7 Levels of Maldives Resort

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7 Levels of Maldives

A popular YouTube format is the “7 Levels of…” feature. Often, it is used for segmenting entertainment – ie. Rappers, Singers, TV Shows, Film Twists. But another common subject is luxury items – Watches, Wine, Megayachts, Hi-Fi Systems, Whiskey. I’ve often written about the gradient of differences between Maldives resorts to try to help make sense of the cacophony of reviews and ratings, so I thought that I would put out my own version of “7 Levels”:

  1. Guest House – The ultimate entry level is the “Guest House”. These were introduced in 2008 to provide low-cost options for budget travellers and to extend the benefits of tourism business to local islands (as opposed to the dedicated resort islands). In addition to providing a very wallet-friendly alternative, they immerse guests into the authentic daily life of the local islanders. However, these properties and their locations do come with a number of constraints imposed by the Islamic culture such as no alcohol, no pork, and no bikinis (except sometimes in special segregated areas). Furthermore, the guest houses themselves are typically quite simple affairs not much more than a basic B&B with few amenities (and sometime lacking in features such as air conditioning)
    • Price Range: $30-90/n
    • Equivalent: Bed & Breakfast, hostels, motel
    • Examples. West Sands, Royal Villa Royal Villa Fulidhoo
  2. Local Island Hotel – In addition to guest houses, some of the larger local, inhabited islands have small hotels built on them. These properties are more expansive and expensive than the guest houses. They are offer more facilities and typically a higher standard of décor and amenities. Most with have reception services, dining, even a pool.
    • Price Range: $100-$300/n
    • Equivalent: budget motorway motel
    • Examples – Hotel Jen, AIG Grand, White Shell Beach Inn, Arena Beach Hotel
  3. Budget 3 star – The Maldives started as simple, un-airconditioned villas catering to the diving community and you can still find a few very simple properties that still provide relatively basic accommodation, service, and food. You will have air conditioning, and the same dappled blue ocean and enchanting sunsets to gaze upon, but pretty basic services and often tired, dated décor.
    • Price Range: $100-$300/n
    • Equivalent: Butlins, holiday par
    • Examples – Eriyadu, Embudu, Bandos.
  4. Value 4 star – When we first started visiting the Maldives in the 90s, this segment was the most popular. It has more than the basics. Nothing truly luxurious, but well appointed.
    • Price Range: $300-800/n
    • Equivalent: Holiday Inn, budget chain hote
    • Examples. Gangehi, Reethi Faru, Kandooma
  5. Luxury 5 star –The luxury 5-star is the current hot segment dominating the new entrants. The vast majority of Maldives guests are affluent travellers who expect a high standard of aesthetics, cuisine, service and amenities that these properties deliver.
    • Price Range: $800-2000/n
    • Equivalent: Marriott, W hotel
    • Examples. Emerald, Siyam World, Amilla Fushi
  6. Super Lux – This is the “Wow” category. Table stakes here are elegant design, gourmet food, and typically some “wow” offering like an underwater restaurant, observatory, marine center, or observation tower.
    • Price Range: $2000-4000/n
    • Equivalent: Leading Hotels of the World collectio
    • Examples. Soneva Fushi, Velaa, Milaadhoo, Cheval Blanc.
  7. Private Island – The ultimate in Maldives island luxury is your own private island. In the past, billionaires have occasionally bought out an entire resort property, but it is difficult to do because guests may have already booked some of the rooms well in advance. Also, a small island can be 50 rooms (or 100 guests typically) and that’s a LOT of friends to invite on holiday.
    • Price Range: $50k/nt
    • Equivalent: Branson’s Necker Island
    • Examples – Soneva Secret, Four Seasons Voavah, Waldorf Ithaafushi.
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Best of the Maldives: Michelin Keys – Cheval Blanc / Soneva Fushi

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Michelin keys

Trying to get some measurable benchmark by with to distill the myriad subjective characteristics of a property is the only of the Holy Grails of guides. I have written a number of pieces on the distinct challenges that resort ratings in the Maldives face and some ideas on how to navigate them. The internet has made “ratings” a cornerstone of many guide sites though many of these crowd-sourced versions come with their own problems and biases. But now the pinnacle of guide books, the OG (“Original Guide”), Michelin has added “stars” (well “keys”) to its hotel guide. And it includes a number (12) of Maldives resorts.

