Milaidhoo Maldives Review: Heaps of Luxury in Design

Milaidhoo, which opened November 2016, is one of the best resorts I’ve stayed in the Maldives. This is a huge statement considering I’ve checked into 11 five-star resorts in the most beautiful destination on the planet, and the fact Maldives is known to be luxury-drenched and over the top. The bar is already high. Here’s our Milaidhoo Maldives review.

INTRODUCTION

Milaidhoo is an intimate, 50-villa property (mostly overwater villas but about a dozen beach villas) on a private island in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. What that means is that the entire area is protected, and there are plenty of sea creatures, from baby nurse sharks to sting rays and dolphins, that thrive in its natural habitat.

The resort, opened in 2016, is quite contemporary and ultra-luxe, but it’s identity rests in local design, food, comfort and local heritage. In fact, it’s the only resort in the Maldives that is Maldivian owned.

What Milaidhoo does differently is capturing luxury in details and service, which makes it stand out. The resort pays attention to the little things that generate a “wow” factor everywhere you turn, and I’ll discuss those below. Remember, most resorts in Maldives are already high-end, mind-blowing and over the top, which theoretically makes them all very similar, so the tiny details truly helps Milaidhoo stand out.

Aside from smart design, massive villas with private pools, total privacy, an overwater spa and incredibly fresh/elevated dining in a visually engaging, al fresco restaurant, here are a few other moments at Milaidhoo that made it worth the visit. Our Milaidhoo Maldives review is a chance for you to determine whether it’s worth booking for your next trip.

6 reasons Milaidhoo knows luxury better than other resorts in Maldives

1. Complimentary in-room, cloud-style flip flops.

Flip flops are standard at most luxury resorts in the Maldives, but the material Milaidhoo uses is very different. It feels like you’re walking on air or atop clouds. The flip flops have zero weight on your feet. Milaidhoo had something as small as flip flops custom made so guests appreciate them, rather than buy them in bulk.

Also, the words Milaidhoo and Maldives are carved on the bottom, so when you step in the sand, you leave those imprints. Genius marketing??

2. The TVs in the villas are hidden behind picture frames. 

I never turn on the TV on my travels, and I never knew why beach villas in the Maldives had them. Who wants to watch TV in paradise?

However, the more I travel, the more I like to watch the news, but I still feel like TVs are a glaring obstruction in such beautifully designed rooms.

I love that Milaidhoo hid the TVs in such a beautiful, nature/organic-designed room. You don’t see a TV in this photo below, right? It’s because it’s hidden behind the picture frame, which slides open to reveal the TV, that can be hinged outward.

3. Breakfast buffet is posh and brilliant.

The restaurant at Milaidhoo feels like a fashion lab. Not only is the restaurant walled in by floor to ceiling glass, so you never leave nature, it offers carefully curated, visually stunning plates and dishes inside glass drawers.

Among fresh seafood, Asian specialties, international varieties (from American to French), there’s also fresh-baked bread (you won’t find many resorts that have their own on-site bakery), including gluten free, as well as cold drip coffee, again a rarity in the Maldives.

4. The beach villa’s design is oval. 

The beach villas have an oval shape. This is so guests can have 180-degree views with sliding glass walls, unlike other villas in Maldives that are square shaped. The designers truly went the extra mile with guest satisfaction and comfort in mind.

Also, guests staying in the beach villas have an indoor shower, outdoor shower, and a second outdoor shower. There’s also a private pool that’s just steps from the crystal clear sea. That’s one of my favorite things in the Maldives. There’s no zoning restrictions, and there are no waves from the ocean, meaning your beach villa can be literally 100 feet from the famous, turquoise waters.

5. The resort is surrounded by a coral reef.

Many luxury resorts in Maldives don’t even have a reef, or they were bleached long ago. This means you will have to get on a speedboat to see the sea life, and it’s a factor we considered for our Milaidhoo review.

At Milaidhoo, which is inside the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, guests can see sea turtles, dolphins, lobsters and other rare creatures just steps from their villa. Also, the reef in this specific atoll is protected (no fishing) so you have triple the marine life.

I know this is such a small feature, but it’s one of my favorites: Swinging chairs.

They are everywhere, hanging from the ceiling, rather than just boring, gravity-grounded chairs.

Guests can sway themselves into oblivion here. Talk about paradise! For our Milaidhoo review, clearly swinging chairs can really sway our decision to book.

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