Welcome to paradise! Waldorf Astoria is one of the newest and most luxurious resorts in the Maldives.

What makes it unique? So many things and here are just a few of them.

Its location – Waldorf Astoria is situated in South male atoll, only 40 minutes away by luxury yacht from international airport. Waldorf Astoria has eight exquisite yachts in its fleet, more than any other luxury resort in the Maldives, to ensure that every guest is picked up from the airport in utmost luxury. Being close to the airport also allows guests to arrive to the resort at night (seaplanes to other resorts operate only in the day light).

No expense has been spared at Waldorf Astoria. 121 villas are amongst the largest in the Maldives and are designed with the high net worth traveller in mind. Villas feel like luxury homes over water rather than hotel rooms.

The size of the island is very impressive – Waldorf is built over 5 islands – all connected to each other with bridges. It takes about 20 minutes to ride your Electra bike around the resort. For those who are not new to the Maldives you’d know that it’s very rare to find a large resort of this size.

Looking for more reasons to visit – Waldorf Astoria boasts the largest private island in the Maldives. It comprises of four villas with nine bedrooms  and an overnight cost  starting from USD $60,000. It is a perfect venue for a wedding or celebration.

The resort also boasts 11 Dining Outlets – not often you’ll find a resort in the Maldives that offers you a new dining experience every night for nearly two weeks in a row.

Arrival

Arrival is so smooth with Waldorf butlers meeting you off the plane in Male and escorting you to the luxury yacht decked right outside the front doors of the terminal. On board expect to be spoiled with champagne, chocolates, fruit and  snacks served by your dedicated on-board butler.

Enjoy the views, get some sun on the outdoor deck, or if arriving late at night, have a nap in one of the exquisite sleeping cabins on a queen bed.

Within 40 minutes of smooth sailing you’ll find yourself in paradise called Waldorf Astoria. Resort team will greet you on the jetty and whisk you away to your villa for check in. Every villa comes with a dedicated butler who attends to your every whim during the stay.

Accommodation

With 122 superb villas spread over three islands, guests can choose from overwater or beach villas.

We stayed in King Grand Overwater Villa With Pool number 119, an exquisite home sprawling over 334 sq meters, with floor to ceiling windows, wooden deck with 10m infinity pool and ocean access, overwater ‘his & hers’ hammocks and a gazebo. Inside awaits a separate living room, spacious bedroom with walk in wardrobe, beautiful double bathroom with a romantic bath, glass floor, indoor and outdoor shower.

We loved the seamless indoor-outdoor living, magnificent views from every room and faultless design. The villa is so stunning that you will be hard pressed to leave it.

Each villa comes with bicycles for every family member so once you decide to venture out, it will be quick and easy with brand new Electra bikes.

For honeymooners looking for a very special accommodation look no further than the stand alone ocean residence Stella Maris. Two of these magnificent villas are not connected to the rest of the island by a bridge, only by boat service. They are the ultimate in romantic overwater accommodation.

Dining

When you book a long stay on an island resort it’s important to have a lot of dining options so you could have variety. Waldorf Astoria doesn’t disappoint with 11 dining outlets to choose from.

My favourite during the stay was Yasmeen, an Arabic restaurant set up as a traditional Arabic village. The set menu showcases the best in the Middle Eastern cuisine with a selection of cold and hot mezze, dips, salads and generous plates of grilled meat, seafood or vegetables.

Kids loved Tangled, Asian noodle & dumpling house with Xiao Long Bao (Chinese soup dumplings), Prawn Dumplings and noodle dishes. It was a treat to find a dumpling house in the Maldives; it is possibly the only one of its kind.

Chinese Li Long is also excellent with its main specialty being Peking Duck. Li Long is set up overwater with romantic lighting and quiet atmosphere, perfect on a still summer’s night.

Restaurant near the family pool is open for both lunch and dinner and featured dishes designed by Australian chef Dave Pynt. The menu features a selection of small tasting dishes, designed to share. During lunch all restaurants are very quiet, but becomes lively at dinner time with nearly every table booked.

For a special occasion try Terra in the Treehouses, it is a fine dining romantic restaurant in the treetops, high above ground, perfect for a special occasion.

Or if wellness is high on your list, Glow is a perfect restaurant for you with a selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes made with organic vegetables and herbs from the chef’s garden.

Facilities

In Waldorf Astoria Maldives you can do as much or as little as you please. If you are feeling active join other fellow travellers on a snorkelling trip, a turtle quest or dolphin cruise. Partake in the watersports, motorized or not, depending on how fast you’d like to go.  Play tennis with a Pro or join one of the fitness or yoga classes. Or, if relaxation is more your thing, the spa offers a lot of pampering treatments as well as specialised programs designed by visiting wellness practitioners. Check resort’s wellness diary if you’d like to time your visit around one of the yoga masters or Ayurvedic doctors.

We observed that most of the guests prefer to spend time in their villas during the day, but if you choose to venture out there is a large family swimming pool as well as ‘adults only’ pool.

While adults relax, kids can spend time at the kids club and enjoy personalized activities and a mini water park with slides and a pirate ship.

It’s a little harder to entertain teenagers, but one of the good options is to enrol them in a PADI diving course.

One of the reasons that Maldives is so popular with the sea lovers is snorkelling and diving. Most resorts have their own house reef and Waldorf has a lot of snorkelling opportunities off the island. We snorkeled every day off our villa (reef is only 10 meters away) and saw a lot of beautiful fish and pretty coral.

The Lux Traveller Loves

Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi is exquisite in every way – one of the very best resorts in the Maldives. If you choose Waldorf for your next holiday you won’t be disappointed.

Splitting Hairs

We found the food to be extremely expensive in all restaurants, so we’d highly recommend a package that includes at least half board.

All In All

Exquisite seven star resort with an unmatched service, facilities and accommodation. Perfectly suited for the high net worth traveller.