  • Michelin describes its criteria as the following:
  • Design – excellence in architecture and interior design.
  • Service – quality and consistency of service
  • Character – overall personality and character
  • Value – value for the price
  • Contribution – significant contribution to the neighborhood or setting

As with Michelin stars for restaurants, “3” keys is the highest accolade. For perspective, out of the dozens of luxury properties in the Maldives, only 2 have achieved 3 key status: Cheval Blanc Randheli and Soneva Fushi. Soneva Fushi would have been the first to come to my mind so that seems clear. Though it does beg the question about the omission of Soneva Jani which has all of the style and distinction of Soneva Fushi and in many respects more so because it was built many years after Soneva Fushi and it feels like they enhanced Jani with all the lessons learned from their experience with Fushi. I would question the selection of Cheval Blanc Ranheli for the top accolade as I don’t know anything it does as a “significant contribution” to the area, and “3 stars” pretty much means you ace every single aspect under consideration.

  • “Three Keys: An extraordinary stay – The ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary stays and a destination for the trip of a lifetime.”

There are some very obvious omissions like Velaa, a contender for at least 2 keys (“A hotel that’s unique in every way, where a memorable experience is always a guarantee. A hotel of character and charm, run with obvious pride and considerable care.”, and I would say that Oaga warrants a key based on their criteria (“A true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range”).

Whatever its shortcomings, at least you have professional hospitality experts assessing the property and not the owner of a car dealership on their first visit to the destination.

   

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How to Pick Your Perfect Maldives Resort – UPDATED

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Perfect Maldives Resort

Maldives Complete’s most popular article by far has been “How to Pick Your Perfect Maldives Resort” with 288 comments. But it was written way back in 2013 and the destination, and the considerations around choosing a resort, have shifted a fair bit.

Some considerations are virtually identical …

  • Large or small island?
  • How important is off-beach snorkelling?
  • Seaplane ride?
  • Children?

Some questions are also the same except for my commentary with numbers…

  • What’s your budget? – While the question remains the same, my comment that resorts “vary in cost from £1,000 per week to over £10,000” would have to change to “vary in cost from £200 to £20,000 per night”
  • All Inclusive? – Same consideration as before but instead of “38 out of 132 resorts offer all inclusive”, it is now “59 out of 186”
  • Any favourite activities? – Same consideration as before but instead “now with over 120 resorts, there is something for everyone” the count has grown to 186.

The one question that has changed quite dramatically (and the one which was one of the primary drivers to be creating the spreadsheet which led to the website) is “does the resort have a pool”. When I first published the piece, I noted that “86 out of 132 resorts have pools” (65%…lots of choice but certainly no guarantee). Today, 180 out of 186 – 97%! – have a resort pool. So not so difficult to find a resort with one (in fact, the real challenge is finding one without one). What I noted in my article addendum I made in October 2020 was that the new thing was “private pools” for each villa. These days, 727 room categories out of 1,406 (or 51%) have their very own dedicated private pools. So the question is really more “do you want your own private pools” and it is less a question of finding a resort than finding a suitable room type at a resort.

And as my follow up piece, “How to Pick the Perfect Maldives Villa” noted, the villa “pool” consideration itself has lots of variations, ie. luxury, standard, plunge, jacuzzi.

 

Posted in: Industry

World Travel Market London 2025

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WTM 2025 - Siyam

This week was my annual pseudo-Maldives visit attending the World Travel Market in London where the Maldives tourism board always has a massive presence populated by a range of industry players but mostly the resorts themselves coming to speak to prospective agents and operators. Also, the Siyam group has gotten so prominent, especially in the UK market, that they occupied their very own dedicated area right next to the Maldives. Between the two stands, the Maldives occupied the front to back of the exhibition hall.

