keen to bring this trifecta of natural coral islands ringed by turquoise seas and aquamarine lagoons into the fold. The second Six Senses property in the Maldives (the other being Six Senses Laamu) is a beauty, with great sweeps of broad white beach, a flourishing house reef, and a jungly heart overflowing with soaring coconut palms, twisty screw pines, and fragrant sea almonds, which you can explore on complimentary bicycles. Dotted around the island are 91 beachfront and overwater villas, including 12 sprawling retreats, all decked out in a pulse-slowing palette of warm woods, peach, and teal, with big beds hung with billowing nets. Seven superb bars and restaurants include Drift, a little clapboard and thatch café on sister island Jehunuhura, and The Point, a circular building set on the sunset side of the island housing a Spanish restaurant and a round rooftop infinity pool. Alongside stacks of complimentary daily activities—core training, yoga, meditation, sound healing—and a tip-top spa, a stay here can be as lively or as sleepy as you like.
Check Availability at Booking.com
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.Here Baa Atoll, Maldives
Hot List 2026
It’s the eternal question on the Maldives’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Baa Atoll: beach or above-water villa? Here, there’s no need to choose. Each of the seven residences stretches across the width of the island: sand at one end and that covetable ladder straight into the Indian Ocean at the other. They have appealing outdoor showers, hammocks, sun loungers, swings, and suspended sky infinity pools on the first floor that drop to a cascading waterfall, leading to another small plunge pool below. As far as interiors go, the soft furnishings are tactile and textured, all voluminous cushions, cloud lamps, and fringed curtains. Dream accommodation aside, guests come here for the experiences, and setting them up is a breeze. A Roohu (butler) is assigned to each residence, conjuring everything from spa treatments to activities at the Water Sports Center (where eco-conscious guests can dive deeper on a Coral Conservation Course, snorkeling the reef alongside marine biologists). Chef Georgios Vasilopoulos, previously of Raffles Dubai and Nobu Matsuhisa Mykonos, oversees the open-air restaurant, Safar. He also served as personal chef to the royal family of Jordan, and while he remains tight-lipped about the experience, he has no such qualms about blowing guests away with his seafood barbecues. —Divia Thani
Check Availability at .Here Baa Atoll, Maldives
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Huvafen Fushi
CNT Triple CrownReaders’ Choice Awards 2023
Huvafen Fushi is a heavenly alcove of a property that sets the standard for personalized service. It’s so far removed from the real world that it’s simply impossible not to feel at ease. We arrived by speedboat from Malé and were welcomed by a host of smiling staff armed with cold towels and refreshing welcome drinks, then chaperoned through a bamboo-swathed tunnel and along a sandy path to our beach villa, which was complete with not one but two private pools and a stretch of silky sand that leads to the ocean. There were other guests, but it felt like we had the island to ourselves.
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Alila Kothaifaru Maldives
Hot List 2023Readers’ Choice Awards 2024
Situated on a lush, natural private island with pool villas and wonderfully friendly and professional staff, this is easily one of the most charming hotels in the Maldives. About 45 minutes north of Malé International Airport by seaplane, in the Raa Atoll on a natural island known as Kothaifaru, the setting here is blessed with long white beaches and endless palm trees. Throughout the 27.6 acres, there is also thick jungle vegetation that gives the new space an already-settled-in feel. The 80 villas—all with pools—are split between overwater villas (with bathrooms that open up to the sea) and beach villas (with sunrise and sunset options). There are two restaurants and two bars to choose from, as well as a spa tucked away deep within the jungle vegetation. But the service here is what makes this resort stand out in the crowd of smart hotels in the Maldives. After a few days, it will start to feel like home, with staff remembering your preference for still or sparkling water, the names of your children, and where your favorite table is—so much so that there is an urge to book a repeat trip before you have finished the first one. —Mary Lussiana
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Joali Maldives, Muravandhoo Island
Hot ListReaders’ Choice Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Joali’s strong point is simple: an island hotel in the relatively undeveloped Raa Atoll that’s sensible and unselfconscious, its Maldivian natural wonder combined with a Mediterranean feel (the owner is Turkish). This mood sets it apart from other Maldivian hotels, many of which scrabble about trying to reinvent the country’s Paradise Found with some trumped-up USP. The laid-back Med luxe is epitomized in the sunset-facing Mura Bar, the sky-blue shutters, wicker globe lamps, and chic cane sofas making it the hot spot for a sundowner and a suck on a shisha pipe. Every last detail is simple and delicious, down to the coconut croissants. And there’s been no scrimping when it comes to design: Istanbul-based architects Autoban have created 49 overwater and 24 beach villas that are both smart and vast, with palm roofs and rose-gold taps resembling giant pebbles. Slinky silk gowns hang in the wardrobe—a one-off print by Ardmore, which designs for Hermès—while the island is peppered with unexpected sculptures including a manta-ray tree house by artist Porky Hefer and an underwater coral garden by Misha Kahn. Japanese Saoke, one of three restaurants, serves 50 different sakes. But the highlight is lying back in a hammock and watching soft-bellied fruit bats swoop down while nursing a cocktail. —Damien Gabet
