The best hotels in the Maldives
To create a definitive guide to the best hotels in the Maldives in no easy feat. The archipelagic country sets the standard when it comes to superior island living. It’s where overwater stays come as standard, privacy is a given and natural beauty is all around. The calibre is sky high. 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 are taking this formula one step further. It’s not enough for just villas to be overwater anymore. Spas dangle above lagoons now too, with glass floors allowing guests to spy turtles as they enjoy a massage. The classic pool bar has been outdone by a beachside treehouse bar, and restaurants have relocated underwater. Steps towards sustainability are also commonplace too. Most hotels have their own conservation projects and coral programmes. One is even completely solar powered.
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 Traveller 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.
Which Maldives hotel is best for couples?
As the stuff of honeymoon legends, the Maldives has plenty to offer couples. For the truly standout spots, we love Cheval Blanc Randheli (as do the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), and the Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. See our pick of the best Maldives honeymoons for more recommendations.
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 favourite hotels for families include JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa and Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi. For more, see our guide to the best family hotels in the Maldives.
Which Maldives hotels are leading the way in terms of sustainability?
When it comes to nurturing this precious ecosystem, the Four Seasons resorts have been setting the bar for more than two decades with their full-time resident marine biologists and reef restoration programmes. From the Marine Discovery Centres at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, their work with Reefscapers, along with the Maldivian Ministries, they’ve been coral-frame planting, rehabilitating marine life and carrying out vital research. Six Senses Laamu is a member of the respected conservation collective, The Long Run, and the only luxury resort in the southern Maldives’ Laamu Atoll, and their endeavours include next-level protection of seagrass meadows — one of the most effective carbon-storage marine vegetation systems. Soneva has always been sensitive to hospitality’s delicate relationship with nature, on land and in water, since 1995. Their NGO, Soneva Namoona, was set up recently to roll out their holistic sustainability strategy as modelled at their Eco Centres at Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi, and it’s changing the way waste is understood by local communities and handled in the Maldives. A tour of the back-of-house might not be your typical holiday activity, but it’s actually very inspiring. Soneva’s Waste-To-Wealth initiative sees the hotels recycle 90 per cent of the solid waste and alchemise trash into bricks, food matter becomes compost, cans are compacted and glass bottles are reused. As with all paradise-island destinations, fossil-fuel-run generators powering these dreamy escapes will always be one of the biggest sustainability hurdles. Recognising the fragility of their ocean home, too, Kudadoo deserves praise for their solar energy innovations since a remarkably extensive surface area of photovoltaic panels is required to generate even a little electricity in this context. Few blue, watery landscapes rival the drama of this romantic-as-can-be location — which means all the more reason to celebrate the hotels that show a genuine passion for protecting this unrivalled setting. Juliet Kinsman, sustainability editor