W Maldives Retreat & Spa

Maldives, Indian Ocean

Virgin rating

Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Fish
Sip
Kitchen
Fire
Spectacular Overwater
Spectacular Overwater
Spectacular Overwater
AWAY Spa
AWAY Spa
Private Island escape
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Wonderful Beach Oasis
Fish
Sip
Kitchen
Fire
Spectacular Overwater
Spectacular Overwater
Spectacular Overwater
AWAY Spa
AWAY Spa
Private Island escape

The hotel

A luxurious retreat, the W triumphs yet again with spectacular accommodation in an idyllic location. There are various room options to choose from, each and every one of them truly special with private plunge pools a feature as well as sumptuous island views. Treat yourself to an over-water retreat, complete with glass panelled flooring to admire the ocean below you. Whichever you choose, you’re only a stone’s throw from the beach, which boasts not only glorious white sands but a whole range of water sports to get your teeth into. Swim with hammerhead sharks and manta rays on a diving expedition or explore the endless turquoise waters on a kayak or canoe. There’s also big game fishing if you fancy catching dinner! If you don’t, there are several restaurants to choose from, including Fish, the resort’s signature seafood restaurant and Fire for barbecue delights. Wet is part swim-up bar and part poolside lounge gone gourmet with wood-fired pizza, creative salads and Asian cuisine on the menu alongside exotic cocktails. 

Amenities

  • Scuba Diving
  • Snorkelling
  • Honeymoon
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Beachfront location

Where is it

On Fesdu Island in the middle of the North Ari Atoll. Transfer time from Malé International Airport: 30 minutes by seaplane (remember to pack light for the seaplane transfer as luggage allowance is 20kg plus 5kg hand luggage, per person).

Hotel information

78 retreats, all with W Maldives' signature style, luxury and personality. All beach and overwater bungalows and villas feature complimentary WiFi, coffee/tea maker, private terrace and private pool. Fabulous Overwater villas with private pool, and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.

Bed & Breakfast: includes daily breakfast for 2 people at Kitchen Restaurant.

Half Board/Full Board options include: Breakfast and dinner to be taken in the Kitchen Table or Fire restaurant (beverages not included). A set menu is available in Fish, or 20% discount on a la carte dining. In Retreat Dining is available but at a supplement.

Wonderful Beach Oasis, available with 1 king-size bed or 2 queen beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults.

Spectacular Overwater villas with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.

Wow Ocean Escape - a 2 Bedroom villa sleeping maximum 4 adults. The master bedroom has 1 king-size bed and the second bedroom has 2 queen beds.

Kitchen (all-day dining bistro), Fish (overwater seafood restaurant, dinner), Fire (grill restaurant, dinner), Wet (gourmet poolside bar), Sip (cocktail bar). Kada (beach pop-up café).

WET outdoor infinity pool. SWEAT Fitness Centre*. AWAY Spa*. WAVE - in house water sports centre includes free snorkelling equipment. House reef. DOWN UNDER dive centre*. Private Island Escape* (reserve the island of Gaathafushi for the day, or for an overnight ‘Robinson Crusoe’ experience). ESCAPE* (W Maldives’ own private sailing yacht with two cabins, lounge, and stunning deck).

Room service*. Complimentary WiFi access.

* Denotes local charge.

Please note: to ensure our customer's safety, we are unable to offer over water accommodation to children under the age of 12.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1638)
  • Very good (132)
  • Average (36)
  • Poor (20)
  • Terrible (25)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Detail-oriented, best views, friendly staff

Apr 26, 2024 rabizok Warsaw, Poland

Very detail-oriented customer experience, people in the resort truly care about the guests, big thank you especially to Ishara, Kadek and Anice for always putting a smile on their and our face. They did our best to accommodate us up to our expectations, considering our preferences and wishes. Breakfast buffet had a wide variety of choices,… Read more
Very detail-oriented customer experience, people in the resort truly care about the guests, big thank you especially to Ishara, Kadek and Anice for always putting a smile on their and our face. They did our best to accommodate us up to our expectations, considering our preferences and wishes. Breakfast buffet had a wide variety of choices, evenings at Sip were wonderful, thanks to the friendliest staff and amazing sea views. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating My last Stay At W Maldives

Apr 26, 2024 7oout Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

"W Maldives exceeded all expectations! From the moment we arrived, Aisha and Ahmed provided a warm and seamless airport greeting, setting the tone for an unforgettable stay. Shreef's efficiency during check-in made the process a breeze. Noor's culinary skills in the kitchen left us craving more with each meal. Special thanks to Saito and Anees for… Read more
"W Maldives exceeded all expectations! From the moment we arrived, Aisha and Ahmed provided a warm and seamless airport greeting, setting the tone for an unforgettable stay. Shreef's efficiency during check-in made the process a breeze. Noor's culinary skills in the kitchen left us craving more with each meal. Special thanks to Saito and Anees for their exceptional welcome and attention to detail throughout our stay. Kadek's service at Sip Restaurant was impeccable, and the unnamed staff member who seamlessly transitioned between Wet Restaurant and sunset service at Sip ensured every moment was picture-perfect. Huge gratitude to Steven, the resort manager, for orchestrating such a flawless experience. We can't wait to return to this paradise!" Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Amazing Honeymoon Experience!