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The Nautilus
Gold List 2021, 2026Readers’ Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
The Nautilus, which swung open its doors in February 2019, offers laid-back, barefoot luxury, where there are no rigid opening hours or dress codes, just a plethora of choices and plenty of opportunities for relaxation. The property keeps things “traditional,” which means one thing when it comes to Maldivian resorts: private bungalows. The 26 houses—some of which sit just off the beach, while others stretch over the water—all come with private pools, a separate living quarter, and personal butler service. The resort specializes in bespoke vacations, meaning you get to craft your stay to look exactly as you dreamed it: Champagne in bed? Breakfast aboard a luxury yacht? An impromptu swim with manta rays? It’s all possible here. —Noo Saro-Wiwa
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The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
This is an island that attracts a fashionable crowd and loyal St. Regis fans—which are arguably one and the same. During the day, it’s less barefoot luxury and more Chanel heels on the beach. At sunset, it’s Amina Muaddi slingbacks, when honeymooners head to the bar to make the most of the martini shots while a could-be-a-model DJ plays cool and breezy beats in a midriff-bearing top. It’s a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan, and yet this bar couldn’t be further from New York, sitting over the Indian Ocean and shaped to resemble a whale shark.
The American hotel brand landed a prime spot of tropical paradise when it opened in 2016 on the previously uninhabited natural island of Vommuli. This lush environment has played a key role in the hotel’s nature-inspired design—overwater villas are shaped like manta rays and made from predominantly cross-laminated wood, while the impressively large library swirls into the sky like a shell. Morning yoga classes are held at the overwater Iridium Spa, with mats placed over the open-air lounge’s glass floor portholes, so you can watch trumpetfish paddle past in between poses. Follow it up with a glass of crystal-infused water and a dip in the Blue Hole Pool, one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in the country. The seven restaurants scattered across the island are all undeniably decadent, with Maldivian lobster plucked straight from the sea and served at every turn. At the Pan Asian restaurant, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice cream. Don’t sleep on the intriguing-looking Maldivian section at the morning breakfast spread either—it’s a delicious adventure you won’t forget. —Lauren Burvill
Check Availability at Marriott
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Soneva Jani
Gold List 2020, 2024Readers’ Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
On the fringe of a lagoon in Noonu Atoll, blanketed in racing-green jungle and ringed with neon-white beach, Soneva Jani is the second Maldivian island home of the visionary brand. It’s an unreal world, where children and adults alike trail about the jungly interior on bikes, hang in hammocks on Robinson Crusoe beaches, throw themselves down slides, splash about on technicolor reefs, and watch dolphins race through iridescent baby-blue waters. The overwater villas have glass-bottom floors and pool decks with corkscrew slides, and the fantastical Den is the largest kids club in South Asia. But it’s not just about embracing your inner child. Adult treats include The Gathering, an overwater barn of restaurants, a library, and a wine cellar. Eating is taken seriously—from a meat-free outpost by Bocuse d’Or–winning Swedish chef Mathias Dahlgren to the garden-set idyll So Local, as well as a rotation of visiting chefs. A treehouse-like Island Spa has egg-shaped rooms linked by walkways floating toward a yoga shala. Soneva Soul is the brand’s new, more ambitious approach to health. Recently, it launched 3-, 7-, and 14-day wellness journeys around foundational health, sleep, detoxing, and anti-aging, using its magic blend of naturopathy, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine alongside high-tech treatments such as platelet-rich plasma therapy and ozone therapy. Feeling well is at Soneva’s core—way beyond ditching one’s shoes on arrival. —Lydia Bell
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Soneva Secret
Hot List 2025
After having defined the Maldives for a generation of switched-on travelers, how could Sonu and Eva Shivdasani possibly raise the bar? Well, for a start, the design is even more open to the elements than at Soneva Jani or Fushi: Those who wish can sleep with their doors open to the sound of waves seemingly lapping up toward their toes. A different private chef each night brings a rotating global menu to the table—though nothing beats zip-lining down to the restaurant out at sea. Anyone looking for Maldives one-upmanship, meanwhile, will be thrilled by the movable “floating” villa on stilts in the ocean. —D.T.
