Hotels in Maldives

The Maldives mostly runs on a one-island-one-resort model: your hotel is the destination, ringed by genuinely absurd turquoise water and house reefs. That makes choosing the island everything — and transfer costs matter, as seaplanes to far atolls can add hundreds of pounds and only fly in daylight. Overwater villas are the postcard, but beach villas are often bigger for less.

The budget alternative is a guesthouse on a local island such as Maafushi, at a fraction of resort prices, with local rules — alcohol-free, with designated bikini beaches. Malé itself warrants an hour, not a night. Stay at a resort with a good house reef if snorkelling matters; near the airport atoll if you would rather spend on the room than the seaplane.