11 Exclusive Maldives Resorts You'll Find Nowhere Else

In the Maldives, the world's best hoteliers compete in the art of surprise – underwater residences and restaurants, villas with slides and enormous pools, the most exclusive overwater spas, private islands… Such luxury is unmatched anywhere else! We've compiled a selection of resorts with a twist you won't find anywhere else.

St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island: Underwater Villa

This isn't just a hotel; it's an architectural marvel. The Muraka is a two-level residence, the lower level of which is 5 meters underwater! It houses the master bedroom, bathroom, and living room. Imagine falling asleep and waking up literally surrounded by the ocean. Stingrays, sharks, and schools of colorful fish swim past the panoramic walls. This experience is unmatched anywhere else in the world!

The resort is vast and unique in its structure: it consists of two islands, Rangali and Rangalifinolhu, connected by a 500-meter pedestrian bridge over the lagoon. Guests have access to an impressive infrastructure: 12 world-class restaurants and bars, including a wine cellar with a collection of 20,000 bottles. There are two luxurious spas, one of which is perched on stilts directly above the ocean.

Transfer: Seaplane flight takes approximately 30 minutes.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Soneva Jani: Villas with Waterslides

A unique hotel featuring overwater residences with personal waterslides, this concept has made Soneva Jani one of the most Instagrammable hotels in the world. At some Maldives resorts, you might find a villa with a slide as a stand-alone attraction, but at Soneva Jani, it's an integral part of almost every villa's design. Instead of stairs, you splash down from the second floor directly into the lagoon!

Another interesting secret: in the villa's master bedroom, you can remove the roof over the bed with the touch of a button and admire the starry southern sky of the Maldives!

Soneva Jani follows the renowned Maldivian concept of "No News, No Shoes ." The infrastructure is fully integrated into the natural environment. The Gathering is a massive three-level overwater entertainment center housing restaurants, boutiques, a library, and a spa. The island boasts a professional observatory where you can peer at other planets through a powerful telescope.

Transfer: 35 minutes by Soneva seaplane from Male Airport.

Soneva Jani

JOALI BEING: A magical wellness island

The first fully-fledged wellness resort in the Maldives and one of the few in the world, its entire concept is built on transformation and wellness. This is not just a hotel with a spa; it's a wellness island. Every guest undergoes a diagnostic check before check-in. The island features cryochambers for cold therapy, sensory deprivation pods, hydrotherapy rooms (hammams), saunas, a salt room, sound therapy pavilions, and a center for studying the medicinal properties of herbs. No other spa in the Maldives offers such a range.

JOALI BEING offers 68 villas, healthy restaurants with menus created by nutritionists, and, of course, a huge wellness center.

Transfer: 40 minutes by seaplane, then another 15 minutes by boat.

JOALI BEING

Niyama Private Islands: A Hotel with an Underwater Disco

Niyama gained worldwide recognition with Subsix, an underwater restaurant located 6 meters below the surface that transforms into a club in the evenings. During the day, you can dine surrounded by a coral reef, and at night, the space transforms into a surreal club with DJ sets and underwater lighting. Among the Maldives' underwater restaurants, Subsix holds a special place.

It's also one of the few luxury resorts in the Maldives with its own surf spot, Vodi, with stable waves, accessible directly from the island, making it a mecca for stylish surfers.

The resort is divided into two islands connected by a bridge: Play for active, family-friendly fun, and Chill for privacy and romance. There are nine restaurants and bars, including the treetop restaurant Nest! There's also the floating Drift Spa, a huge kids' club, and a marine biology center.

Transfer: 45-minute seaplane transfer, which lands on an ocean platform. Guests are picked up by boat and transported to the island in 5-10 minutes.

Niyama Private Islands

Velaa Private Island: A Hotel with a Submarine

Velaa is more than just a hotel; it's a unique private island. It boasts the Maldives' only submarine, accessible to guests for exploring the reef. Golf enthusiasts can also enjoy Asia's leading golf academy, led by champion José María Olazábal. The spa boasts the Maldives' only "snow room," where guests can soak up the winter cool after a sauna session.

The island boasts 47 private villas, each with a private pool. The hotel boasts one of the largest wine cellars in the Maldives , valued at over a million dollars. World-class restaurants offer fine dining.