Apr 26, 2024 Amirhussyn

Upon arrival at Velana International Airport (MLE), after immigration and baggage collection, there was already a W staff waiting for us to assist all the way to the resort itself. You don't have to worry about anything as everything is settled for you. If you have not taken a seaplane before, I would recommend including the seaplane in your… Read more
Upon arrival at Velana International Airport (MLE), after immigration and baggage collection, there was already a W staff waiting for us to assist all the way to the resort itself. You don't have to worry about anything as everything is settled for you. If you have not taken a seaplane before, I would recommend including the seaplane in your package as it is quite an experience! Reaching W Maldives, we were gracefully welcomed by other W staff and we had a tour around the island first while our luggage were brought to the room. Everything was easy! Our stay in the resort was such a relaxing experience. Our room was the FABULOUS OVERWATER RESORT and the stay was what we expected. Everything was clean and we could also contact room service through WhatsApp and it was very convenient. We could even call for a buggy to transport us from our room to anywhere on the island. Do have a walk too! I takes only 15 mins to cover the whole island. We did a halfboard for the food as me and my wife were not big eaters. All the meals were splendid! Don't forget to try some of their local Maldivian dishes. I really enjoyed the Mas Bai (Maldivian Tuna Fried Rice). The activities we did were the spa and massage, snorkeling, photoshoot, floating breakfast. My wife even had the opportunity to do a Discover Scuba Dive with the local dive centre (Down Under) and it was a really great experience with the instructor! Just a shout out to the staff that made our stay hospitable, restaurant staff Hassan, Siska, Nur and the rest of the crew! The dive instructor Ben for providing us an amazing dive experience. And thank you to the rest of the W hotel staff which made our Honeymoon memorable. Overall an amazing 5 star with W Maldives. Thank you Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Gorgeous Island, Amazing Service, Hope Vibe Better After Renovation

Apr 22, 2024 sdcyclist San Diego, California

The trip to the W Maldives was wonderful, overall. The resort is about a 20 minute plane ride from Male and you are welcomed with a whole management team and drink and tour. The service is great and The W lives up to their "Whatever/Whenever" service - when you need something they will deliver whenever you need it. You can call or use WhatsApp… Read more
The trip to the W Maldives was wonderful, overall. The resort is about a 20 minute plane ride from Male and you are welcomed with a whole management team and drink and tour. The service is great and The W lives up to their "Whatever/Whenever" service - when you need something they will deliver whenever you need it. You can call or use WhatsApp (loved this option and mostly used) and they respond very quickly. The reef here is very mature because it is one of the older resorts, so it has had many more years to grow their reef relative to other resorts. We had so many fish and sharks below and around our villa - so beautiful. They have complimentary use snorkel gear, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, football, volleball, ping pong, fooseball, billiards, business center, fitness center, fitness classes. Make sure you take advantage of the 30 minute complimentary photo session, it is fun to get your free print and it also gives you ideas of photos you can try to recreate on your own. There were some things that can be improved though. There were some hiccups in service, but overall the staff there is amazing and really work to make sure you are having a fantastic stay. The biggest disappointment was that we were expecting The W Maldives to have a really cool and energetic vibe since that is what they try to portray to us by calling their resort a "playground" and others in previous years had described such a vibe. At one point they may have been that cool, because they used to have a nightclub - which closed down - but that is not what we experienced. There was good music and there were good drinks and they even gave out free shots at times, but there wasn't a lot of mingling with others guests and everyone was just doing their own thing in the same area. I don't expect it to be like Spring Break in Mexico with sloppy drunkenness, but how is it that hostels can host happy hours and strangers from all different parts of the world can converse and share laughs and conversation, but a luxury resort cannot be this kind of catalyst with all of its resources? The reef and the vibe were what made me choose The W instead of the JW Marriott or spend a little more for Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis. The W has to make sure it makes its differentiating factors clear as others reefs will catch up. They are going into renovation for a few months, so I hope they are that luxury resort I hoped for after they reopen Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great experience - room, food, reef, excursions all top-notch!

Apr 21, 2024 Tyche75 San Francisco, California

We chose to stay here due to many reviews listing it as having one of the best house reefs in the Maldives; this was pretty accurate, especially since there were 4 resident sea turtles - one could see/swim near one or more nearly daily if in the right areas of the reef. The property itself was excellent - which some unusual touches such as the… Read more
We chose to stay here due to many reviews listing it as having one of the best house reefs in the Maldives; this was pretty accurate, especially since there were 4 resident sea turtles - one could see/swim near one or more nearly daily if in the right areas of the reef. The property itself was excellent - which some unusual touches such as the beach villas being 2-stories (with a sort of balcony/chill area on the 2nd level). The staff were universally excellent, the food was great - the breakfast buffet was lavish, and even included bottomless champagne. We did a few sea excursions, the guide and staff were excellent once again, and we were lucky enough to see a whale shark (our guide was super helpful helping us get to the shark before the poor critter was mobbed by people on much larger/more crowded boats). We were also very lucky to not just see a few dozen mantas, but they even swam around and with us, seeming both playful and curious. The guide said so many together is unusual, but that generally, mantas are normally spotted on these excursions, so the resort location is good for that. Read less