An exclusive luxury resort in the Maldives with oceanfront villas, fine dining, endless ocean views and an entire private island just waiting to be explored.
Close your eyes and picture what a beach paradise looks like – white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue waters and your own private island. The Maldives is that daydream come to life. There are more than a thousand islands that make up the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, each breathtakingly beautiful. This is considered one of the most stunning island getaways on the globe and it’s easy to see why. With 5,000 coral reefs, extraordinary sunsets with nothing to block your view and private villas, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime place to visit.
The Maldives is known for its private resorts, each on individual islands with luxurious accommodations that match the surroundings. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi resort is one of those bucket list destinations for us and it didn’t disappoint. It has all the usual elegance and excellent service to be expected of a Waldorf Astoria property, but in a truly special location.
The Waldorf Astoria Maldives is spread out over three islands and a private reef with white sand beaches and endless ocean water, in a gorgeous turquoise blue shade. The resort has 10 dining venues, a world-class spa and activities for guests including snorkeling, bike rides to explore the island, a fantastic kids club and private pools. Chris and I knew we were in for a wonderfully relaxing and extravagant vacation like only the Maldives can deliver.
Getting There
Of course, taking a plane to the Maldives is only the first step. Once arriving at Velana International Airport, we still had to make our way to the private island where the hotel is located. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives sure knows how to make a great first impression though! We were greeted right at the airport by someone from the property who swiftly arranged for our bags to be taken and directed us to a dock where a beautiful yacht was waiting just for us.
The Waldorf Astoria here is one of only a few properties close enough to the airport so we could take a yacht and not a seaplane. It’s a more relaxing trip that way – not to mention the great refreshments and snacks on board. After a 40-minute yacht ride, we pulled up to the dock of the resort where members of the team were waiting to greet us – talk about VIP service right from the start!
To get to our villa, we then drove through a series of white sandy roads with tall, lush trees and tropical plants on either side, which were expertly manicured. What struck me right away was how big this island is. The island is completely manmade and has a length of 3.5 kilometers, which is huge for the Maldives!
First Impressions of the Waldorf Astoria Resort
The entire design of the resort has an upscale island vibe to it, it’s barefoot luxury taken up a few notches. It’s elegant without being pretentious, and casual without being too relaxed. White, sandy beaches surround the island with plenty of common space if you want to have a beach day and be around other people. Inside the island, it’s a maze of sandy roads to help guests get to all the different areas of the property.
The hotel was running at high occupancy while we were there, but I had no idea that was the case. Except for tracks on the sand from bikes and golf carts, I was pretty convinced we had the entire island to ourselves.
There are more than 100 villas to choose from and each has a private pool and the most incredible uninterrupted view of the Indian Ocean. On our way to the villa, we passed by restaurants, went over bridges, saw a stunning spa, an activity area for kids, beautiful beaches and then we pulled up to our villa – our own slice of paradise.
Our Villa on the Ocean
We stayed in a overwater villa with a private pool and spacious outdoor deck. Walking inside, the design was chic and had a sophisticated city vibe to it … just with the most beautiful water views instead of city lights! There was a large living room with a bar, a bedroom, a dressing area with enormous closets, a very big bathroom with double sinks, a huge bathtub with a view of the ocean and an outdoor rain shower. This villa was huge!
I knew the villa was going to be gorgeous (based on the pictures from the website) but I didn’t realise how grand and chic it would be. When I walked in, I was completely taken back by all the little details. The cocktail bar had ingredients to make craft cocktails, their were pastries and sweets on the table welcoming us, personalised amenities in the bathroom for the kids and our personal concierge who offered to get us anything we needed.
“I knew the villa was going to be gorgeous (based on the pictures from the website) but I didn’t realise how grand and chic it would be. ”
The layout of our villa was like a straight line, with floor to ceiling glass sliding doors running along one side looking out onto our deck and pool area and further onto the ocean. Our favourite feature was the dressing area, because the floor was made of glass, so we could look out at the fish and other water animals. It was special :)
We had a lot of outdoor space as well with a dining area and several lounge spots including a daybed facing the ocean and a rope bed hanging over the ocean. Everything was so private, it felt like our own upscale island condo. If you need some extra privacy though, check out the Stella Maris Ocean Villa which is completely surrounded by water and only accessible by private boat.
