I visited the cheapest and most expensive Maldives resorts: here's what you get for your money
As someone fortunate enough to have seen a lot of the world, I am resolute in my view that the Maldives is the best holiday destination on Earth (unless you find sand and sea boring). Having developed considerably from 1970, when the Indian Ocean archipelago was still a largely uninhabited collection of 1,192 fishing islands, today there is little to distinguish one from another (there are more than 150 operating as resorts, with about a dozen new offerings launching each year).
Competition is fierce between brands to differentiate themselves in what is essentially a parade of white-sand, turquoise-rimmed microcosms dotted with overwater villas. Standards are high, as are prices, which range anywhere from about £300 per night to more than £2,000.
But is it possible to visit this paradisal corner of the planet on a shoestring budget? And are the most expensive establishments really so much more amazing than their more moderately priced neighbours?
That’s what I set out to discover when I toured seven of them, from the absolute cheapest I could find (a ramshackle inn on a local atoll for £11 per night) to the priciest (an exclusive £4,000-per-night island of dreams) and several in between.
With my fiancé Julius in tow, I judged each of them on five key criteria – setting, design, service, facilities and food – and then chose three examples to compare. I found a fair few surprises, especially in the median ranges, where similarly priced resorts are not created equal. We stayed at two sister resorts under the same Marriott umbrella, the second (Le Méridien) being easily three times more marvellous than the first (the Sheraton), despite being in roughly the same price bracket; from £440 per night.
Cora Cora, newly launched in autumn 2021, was overpriced at £570 per night for what it offers, while I was blown away by Sun Siyam Olhuveli, a fantastic option with packages from as little as £175 per night for a family of three. For the purposes of the following in-depth comparison, though, I chose Le Méridien (marriott.com) as the mid-range option, as it turned out to be my favourite overall.
At the cheapest end, while there are guesthouses on islands bookable for under £100 per night elsewhere, they tend to be far-flung, and difficult and prohibitively expensive to reach. So instead I hunted down the lowest-priced all-inclusive hotel I could find that was accessible from Male via public speedboat; Ithaa Beach Maldives (ithaabeachmaldives.com), on the local island of Guraidhoo.
Booking all-inclusive in the Maldives, I learnt, is all but essential unless you are teetotal with the appetite of a sparrow: you’ll be on an island without any other dining alternatives, and the à la carte menu options at each resort we visited, across every price point, were fall-off-your-sun-lounger exorbitant. All the packages examined here are thus all-inclusive.
It’s worth noting also that there is certainly an upper limit to how splendid a resort can be. Several years ago I visited what used to be the priciest option in the Maldives; Coco Privé, a now-closed private island with a £32,000-per-night price tag, and it was no more luxurious than Kudadoo (kudadoo.com). So no matter how much cash you are rolling in, you won’t find better – or need to spend more – than somewhere like Kudadoo.
The setting
Ithaa Beach
This being located on the local fishing island of Guraidhoo, a 35-minute public speedboat ride from Malé, it is governed by strict Islamic laws that don’t apply to resort-only islands. So though Ithaa is positioned on a quiet beach and just a short distance from the calm, clear sea, its location was wasted given that swimwear here is prohibited everywhere except for a small fenced-off “bikini beach” area on the other side of Guraidhoo. While the view is nice, it’s a shame not to be able to sunbathe or cool off in the water.
Le Méridien
Delightful. This pristine, moderately sized nine-hectare island on the northern Lhaviyani Atoll has the advantage of being far enough away from Malé (90 miles; a 35-minute seaplane ride) that it is free from the ugly construction sites and high-rise buildings that blight the skyline of other resorts (such as the Sheraton, similarly priced and also owned by Marriott, but with far inferior views). The surrounding reef was beautiful, fully stocked with fish and turtles, and close to an impressive 50 dive sites and two shipwrecks.
