JOALI Maldives

Maldives is one of our all-time favorite destinations, and there is nothing quite like the experience offered by the top resorts in the country. So when we heard about Joali Maldives, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to stay here. (Don’t miss the photo essay from our stay!)

The essence of luxury

When designing a resort in the Maldives, its creators inevitably come across a problem: how to make it stand out among other top hotels in the country? What to add to the blueprint that others have not thought of before?

Here is a refreshing thing: Joali didn’t try to reinvent the concept of a luxury island resort. Instead, the brand chose to focus on refined simplicity, placing a bet on getting “it” right. Joali emphasizes the essentials of luxury experience: solid craftsmanship, top-notch service, and excellent cuisine. The resort is well-built and beautifully designed, it serves wonderful food, and is staffed with people who care about their work and the experience of their guests. And this, dare we say, is quite enough to create magic.

Arrival at JOALI Maldives

This magic revealed itself from the moment we stepped into the Joali airport lounge. Here we were treated to a warm welcome, with glasses of Prosecco, plenty of snacks, and excellent coffee. And the lounge’s ambiance was just right. Soon, we boarded the seaplane, bound for the resort. The seaplane splashed down some distance from the island (good idea; these things are loud), docking to a floating platform, from which a speedboat took us to the arrival jetty and lounge.

The jetty is an extraordinary structure, more a contemporary sculpture than a building. Despite comparisons to a “manta ray” or “two fish kissing”, we were happy to think about it simply as an abstract thing of beauty. The welcome party received us there, and it included our butler (or, our Jugadar).

If the arrival jetty made one strong impression, our villa made another. The sense of spaciousness, as we entered, was astonishing. From the lounge area to the bedroom, and from the freestanding bathtub in the middle of the bathroom to the sundeck with the absolute beast of a swimming pool — it was stunning. It got us thinking about how much the generosity of space matters in building a sense of luxury.

Interior design completed the show-stopping villa architecture. The theme was neutral beige-to-brown, but we loved the small details and splashes of color, from salmon pink fabrics and rose copper metal, to the emerald, bamboo-inspired tiles in the outdoor shower. It all created a sense of timeless elegance.

The Joy of Living @ JOALI Maldives

In other parts of the resort, its design blends this elegance with playfulness, e.g., in the commissioned art pieces or the fun structures. Dinner in a house-sized manta ray, anyone? A photo-op in a bird’s head, woven out of wicker? Joali has you covered.

But this, in a way, is just a decoration. The core of the resort experience is reflected in the vision behind the brand, captured in the “Joy of Living” motto. For us, this joy came through the service, the atmosphere, and the culinary offering. And even more sides of the joie de vivre can be found in the extensive water sports activities, and in the beautiful spa, which boasts an extensive menu of treatments and sessions.

in our opinion

Quietly sophisticated and effortlessly fabulous, Joali Maldives introduced a distinctive brand of luxury to a destination that has seen it all. We had a fantastic time here and would return in a heartbeat.

See the photo essay from our stay at Joali Maldives.

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What we love

• First impressions! Joali gets them right. The airport lounge is a very comfortable space, and it feels like part of the resort, with a tranquil ambiance. Then the welcome jetty is just fantastic, and walking into the villa for the first time beats all (and not only because of the welcome bottle of Ruinart champagne and a set of handmade chocolate and coconut sweets. See below)
• Our water villa was enormous! The spaciousness felt like part of the physical design, contributing to the sense of beauty. We loved the sophisticated interior design as well (by the Istanbul-based studio Autoban). The concept combines Maldivian character and solid craftsmanship with high-tech and contemporary art.
• The villas are equipped with an iPad controlling light, music, AC, and blinds. You can even program them to open at a selected time. This was great to have as the wake-up, to see the ocean in the morning light directly from our bed.
• The island is tiny but with lush greenery and mature trees saved from felling and incorporated into the beach villas. The beach is quite wide in places and extends into a long sandbank near the water villas.
• Each guest gets a stylish bicycle. The bicycles (different “for her and him”) are old school, as in: you brake using the pedals.
• The food was one of the highlights for us, especially dinners at the Japanese restaurant Saoke. Not only was all of what we had simply delicious, but it was a fun experience of navigating the unfamiliar menu and creating our own selection of sushi and sashimi. Breakfasts at Vandhoo were another high point every day, with abundant buffets.
• Every member of staff seemed to remember our names, and our own Jadugar (butler, or personal concierge) was always available, always picked up the phone, and always anticipated what we needed.
• The three-bedroom Ocean Residence is the highest category of accommodation. It is a sprawling structure that has two bedrooms, two pools, a spa, and a sauna. Highly indulgent, and with a jaw-dropping night rate. Oh well. Maybe in the next life.
• Get exclusive perks when you book via Kiwi Collection.

What you should know

• The hotel is well geared towards couples, but also families. Families with young children may want to go for the beach residences more than water villas, as it will be a safer option (plus, sand under your feet!).
• Activities in the children’s club include cooking classes, junior spas, treasure hunts, and so on. The resort also has a special semi-submersible for sea life watching, designed to look like a toy submarine.
• There is plenty to do here for adults, too. Water sports include jet skis, sea bobs, kayaks, paddle boards, and even parasailing and diving. The Joali organizes snorkeling and diving trips to spots more attractive than the island's immediate shores, but even here, there is more fish and sea life than you'd expect from the bleached coral reefs.
• Odd-numbered rooms are on the sunrise and even-numbered rooms are on the sunset side. However, the jetty is positioned in a way that ensures uninterrupted sunset views from only a few villas.
• The difference between the water villa standards is not much more than the additional lounge and the size of the outdoor sun deck.
• Joali is one of the most expensive hotels in the Maldives. But you pay for privacy and exclusivity, which is appreciated by people in the spotlight (we did spot a celebrity).
• You can fly to Joali on a private seaplane or a regular internal flight to the nearby Ifuru airport. From there, the resort is only some 15 minutes away by speedboat.
• Joali has recently launched a second resort, Joali Being, designed around a concept of transformative wellness. See our coverage in The Best Luxury Resorts in the Maldives to find out more.