Check Availability at Soneva Secret
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Vakkaru Resort Maldives
Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The setting is hard to beat—a private island filled with a soaring jungle of coconut palms gives Vakkaru a magic that the other human-made islands in the region can’t compete with. All the dreamy hallmarks of the Maldives are here, albeit more seductively discreet than most. Breezy thatched villas are swathed in warm muted tones and natural textures, from the burlap wash bags in the bathrooms to the billowing muslin hanging from four-posters. The outdoor spaces are just as thoughtful as the interiors. The basket-woven outdoor showers at the beachside villas are nestled within private mini beaches, while plush daybeds are placed within steps of floor hammocks at the overwater villas, so you’re never short of somewhere to flop. Families also love Vakkaru, so much so that the hotel is set to release an ever-larger interconnecting beach villa due to sheer demand. The natural wonders alone are enough to keep all ages happy—my two-year-old son has never been so captivated and quiet as when watching the hermit crabs scuttle on the sands by our beach villa. In the water, confident swimmers can easily reach the house reef, with expeditions to snorkel with turtles and manta rays also available, along with a host of water sports. —L.B.
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Patina Maldives Fari Islands
Hot List 2022Readers’ Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Entering the market as a sophisticated lifestyle brand, Patina Maldives has been drawing repeat visits since it opened its doors in May 2021. Patina is set on a human-made island that is lush and verdant, fringed by a sugary golden beach and lapped by the gentle waters of a crystalline lagoon. Overwater villas are neutral in palette and contemporary in design, with open-air decks for swimming in private pools, soaking in freestanding tubs, and curling up in hammocks. The roster of activities available to guests reads like it was copied and pasted from the ultimate Maldives bucket list. —Alice Holtham
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Cheval Blanc Randheli
CNT Triple CrownGold List 2018Readers’ Choice Awards 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
It stands to reason that the Cheval Blanc Randheli, a resort from luxury conglomerate LVMH (owners of Louis Vuitton, Céline, Dior, etc.), would set the bar high. The white sands and turquoise waters of the Noonu Atoll, in the northwest Maldives, are the backdrop for 45 one- and two-bedroom villas. All are supremely elegant—decked out in travertine and cinnamon wood, butter-soft leather, and French linens—and completely private. Not to mention huge: The smallest is nearly 2,600 square feet; mine had a private 40-foot-long infinity pool, and there was enough room in the breezy courtyard between my indoor bath and my equally massive outdoor shower for a restorative massage. As far as looks go, it doesn’t get chicer than this property, but it’s the whimsical touches—turtles drawn in the sand along the path to the villa, thoughtful little notes from your butler left alongside the pitchers of fresh juice—are what truly give this place its character. The overwater restaurant, Deelani, was my dream combination of beach shack and high-style seafood emporium. —Maria Shollenbarger
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Jumeirah Olhahali Island Maldives
Within the showground of Maldivian resorts, Jumeirah Olhahali Island breaks the mold by replacing traditional thatched villas with a modern Mediterranean-chic style. This eco-conscious hideaway is the epitome of barefoot luxury, with private infinity pools, bespoke massages in glass-bottomed treatment rooms, and a turquoise lagoon for diving among coral reefs that teem with marine life. 67 two- and three-bedroom overwater villas and beach residences boast infinity pools with sunken outdoor lounges and panoramic rooftop decks. The Selling Sunset–style beach retreats span up to nearly 11,000 square feet, featuring double-height living spaces and kitchenettes. The three-bedroom residences boast a private workspace, gym, and stretch of beach. Each villa is assigned a personal host who is available instantly to ensure guests have everything they need. The restaurants are exceptional, but what takes Jumeirah’s culinary offerings to the next level are the private experiences it offers. Options include a stunning floating breakfast, wine and cheese tastings, cooking classes, and romantic sunset dinners on an isolated sandbank. —Anna Gladwin
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Milaidhoo Maldives
Readers’ Choice Awards 2020, 2024, 2025
A wonderful reminder of the joys of getting back to basics, Milaidhoo gives classic Maldivian island style a refreshingly contemporary twist. The 50 villas are enlivened with deft decorative flourishes—the vivid blue-on-blue accents and curvaceous lines of the Beach Pool villas, in particular, display great charm and panache. The island is small enough to get around on foot, so you can put a little of the barefoot work back into the enjoyment of barefoot luxury. Milaidhoo’s location in Baa Atoll—a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with the world’s highest concentration of manta rays—is a huge plus. A snorkeling, diving, or sailing expedition, especially in the company of the resident marine biologist, is likely to be as instructive as it is beautiful—the sort of experience that could alter a person’s entire attitude towards the oceans. The signature restaurant, Ba’theli, serving Maldivian and trade-route-inspired dishes in three cleverly interlinked dhonis, is a show-stopper. Ideally, it will be preceded by a spa treatment and followed by a meditation session and herb-infused bath. A bedtime story and a glass of warm milk, though surely unnecessary by this point, could no doubt also be arranged. —Sophie Knight