We were traveling with our two kids – Zave (1) and Axel (3.5) and didn’t mind being in an overwater villa like this. It just means you have to watch the kids closely, which you have to do no matter where you are. 😉 If needed, you can request to have a guard put up around the edge of the outdoor area for a bit of added protection against falling into the water, it all depends on what you’re comfortable with. There are equally gorgeous villas on the beach that are nice and private, so go with a beachside villa if being directly over the water is a concern.
The Waldorf Astoria team had set up a small bed for Axel and had a crib ready for our little Zave. Each of the areas in the villa has a sliding door, so we were able to put the kids in the living room area to sleep and still have some privacy for us. The team even put some cute kid amenities in the bath area for our little ones. These personal touches really made us feel welcome.
We could have easily stayed in our villa for the entire time we were there. It had direct access to the ocean, so we could swim or snorkel anytime we wanted, a beautiful pool to play with the kids and lots of spots to sit and soak in the beauty of this island and the room service menu is wonderful! As tempting as it is, don’t stay in your villa all day, get out and explore! The team will provide you with bikes, so you can easily get around, or you can always call a buggy! Everyone is literally at your service :)
Endless Dining Options
There are so many options for meals at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives with 10 different restaurants and bars, you’ll never get bored! Each one presents an outstanding culinary experience with dishes that will take you around the world. Because of the beautiful setting on this private island, every dining spot is special with outdoor dining options overlooking the beach and stunning shorelines.
It amazes me how well the Waldorf Astoria does dining in the Maldives. They make every meal memorable. We loved the fine dining experience at Terra, which is a romantic treetop restaurant where you are seated in a hand-crafted bamboo pod for a seven-course meal. This was the ultimate date night for us, with a picturesque gastronomic experience only the Waldorf Astoria could dream up.
We had some of the best authentic Chinese food I’ve ever had at Li Long. The restaurant is inspired by Shanghainese noble residences and is situated overtop of the lagoon. You have to try the signature Peking duck, and ask for their iced tea.
One of our other favourites was The Ledge by Dave Pynt, who is a Michelin-starred chef and has a way with the grill. His restaurant on the island brings gourmet Australian barbecue to an intimate setting and is just so delicious. Dave’s personality and passion for the food made the dishes taste even better!
Breakfast here is an event which could easily last for a few hours. There’s a beautiful buffet with an amazing spread of anything you could possibly want. It has healthy and nutritious options like green bowls and smoothies, treats from different countries like fresh local curries, Indian specialties, a hot pot station, pancakes and crepes, omelettes and delicious smashed avocado toast. There are different stations set up for each and it was wonderful to be able to browse the unique and delicious flavors. We even had breakfast on a floating tray in the pool one day – it was a fun luxury that our boys loved!
Every day we had lunch at Nava – the hotel’s beachside restaurant. It has a cozy atmosphere, stunning views of the lagoon and a huge selection of food. Nava has everything from wood-fired pizzas, tacos and the famous Pynt burger. I can personally vouch for this menu, seriously everything we had here was so impressive!
The food at the Waldorf Astoria takes your stay to the next level. You can have whatever you’re craving and know that it will be made sustainably with love and deliciousness. And you get to enjoy it with the impressive island as a backdrop.
Traveling with Kids to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives
While most people think of the Maldives as a honeymoon or couples spot, this is truly a special place for kids. We got to see the island paradise through our children’s eyes, especially Axel, our 3.5-year-old. He brought magic to experiences like swimming in the pool and ocean, exploring the island together, spotting animals in the water and meeting friends in the kids’ club.
What makes visiting the Waldorf Astoria Maldives with kids so enjoyable is that the hotel doesn’t skimp on kids’ amenities, but they confine the kids’ areas a bit, so it doesn’t disturb the adults. This was key for us and we REALLY appreciated it. We wanted lots of activities for our kids to do, but didn’t want to feel like we were at Disneyland or Peppa Pig Playland. The Waldorf Astoria struck that perfect balance.
Because the property is only a 40-minute yacht ride from the airport, we didn’t have to worry about taking a seaplane. That can be a bit uncomfortable for kids, so getting to ride the yacht here made things easy and enjoyable for our whole family.
If you need formula or diapers, you can arrange to have the items there before your arrival and waiting in the villa. We brought formula and diapers with us, but diapers were readily available in the kids’ club if we needed them. Another perk, you can borrow almost anything you need for little ones from a stroller to a potty and diaper pail, they have it all!
