Review | Maldives’ best resort? Raffles Meradhoo vs Waldorf Astoria, rated on vibe, location and facilities

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

The vibe

Cool and confident, rocking supersized pool villas and a seemingly endless array of facilities, all across a fish hook-shaped 3.7km of tropical gardens and white-gold beach. The clientele includes Insta-loving nouveaux riches from the United States, China, India and Russia, and celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Serena Williams and Shakira, who book The Private Island at a mere HK$600,000 a night.

The location

Guests are picked up from Velana International Airport, on Malé, on a swanky Majesty 70 Gulf Craft yacht and spirited – champagne in hand – to Ithaafushi, an artificial island set atop a reef in the South Malé Atoll. This is undoubtedly a beautiful spot, but man-made islands cause huge amounts of environmental damage and tend to have reduced marine life in the vicinity as a result.

The rooms

There are 122 villas, some on the beach, some on stilts over water and reef villas straddling both; two Stella Maris Ocean Villas, reached by speedboat because they’re set out at sea; and a nine-bedroom private island. A signature scent created by Ferragamo exclusively for the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi wafts through seductive supersized spaces and around soaring vaulted ceilings, opulent woodwork, contemporary Maldivian furniture, free-standing bathtubs and enormous decks with swimming pools big enough to do lengths.

Eating and drinking

Among the 11 bars and restaurants are a chic beach club and the only Zuma Restaurant in the Indian Ocean – but it’s The Ledge that steals the show. An outpost of the Burnt Ends restaurant in Singapore, its menu is sophisticated barbecue: Maldivian lobster and avocado salad, tuna and caviar tacos and a memorable Wagyu steak sando (yes, that really does mean sandwich). The enormous buffet breakfast spread is one of the best in the Maldives (although, given its size, probably not the most sustainable).

Magic moment

Private dining on the beach, with table and seats cleaved from the sand, surrounded by a manta ray-shaped ring of candles as the Indian Ocean laps nearby.

Sustainability

There are small steps in the right direction, including generating 10 per cent of resort’s energy from solar panels, producing its own bottled water and implementing water-conservation measures. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi also has a marine biologist on staff and works with Parley Maldives, a charity that helps businesses reduce the use of plastic, recycle and conserve the environment.

Things to do

What the resort lacks in its house reef it makes up for with things to do, from tennis or padel tennis lessons to a range of daily, complimentary wellness classes, to every watersport you can think of (non-motorised equipment is free). Still not sure? Try a dolphin cruise, yacht charter or swimming with turtles.

Best bit

With its hydrotherapy stations providing a good pummelling and star therapists, the spa is worth the journey alone.

Worst bit

A couple of artificial islands are being constructed in the hotel’s eye line, serviced by unsightly sand-dredgers, which breaks the tropical-island-idyll spell.

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo

The vibe

Small is beautiful at Raffles Meradhoo, a magical little island that you can wander around in 10 minutes. There is an air of bonhomie among the staff and guests, who are drawn from across the globe in search of peace, serenity and a connection with nature. This is a place to switch off, go analogue, sleep late, read books, play games, eat well and drink cocktails to an Indian Ocean soundtrack.