Top 10 best family-friendly resorts in the Maldives

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Top 10 best luxury resorts in the Maldives
Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives that can be booked for free with points
Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling
Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives that can be reached by boat
Top 10 most family-friendly luxury resorts in the Maldives (today)

Today: Top 10 best family-friendly resorts in the Maldives

The Maldives is widely regarded as one of the world’s ultimate romantic destinations, and for good reason. What’s not to like about its iconic sunsets, sugar white beaches, world-class spa facilities, unparalleled snorkeling & diving, fine dining restaurants, endless vistas over clear lagoons, and stunning overwater villas. It’s no wonder couples flock here in droves. Yet, the Maldives is also a wonderful destination for a family holiday, to relax, unwind and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. In fact, seeing the Maldives with children can be one of the most amazing travel experiences for families, although some resorts in the Maldives are better suited for families with young kids and teenagers than others. Here’s my selection of the 10 best resorts in the Maldives for a stunning family vacation.

There’s more information (with reviews & YouTube movies) below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite family-friendly resort in the Maldives in the comments section.

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10. COMO MAALIFUSHI

With its sister COMO hotel in the Maldives – COMO Cocoa Island – popular with honeymooners, COMO Maalifushi is aimed at the next stage: parenting. The only resort on Thaa Atoll, south of Malé, gives locally inspired architecture an elegant makeover in 65 family-sized, open-plan suites and villas, all with plunge pools. Find Asian therapies at the award-winning COMO Shambhala Retreat, with overwater spa pavilions. The resort’s signature COMO Shambhala Cuisine is also available – rich in living enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. The resort has a dedicated kid’s club – called Play by COMO – so parents can enjoy some downtime while their children learn, play and explore. For teens, there are plenty of water activities – diving, fly-fishing, and surfing – and multiple opportunities to explore the region.

Hotel website: COMO Maalifushi
Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
Review: read my review of COMO Maalifushi here.

9. NIYAMA PRIVATE ISLAND MALDIVES

An idyllic backdrop and vast views of the Indian Ocean set the stage for Niyama Maldives, which offers a chilled-out take on tropical-island luxury. The resort is spread over two isles: family-focused Isle of Play, and romantic honeymooner’s hideaway Isle of Chill. The property serves up one of the best dining scenes in the Maldives with no less than seven restaurants, including four unique options. Niyama offers 134 villas, over water or on the beach, with each villa having a secluded deck that offers pure privacy to luxuriate in al fresco rain showers, moonlit dips, or an intimate afternoon basking in the sun. Set in the heart of the Isle of Play, the resort’s Explorers Kids Club caters to the imaginations of all ages and immerses children in the eye-opening nature and cultural beauty of the islands – from Dhivehi lullabies to dolphin scouting.

Hotel website: Niyama Private Island Maldives

8. FOUR SEASONS LANDAA GIRAAVARU

With 103 spacious villas spread across a remote jungle wilderness in the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru combines impeccable service, five-star facilities and world-class cuisine with a real sense of discovery. There are babysitting services and a kids club for children aged 4-12. Young adults aged between 13-18 can also benefit from an extensive range of activities that are centered around the water. The resort runs a Marine Discovery Center that is great for both kids and adults to learn about science and marine life in the Maldives. A stay here can be combined with a holiday at its sister property, Kuda Huraa, renowned for its exceptional surf and easy charm. In 2016, Four Seasons also opened an ultraluxe private island, called Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, a secluded haven that transcends the private island experience for a maximum of 22 guests.

Hotel website: Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
Other accolades: the Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives also feature in my top 10 list of the best Four Seasons hotels & resorts in the world.
Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, $100 USD resort credit, welcome amenity in room on arrival, and departure gift).

7. THE ST REGIS MALDIVES VOMMULI RESORT

A 40-minute seaplane ride southwest from Malé airport, the St Regis hotel is located on a tiny island, surrounded by unspoiled beaches and a secluded lagoon with sparkling turquoise waters. The resort features 77 luxuriously appointed private villas, all with a distinct contemporary design scheme inspired by the island’s natural materials and color palette. Nestled in the island’s lust tropical interiors is an impressive children’s club for kids aged 4 to 12, offering yoga classes complete with meditation, cooking courses in the dedicated children’s kitchen, and art classes including origami and painting. There’s also a Socialite Club welcoming teenagers aged 16 years and older to take part in a variety of entertainment options including table tennis, pool, and air hockey as well as video and board games.

Hotel website: The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Other accolades: The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort also features in my lists of the most fabulous resorts in the Maldives, the best overwater villas in the Maldives and the best new luxury hotels of 2016.
Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, $300 USD food & beverage credit, one Hydrotherapy Blue hole experience, and daily buffet breakfast).
Review: read my review of the St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort here.

6. CONSTANCE MOOFUSHI

From ecological thatch roofing to crystal clear water, Constance Moofushi is a unique resort with a soul set right at the heart of South Ari Atoll. All villas are decorated with wondrous tones of nature with a hint of Constance chic, and either built on the dazzling white sands or on stilts that float above the turquoise waters. Constance Moofushi Maldives lies on the migration route of various kinds of marine life like whale sharks, dolphins, mantas, and sea eagles, offering superb snorkeling and diving. But the best feature for families is that Constance Moofushi is one of the few resorts in the Maldives that offers an all-inclusive package – from premium drinks, exquisite cuisine to luxurious accommodation. So, growing teens can eat and drink endlessly without their parents having to worry about the bill.