The annual event is a chance for me to escape the clocks-going-back, damp dreariness of oncoming British winter and wander among the tropical imagery of our fav tropical destination catching up with friends old and new from there. The show always brings out the true legends of the industry who have been side by side with me promoting the Maldives tourism industry for decades now: Jason Kruse (photo below), Aminath Hudaa, Scott LeRoi. In the past, I often made new acquaintances with the owners and key players in the resort where I could learn about their properties and they were keen to share experience and perspectives. But in recent years, the sector has grown so big and corporate that many of the people there are sales reps based out of HQs in Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok who were just focused on flogging inventory. The highlight of the day was the late afternoon reception hosted by the Siyam group launching its new branding which was packed with enthusiastic fans of the properties.

WTM 2025 - Jason

WTM 2025 - overview

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Siyam (r)evolution

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Siyam launch event 2

One of the great joys of working on Maldives Complete is the escapism to paradise that it provides me while hunkering down in the grey days of England. And as the days are growing shorter and the winds colder, Sun Siyam brought an evening of Maldivian sunshine to London to announce its brand revamp on the occasion of its 35 year anniversary:

  • “More than a visual refresh, the brand (r)evolution introduces a bold new brand statement anchored in The Home of the Maldivian Spirit, reinforcing the group’s position as one of the Maldives’ most culturally authentic resort operators. The transformation elevates guest journeys with new Signature Experiences introduced across all six resorts and strengthens direct relationships with customers through Siyam Rewards. A single identity now unites the group’s five Maldivian resorts and its Sri Lankan retreat under The House of Siyam. To help guests and partners navigate the portfolio, each property is now grouped under three distinct collections: Luxury, Privé and Lifestyle.”

The positioning makes a lot of sense for a successful player in the Maldives market. If you grow with your success, you have to add new islands as the diminutive land masses contain what you can add to existing properties. If you add new islands, then you risk having your properties competing with each other. So you have to have some differentiation so people can choose your brand for its brand values and reputation (eg. the signature experiences), but choose specific variations based on more targeted price points or vibe.

The London event featured more than just the sunny warmth of Maldivian festivity, but a few special guests. First was Dolores Semeraro, serving as vibrant emcee for the evening, who was one of the first people we met in the Maldives when she was running marketing for LUX South Ari Atoll in 2012. She and her husband, Dominik Ruhl, are part of the early pioneers in the Maldives travel sector and are now leading experts on the sector who have helped me with Maldives Complete on many occasions.

Also, gracing the stage was Aston Merrygold, of the band JLS and “Strictly Come Dancing” fame. A real class act, he and his family are fans of the Siyam resorts. He did more than a token set, but played multiple sets and spend time in between talking with the guests (who took many selfies), and even performed his signature backflip on stage.

Siyam launch event 3

Siyam launch event

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Resort Segmentation

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Maldives resort segmentation table

This recent tour made me realise that I really need to consider “Best of the Maldives” posts by price tier. Reethi Rah, Soneva and Velaa may have everything you can imagine, but few of us have the wallets to go there. Now that the sector as tripled in size since Maldives Complete started, you can find just about anything, certainly in the super premium properties. But it remains distinctive when a more modest tiers property offers such a unique or striking feature.

This musing also got me thinking about the core segments that the Maldives resorts have coalesced into. Actually, they are pretty conventional quartiles that you find in many markets (as illustrated in the chart below which compares them to other products):

These price bands play an important role in user reviews like Trip Advisor. Such star-ratings are not based on objective box-ticking criteria like hospitality association ratings (which has a long check-list of requirements for each grading class). Instead, these ratings really reflect performance against expectations. As a result, you can get a budget burger joint getting 5-star ratings because it is the best $3 burger that you have ever had. Conversely, a white-linen, silver setting gourmet establishment can get a 1-star rating if the meat is overcooked and service a bit slow during your $100 meal.

The key to exceeding expectations is (a) tick all of the boxes for your class (the cake), and (b) add a few special bits above the class (treats) that are valued and memorable. For example, Siyam World sits squarely in the Business Class segment, and yet still snared the crown as one of the Top 10 Hotels in the World in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards 2025. It sits in the comfortable “business class” of Maldives resorts, but adds enough luxury touches to feel distinctive in that class.

