If you’re the type to get away when start to temperatures drop, we’ve found your fall destination.
Naladhu Private Island Maldives has recently announced that it will reopen in November after a six-month closure for a complete renovation. Set just a 30-minute speedboat ride from the international airport, the luxury resort in the South Malé Atoll is introducing a total redesign of its accommodations and most public areas, including its restaurant and bar, wine cellar and gym.
The new look is being crafted by New York based architect Yuji Yamazaki, who has worked on several projects in the Maldives—from other five-star resorts to the international airport’s VIP lounges—as well as luxury boutiques for brands like Theory and Calvin Klein. From the new bespoke furniture to the lighter color palette, the architect’s vision puts a modern spin on colonial Southeast Asian style.
Yamazaki is also paying close attention to creating a number of spots around the resort where guests can enjoy reflective moments, from new oceanside breakfast seating to chaise lounges overlooking the pool.
For more quiet time, guests can retreat to the accommodations, which consist of 20 private villas, or “houses”, that are each about 3.229 square feet. The houses fall into two categories: the Beach House with Pool option, which offers direct access to the white sands and the lagoon, and the Ocean House with Pool and Private Cabana, which has a large oceanview terrace and a cabana in which your butler (or Kuwaanu) can serve meals or drinks. Each renovated house will be named after an indigenous Maldivian flower or plant found on the island, and the corresponding flora will be planted in that house’s garden.
The jewel in Naladhu’s crown, though, is its top house: the Two Bedroom Pool Residence. Stretching to 6,458 square feet, the resort’s largest accommodation can sleep up to six guests and has the distinction of offering both sunrise and sunset views. The stunning residence features a swimming pool, ocean-facing deck, al fresco dining area and a swing, but best of all, post-renovation it will reopen with its own 66-foot-long private beach, from which you can head straight into the lagoon.
When they do feel like venturing out of their living quarters, guests will have access to a host of new experiences. The Kuwaanus (a name that means storyteller in Dhivehi, the Maldivian language) can help set up private island picnics, guided nature walks or snorkeling tours with the in-house marine biologist, during which you’ll see some of the island’s 2,000 species of tropical fish and sea mammals and learn about Naladhu’s coral conservation program.
Staff would also be happy to chat about the resort’s sustainability initiatives (like the banning of all single-use plastics) and the new partnership with Partley Air to help reduce marine plastic pollution and recycle plastic waste. (As part of its commitment to giving back, Naladhu has also donated all of its pre-renovation furniture to the Maldives’s only mental health hospital.)
The resort will also be expanding its signature “no menu, dine anywhere” concept, which allows guests to order their favorite dishes to enjoy at any time, and at any place on the island. Although there is a main Living Room restaurant, set overlooking the lagoon, it’s fun to mix it up with a “Champagne floating breakfast” served in the pool, or moonlight midnight snacks on the beach. This untraditional dining concept is led by Peruvian Chef de Cuisine Patricio Basombrio Cedano, who oversees a culinary team that’s well-versed in such global cuisines as Arabic, Sri Lankan, Italian, French, Japanese and Indonesian.
To renew its focus on wellness, the resort will also unveil a new dedicated spa area featuring a double treatment room, and will welcome a resident naturopath and nutritional therapist for bespoke treatments. Rates start at $1,145 per night, including breakfast, for an Ocean House.
Check out more images of the private island resort below.
