11 Of The Best Hotels In The Maldives For Luxe Island Living

Jumeirah’s Maldivian resort, like its glittering sister properties in Dubai and Bali, is renowned for ultra-luxe living. Hop on a seaplane from Male International Airport and you'll be rolling on up to reception in just 15 minutes (if a speedboat's more your thing it'll take under an hour).

Architecturally, this hotel stands out from the crowd, with overwater Mediterranean-inspired villas turning traditional Maldivian design on its head. There is a smattering of two and three bedroom residences along the beach too. Dedicated butler service, private infinity pools, indoor and outdoor showers, and sheltered terraces feature across all villas. The true magic of the resort is in the best experiences: think floating breakfasts, cocktails at the beach club, sunset cruises, and private dining on an actual sandbank. You can even enjoy a private movie screening on the rooftop of your villa.

The Maldives and affordability may not often go together, but that's not the case at The Standard, Maldives. In 2024 it was heralded one of the best resorts in the Maldives by Condé Nast Traveller and the brand’s eclectic reputation shines through, with disco balls in the bathroom and even an overwater dancefloor. They're just some of the reasons the Times UK also declared this hotel has "more personality than most of the competition". 

For all its quirks, though, the best calling cards of a Maldivian escape are found here too: crystalline waters, overwater or beachfront pool villas and a protected house reef. The restaurants and bars are equally distinctive. Head to the BBQ Shak for fresh grilled seafood, the Beru Bar for overwater sunset cocktails, Todis Bar for tribal beats and dancing, and Guduguda for authentic Maldivian flavours.

Pack the bikini and get ready for a splashing good time because if you book a stay at this luxe hotel, set on its own private island in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, you’ll have access to the best house coral reef in the Maldives. It’s home to what locals call the “Golden Wall”, and spotting schools of colourful fish and serene hawksbill turtles is all in a day’s exploring here. Prefer to keep your clothes on? This place offers award-winning underwater dining—yep, get the glad rags out and explore the world’s first underwater wine cellar before indulging in a degustation menu while the marine life swims by.

After all that tastiness, we reckon you’ll wish you booked the Two Bedroom Sunset Over Water Pool Residence—one of 80 accommodation options in the resort. It’s pretty spesh, set at the very end of the boardwalk with epic views of the open ocean and a glass-bottomed bathtub big enough for two, where you and your plus one can watch the pufferfish swim while you sink in. It’s got a private infinity pool too, and we love how you get personal bicycles to potter about on during your stay.

Searching for a spot of R&R with a side of sumptuous food and perhaps a seaplane flight thrown in? Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa is just what the doctor ordered. This hotel sits on a pretty crescent-shaped private island on the northern Haa Alifu Atoll and boasts some of the largest beachfront villas in the Maldives, some with exclusive access to private beaches. Expect butler service and complimentary bicycles for the ultimate island life vibe, and if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, the on-site watersports centre offers jet skiing around the island. There are also 30 epic dive sites accessible from the resort, including the famous Heaven and Hell dive, and there’s an on-site Floating Aqua Park for the small peeps to explore.

When the fun is done, tuck into freshly-caught lobster at Lava Stone Grill, or head to Hideaway Fish Market and choose your own daily catch for the chefs to prepare just to your liking. Cocktails come courtesy of Meeru Bar and Grill later on, and are served with Live Music, DJ Nights, Karaoke Night, and more. Hit the snooze button the next morning, before heading to that massage at The Hideaway Spa you’ve been dreaming about ever since you got off the plane.

Book a stay of seven or more nights from September 2025 to December 23 2026 and enjoy a free shared charter flight for two.

Six Senses is renowned for its wellness-led and barefoot luxury philosophy and its Maldives outpost, Six Sense Laamu, is no exception. Expect to feel seriously zen at this hotel, thanks to the best spa treatments, Ayurveda, rooftop yoga, bespoke wellness screenings, a juice bar and organic farm-to-plate dining to really ensure next-level relaxation.

Seasonal dining is the name of the game at the three waterside restaurants, which utilise ingredients from the resort’s organic micro-herb garden plus locally caught seafood. At Six Senses Laamu, bucket list moments come in spades: a private lobster barbecue on the beach, turtle hatching (in season) and cinema screenings under the stars are standouts.