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Lux* South Ari Atoll
Readers’ Choice Awards 2020, 2021
Anyone with trepidation about taking children to the Maldives will feel the shift in mindset as soon as they arrive at Lux*. Not only is the staff incredibly welcoming, but they remember the names of little ones and go above and beyond to make them feel part of the family. We traveled with two under two, and our room was kitted out with a bottle warmer and sterilizer, as well as cots filled with keepsakes and personalized notes. Our allocated bicycles were fitted with toddler-sized seats on the back, and highchairs were in ample supply, so we never had to wait to be seated at mealtimes. There’s an outdoor kids club with a schedule of activities and a babysitting service, but most youngsters looked happy enough playing on the sand while parents lounged nearby or got involved in the digging. The most popular spot on the island? The ice cream shop, where choices included frozen fruit popsicles and other sugary delights. But children’s highlights aside, this is a place to consider if you’re traveling adults-only, too. Interiors were beautiful, restaurant choices were ample, and the evenings were alive with a buzz of couples and friendship groups enjoying cocktails under the stars. —S.L.B.
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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Hot List 2022Readers’ Choice Awards 2023, 2024
The Ritz-Carlton’s first Maldives property is one of the most striking private island–resort designs in recent memory, complete with 100 contemporary, round-shaped villas with sparkling infinity pools—and without a thatched roof in sight. The best features in the one-bedroom villas are the panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows which can disappear entirely for an indoor-outdoor living experience. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is an architectural masterpiece: a floating, timber-clad ring above the swirling lagoon, with nine superb treatment rooms. Treatments—especially multi-hour experiences—are top-notch and highly recommended. Overall, the vibe is pretension-free, though a designer cocktail dress or two might appear for beachfront dinners and social gatherings. —Travis Levius
Check Availability at Ritz-Carlton
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Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Gold List 2025Readers’ Choice Awards 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
A ring of a gong and an army of smiles signal your arrival at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. Reef villas are cathedral-vast and designed with smooth marble floors, taupe sofas, a minibar stocked with ready-made cocktails, and an outdoor space with a pool large enough for laps at dusk when fruit bats swoop overhead. The culinary choices are staggering and may well offer the most diverse choice in the Maldives. For wellness seekers, the spa excels in its roster of visiting practitioners, like Chinese acupuncturists and tarot card readers. Children are in heaven here, for here is a sand-dusted, turquoise playground paradise for all generations. —Jemima Sissons
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Joali Being
Hot List 2022Readers’ Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
The bone-white beaches and crystal-clear lagoons are the ultimate soothing backdrop for self-improvement, and, thankfully, wellness resort Joali Being delivers its sophisticated philosophy with a pampering attitude and no-news, no-shoes barefoot aesthetic. Shaggy thatched roofs ripple like the ocean waves beyond, oversized hand-carved doors resemble tree bark, walls are textured like wind-riffled sand, and the Tiffany color palette of the 68 villas, each with its own pool, brings the lagoon right into your light-filled sanctuary. The world-class spa is sprinkled with glass-fronted saunas, steam rooms, ice fountains, and hydrotherapy pools. Each villa comes with a butler called a jadugar, which means “magician” in the local language—and, happily, they live up to the hype: eager, efficient, and engaged. —Susan D’Arcy
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Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
Readers’ Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
A magical mélange of 80 design-rich accommodations–some floating, some rooted in the sand–Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas is exactly what tropical dreams are made of. True, it’s a constant tug of war deciding between the highly romantic, thatched-roof overwater sanctuaries (each with a private pool, each renovated in 2024) and the more residential-style, ultra-private beach pool villas (each with direct beach access and a private pool). But in either case, dreamy amenities are standard. To start, consider: fantasy bathtubs, either with glass bottoms or surrounded by reflection ponds, and swinging daybeds. You’ll likely never want to leave your posh digs, but Kihavah’s elevated enticements constitute some of the Maldives’ best—and merit your attention. On this far-flung paradise, find a world-class overwater spa with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, with a strong focus on wellness, including therapies rooted in Ayurvedic tradition, sound healing, and energy healing. Finally, discover astronomy-themed rooftop bar SKY. Outfitted with the largest telescope and first overwater observatory in the Indian Ocean, there’s arguably no better place on earth to lie back and observe while letting some strong, innovative cocktails transport you to a galaxy far, far away. Enjoy a memorable meal at underwater restaurant SEA, where the likes of clownfish, grouper, and blacktip reef sharks put on a show as you delight in a languid lunch or a multi-course dinner (including a full caviar menu).