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Maldives of the Americas

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Ray Caye Belize

We were intrigued by Belize because the coral reef off its eastern coast features islands allegedly the most similar to the Maldives of anywhere in the world. I had featured it in my popular “Maldives Methadone” post. We thought that we could enjoy the tropical island (with diving) holiday while also having a few days to explore the rainforest jungle (a bit like the Maldives+Sri Lanka combo popular in the Indian Ocean). We also thought it would be fun to try a “Maldivian” experience somewhere else in the world.

To remind everyone, the criteria for “Maldives-like” includes:

  • Small size (able to walk around the circumference)
  • Tropical
  • Accessible, quality snorkeling
  • Blue tapestry seascape
  • Remoteness (ie. “middle of the ocean” feel with mainland not in sight)
  • Calm ocean from protective atoll/barrier reef

Why bother with “Methadone” when the Maldives itself offers so many options?

  • Cost – Maldives is one of the priciest destinations on the planet so seeking lower priced options.
  • Access – Somewhere closer to North/South America especially, but also Asia/Pacific
  • Variety – A bit of a different culture, history, locale, etc.

We booked a stay a Ray Caye about 30-minute flight from the international airport in Belize City to Placencia and then 50 minute speedboat ride from there.

What was like the Maldives…

· Blind-Taste Test – If you were to blindfold me and drop me down on Ray Caye without telling me where I was and asked me if it was the Maldives, I would really struggle. It definitely has both the look and vibe of most Maldive resorts. Palm trees, coral sand, azure tapestry seascape.

  • Seascape – Green caterpillar-like islands on the ocean’s horizon with azure tapestry stretching out.
  • Landscape – Tropical, palm trees, walking pines, mangroves.
  • Warm water, ie. 26-30 degrees Celsius, where you don’t need a wetsuit for diving
  • Pricing was actually comparable to similar properties in the Maldives (we spent about $1000 BB in a oceanside luxury villa with a plunge pool)

The particular property of Ray Caye was really like the EARLY Maldives (ie. early 2000s) which might have particular appeal to those nostalgic for the simpler, less-luxurified times. Staying at several other on-land Belize resorts en route to Ray Caye, we started observing that the Belize tourism industry is considerably less mature than certainly the Maldives. Another case in point was that when I was at the World Travel Market last week, they were the only Central American country without a booth. Aspects that took us back a decade or more include:

  • One room, rustic airport arrivals with only one other plane on the tarmac
  • Top hotels really 4+ star
  • Limited modern conveniences (ie. Internet only in lobby in some resorts, no TVs)
  • Big diving draw with familiar aquatic creatures like reef sharks, nurse sharks, dolphins, turtles, sting rays, eagle rays, jacks, and even whale sharks

The mainland non-resort areas of Belize reminded me a lot of Fuvamulah in general development, standard of housing and infrastructure (eg.limited mobile data and wifi, commercial establishments).

The one aspect which actually outshone the Maldives was the coral. Belize is also facing considerable coral bleaching with its hard corals, but its soft coral is the most extensive and varied we have ever seen.

There were telltale signs that this was not quite the Maldives…

  • Seascape – Extent of the azure sea was not quite as expansive. It seems like the general ocean topology is about a couple metres deeper than that of the Maldives. As a result, few variegated blues stand out and you don’t find ocean-level features like sand bars.
  • Sealife – Not as much marine life (especially the small fish which is partially down to the scourge of the invasive lion fish that feed on them).
  • Staff freely circulate and hang out in guest areas (which is a more congenial vibe)
  • Bird life slightly different with pelicans instead of herons as the prime fishing fowl. Also, osprey and frigates soar from tree to tree instead of flying fox bats.
  • Limited spa (with therapist off for extended periods of time and only a few treatments available)
  • Less “remote” feeling as you can see the mountains of Guatemala and Belize in the western distance (even though they are not very prominent and mostly shrouded by horizon clouds)
  • Belize has a more diverse landscape of atolls than the Maldives and a good number of islands are not at all Maldivian-like as they are quite big (eg. featuring big multi-story hotels).