A go-to for accessible, sustainable luxury is LUX* South Ari Atoll. This is a resort that promises bang for buck thanks to it having eight restaurants, five bars (with excellent all-inclusive packages) and experiences like whale shark expeditions and sound baths aboard a traditional dhoni. Holistic wellness is another focus here, with an overwater spa (one of the largest in the Maldives, thank you) offering signature massages, energy healing, floating yoga and meditation.

Prefer adrenaline to aromatherapy? Strap in for a hoverboarding experience or a jet ski safari. The resort’s PADI dive centre can help organise trips out to the 50 dive sites nearby, where guests can explore kaleidoscopic coral reefs and keep their flippers crossed for sightings of dolphins and whale sharks.

COMO Cocoa Island is easily one of the best hotels in the Maldives – particularly if you have a penchant for understated luxury and dhoni-shaped overwater villas. Honeymooners can hide away in a split-level loft or water villa, and those with a group can take up residence in a sprawling three-bedroom option complete with infinity pool and nanny’s quarters.

Head to the beachfront pool and pilates studio when relaxation rules, or venture to the surf breaks for group or one-on-one surfing coaching. Sunset cruises, scuba diving expeditions, whale shark encounters, and nighttime snorkelling are also available. For eats, there is Indian-meets-Mediterranean cuisine at Ufaa restaurant, and a Shambhala healthy dining concept centred around a tandoor oven. 

Much like the rest of its global luxury resorts, One&Only Reethi Rah sets the bar for immersive experiences. Whether over sand or water, the villas promise complete comfort. The three-bedroom Grand Residence is particularly mind-blowing, with a 50sqm infinity pool, cabana and outdoor cinema for the exclusive use of your group. World-class facilities here range from a FIFA-certified football field and adults-only pool to a pro-worthy tennis court, onsite dive centre and six restaurants.

Eat your way through the farm-to-table dishes at the garden-centric Botanica or take your meals with ocean views at overwater Reethi restaurant. A swathe of private dining is also available: take your pick from under a fairy light-dressed Banyan tree, among the flowers of Orchid House or in the resort’s secluded treehouse.

Lily Beach Resort and Spa was named the leading all-inclusive resort in the Maldives by the World Travel Awards in 2025 and we can absolutely see why. It’s a uniquely-shaped place, sitting in the South Ari Atoll just 25 minutes by sea plane from Male International Airport, and offers nine luxury villa options—many with pools and all with direct access to the ocean. 

Choose a Beach Suite with Jacuzzi and you can roam around in 76 sqm of living space literal footsteps from the beach and soak in the bubbles while enjoying a blissful sea view. The best bit? The hotel's Platinum Plan which gives you a heap of extras and a totally hassle-free stay: think unlimited signature drinks in select bars; a complimentary dinner at Tamarind Specialty Restaurant; access to a beachside cool box for levelling up your sun-lounging game; snorkelling equipment; complimentary group sunrise yoga sessions and more. That’s not even all of it, and you get to use the hotel’s sport complex too, which has a tennis court, table tennis, billiards tables, a gym, beach volleyball, and a football beach for whiling away a few hours.

Family fun is the order of the day at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort, where half board and all-inclusive options guarantee everyone in tow is well looked after. The daily activity schedule ensures no two of your days here are the same, with snorkelling safaris, PADI-certified diving courses and island excursions on offer. From swimming with turtles and manta rays to sunset fishing and parasailing, your toughest choice will not be which activity to do – but which to start with first.

Go from thrills to grills when you sit down to meals at Art-I-San, the resort’s fine diner; Japanese cuisine from Koto; or seafood-leaning Moodhu Grill. The overwater dining platforms means meals with a view are guaranteed. For reservations for stays of four nights and more made between 1 July and 22 December 2025, guests will receive a 25 per cent discount on transfers.

Talk of the best hotel in the Maldives isn’t complete without Soneva Fushi, one of the mainstays in The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards and a regular feature on travel TikTok too. Sitting pretty on the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the resort has a laundry list of bells and whistles.

There are the one- or two-bedroom Water Reserves where bedrooms have retractable roofs and private decks come with slides straight into the ocean below. More extravagant villas and residences are perched along pristine beachfront or within island jungle—some with private wine cellars, gyms, and steam rooms.

Leave the cosseted confines of your villa behind to taste your way through the 11 restaurants, including a treetop fine diner accessed by zipline, and castaway-style picnics on deserted islands. A wealth of watersports and activities like snorkelling, cruises, private dinners, beach camping, and outdoor movie screenings await to ensure days at Soneva Fushi are as jam-packed (or slow-paced) as you like.