Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Ultra-luxury villas across three islands, with 11 restaurants including a treetop dining room
About this stay
Ithaafushi is unusual even by Maldivian standards: Waldorf Astoria built the resort across three islands wrapped around a single lagoon, so villas sit low and wide rather than stacked, each one reading like a private compound rather than a hotel room. Every villa keeps its own plunge pool, an outdoor gazebo suited to a private dinner, and a daybed swing angled toward the water. Meals are spread across eleven restaurants, from Chinese and Middle Eastern kitchens to a treetop dining room built up in the canopy, so a week here rarely repeats a menu. The house reef sits close enough for guests to snorkel or arrange a dive without a long boat ride, and the spa and wellness centre anchors the quieter half of the day. South Male Atoll keeps transfers from Velana International Airport short, which matters on a resort spread across three separate islands.
- Three-island luxury resort in South Male Atoll
- Villas with private plunge pools
- Eleven restaurants including a treetop dining room
- House reef, diving and a full spa
Our take
Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi suits families or groups who want genuine distance between villas rather than a shared pool deck. Three islands, eleven restaurants including a treetop dining room, private plunge pools, a house reef and a full spa make it one of the most complete resorts in South Malé Atoll, and a 9.6 score backs that up. Budget accordingly: this is among the priciest stays in the country.
- ✓Reserve the treetop restaurant on your first full day, it's the most talked-about of the eleven dining rooms and fills up fast.
- ✓Pick a villa with the outdoor gazebo if a private dinner or small celebration is part of the trip.
- ✓Snorkel the house reef in the morning before the wind picks up, then decide if a dive is worth booking through the resort's dive centre.
Why we love it
- Villas spread across three islands instead of stacked along one beach
- Eleven restaurants, including a treetop dining room
- Private plunge pool and outdoor gazebo in every villa
- House reef and dive access without a long boat transfer
Why guests love itIthaafushi is spread over three islands, which changes how a family stay works. Buggies link the islands, so villas stay quiet while children can head to the pool and the restaurants without long walks in the heat. Eleven restaurants remove the dinner-time debate, and every villa has its own plunge pool. The house reef and dive centre keep older children busy. It is a big-budget option, but the space justifies it.
Guest reviews
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