Our oldest, Axel, was living his best life when it came to food. He’s a little connoisseur in the making! Every restaurant we went to with him had a kids’ menu and the chefs were always willing to make whatever he wanted. Axel even helped make his own pizza and put it in the wood-fired oven. There was also lots of ice cream available … a kids’ paradise, right? 😊
Babysitters are available at the hotel and you should give them as much notice as possible for days and times you need. We were able to get a babysitter to come right to the room and watch the kids or watch them in the kids’ club.
The Outstanding Kids’ Club
The kids’ club is phenomenal! Not only does it have a great indoor space with plenty of toys for all ages, but it also has an impressive outdoor area with an adventure playground complete with slides, swings and a trampoline.
The outdoor splash pad and waterpark were a big hit with Axel (and Chris too!). They had a blast on the waterslide and splashing in the water together. During the day, we would take both our boys to the club for a few hours to just have fun and play with the other kids on the resort.
The Waldorf Astoria has the philosophy that adventures in the Maldives aren’t just for grown-ups and that a fun-filled holiday for little ones is important too. Having this dedicated area just for kids shows that commitment and we were so impressed with all it had to offer.
The Young Discovery Park is for kids of all ages, but any kids under the age of four have to be accompanied by an adult. Kids older than four can be left here with the wonderful team members. All the staff here were so kind to our kids, even going out of their way to remember their names and favorite toys – it was very special.
The true value of the kids’ club here is really once your children are over the age of four, because you can drop them off without having to pay any additional fees. We will be back for sure once the boys are older!
Exciting Activities and Excursions
There really is every possible water activity you could do on this beautiful turquoise ocean – whether it’s scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, riding a jet ski, fishing or taking a private cruise to see dolphins, it’s all available here.
One of our favorite activities is snorkeling, so we knew we had to do it while we were here. Chris and I were able to leave our kids at the kids’ club with a babysitter and take off on a boat to a nearby reef to get some snorkeling in. I’m not sure what I liked more, having a kid-free day or swimming with all the amazing underwater wildlife! We were lucky enough to spot and snorkel with fish and turtles — amazing creatures that are beautiful to watch in the water.
What’s great about all the excursions here is the Waldorf Astoria has instructors and different experience levels. So whether you’ve never been snorkeling or scuba diving before or you’re a certified diver, they can tailor the experience to you.
There are also great activities where you don’t have to get wet. The resort has a tennis court with a resident tennis pro who was ranked among the top 100 in the world, so you can definitely get some fun exercise in. The new glass-bottom boat is another great option where you can see coral reefs and try to spot fish swimming under your feet. This is especially good for families with little ones who aren’t ready to snorkel or dive.
World-class Spa
The spa at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is located in the botanical gardens area of the island. It allows you to be surrounded by natural beauty while enjoying relaxing and serene treatments. What’s unique about this resort is the first-ever Wellness Concierge service located in the Maldives. This offers a personalized approach to overall health, so you’re guaranteed to get exactly what you’re looking for with their three goals of relaxing, rebalancing and results.
There are yoga classes set on a beautiful outdoor pavilion – Axel made friends with the yoga instructor and tried out a few moves! There’s also an Aqua Wellness Centre with a specially designed pool divided into zones, each focused on a different part of the body. There are air jets, shower jets and a massage lounge that use water temperature and intensity to ease sore muscles and boost the immune system.
While we didn’t do a spa visit this time, I already have my eye on the perfect massage to get next time we’re here. The spa offers a starlight ocean massage in the spa pavilion where you spend 90 minutes under the Maldivian stars listening to the waves during the treatment. Sounds heavenly!
The Waldorf Astoria Maldives is the kind of hotel you don’t think exists, but it does! With the astonishing natural beauty of the island, the luxurious accommodations, amazing food and activities for everyone, the team at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives really has thought of everything to make your stay here relaxing, enjoyable and memorable. You won’t want to leave! The team members here truly work to personalize your time here and ensure you have everything you need. The Waldorf Astoria team made this an exceptional stay for our whole family and I’m already looking forward to returning someday.
“With the astonishing natural beauty of the island, the luxurious accommodations, amazing food and activities for everyone, the team at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives really has thought of everything to make your stay here relaxing, enjoyable and memorable. ”