Kudadoo
A convenient five-minute speedboat hop from its less expensive sister Hurawalhi (many guests split their stay between the two), Kudadoo nevertheless feels like a world of its own. It’s a tiny, perfectly formed island, also on the Lhaviyani Atoll (45 minutes by plane), which can be circled on foot in less than 10 minutes, and had the best reef we experienced; a technicolour drop teaming with fish and spinner dolphins, just a few strokes from the deck of our villa.
The winner
Kudadoo wins for the quality of its reef, but Le Méridien’s location is almost as good. A vital and often overlooked factor in choosing a resort is how isolated the island is on which it sits – and this is not something always reflected in the price. As long as you are secluded, as both these were, the views don’t differ much; and you can expect endless perfect seascapes in every direction. Veer too close to Malé, though, and it’s impossible to avoid eyesores.
The design
Ithaa Beach
As basic as it comes, with tiled floors, plastic furniture, and no distinctive features. However, it was more comfortable than I was expecting, given that I came prepared for a situation comparable to my gap-year travels. Our small room, with views from the modest window overlooking a brick wall, was clean and air-conditioned, the shower was hot and there were no creepy-crawlies.
Le Méridien
This felt far more high-end than any of its mid-range competitors. With that unmistakable new sheen (it opened in September 2021), the palette here is white and pastel, with nautical accents and the odd smattering of palm tree and flamingo motifs. The communal areas are sleek, the villas large and elegant, and the tropical grounds colourful but immaculately kept. All in all, I failed to comprehend how this resort was the same price as its rivals, notably the Sheraton, which was tired and somewhat tatty by comparison, and Cora Cora, which although also new, felt like a tackier version.
Kudadoo
Truly unique; a total show-stopper. Designed by Japanese-American architect Yuji Yamazaki, with a solar-panel encased roof, Kudadoo is both eco-friendly and endlessly sophisticated. Furnishings are heavy on teak and cedar wood, while floor-to-ceiling glass throws long shadows across the decking to create a spectacular chiaroscuro effect. Our villa, one of only 15, was vast, jaw-dropping and brimming with fine bath products, indulgent baked goods, an iPad Pro and even a paint set.
The winner
Kudadoo wins for wow factor, but Le Méridien, being larger, offers a wider array of beautifully designed spaces to flit between and is astounding value for the price. Ithaa was unsurprisingly unable to compete with either in this category; or indeed with any of the other mid-range resorts we visited.
The service
Ithaa Beach
Excellent. Our host was warm, and this being such a small operation, we had the same polite and attentive server for all meals. While his English was fairly limited and thus conversation minimal, there were several thoughtful encounters – on our last night, he was kind enough to set up a beautiful candlelit dinner on the beach. In fact, Ithaa far outperformed the treatment we experienced at the Sheraton and Cora Cora, both of which charge upwards of £400 per night and where we experienced several substantial service-related hiccups.
Le Méridien
Faultless; neither too stuffy nor too lax. Staff here seemed more genuinely happy in their jobs than anywhere else, seemingly with the time and space to get to know us. The team at the watersports centre were particularly fun, providing truly memorable aquatic adventures, while we spent hours chatting one night to a very lively mixologist at the bar. Every member of staff remembered our names and went above and beyond to make us smile upon every encounter.
Kudadoo
“Anything. Anytime. Anywhere” is the mantra here, and it holds true. Our dedicated butler, contactable at all hours via WhatsApp, was an expert at waiting in the wings; always on hand to provide us with suggestions before we even thought to ask, without ever invading our privacy. The highlight was, after a fine dinner set up in a lantern-strewn jungle clearing, the surprise display that awaited us in our villa – complete with a cake, and flower petals leading to a candlelit bath – to celebrate our recent engagement.
The winner
Kudadoo, with its A-lister-worthy attention to detail is closely followed by Le Méridien, which struck the perfect balance between laid-back and highly competent. Ithaa Beach was impressive and quibble-free, given the price.
The facilities
Ithaa Beach
None to speak of, except a swing and small outdoor eating area. Elsewhere on Guraidhoo, though, you’ll find a few souvenir shops and two very cheap watersports centres – and you can book excursions including boat trips and fishing tours through Ithaa for less than £20.