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Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
Readers’ Choice Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
Something to keep in mind when planning a vacation in the Maldives is that the remoteness once guaranteed by these faraway atolls can no longer be taken for granted. Resorts too close to the capital, Malé, may have views across to its high-rise skyline; others may have a neighboring hotel within earshot or clear sight. But the gloriously isolated Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, a former coconut plantation, has no such problems. The villas are also big and well-spaced for privacy, the food couldn’t be healthier (catch of the day at Fuego Grill; Lebanese mezze at Al Barakat), and the spa is truly outstanding. The spa offers overwater treatment rooms plus a shady Ayurvedic area in a clearing, where prayerful therapists from a Tantric Ayurvedic center in Indonesia administer rituals lasting hours. It’s also set up to provide a restorative 14- or 21-day panchakarma cleanse. The island’s Marine Discovery Centre, run by a team of biologists whose main focus is manta-ray research, could get anyone hooked on the wondrous world revealed as one sinks below the ocean surface with a snorkel or tank.
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Soneva Fushi
Gold List 2018, 2019, 2022Readers’ Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
The things that bring you here are never the ones you remember most after you leave. So not the slide that whooshes from the top floor of your overwater villa straight into the Indian Ocean, or the ice cream room, or the floating breakfast in your private pool. Of course, they’re fantastic—but the elements that draw people back to Soneva Fushi year after year, despite the steady stream of Maldives openings, seem significantly less sexy on Instagram. First, there’s the foliage: There’s as much tropical greenery as there is unending expanse of blue sky and sea. Then there are the little discoveries you make as you cycle to breakfast, such as the rabbits who come out for scraps and sit in the sand at your feet. Even more unforgettable is Soneva’s commitment to sustainability, which started way before it became a buzzword. Today, 90% of the island’s waste is recycled or reused. For every celebrity you will spot here (and you will), there are artists, sculptors, chefs, and jewelers who are invited to transform discarded cans or kitchen scraps into works of wonder. You will dine at Soneva’s plant-based restaurant, rooted in its organic garden, and leave with a great understanding of what lies beneath the waves (through its marine-conservation program) and above (with an astronomy session). It feels like a place to see the bigger picture; the wind, waves, and clouds are a reminder of how we are all connected to the Earth. This is perhaps Soneva’s greatest message: that even in the most indulgent environment it’s possible—no, essential—for there to be a mission. —D.T.
Which Maldives hotel is best for couples?
As the stuff of honeymoon legends, the Maldives has plenty to offer couples. For truly standout spots, we love Cheval Blanc Randheli (as do the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), the Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, and Milaidhoo.
Which Maldives hotel is best for families?
The Maldives might be best known for honeymoons, but its private island resorts are the stuff of family holiday dreams too. Spacious villas mean there’s plenty of room for everyone, while kids clubs, restaurants, and pools are all at your fingertips. Some of our favorite hotels for families include Gili Lankanfushi, Six Senses Laamu, and Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands.
When is the best time to go to the Maldives?
There’s no bad time to visit the Maldives, but few places offer such a perfect antidote to the US’s long, dark winters. It really does have it all: upwards of eight hours of sun per day, average temperatures around 82°, an ocean teeming with wildlife, and some of the chicest hotels in the world. For many, the best time to visit the Maldives is December to April, as that’s dry season, with little rain and low humidity leading to bright blue skies, cloudless days, and still, balmy evenings. The rainy season starts in May and ends in October, with considerably more rain and occasionally strong winds.
How we choose the best hotels in the Maldives:
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location, and warm service—as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK. It has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Source: www.cntraveler.com
