Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi (imagery: © Alex Jeffries)

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi spans three interconnected islands, including an independent private island, in the South Malé Atoll.

This 119-villa resort has been carefully designed to attract the world’s most discerning travellers.

Interiors referencing the natural environment

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi opened in the summer of 2019 with 119 thatched overwater and beach villas, along with abundant space for dining, unwinding and socialising. Clever design features such as private bamboo pods for dining in the Terra restaurant set this resort’s style apart, while thoughtful elements like paintings of herons reference its unparalleled natural setting.

Each beach, reef and overwater villa opens onto a white-sand beach or an expansive terrace with an infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean. Among these are the two Stella Maris Ocean Villas, which are only accessible by boat, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and direct ocean access.

Also only accessible by yacht, Ithaafushi Private Island offers the height of exclusivity as a 32,000 sq m sanctuary encompassing a four-bedroom residence, three-bedroom beach villa and two-bedroom overwater villa, with a dedicated chef and personal concierge, as well as an overwater spa and gym, five swimming pools, an entertainment centre and a pristine beach.

Inspired dining venues

Outside of this private enclave, the resort encompasses as many as 11 specialty dining venues, along with amenities facilitating an abundance of activities. For example, guests can dine in the island’s barbecue grill restaurant The Ledge, overseen by Chef Dave Pynt of Singapore’s Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends. Alternatively, they can slake their thirst at rustic wine cellar The Rock, set in a carved-out space among boulders.

Elsewhere, authentic Middle Eastern cuisine is offered at Yasmeen, where the dining space is decorated with artifacts and antiques. And diners are given an interactive garden-to-table dining experience at Glow, a restaurant set in a greenhouse-like structure.

Also worth highlighting is the Waldorf Astoria Spa, incorporating tranquil overwater and garden villas along with the 40 m Mirror Pool, the Ocean Pavilion with fitness centre, the water sports centre and the Waldorf Astoria Young Discovery Park and Lagoon Pool.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi’s unique architecture was brought to life by Highness, complemented with stylish interior design from Stickman Tribe. Forest Group was the drapery hardware supplier.

For more info about this scheme, and to view an extensive gallery of hi-res images, check out Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi’s project page on the TOPHOTELDESIGN website.

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