Hotel website: Constance Moofushi

5. SIX SENSES LAAMU

Six Senses Laamu is the only resort in the Laamu Atoll, deep in the Indian Ocean, requiring a domestic flight and short boat trip to get there. Yin Yang, the Maldives’ most famous surfing wave breaks just offshore. The luxury Maldives resort is a combination of fabulous on-land and over-water villas constructed of sustainable materials and set around the palm-fringed paradise. The house reef that encircles Six Senses Laamu is simply spectacular, with a stunning coral garden where it is very common to see Oriental Sweetlips, parrotfish and even green turtles as you make you way along it. The resort caters very well to families with a kids’ club (albeit a modest one with an arts and crafts room and a sandy playground), marine biologist on site teaching children about all the sealife, and a complimentary ice-cream bar on the jetty.

Hotel website: Six Senses Laamu
Other accolades: Six Senses Laamu also features in my top 10 list of the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling.
Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, $100 USD food & beverage credit, daily buffet breakfast, and a complimentary 50-minute massage for up to two people, once during stay).

4. ANANTARA KIHAVAH VILLAS

Set on one of the most pristine Maldivian islands, Anantara Kihavah Villas is a 30-minute seaplane flight from Male International Airport. The 79 spacious ultra-luxurious villas are either poised over the water with sweeping ocean views or nestled along a pristine stretch of private beach. Here, guests are treated to a host of dining options, including an incredible underwater dining experience. The near circular island is completely surrounded by stunning coral reefs that are teeming with colourful sea creatures, offering a surreal underwater world for you to explore. The resort caters to all families with kids, old and young. There is both a kids clubs and cinema in addition to numerous activities for kids so that one thing is sure: you will never hear them say they are bored (if you hear from them at all!).

Hotel website: Anantara Kihavah Villas
Other accolades: Anantara Kihavah Villas also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s best underwater hotels, the most fabulous overwater villas in the Maldives, and the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling.
Review: read my review of Anantara Kihavah Villas here.

3. INTERCONTINENTAL MALDIVES MAAMUNGAU RESORT

An exclusive private island resort, situated on the southernmost tip of the remote Raa Atoll, next to UNESCO biosphere reserve Baa Atoll, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort enjoys one of the most secluded and magnificent locations in the Maldives. Offering a beautiful setting in which to create memories to last a lifetime, the property welcomes families of all sizes, with over half its 81 villas and residences perfect for families of four or more. A highlight of the resort is its world-class service, including being the first resort worldwide to offer Club InterContinental benefits to all guests (e.g. daily afternoon tea, evening aperitif and and all-day refreshments by the pool or beach). The ultra-luxe property is surrounded by a myriad of marine life and home to a unique and spectacular manta ray sanctuary, making it the best hotel in the Maldives to snorkel with manta rays year round (which truly sets it apart among luxury resorts in the Maldives).

Hotel website: InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
Other accolades: InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury resorts in the Maldives
Review: read my review of InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort here.

2. SONEVA JANI

Inspired by a word that means wisdom in Sanskrit, Soneva Jani – my favorite resort in the Maldives – is located on Medhufaru island, which is part of an uninhabited five-island cluster in the Noonu Atoll. The Maldives’ most exclusive hotel is fringed by pristine beaches, blanketed with lush tropical greenery, and surrounded by a 5.6 km (3,4 mi) lagoon of crystal clear waters with uninterrupted 360° views of the Indian Ocean. Each water villa has a private pool, its own stretch of lagoon, and a retractable roof which slides back at the touch of a button so that guests can lie in bed and stargaze. Although the resort is a favorite among couples (and for good reason), it also offers terrific kids facilities, such as the largest children club in South Asia, chocolate and ice cream parlor, overwater cinema, and activities such as treasure and scavenger hunts. The highlight for kids are the water slides going directly from the villas and communal areas into the turquoise lagoon below.

Contact me to receive a complimentary room upgrade at Soneva Jani at the time of booking.

Hotel website: Soneva Jani
Other accolades: Soneva Jani also features in my lists of the best luxury resorts in the Maldives, the most fabulous overwater villas in the Maldives, the best new luxury hotels of 2016, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, and my favorite hotels in the world.
Tip: get complimentary VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
Review: read my review of Soneva Jani here.

1. SONEVA FUSHI

Soneva Fushi Resort, the Maldives’ original desert island hideaway and sister resort of Soneva Jani, is located in the stunnnig Baa Atoll island archipelago, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Hidden among dense tropical foliage with views of the ridiculously clear lagoon are dozens of massive, Robinson Crusoe-style, multi-bedroom luxury villas and private residences that are perfect for hosting families. In keeping with the castaway theme, many of these villas are built to resemble tree houses. All villas open to their own private stretch of sugar white sands, and most boast their own private seawater swimming pools. Guest can also opt to stay at one of the overwater villas, the largest of their kind in the world. The stunning and massive children’s club – called the ‘Den’ – is a family’s favorite. The Den is like an amusement water-park, eco-pod and theatre of dreams all rolled into one.

Contact me to get complimentary Soneva ambassador benefits at Soneva Fushi (e.g. best rate, resort credit, and two personalized Soneva experiences).

Hotel website: Soneva Fushi
Other accolades: Soneva Fushi also features in my top 10 lists of the best resort in the Maldives, best family hotels in the world, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling, and the world’s most insanely beautiful hotel beaches.
Tip: get complimentary VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
Review: read my review of Soneva Fushi here.