Transfer: 45 minutes by seaplane.

Velaa Private Island

St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort: A Hotel with a Nautical Design

This isn't just a hotel, it's a complete art object! Its design is simply stunning. The entire resort is designed in a unified futuristic style, inspired by marine life. The Iridium Spa is shaped like a giant lobster, the overwater Whale Bar is shaped like a whale shark, and the villas resemble manta rays. It's also home to The John Jacob Astor Estate—one of the largest and most luxurious overwater villas in the Maldives, covering over 1,500 square meters.

The resort offers 77 luxurious villas, each with a personal butler. Guests can enjoy six restaurants and bars. Vommuli Resort boasts one of the islands' most extensive wine cellars. Every evening, the Whale Bar hosts its signature ritual: uncorking champagne with a sabre at sunset.

Transfer: 45-minute seaplane transfer from Male.

St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

Huvafen Fushi: The World's First Underwater Spa

Huvafen SPA revolutionized the world of wellness. Its treatment rooms are located underwater. Imagine enjoying a massage while the tranquil life of a coral reef unfolds outside the panoramic window.

Huvafen Fushi is renowned for its avant-garde design. It features a pool that illuminates at night with hundreds of fiber-optic lights, mimicking the starry sky. Each villa is managed by a personal butler, and the restaurants offer exquisite cuisine in a stylish setting.

Transfer: 30 minutes by private speedboat from Male Airport.

Huvafen Fushi

Amilla Maldives: A Treehouse Hotel

An Instagrammable hotel with a ton of perks. Treehouses with ocean views are a true exclusive and the resort's signature feature. In addition to standard beach villas, the resort also offers ultra-modern "nests" – villas with private pools and a treetop bedroom with panoramic ocean views.

Javvu Spa boasts another unique feature: the SENSORA multisensory capsule. This room combines light, sound, and chromotherapy for deep relaxation and meditation.

Amilla is a fairly large and green island with its own organic farm. It boasts eight restaurants, a huge main pool, one of the best kids' clubs in the Maldives, and tennis courts where professional players often hold master classes.

Transfer: 30 minutes by seaplane from Male.

Amilla Maldives

Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi: Your Own Island Paradise

At this exquisite Maldivian resort, guests have the opportunity to rent not just a villa, but a vast private island for true seclusion and privacy. Ithaafushi, covering 32,000 square meters, offers everything for a completely independent lifestyle: two villas, five swimming pools, an open-air cinema, a gym, a spa pavilion, and a dedicated team of staff, including chefs and concierges, available 24/7.

Guests of the private island live in their own world, accessible only by boat, but still have access to the entire infrastructure of a luxury resort - 11 world-class restaurants, including the exclusive treetop restaurant Terra, the largest spa in the Maldives and a water park for children.

Transfer: 40 minutes by hotel's private yacht.

Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi

Kudadoo Private Island: More Than All-Inclusive

A completely self-contained resort powered by solar energy, this amazing place offers the ultimate freedom of "whatever, whenever, wherever." With just 15 overwater residences on this small island, its all-inclusive system is unparalleled. It includes absolutely everything: unlimited spa treatments, diving, water sports, private yacht excursions, personal training, dining anywhere on the island, and even vintage champagne. You don't see bills or sign checks, and your personal butler simply fulfills your every desire.

Kudadoo guests also have exclusive access to the world's largest underwater restaurant, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant, on neighboring Hurawalhi Island .

Transfer: 40-minute seaplane flight.

Kudadoo Private Island

The Nautilus Maldives: A Hotel Without Rules or Time

The Nautilus is an ultra-luxury boutique hotel with 26 villas and residences, offering a chance to recharge and unwind from the daily grind. There's no breakfast hour—you can order it as early as 4 PM. The restaurants don't have a menu; the chef approaches you and asks what you'd like to try, creating culinary masterpieces tailored to your preferences.

Every excursion or spa experience at The Nautilus is spontaneously organized. There are no dress codes or rules—just complete freedom. Each residence features a private pool and is serviced by a personal House Captain. Guests can enjoy luxury yachts for sea cruises, a cinema under the stars, and exquisite restaurants.

Transfer: 30-minute seaplane transfer.

The Nautilus Maldives