Le Méridien
Packed with everything you’d expect from a Maldivian resort – infinity pools, a spa, and an especially good (though expensive) watersports centre stocked with brand new kit and young, energetic staff – along with innovative spaces that included the Waves Lifestyle Hub, a boutique space housing a wellness café, creative arts studio and fitness centre; and the Greenhouse, a state-of-the-art hydroponic farm.
Kudadoo
The villas at Kudadoo are expansive and high-tech, with both a full-sized pool and plunge pool, as well as indoor and outdoor showers, an extravagant egg-shaped tub and hanging sofas on the deck. With all this, and total privacy, why would you venture into the public domain? Just to admire it, really. In terms of other facilities, the central “Retreat” area encompasses Kudadoo’s glossy bar, restaurant and ravishing spa – home to the only Himalayan salt chamber in the Maldives – while the tiny watersports centre offers unlimited access to everything from jet skis and catamaran rides to jet-blading and paddle boards.
The winner
At Kudadoo’s fully equipped villa, it felt more like having our own holiday home than staying at a resort, which gives this island a winning edge – plus, none of the extensive activities are chargeable under its all-inclusive policy. There is also no limit on how many you can do, or how often. Le Méridien offers an impressive variety but activities here are expensive and can get booked out. Ithaa is left in the dust with no facilities at all, not even a pool.
The dining (and drinking)
Ithaa Beach
Surprisingly good. Far from fancy, with very limited choices, but never bland or insufficient in quantity. Here we enjoyed fresh, citrusy salads, speciality Garudhiya broth and tangy curries, accompanied by watermelon coolers. There’s one huge caveat, though: no alcohol is permitted to be served or even purchased anywhere on Guraidhoo owing to local laws. Fine for me on this occasion, being pregnant, but ordinarily a deal-breaker.
Le Méridien
Presided over by Australian chef Brett Muller, the cuisine here was consistently fantastic. Across six restaurants and bars, we feasted on chilli-infused pain au chocolate for breakfast by the beach at Turquoise, Asian fusion dishes or wood-fired pizza for lunch at the adults-only Velaa Bar + Grill, and top-quality teppanyaki at the glass-fronted Japanese Tabemasu restaurant come sunset. Bonus points for the fact that most of the vegetables – unusually for the Maldives – are grown on-site.
Kudadoo
Food here was hit and miss. The selection was unbeatable, with an extensive wine and champagne cellar, and a cheese and charcuterie chamber to boot. Some meals, and all the sunset canapes, were sensational. Every dish was presented to perfection, but the quality wasn’t always consistent – Julius had a disappointing kobe beef steak and I picked my way through one or two uninspiring salads.
The winner
Le Méridien won this category hands down – every meal was divine. While most of the food at Kudadoo was excellent, for the price of a stay here you would expect perfection on every plate. Ithaa Beach would come in second on the basis of its food at that price point, but is only suitable for those who don’t mind not drinking alcohol.
The verdict
Mid-range is marvellous
With everything taken into consideration, I was most enamoured with Le Méridien owing to its outstanding value for money. It scored highly on every front and was leagues ahead of its competitors. If money were no object, yes I’d go back to Kudadoo – unrivalled in its pure indulgence, and the fact that unlike every other resort I’ve ever stayed at in the Maldives, it is truly all-inclusive and therefore impossible to run up a nasty bill to contend with at checkout. But luxury does have its limits, and you don’t need to go for the most expensive places to have the best time. As for Ithaa Beach, I was expecting far grottier in terms of the accommodation itself – and you can’t beat it on price. However, life sure is different on a local island in this part of the world, and I can’t think of many people who would want to go all the way to the Maldives only to be denied cocktails and swimwear...
Covid rules
For full details of entry requirements and Covid rules for your favourite destinations, including the Maldives, see telegraph.co.uk/tt-travelrules