As I mentioned, we combined our island stay with several nights in the Belize rainforest, specifically the resorts Caves Branch and Sleeping Giant, akin to the popular stays in Sri Lanka often combined with the Maldives. The former lodges were like screened-in porches in the middle of the jungle which made the connection with the outside surroundings very intimate. Sort of akin to what a water villa is to the ocean, the “treehouses” (more like “treetop houses”) are to the jungle. Instead of seeing marine life around you, the sensory experience hits most at night when the sounds of the jungle are around you. Especially the howler monkeys who sound like some sort of alien space saber tooth tigers when they get into their howling action.

Here is a summary of our week long itinerary (ours was stretched to 12 days for more diving and rainforest excursions) which is a good framework to start from for a first trip to the destination:

  • DAY 1:
    • Arrive Belize International.
    • Stay at Caves Branch / Sleeping Giant (90 minute transfer from airport)
  • DAY 2:
    • Excursions: Mayan ruins, Cave adventure
    • Stay at Caves Branch / Sleeping Giant
  • DAY 3:
    • Excursions: Explore Placencia, beach and beach bars
    • Stay at 3 Iguanas, Placencia (90 minute transfer)
  • DAY 4:
    • Excursions: Money River and Manatee tour
    • Stay at 3 Iguanas
  • DAY 5:
    • Relax or Water Activity
    • Stay at Ray Caye (50 minute transfer from Placencia)
  • DAY 6:
    • Stay at Ray Caye
    • Relax or Water Activity
  • DAY 7:
    • Return travel

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World Travel Market 2024

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World Travel Market 2024

World Travel Market 2024 gave me my annual flesh-and-blood dose of Maldives meeting with so many of the movers and shakers of the Maldives travel sector. I meet new people who have never heard of Maldives Complete (especially the new appointments in the corporate properties) and well as longstanding comrades (like Aminath Hudha, the first Maldivian in the industry to support me – see photo above).

I also caught up with folks from properties I’ve visited, eg. Emerald, Emerald Faarufushi, Sun Siyam, Nika, Centara Ras Fushi. But I also get to meet new people from properties I haven’t visited, eg. NOOE, JW Marriott, Furaveri, Barcelo, Westin, Alila Kothaifaru, Fushifaru, Le Meridien, Drift Thelu Veliga, Plumeria. And especially helpful is meeting people from the brand new resorts coming soon – eg. NH Collection, Avani+, Centara Lagoon, Ananea Madivaru.

I met industry players like Maldives.com, Paula from Magic of Maldives agency, and even Igrahim Shiuree the new CEO of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relationship Corporation. And I uncovered about a dozen new “Best of the Maldives” pieces featuring either new distinctions or ones I hadn’t yet heard about (stay tuned)

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Sun Siyam Spooktacular Soiree

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Sun Siyam - London halloween 2

The dress code was “black, dark, spooky or full Halloween ghouls”. So Lori and I went as the spookiest, ghoulish creatures we could think of in the Maldives…Shark Fin Poachers.

In advance of next week’s World Travel Market in London and on the occasion of the scariest night of the year, Sun Siyam hosted a coterie of writers, operators and agents for some Halloween treats with no tricks. Sun Siyam’s largest market is the UK so it invests in keeping it informed and supported. The hotel group (Olhuveli, Vilu Reef, Irufushi, Siyam World) is focusing on adding as many distinctive experiences to their properties in the Maldives so that your trip of s lifetime it not just about the great place where you are, but also great things you do there.

Sun Siyam - London halloween 1

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How Much is a Pool in the Maldives?

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Maldives pool

One of the very first motivations to start Maldives Complete was to get a comprehensive list of resorts with pools (which our kids loved to frolic in). Now the pervasive 5-star luxury properties nearly all have pools with every room. But, they come at a price. That is, a price uplift versus equivalent rooms without the pools. Similar to my previous, “How Much Does a Sunset Cost?”, I thought I would tap into Maldives Complete’s database of over 1200 room categories to analyse this pool premium.

I compared all room types where the resort had definitively matching room descriptors of a room type with and without a pool (eg. “Beach Villa” and “Beach Villa with Pool”):

Disclaimer: Not all pools the same. Also, a number of “with Pool” room categories have larger room footprints so the room type is really more than just an added pool, but rather the pool is the signature addition that also signifies and includes other enhancements.

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